Raising standards in KS1 and Special Needs: helping every child to succeed.
I have taught systematic phonics to all ages and abilities for over 30 years. My teaching degree was in Environmental Studies and I hate to see science reduced to box-ticking when there is so much to discover about the wonderful world we live in.
So, I produce Phonic resources that meet the real needs of children and teachers, along with science resources to engage children in learning about the natural world.
Raising standards in KS1 and Special Needs: helping every child to succeed.
I have taught systematic phonics to all ages and abilities for over 30 years. My teaching degree was in Environmental Studies and I hate to see science reduced to box-ticking when there is so much to discover about the wonderful world we live in.
So, I produce Phonic resources that meet the real needs of children and teachers, along with science resources to engage children in learning about the natural world.
Five phonic games to help pupils read and spell words with consonant blends (short vowel sound only). Suitable for use with Read, Write Inc.
Make Phonics learning fun and help it to stick!
These games have all been written by a special needs teacher, who knows exactly where children get stuck and what is needed to help them progress. The children will not know they are learning!
These games work wonderfully to help disillusioned readers succeed, but great for helping all children Pre K to 2nd grade and older special needs pupils.
Great for book bags, for use by classroom assistants and for the home-school.
Supplied in pdf format, all ready coloured in. Just print and play! These games are very simple to play but very effective. Full instructions provided and tips on how to help your child/ren.
See our Games for teaching Initial Sounds and CVC words too!
Six phonic simple games to help children learn to blend and segment cvc words.
Suitable for use with Read, Write Inc. Learning to blend with set 1 sounds.
These games work wonderfully to help disillusioned readers succeed, but great for helping all children Pre K to 2nd grade and older special needs pupils.
These games have all been written by a special needs teacher, who knows exactly where children get stuck and what is needed to help them progress. The children will not know they are learning!
Make Phonics learning fun and help it to stick!
Perfect for teaching assistants, to send home in book bags and for the home-school.
Supplied in pdf format, all ready coloured in. Just print and play! These games are very simple, but effective. All you need is in the pack. Full instructions provided and tips on how to help your child/ren. Laminating them will help them to last longer, but iw not necessary.
Contents:
Short vowel games: ‘a’, ‘e’/‘i’ and ‘o’/‘u’ (three games) - reading games
All vowels Game - a reading game
Missing Vowel Game - a spelling game
Final sound Game - a spelling game
10, newly upgraded phonics digraphs games: easy to make, easy to play, minimum prep. Games to help children get to grips with the digraphs:
sh ch ck ee oo ar or
Match words to pictures
Pictures to digraphs
Find the missing letters
Find the right ending
Suitable for all ages and abilities. Ideal for use with SEND pupils with or without a speech delay, for whom they were originally designed. Suitable for home or school use.
1 intervention work or use by private tutors.
Most of these games can be used as Literacy center activities/individual activities as well as being played by two players.
They are useful tools for assessment.
They can be used alongside our digraph phonics worksheets:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/phonics-practice-worksheets-phases-3-and-4-12009694
See our other games:
Initial Sounds Games: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/initial-sounds-games-print-cut-and-play-11998349
CVC word Games https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/phonic-games-to-teach-cvc-words-11998365
CVCC word Games https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/phonic-games-to-teach-cvcc-words-for-reception-yr-1-and-special-needs-11998391
See how a frog grows with our 18-slide, Frog Life-cycle PowerPoint.
Beautiful, original photos/drawings.
See the frog develop from the eggs, through tadpole, froglet to the adult frog.
Full suggested narration notes provided both in PDF form and under each slide for use in presentation mode.
For Year 1 pupils, why not use our Frog Life-cycle activity pack to follow up?
See our other life-cycle Lesson resources and Powerpoints:
Life-cycle of a Horse Chestnut Tree
Apples
Daffodils
Apples
Butterflies
Help your child/ren learn to count and write the numbers 6 to 10 - suitable for home or school use. 32 worksheets.
