This resource is a great alternative to ‘First Chapter Friday’ or ‘Taster Tuesday’. Blurbsday tasks focus on the blurb on the back of the book, and encourage students to look at vocabulary, genres and editing skills. There are three tasks included, increasing in difficulty and length (half page, full page, and double sided), and all worksheets are provided in US letter and UK A4 size document. Editable Google Apps version also included!

This graphic novel reflection task can be used with any part of any graphic novel! No prep required - just print and go. After reading, give your students either an A3 one-pager or a back-to-back smaller version of the sheet. This resource acts as a graphic organizer to explore and reflect on the pages that have just been read, whether that’s one page or one hundred! There are four A3 version and four letter-size double-sided version, making this resource 12-pages for you to select from as necessary. All sheets prompt your students to think closely about… The characters The way the images and frames are used Personal reactions to the content Questions raised Predictions for the upcoming pages (or post-novel if you finish the text) Evaluation of the final three frames of the day’s reading Drawing of a frame in a different style of the student’s choice

Encourage developed sentences in creative writing with this fall/autumn themed worksheet. Using the prompts (what, who, where, when, how, and why) your students start with a single detail and build it into a fully developed, image-filled sentence. One sentence-building process is modelled for your students, then two prompts are provided, and finally there are three empty spaces for students to create their own idea from scratch. This worksheet is in graphic organizer format, comes in 2 black and white styles and 2 color styles, and all of these come in both US letter and UK A4 document sizes with appropriate spellings and terminology on each.

This differentiated art, sketching or drawing task requires students to create a reptile species of their own after reading about the Yellow Spotted Lizard from Louis Sachar’s novel Holes. There are three styles of worksheet included, and a prompt or ideas handout to help you to differentiate the task for your students. All versions come in both US letter and UK A4 document size.

This differentiated art, sketching or drawing task requires students to create an image of the Yellow Spotted Lizard from Louis Sachar’s novel Holes. There are three styles of lizard outline included, and five levels of differentiation: Outline only Outline with empty quote boxes Outline with empty quote boxes and prompt arrows Outline with pre-populated quote boxes Quotation boxes only (no outline) All versions come in both US letter and UK A4 document size.

Coach your students through the close reading and annotation of extracts from the opening chapters of Holes, then instruct them in the use of the differentiated essay frame to challenge and stretch pupils at all levels. The extract and annotation sheet includes focused extracts and chapter references, and the essay frame shows a clear route of progress with a built-in example and extension column to model development of ideas. Easel version included! This resource includes US letter and UK A4 size versions, and editable Google Docs version of the essay frame.

Blackout Poetry is a great creative pre-reading activity, and this activity focuses on the three different versions of the lullaby in Louis Sachar’s Holes. Different worksheets allow you to explore single stanzas, pairs of stanzas, or all three versions. You also have the option to use worksheets with fully redacted words, or redacted words with grammatical prompts (noun, adjective, verb, etc). Editable Google Apps version included, and all worksheets are provided in US letter size and UK A4 size.

Aimed at KS2 and KS3, use this figurative language worksheet as a starter, main, fast finisher or homework task in October! Use the Halloween theme to build your students’ understanding of alliteration, similes, personification, and onomatopoeia. This resource comes in US letter and UK A4 size, with a link to a Google Apps editable version. Black and white and colour versions provided. If you found this helpful, you might also like: Oracy Mats | Speaking and Listening | Prompts and Sentence Starters Oracy | Free Choice Talk | Individual Presentation | Planning Accuracy Passport | Improve Punctuation and Grammar | Literacy Secondary Grammar Mat | Supporting Writing | Literacy Secondary Punctuation Mat | Supporting Writing | Literacy Ambitious Sentence Structures Mat | Literacy Stretch | Challenge MAT Ambitious Punctuation Mat | Literacy Stretch | Challenge MAT Student Newsbites | Introduction Activity | Back to School Secondary Persuasive Writing Bingo | Any Topic | Differentiated Layouts Primary Persuasive Writing Bingo | Any Topic | Differentiated Layouts Primary Grammar Mat | Supporting Writing | Literacy Primary Punctuation Mat | Supporting Writing | Literacy Guided Practice | Literature Essay Frame

Kickstart or end your lessons with some creative thinking. Use as bellringers or brain breaks - reveal comparative images for the picture in the center of the slide, and ask your students to use the comparisons to write or share interesting similes. Google Slides version included!

