Speaking and listening activities in the classroom are an important part of the learning process, helping to develop key communication skills required not only at school but also by colleges and employers. In the classroom, this will involve pupils participating in whole-class discussion, group work (with perhaps three or four pupils working together), paired work and in making individual presentations to the class. By promoting inclusion, teaching assistants can have a major impact on the success of these activities and a pupil’s learning outcomes. In this unit you will explore a range of activities which help you consider how best to support the teacher in explicitly teaching about spoken language and developing a pupils’ critical thinking skills and confidence as participants. This resource has also been published by Pearsons as a mobile CPD app.

This unit of work is focused on developing the skills of reading between the lines and is based around extracts from the novel ‘Deep Water’ by Ann Turnbull. It is aimed at a first year Junior Cycle class and covers key skills such as inference and deduction, questioning the text, prediction and visualising the text. All short extracts are provided so you do not need a copy of the novel though you may wish to buy one to read and enjoy other sections with the class. I have included a 47 slide teaching PPT, all nine resources in word and pdf formats and a detailed set of teacher’s notes. Learning outcomes (from Junior Cycle Specification) addressed in this unit include: Reading 3. Use a wide range of reading comprehension strategies appropriate to texts e.g to retrieve information and to link to previous knowledge. 7. Select key moments from their texts and give thoughtful value judgements on the main character or a key scene. 8. Read their texts to understand and appreciate language enrichment by examining an author’s choice of words. 11. Identify and comment on features of English at word and sentence level using appropriate terminology. Writing 3. Write for a variety of purposes e.g to imagine, explore, narrate. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.

This highly engaging and enjoyable unit of work is designed to help students write creatively with a particular focus on narrative and descriptive writing. It supports students in actively exploring and enjoying both descriptive and narrative texts, looking at excellent and varied models from a range of literature and identifying successful features before moving to composing their own creative responses. It is aimed at a first year Junior Cycle class and may also be a suitable unit for a second year class depending on ability. A well presented 83 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested approaches and all thirteen classroom resources. Learning outcomes (from Junior Cycle Specification) addressed in this unit include: Writing Demonstrate their understanding that there is a clear purpose for all writing activities and be able to plan, draft, re-draft, and edit their own writing as appropriate. Write for a variety of purposes, for example to imagine, explore, engage, amuse, narrate. Engage with and learn from models of oral and written language use to enrich their own written work Reading Read their texts to understand and appreciate language enrichment by examining an author’s choice of words, the use and effect of simple figurative language, vocabulary and language patterns, and images, as appropriate to the text. I enjoyed teaching this unit and hope you do too.

This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for SQA National 5 English with particular focus on the Component 3 creative writing task. The unit will help explore and develop key writing skills such as narrative voice, openings and endings, writing dialogue and effective description. Students will explore good models of texts and identify successful features before moving to planning and composing their own piece of creative prose fiction for their portfolio. I have included a 52 slide teaching PPT plus all eleven resources in both word and pdf formats. This unit is accompanied by a detailed set of teacher’s notes. I hope you and your students enjoy this unit.

This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for AQA’s English Language GCSE Paper 1 with particular focus on section B creative writing. I have written it with my own lower attaining GCSE class in mind. It supports students in developing some of the key skills required to write their own engaging pieces such as writing effective openings, writing dialogue, varying sentences, creating characters and planning responses. It supports and leads them towards the creative writing task (either narrative or descriptive) required for section B which they complete at the end of the unit. The 75 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested teaching approaches and all eleven classroom resources in both Word and PDF formats. I have also included extra creative writing tasks based on images in the AQA format. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.

This engaging, student-friendly home learning unit is designed to help Grade 9-10 students develop their narrative and descriptive writing skills. It is intended for home learning and includes lots of interactive and practical tasks to help students embed key skills. It includes a work booklet with accompanying resources including planning frames, narrative extracts and creative writing tasks for exam practice. I have included a standard PDF and a version with text boxes which can be filled in by your students. It will be invaluable for teachers who wish to set an extended unit of work or revision activities for their classes or for parents who wish to support with learning and exam preparation.

This engaging, student-friendly and digital home learning unit is designed to help GCSE students develop their narrative and descriptive writing skills. It is intended for home learning and includes lots of interactive and practical tasks to help students embed key skills. I have uploaded both a standard PDF and a PDF with text boxes which can be filled in by your students. It is relevant to all main exam boards and includes a work booklet with accompanying resources including planning frames, narrative extracts and creative writing tasks for exam practice. It will be invaluable for teachers who wish to set an extended unit of work or revision activities for their classes or for parents who wish to support with learning and exam preparation.

This highly engaging, relevant and fully resourced unit of work is designed to teach some of the key skills required for responding to and writing non-fiction texts. It is built around the topic of the climate crisis. There are two sections: Reading section – building key skills through the study of three different non-fiction texts including a letter, web pages and a blog. Writing section – includes how to write a persuasive speech and an internet blog. Included in this package is a 56 slide teaching PPT as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 11 student resources. Common Core Standards CCS CCRA W2,4,5 R7,10 I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.

This unit of work is designed to help build the skills necessary for success in the speaking and listening assessments for Edexcel Functional Skills English Levels 1 and 2 as well as those valued by employers. It is a discussion based unit and explores skills such as asking questions, leading a discussion, researching and planning a presentation. It leads to two assessment activities, a ‘meeting’ in which students discuss setting up a series of lunchtime clubs for younger pupils followed by an individual presentation in which students showcase their own plans for a school club. I have included a detailed set of teacher’s notes, a 44 slide teaching PPT and all resources in both word and pdf format. I hope your students enjoy taking part in this unit. **More Edexcel Functional Skills Resources Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 1 - Complete Course https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12459414 This is a collection of four teaching units for Edexcel’s Functional Skills in English Level 1 exam. Together they form a complete course which can be taught across one academic year or form the basis of a 2 year course. Each unit comes complete with a teaching PPT, detailed teacher notes and all resources in both word and pdf formats. ** **Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 - Complete Course https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12455303 This is a collection of four teaching units for Edexcel’s new Functional Skills in English Level 2 exam. Together they form a complete course which can be taught across one academic year or form the basis of a 2 year course. **

THE TEMPEST Key Stage 3 English Teaching Unit This unit is based around Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. I have taught it to both Year 7 and 8 though it could easily be adapted for a Year 9 class. It is designed to fit into a half-term but, depending on how many lessons you have, could be taught over a whole term. There is a 65 slide PPT with a range of creative and enjoyable activities including drama-style tasks suitable for use in the English classroom such as a ‘guided tour’ of the island. There is also a homework project which runs throughout the unit and a Reading assessment essay built in. I have included a set of detailed teacher’s notes and a free CPD unit on teaching Shakespeare. Please note that all files are in pdf format.

Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - Climate Change Crisis This engaging and fully resourced unit of work is designed to teach some of the key skills required for tacking the Edexcel Functional Skills Level 1 English exam paper. It is built around the topic of the climate crisis. There are two sections: Reading section – exploration of three different non-fiction texts including a letter, web pages and a blog. Writing section – focus on writing a persuasive letter and a blog which can be formally assessed This includes a well-presented 55 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all ten resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks and texts are relevant, engaging and ideal preparation for the Level 1 exam. More Edexcel Functional Skills Resources Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 1 - Complete Course This is a collection of four teaching units for Edexcel’s Functional Skills in English Level 1 exam. Together they form a complete course which can be taught across one academic year or form the basis of a 2 year course. Each unit comes complete with a teaching PPT, detailed teacher notes and all resources in both word and pdf formats.

This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the Junior Cycle exam with particular focus on narrative and descriptive writing. It supports students in actively exploring and enjoying both descriptive and narrative writing, looking at excellent and varied models of texts and identifying successful features before moving to students composing their own creative responses. The 63 slide teaching PPT is included in PDF format as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested teaching approaches and all eleven classroom resources in both Word and PDF formats. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit as much as I did.