Each number is introduced and then practiced to build confidence and ensure success.
Includes:
Learning to write numbers
Matching 1 to 1
Ordering
Biggest/smallest
Number patterns
The easy, clear format is suitable for all ages and abilities - including those with learning difficulties.
Reinforces classwork - schools can print individual pages for home or school use.
Parents can download and print themselves as an early maths workbook.
Teachers can print out individual sheets as required.
See also
Count 0 to 5
Beginning addition and subtraction
34 Autumn themed number worksheets/workbook for EYFS/KS1/special needs.
Suitable for home-learning.
This book includes worksheets to teach:
Recognising and forming numbers 0 to 10
Plenty of counting practice
Introducing addition and subtraction
Introducing multiplying and dividing (sharing)
Either print a whole book for a child, or use as individual worksheets to meet a need.
This pack of worksheets is sure to delight children this autumn. Featuring conkers, acorns, cones, leaves and squirrels, and giving heaps of counting practice alongside learning to add and subtract, share and group, it is a must for every Pre-K/K class!
Works well with our other Numbers books, learning numbers 0 to 5, 6 to 10 and Beginning Addition and Subtraction.
18 weather-related worksheets and puzzles covering 6 areas of weather:
•What is the weather like today?
•Hot and Cold
•What shall I wear today?
•It’s Windy
•It’s Raining
•General Weather
3 Worksheets for each:
1 easy activity for younger children/lower ability,
2 word searches, 1 easy and 1 harder.
Use for a topic on weather, or as early finisher activities at any time of the year.
The harder words searches were originally written for a class of Y3 children so can be used with that age group too.
These worksheets are included in the Weather Project Pack but are listed here separately for those who only want the worksheets.
Here is a bundle of over 90 worksheets to teach number recognition, formation and simple addition and subtraction.
The worksheets provide unashamedly, old-fashioned maths teaching that is time proven to help all pupils, including those with a special need, to develop strong, foundational maths skills.
Suitable for use as individual worksheets in class, or as a workbook for home-school use.
See individual products for full contents details.
This Year 1 teaching resource pack, based on squirrrels, will help children to use the local environment throughout the year to explore and answer questions about animals in their habitat.
Pack includes Year 1 Science lesson outlines and worksheets on the subject of squirrels useful for follow-up work.
Background information for teachers so you have the answers to hand and can feel knowledgeable bout your subject without spending hours researching.
Lesson notes and ideas to help you plan
18 Differentiated worksheets will cater for all abilities in your class!
The worksheets cover
What squirrels eat
Parts of a squirrel
Labelling a squirrel (characteristics)
Where they live
Writing paper for recording
Comprehension sheets
And more!
The pack will:
Help you to fully embrace the non-statutory guidance for the Year 1 National Curriculum for Science as well as teaching the statutory requirements.
Bring Science alive and help you to deliver excellent lessons based on squirrels in the local environment.
Designed to appeal to the Y1 child, gently introducing key vocabulary. Written by an Environmental Education, Early Years specialist (ages 3 to 8) who understands how children learn.
Year 1: Science curriculum covered:
• identify and name a variety of common animals, including birds.
• describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (including birds).
Identify and name a variety of common animals that are …omnivores.
The Squirrel worksheets can be used with:
Our Squirrel PowerPoint which is great for starting a lesson, or reinforcing what has been learnt at the end.
Our CVC Words Read and Reveal books are perfect for those just starting to blend.
Read the word on one page, turn over to reveal the picture and check that you are right!
Children love the visual feedback and it boosts their confidence no end when they find out that they can really read!
7 booklets, each with 7 words, grouped into sound families, and 7 pictures:
ap words
at words
an words
ip/in words
op/og words
Mixed shore vowel ‘e’ words
Mixed short vowel ‘u’ words
For use with all UK approved phonics programmes.
Prints on 2 pages of A4 double-sided - flip on the long edge.
Simply trim to A5, and staple.
Great to use in class, or to send home in book bags.
31 ‘ng’ fully differentiated worksheets, for use with any phonic programme, catering for the needs of the average class and special needs.
Written for those at the early stages of phonics, e.g.: Letters and Sounds Phase 3 and Read Write Inc, Set 1 Special Friends and for catch up work, extra practice, ESL/EFL and special needs.
The worksheets give practice in:
Reading and spelling ‘ng’ words
Tracking the ‘ng’ sound in words and sentences
Proofreading
Comprehension
rhymes
Writing sentences using ‘ng’ words.
These worksheets are simple, but effective. For use by teachers and private tutors.
Find activities suitable for all abilities
Assume no knowledge of other digraphs (except on two stated worksheets where ‘th’ and ‘ck’ are used in higher level worksheets)
Two worksheets for most activities: one without consonant blend words, and one with consonant blend words.
Suitable for Special Needs/intervention work/homework.
A pack of two super fun games to help children learn to hear the final sound of words, so vital for spelling with phonics. The games cover the final sounds: t,d, k, g, p, b, n, m and s.
They can also be used for speech therapy giving practice in like sounds: d/t/, k/g/ and p/b with which some children struggle.
Children from EYFS to teens with sepecial needs will enjoy playing these games!
Some children need a little extra practice to hear the final sounds of words, and a game takes the tedium out of learning!
Children will want to play these games again and again and you can change the sound each time. Nine sounds with 63 picture cards and two boards to choose from means the child will not get bored
Build a Castle, Win the Race: you choose! You can even change the fun level by adding in extra/missed turns - but play it simply first.
The games can be for up to 4 players, though it is recommended that each player plays first with an adult until s/he has begun to hear the final sound.
Full instructions are given.
Both games come in either colour or ink-saving black and white.
I made these games to help a ten-yr-old reluctant pupil to hear the final sounds of words. It won him round and now he is an expert!
I hope they help you too!
22 ‘ck’ fully differentiated worksheets, for use with any phonic programme. Written for those just beginning to blend, e.g Letters and sounds Phases 2 -4 and RWI Speed Set 1, Special friends. These worksheets cater for the needs of the average class and special needs.
The worksheets give practice in:
Reading and spelling ck words
Tracking the ck sound in words and sentences
Proofreading
Comprehension
Writing sentences using ck words.
These worksheets are simple, but effective. For use by teachers and private tutors.
Find activities suitable for all abilities
Assume no knowledge of other digraphs
Two worksheets for most activities: one without consonant blend words, and one with consonant blend words.
Suitable for Special Needs/intervention work/homework.
If you have already purchased our big book of Phases 3 and 4 worksheets for Letters and Sounds, you may have a few of these sheets, but this pack contains mainly new/changed material.
A complete lesson to help children to learn about the seasonal changes in an Apple Tree that lead to the formation of apples.
Includes
Lesson Plan
2 differentated worksheets to show life-cycle of an apple tree through winter, spring, summer and autumn
Supporting resources: flashcards for 4 key words, original photos, 1 page four mini photos, one for each of the four seasons.
Suggested to be used with our PowerPoint on the same subject:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12752722
Buy as a bundle and save!
A cheerful Weather Word Mat for younger children. This mat is phonetically coded to help with reading and spelling.
Many uses!
This Weather Word Mat is included in the Weather Resources Pack:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12616669
Please do not Purchase twice!
This powerPoint about Light and Dark can help children to begin to understand the relationship between all living things and the sun; our need of light and the sun. This PowerPoint can help pupils learn or revise some aspects of the Y1/Y2 curriculum providing continuity of learning, and setting the context for Y3 work.