Engage your students in some narrative or recount writing in the first week back at school by exploring a school day memory of their choice. This four-version differentiated graphic organiser is laid out like a lunch tray and you can either designate different prompt versions to different students, provide the blank one for class discussion and autonomy, or add your own prompts. Comes with editable Google Apps version and in both US and UK document sizes.

This abstract and concrete noun sorting activity is designed to prompt discussion as well as stretch learners and consolidate skills. Attractive flashcards come in three designs, and I have also included PNGs of image-only flashcards for you to add an extra layer of discussion, or to differentiate for your gifted and talented learners. The text on each flashcard is fully editable for you to adapt the font or change the language, making this set of cards a bilingual resource too!

A fun, thoughtful ‘would you rather’ slideshow and accompanying worksheets for KS3 and KS4 students with a back to school theme. For example, would your students rather do lessons one day a week without electricity, or one day a week outdoors in any weather, and why? Encourage discussion around fifteen prompt pairs, all focused on the school theme. Great for warm-ups, bell-ringers or brain breaks. Either use the PowerPoint alone for verbal responses, use the full worksheets as a longer activity, hand out individual pairs as slips for a quick task… or a use as a combination! US and UK document sizes included, and Google Apps versions with editable worksheets provided.

An all-year debate task for KS3 and KS4! Students represent or personify seasonal holidays and argue their place in top spot in the holiday rankings. This versatile, flexible activity can be assigned in a variety of ways (several suggestions included). Use the 21 pre-made seasonal celebration graphic organisers, or the generic version to assign totally different holidays. This 100-page resource includes both American and British celebrations, suggestions for additional celebrations, and both US and UK document sizes.

A self assessment form in high school not only lightens your workload, but it also allows students to reflect and evaluate their progress and open a dialogue with you as their teacher. Whether students are talking about an interest or hobby, or delivering their own Ted Talk, this task raises awareness of the communication skills required. This resource comes in both US and UK document sizes (with appropriate spellings), editable Google Apps, and prompts your students to consider the following: The topic of their presentation or talk How they planned for it Which speaking skills they used Which listening skills they used How they used them (giving examples) Confidence levels at the beginning, middle and end of the discussion Areas to improve based on the skills

A self assessment form in high school not only lightens your workload, but it also allows students to reflect and evaluate their progress and open a dialogue with you as their teacher. This resource comes in both US and UK document sizes (with appropriate spellings), editable Google Apps, and prompts your students to consider the following: The topic of discussion How they planned for it Which speaking skills they used Which listening skills they used How they used them (giving examples) Confidence levels at the beginning, middle and end of the discussion Areas to improve based on the skills

11 tasks on four worksheets. Each task focuses on an image within the novel Of Mice and Men. Use individually as bell-ringers, starters, plenaries, brain breaks, or give groups of students different pictures for a more developed discussion lesson. These worksheets are best printed as a booklet. I have also provided US letter and UK A4 size documents, and Google Apps versions of the resources for you to edit as needed, including a Google Slides set of the images for those of us that don’t have colour printing!

This editable A-Z of persuasive devices and strategies for speeches, letters and persuasive essays. Aimed at high school students, you can set the full alphabet of techniques as a task, or set a minimum of 10 devices from the list (for example), or assign specific devices to individuals according to the differentiation needs of your class. US and UK document sizes provided. Editable Google Apps version included.

A challenging but differentiated grid-style frame to guide and support pupils in planning 5 paragraphs for a sophisticated close study of any literary character. Each row represents a paragraph, and each column represents a layer of understanding which boosts their understanding of a quotation or point. Simply use the pre-populated guide questions, or insert your own to tailor the essay focus to your needs. Fully editable Google App included. This resource is provided in both US letter and UK A4 size documents. Students use the stages of the planning grid to analyse: Precise quotations Character impressions Impactful words Tone Sentence structure Punctuation effects Both aspirational and differentiated - make achieving easy!

A single page writing organiser, frame or scaffold to guide KS2 and KS3 pupils through planning a five-section descriptive piece of writing. The page features five sections for planning five paragraphs with written and visual prompts for using the senses. Differentiated and designed in several different ways for visual learners, this resource comes in ten different styles, including with and without writing guidelines. This resource comes in both UK A4 and US letter document sizes. That’s 20 sheets in one!