Hi! I am a teacher with over 20 years' experience at Primary level. I try to make my resources as challenging as possible with a slice of fun, while cramming in as much detail as possible into the guided reading / writing activities, plays, worksheets and comprehension exercises that I produce. I also create and publish a range of free worksheets and resources, which now account for over 40% of my published resources. Any feedback and suggestions welcome!
Hi! I am a teacher with over 20 years' experience at Primary level. I try to make my resources as challenging as possible with a slice of fun, while cramming in as much detail as possible into the guided reading / writing activities, plays, worksheets and comprehension exercises that I produce. I also create and publish a range of free worksheets and resources, which now account for over 40% of my published resources. Any feedback and suggestions welcome!
A comprehension exercises based on chapter five, with an extension challenge based on vibrant verbs
There are 20 comprehension questions with 25 marks available, allowing for an easy percentage score to be found!
Can be used in guided reading, independent work, whole class teaching, homework or assessment.
Answer sheets included for the comprehension and challenge.
A comprehension exercises based on chapter two, with an extension challenge based on compound words,
There are 21 comprehension questions with 25 marks available, allowing for an easy percentage score to be found!
Can be used in independent work, whole class teaching, homework or an assessment activity.
Answer sheets included for the comprehension and challenge.
Suitable for Years 4-6 and helps to support the skill of note taking.
Pupils love the latest text message abbreviations so will enjoy working in pairs to find all the abbreviations contained in this worksheet.
It is a worksheet in 2 halves, the second activity is simpler and can be used to support pupils with SEN.
Useful for topic - based literacy lessons. Could also be used to stimulate non fiction writing.
First comprehension has detailed non fiction text followed by 10 questions.
Second comprehension consists of 20 cloze procedure missing words.
Third and fourth comprehensions look at the human ear and are both on the same A4 worksheet - cut in half to differentiate.
Two comprehension exercises based on chapter one, with extension challenges, suitable for Y5/6
Comprehension 1 - based on pages 7 to 13. There are 25 marks available with a Dictionary Challenge extension activity.
Comprehension 2 - based on pages 13 to 18. Again, there are 25 marks available with an Astounding Alliteration extension activity.
Could be used in independent work, guided reading, whole class teaching, homework or assessment activities.
Answer sheets included for both comprehension exercises.
This is a fun activity where the children will use the string telephones they have made to investigate how sound travels through solids. The main activity is best suited to be done outdoors, in pairs or threes. The children are firstly encouraged to make predictions on whether sound can travel through a number of solids and liquids. This part of the lesson can be done by teacher demonstration while the children discuss and predict what will happen. This leads to a practical investigation to find out how, (and if ), a string telephone works!
Encourages prediction, discussion and observation skills
Key Stage 2 - can be used and adapted for years 3-6
Includes:
2 detailed lesson plans including writing / SPAG activities
Several UK and GB maps
‘Images of GB’ resource - 2 sides of A4 Landmark Pics. (Stonehenge, Blackpool Tower, Buckingham Palace etc.) for use with writing / art activities
Union Jack image
Comprehension activity to be used with Collins atlases
Uk facts sheet
Essentially, here are two really useful 2 homework activities. Activity 1 details how to make a string telephone at home. Secondly, the pupils are asked to research about Alexander Graham Bell.
I like to give this homework for the half term before we start the ‘Sounds’ topic in order to enthuse the children and get them started on the topic. It is also useful to have the string telephones for display and use in later investigations.
This is a unit of work for anyone planning an anti bullying week or anyone teaching anti bullying issues through literacy / drama / PSHE.
It incorporates the excellent book for Upper Key Stage Two, ‘The Angel of Nitshill Road’, in particular using the first two chapters in exploring a range of bullying and peer pressure issues.
Includes:
*Full planning for anti bullying week, with 5 detailed lesson plans.
*Drama activities incorporated into the literacy sessions.
*Anti bullying Posters PP
*Link to further activities for ‘The Angel of Nitshill Road’
*2 comprehension exercises
Based on two poems from the ‘English Alive’ series of literacy books for Key Stage Two. Contains two detailed lesson plans written in simple language, giving step by step instructions to make your lessons go smoothly (!) - plus scope for follow up lessons in reading and writing poetry.
The lessons teach use of verbs, similes and poem structure in fun activities where pupils write and perform their own poems based on the two poems read. Pupils will play interactive starter games, read and discuss poems and write and perform their own poems based on the models provided. The accent is on fun!!!
Theme: Feelings
Objectives include: 1) Compare and contrast poems on a similar theme.
2) Recognise and begin to use similes.
3) Use rhythm and rhyming couplets
The review worksheet is useful for discussing and reviewing what the children know about the ‘Sound’ topic at the start of teaching the unit.
There are six investigations for the pupils to try! The Investigation sheets are written in simple language to allow pupils to read and follow independently. Sheets could be laminated and allocated to different groups. They can then be tackled as a ‘circuit’ of activities, with groups of 5/6 children spending 20 minutes on each, then circulating.This would represent a full afternoon’s session. Alternatively, 3 activities could be tackled in an hour session, with two sessions required to complete the whole six investigations!
Preparation is the key to the success of these investigations; you will need various materials such as string telephones, balloons, a nailboard, paper straws and glass bottles filled with various amounts of water!
Recording of the investigations should be instant and simple; pupils can expand on their findings in a follow up lesson, where their initial ideas can be discussed and improved.
11 wordsearch puzzles - some based on Key Stage 2 units, some just for fun!
Superheroes and Superheroines
Rainforests
Greek Myths
Fronted Adverbials
Sounds
Solar System
Tudor Explorers
Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler
Firework-Maker’s Daughter
Adjectives
Healthy Living
There are several resources designed to help Y5 and Y6 learn about the Bible.
Powerpoint Presentation
Two cloze proceduire reading activities
Bible Study Kit Activity
4 Pictures
One writing activity
wo Year 4-5 Comprehensions based on The Shocking Story of Electricity by Anne Claybourne. The first set of questions is more challengiung, the second set more suitable for pupils who require support.
Could be used after a guided reading session or as a stand alone independent task.
1st comprehension - 10 questions , 14 marks
2nd comprehension - 8 questions, 8 marks
Extension / Challenge activity - Keeping Safe
Several literacy schemes are asking Year 6 teachers to use The Piano animation (readily available on YouTube) as a resource to teach ‘flashback’ writing.
This is a writing example which could be used to stimulate discussion and help pupils to grasp how they can write a flashback scene.
I wrote it in collaboration with a Y6 class I taught and it took a week to do - and is unfinished as I asked the children to complete it! There are 5 paragraphs and everything written - the names of the characters, their backstories etc. are all from the class’s imagination.
There are two versions, one with text only, one with illustrations added. Both are created in Microsoft Word so can be easily tailored.
I am also including a planning worksheet for a two week block with the main objective being to write a story with flashbacks.
A worksheet designed to teach about trickier connectives such as:
However
Therefore
In addition
Consequently
etc . . . to help build cohesion within a paragraph.
After discussion, pupils will redraft a paragraph about keeping fit. A simple but effective resource.
These resources focus on exploring rainforests through literacy and give lots of scope for follow up writing activities! They’re also useful in the study of conservation issues. As some of the language is tricky the comprehensions are mainly suitable for Year 5 and above, but could be a challenge for a bright Year 4 class!
Comprehension 1 - consists of a detailed A4 sized text on the Amazon rainforest, including conservation issues. The question sheet is designed to stick in the pupils’ books and includes lesson objectives and 2 differentiated dictionary challenges.
Comprehension 2 - an A4 - sized cloze procedure exercise called ‘What is a Rainforest?’
Map of world rainforests with space for written tasks.
Seven pages of rainforest images which are useful for initiating and inspiring a rainforest art project.
‘A Victorian Diary’ is a series of 15 minute videos showing life in Victorian times. Events are reported by fictional character Maggie Johnson and by other characters she meets, providing different perspectives. This series is brilliant just to watch and enjoy, but it can also be used to help develop literacy skills.
These are resources based on chapters 2 and 3 and also include generic diary writing templates.
The chapter 2 resource is a punctuation and proof reading exercise. Pupils have to read and correct a diary entry, written from Maggie’s perspective. It could also be used as an example of writing in diary style and lead to the pupils writing their own version.
The main learning objective of the Chapter 3 worksheet is to develop pupils’ understanding of empathy, but there is activities on prediction skills and note - taking. Alongside the worksheet I have created some excerpts and images to cement the main learning objective.
Five worksheets about Victorian inventions and inventors for Key Stage Two.
The first worksheet has two activities: firstly, pupils will discuss and link Victorian inventors with their inventions; secondly, there are four questions to discuss and answer. The questions focus on the significance and impact of several inventions.
The worksheet will work best when it follows on from discussion and looking at artifacts or photographs, where pupils will have thought about the relative merits of the inventions and asked whether they are relevant today.
2nd worksheet: Images of Victorian inventions
3rd and 4th worksheets: Comparing Victorian objects with modern
5th worksheet: Welcome to the Victorian Museum activity. For this activity you need to place obscure and interesting Victorian artefacts (or photos of them) on each table of classroom. Pupils go round to each table and try to figure out what each artefact is!
These resources are based on the following 3 poems by Allan Ahlberg:
Parents’ Evening
Please, Sir
Mrs Brady.
A large range of learning objectives and activities are covered, including:
Cloze procedure
Predicting rhymes
Features of a poem
Comprehension
Creative writing
Creating a whole class verse based on a verse of the ‘Please, Sir’ poem