Simply explained, children will learn:
Darkness is the absence of light
The sun is the main source of light on Planet Earth
Reminds pupils never to look directly at the sun
The sun provides warmth too - or Earth would be very cold
Why plants need the sun: to make food to help them reproduce
Creatures of the day (the need for survival)
Shadows - how they are formed
Plants and animals that prefer the shade and why (the need for survival)
Creatures of the night
Nocturnal (the need for survival)
KS1 children can also learn:
To name some common animals
Why certain creatures/plants come out in the daytime/night time
Why plants need light
The basic needs of animals for survival
This PowerPoint is silent but comes with full narration notes, both under each slide for use in Presenter View, or as a PDF.
Why not follow this up with our Seasons PowerPoint?
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12761222
Two PowerPoints suitable for use when teaching about Seasons/weather/changing levels of light through the year.
Covers many areas of science:
Seasons:
Learn what changes to look out for across the four seasons
Learn that days get shorter and longer throughout the year
How this affects the weather
How the seasons affect us: what we wear/what we do
How the seasons affect plants and animals
Light and Dark
Darkness is the absence of light
The sun is the main source of light on Planet Earth
Reminds pupils never to look directly at the sun
The sun provides warmth too - or Earth would be very cold
Why plants need the sun: to make food to help them reproduce
Creatures of the day (the need for survival)
Shadows - how they are formed
Plants and animals that prefer the shade and why (the need for survival)
Creatures of the night
Nocturnal (the need for survival)
Both with full narration notes plus notes under slides for use in Presenter View.
Yes, Y1 can study the life-cycle of a frog.
If frogs or frogspawn captures your children’s interest then use it to teach KS1 Science. Just because the National Curriculum says do life-cycles in Y2, it does not mean you cannot touch the subject in Y1! Much can be learnt that can actually covers the Y1 Science Curriculum!
KS1 Overview:
To enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.
Y1: Animals, including humans
Statutory requirements
identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
Y1 Science is all about arousing interest in the world around the child - use whatever is at hand, such as…
Butterflies: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12679180
Conkers: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12239335
Squirrels: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12742537
Frog-life-cycle worksheets for Y1:
Stick the pictures of the frog’s life-cycle in order - 2 choices of format.
A life-cycle mat for display, or to stimulate discussion/writing
A frog development poster/mat for display/discussion
A sheet on which to write descriptive words about a frog.
A picture to colour for early finishers.
Use with our Frog-Life-cycle PowerPoint for Y1 and Y2!
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12410937
Young children are always fascinated by frog spawn and frogs.
Life-cycles is not just for Y2!
These sheets help teach the Science National curriculum for Y1:
KS1 Overview:
To enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.
*
Y1: Animals, including humans
Statutory requirements
identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores
These frog Life-cycle worksheets can be used in mixed Y1/Y2 classes when Y2 children are learning about frog life-cycle, or in Y1 classes.
Watch and learn the seasonal changes in an Apple Tree that lead to the formation of apples.
32 slide PowerPoint. Helps children to learn
The life cycle of an apple tree through winter, spring, summer and autumn with beautiful pictures. Watch leaves unfolding day by day and then see the blossom appear.
How apples grow on trees: watch the development of apples from the swelling at the base of the flower, through to ripe, juicy apples.
Learn the parts of an apple tree: leaves, buds, sepals, fruit, seeds, blossom, flowers,
Learn simply about pollination and the concept of seed dispersal
Great in Y1 to teach changes through the seasons.
Great in Y2 to
Help pupils to use the local environment throughout the year to observe how different plants grow. (Plants: Notes and guidance (non-statutory))
Begin to introduce the idea of food chains and how animals and plants in a habitat depend upon each other ( insects pollinating the flowers and animals eating the fruit and helping to disperse the seeds, seeds). These are not discussed in depth, but the PowerPoint could be used as a springboard to further explore these subjects.
This powerpoint is provided in two formats, narrated and un-narrated with narration notes supplied in PDF form as well as being written under each slide so that you can use presenter mode.
Suitable for use in either autumn or spring.
See our other life-cycle Lesson resources and Powerpoints:
Life-cycle of a Horse Chestnut Tree
Apples
Frogs
Daffodils
Butterflies