A Walker has worked as an LEA Literacy Consultant, an Expert Leading Literacy Teacher, a primary school teacher, an author and was responsible for teaching and learning at one of the UK’s leading Independent Prep schools. She is an author of educational materials used in schools for Cambridge University Press, Pearson, Rising Stars and Cambridge Hitachi and is an experienced KS2 & KS3 English teacher.
A Walker has worked as an LEA Literacy Consultant, an Expert Leading Literacy Teacher, a primary school teacher, an author and was responsible for teaching and learning at one of the UK’s leading Independent Prep schools. She is an author of educational materials used in schools for Cambridge University Press, Pearson, Rising Stars and Cambridge Hitachi and is an experienced KS2 & KS3 English teacher.
Pupils are given the opening of Secret Garden and a grid giving clues to techniques used to show character.
An example of the grid is below:
Point - We find out about Mary Lennox’s character from what the narrator tells us directly about her. Evidence – I know this because it says… Explanation – This shows that…
Working with the word document, pupils have to copy quotations from the text that prove the character points listed and paste them into the grid table. Next they fill in the table by explaining how their quotation proves the point.
There are three sheets, differentiated for different abilities, requiring children who need more support to just fill in the section explaining how their quotation proves their point.
There is a worksheet to show pupils how to work out clues to a character and an explanation of PEE (point, evidence, explain)
the task can also be done on paper without a computer using the text. I asked the children to use three colours for the point, evidence, explanation.
An easy simile poem idea that can deliver some surprisingly creative ideas There's an example, ideas sheet and scaffold. I found an example of a 'If my Thoughts Took Shape' poem years ago and recently made the scaffold and ideas sheet to structure and support pupils.
Sorting task for parts of rivers a course.
1. Pupils sort words into Upper, Middle and Lower Course of a river
2. Pupils sort words into sequence to support their writing of a paragraph about each of the stages of a river.
These pictures help pupils to see the imagery used by Dahl to describe Miss Trunchbull. The worksheet requires pupils to find the connotations, for example, in what way is Miss Trunchbull like an 'enraged rhinocerous'?
KS2 convert simple sentences to complex (telling myth of Osiris) & PPTX on complex sentences.
Ideal for topic on Ancient Egypt! Aimed at Upper Key Stage 2.
Writing and responding to the painting ‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’ by Mondrian. It would be useful to look at a version of the image on the whiteboard in class, so that there is better quality of image for discussion, than the image on the worksheet.
Visual literacy questions to prompt discussion or writing. There is another TES resource available linked to this, so please check out my other Mondrian resource. There are more resources available at .
Handy worksheet to research Anglo Saxon place names in East Anglia. I used maps and got children to complete task in a small group and they enjoyed it.
This is a sports car advert written to demonstrate persuasive techniques, such as, blinding with science and deliberate ambiguity. There are detailed teaching notes on the text and on the follow up writing task. There is scaffold frame to support pupils with independent writing and a blank template for pupils to produce their own car advert having discussed the advert provided. There is a connotations worksheet, looking at the use of animal names with powerful connotations used for car names. There is also a list of demonstration slogans from car companies. There are seven resources in all, including the advert written with a white background for improved printing. It is a comprehensive and fun way to teach persuasive writing. theer is also a PowerPoint of persuasive techniques.
Fun task for summer and pupils can produce good written work! Pupils write instructions for a favourite ice cream and an advert for an ice cream or ice cream shop. There is a wordbank to support pupils who need support, taken from collecting ideas of favourite flavours and toppings from pupils. There are also instructions establishing how to write instructions to make an ice cream sundae. Next, there is a PowerPoint about how to write an ice cream advert. There is a worksheet for children requiring additional support on naming and adding adjectives to ice creams. Children can produce their own advert (either for an ice cream cafe or an individual ice cream) and there are a choice of sheets with a pictures of ice cream provided, if you want to use that for pupils to present their work.
This is a suspense story about being locked in the Egyptian Gallery of a museum over night. This is a word document, so can be used as an ICT text for pupils. The pupils are instructed to improve and finish the story, using techniques (such as, adding description of the character's feelings, describing sounds and setting).
There is a self assessment worksheet ( that proves far more effective than success criteria) and also detailed teaching notes.
Lighting the Earth - worksheet to discuss misconceptions of concepts. This worksheet works a bit like a concept cartoon; pupils decide if the statements are true or false. Correct statements have a bolder border.
Do your pupils really understand light? This is a great resource to sort out misconceptions! This sheet takes common misconceptions about light and the children discuss and tick or cross the concepts they agree and disagree with.
Correct answers have the double borders.
Year 5 - compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their transparency, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets