This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Matthew Arnold’s poem ‘Dover Beach.’ Teachers have found the activities particularly useful throughout teaching, or for exam revision or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the key English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. It is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of William Blake’s poem ‘Jerusalem (and did those feet in ancient time).’ Teachers have found the activities particularly useful throughout teaching, or for exam revision or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the key English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. It is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of T.H. White’s 'The Sword in the Stone.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS2 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework. Children love learning from these resources, whilst they are also of great use to teachers, as there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘An Interview with Wart’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ ‘White’s Description’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Explain meanings of words that they know and ask the meaning of new words. Link the meaning of new words to words that they already know;’ ‘Merlin’s and Uther Pendragon’s Character Profiles!’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ 'Figurative Language in ‘The Sword in the Stone’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, to create an impact on the reader.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 21 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Christina Balit’s 'Escape from Pompeii.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS2 expectations within the National Curriculum framework. Children love learning from these resources, whilst they are also of great use to teachers, as there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘An Interview with Tranio’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ ‘The Author’s Description’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Explain meanings of words that they know and ask the meaning of new words. Link the meaning of new words to words that they already know;’ ‘Tranio’ and ‘Livia’ profiles! - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ 'Figurative Language in ‘Escape from Pompeii’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, to create an impact on the reader.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 21 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Andrew Marvell’s poem ‘To His Coy Mistress.'Teachers have found the activities particularly useful throughout teaching, or for exam revision or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the key English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. It is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’

This comprehensive analysis enables students to understand the key content, language and structural features of Alfred Noyes’ poem ‘The Highwayman.’ The resources is comprised of a 24-slide PowerPoint presentation, which includes: -Contextual Information: The Poet/ Writing the Poem/ Highwaymen -Detailed Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis of the Poem -Noyes Key Messages -Questions for Further Consideration Annnotations are colour-coded for ease of reference. The resource is tried and tested, and helps to ensure that students develop a well-rounded understanding of the poem and its meanings. A PDF version of the resource is also included, to protect formatting in case of differences in software. All images are licensed for commercial use.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising William Wordsworth’s relationships poem 'A Complaint.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Line-by-Line Analysis; Poetic Devices/ Language Devices; Themes; Form/Structure; Poems for Comparison; Links to Wider Reading. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Mildred D. Taylor’s ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS3 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework. Children have found these resources extremely engaging, and for teachers there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘Context: The Great Depression’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Know the purpose, audience and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension.’ ‘Taylor’s Description - The Police Station’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Know how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, present meaning.’ ‘T.J. Avery’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Study setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these.’ ‘Vocabulary Inspector’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Learn new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 21 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This lesson enables students to gain a detailed insight into how the social and historical context of post-apartheid South Africa influences J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace. In particular, students learn about how power and patriarchy, two key themes in the novel, are heavily informed by real-life features of South African society. They demonstrate strong communication skills in making clear and sustained links between the features of context and the text. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Defining ‘patriarchy’ and understanding the key features of patriarchal society; Reading and comprehending a key news article outlining the key features of ‘macho’ South African society; Linking their understanding of context to the key elements of the text; Considering how the nature of patriarchal society affects different people in society. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Guardina Newspaper Article (freely available online) Power and Patriarchy worksheet; Teacher guidance/ lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. These resources were originally taught to A Level students, but with subtle adaptations they have also been used with younger (GCSE) students. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Section by Section Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Literary Devices; The Author’s Perspective. All key words and ideas are compartmentalised for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3 or A4, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use.

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in exam revision, comprehension tasks, or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the KS4 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework - this makes the tasks suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and for teachers there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the play ensuring that students gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘Context: Shakespearean Times’ - to aid students with ‘Drawing on knowledge of the purpose, audience and context of the writing, including its social, historical and cultural context and the literary tradition to which it belongs, to inform evaluation;’ ‘Shakespeare’s Description’ - to aid students with ‘Analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact;’ ‘Prospero’ and ‘Miranda’ character profiles- to aid students with ‘Seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence;’ ‘Editing the Play’ - to aid students with ‘Making an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is around 30 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Scene by Scene Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Dramatic Devices; Features of Tragicomedy. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to develop a rich understanding of Act 1 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In particular, students learn about some of the key features of historical context (including travel literature, class systems, and supernatural beliefs at the time) before linking this information with what they interpret in the play. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Engaging with the title and make predictions about events and characters; Developing an understanding of the key features of social and historical context; Reading and comprehending the main events and meanings in Act 1 Scene 1; Precisely linking what they read with their understanding of social/historical context; Visually depict their interpretations from the scene, based on Shakespeare’s stage directions, the dialogue, and their understanding of key meanings; Self assessing their learning through the lesson; Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Research Template; Worksheet - Linking the Play to Context; Copy of Act I Scene I (freely available online); Comprehensive lesson plan. Resources are provided in PDF (to maintain formatting) and Word (so that they are easily editable - they can be found in the zipfile) The lesson contains opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to develop a detailed understanding of the dramatic devices used by Shakespeare throughout The Tempest. In particular, students define a wide range of dramatic devices, before identifying and analysing their use in Act 3 Scene 3 of The Tempest. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Defining each of the main dramatic devices; Reading and comprehending Act 3 Scene 3 of the play, identifying and analysing the dramatic devices; Applying this understanding to a range of ‘Bloom’s Taxonomy’ related learning activities; Creating their own play-script scene, using the range of dramatic devices appropriately and effectively; Self-assessing their learning throughout the lesson; Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Dramatic Devices Cards; Act 3 Scene 3 Extract (freely available online); Dramatic Devices Bloom’s Taxonomy Activities Worksheet; Comprehensive lesson plan. Resources are provided in PDF (to maintain formatting) and Word (so that they are easily editable - they can be found in the zipfile) The lesson contains opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to develop a detailed understanding of Antonio, the main antagonist in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In particular, students develop an understanding of the key features of villains, before establishing how Antonio demonstrates these traits through his behaviour before the play and in Act 2 Scene 1. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Understanding the generic conventions of villains; Interpreting Antonio’s key actions before the start of the play - linking his behaviour to the features of villains; Reading and comprehending a key section of Act 2, Scene 1, in which Antonio attempts to coerce Sebastian into murdering Alonso (the King); Dramatically portraying Antonio in Act 2 Scene 1, through a freeze-frame activity ; Using textual exploration to discover how Antonio is developed over the course of the play; Creating their own Shakespearean villains, based on their understanding of Antonio’s traits; Self-assessing their learning throughout the lesson; Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Extract from Act II Scene I (freely available online); Villain Character Profile Template; Comprehensive lesson plan. Resources are provided in PDF (to maintain formatting) and Word (so that they are easily editable - they can be found in the zipfile) The lesson contains opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s fluency and comprehension skills whilst reading key extracts from an age-appropriate adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (the pages needed for the lesson are provided). The extract is from the ‘Shakespeare Stories: Romeo and Juliet’ adaptation by Andrew Matthews and Tony Ross. The sections of the story that children read are when Romeo and Juliet meet at the ball (Act 1 Scene 5) and the balcony scene (Act 2 Scene 1). The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s VIPERS skills: vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, sequencing and summarising. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The text to read is provided in both PDF and Word format. The session is best suited for children across KS2 - the lesson has been tried and tested with children in years 4 to 6. Hope that you find it useful!

This exciting ‘Pointloss’ game is perfect for use as a whole lesson resource, enrichment option, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. (I’ve also added a blank template so that you can make your own games from scratch). Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, interesting tasks, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build or revisit knowledge of characters, plot, and themes in ‘Macbeth.’ Round 1. The characters in Macbeth Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Themes Round 4. Deaths in Macbeth The nature of this game ensures that the resource can challenge students of all levels. A blank template has also been added, so that you can create your own games!

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through reading and interpreting the opening section of Katherine Rundell’s ‘Rooftoppers.’ The resource pack includes the extract needed and a clear and well presented PowerPoint, guiding the teacher and learners through the various activities. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, sequencing and summarising skills. A vocabulary check helps to secure children’s understanding of any new or unfamiliar language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 5-6, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This engaging and thought-provoking triple-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 13 to 15 of Katherine Rundell’s 'Rooftoppers.’ The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and explaining; -Sequencing events from the text. The sessions include a range of retrieval, vocabulary, inference, explanation and deeper thinking activities. A clear, colourful and comprehensive PowerPoint presentation guides students through the learning. The lesson also includes an answer key for the retrieval questions, and model answer ideas for the more detailed responses, in addition to a template for the ‘deeper thinking’ character analysis profile task (provided in both Word and PDF). There’s a lot here (21 slides in total) so I would recommend breaking into two or even three separate lessons. The lessons are suitable for students in either upper KS2 or lower KS3, depending upon the individual context of the school and students. I originally used them with year 5 and 6 children.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to develop a detailed understanding of the leading protagonist in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest: Prospero. In particular, students make precise interpretations regarding Prospero’s characterisation and involvement in key plot events, before demonstrating a clear perception of his mannerisms, emotions and motivations through progressively more difficult learning activities. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Understanding the roles that betrayal and loyalty play in driving Prospero’s actions; Reading and comprehending key Propsero quotations, using these to infer and interpret key elements of his characterisation; Using textual exploration to discover how Prospero is developed over the course of the play; Completing a range of activities based on Bloom’s Taxonomy to demonstrate understanding of Prospero’s character; Showing empathy for and understanding of Prospero’s character, through a fun hot-seating activity; Self-assessing their learning throughout the lesson; Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Quotation Stations Log; Prospero Key Quotes; Extracts from Later Scenes (freely available online); Prospero Bloom’s Taxonomy Activities Worksheet; Comprehensive lesson plan. Resources are provided in PDF (to maintain formatting) and Word (so that they are easily editable - they can be found in the zipfile) The lesson contains opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.