This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the Junior Certificate exam with particular focus on narrative and descriptive writing. I have written it with my own lower attaining class in mind. It supports students in developing some of the key skills required to write their own engaging pieces such as writing effective openings, writing dialogue, varying sentences, creating characters and planning responses. It supports and leads them towards a creative writing task (either narrative or descriptive) which they complete at the end of the unit. The 75 slide teaching PPT is included in PDF format as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes with suggested teaching approaches and all eleven classroom resources in both Word and PDF formats. I have also included extra creative writing tasks based on images. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit. Junior Cycle English Learning Outcomes include: Writing Demonstrate their understanding that there is a clear purpose for all writing activities and be able to plan, draft, re-draft, and edit their own writing as appropriate. Write for a variety of purposes, for example to imagine, explore, engage, narrate. Engage with and learn from models of oral and written language use to enrich their own written work. Use and apply their knowledge of language structures, for example sentence structure, paragraphing, grammar, to make their writing a richer experience for themselves and the reader.

Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Climate Change Crisis This engaging and fully resourced unit of work is designed to teach some of the key skills required for tacking the Edexcel Functional Skills Level 2 English exam paper. It is built around the topic of the climate crisis. There are two sections: Reading section – students explore three different non-fiction texts including a letter, web pages and a blog. Writing section – students learn how to write a persuasive letter and a blog and complete two pieces of work which can be assessed formally. This unit includes a well-presented 60 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 11 resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks and texts are relevant and engaging as well as ideal preparation for the Level 2 exam. You may also like: Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Complete Course Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Leisure Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Taking the Next Step Edexcel Functional Skills English Level 1 and 2: Speaking and Listening Unit

AQA English Literature GCSE: Comparing Poems Unit This highly engaging English poetry unit is designed to introduce and explore Seamus Heaney’s poem ‘Storm on the Island’ and Wilfred Owen’s ‘Exposure’ as well as develop students’ ability to write analytically and comparatively using a specific paragraph and essay structure. This unit is collaborative in nature with lots of opportunities for paired, group and class discussion. Outcomes include a PETAL paragraph and the unit culminates in a comparative essay exploring how the authors present the natural world in their poems. I have also included a free self-study professional development unit on teaching poetry. Please note that all resources are in pdf format. You might also like: William Blake’s ‘London’ Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’ Seamus Heaney’s ‘Digging’ Wilfred Owen’s ‘Exposure’ Ted Hughes’ ‘Hawk Roosting’

This highly engaging and enjoyable unit is focused on the subject of mountaineering and explores literary non-fiction texts as a prelude to students completing their own creative and non-fiction writing. It is ideal for a grade 9-10 class. Texts include extracts from Joe Simpson’s ‘Touching the Void’ and Matt Dickinson’s ‘The Death Zone’ both of which are dramatic accounts of mountaineering expeditions. There are lots of opportunities for paired and group discussion and students learn how to write effectively including analytical responses to reading as well as their own creative pieces and an argumentative essay on the subject of extreme sports. There is a particular focus on planning and your class will be introduced to innovative planning methods including the box plan and the ‘because, but, so’ model. I have included a 62 slide teaching PPT as well as 21 well-presented resources to use as handouts in class. Please note that the PPT and resources are in PDF format and a Zip file is also included. Junior Cycle English Learning Outcomes include: Reading 3. Use a wide range of reading comprehension strategies appropriate to texts. 4. Use an appropriate critical vocabulary while responding to literary texts 8. Read their texts to understand and appreciate language enrichment by examining an author’s choice of words, the use and effect of simple figurative language, vocabulary and language patterns, and images, as appropriate to the text. 11. Identify and comment on features of English at word and sentence level using appropriate terminology, showing how such features contribute to overall effect Writing Demonstrate their understanding that there is a clear purpose for all writing activities and be able to plan, draft, re-draft, and edit their own writing. Write for a variety of purposes, for example to analyse, evaluate, imagine, explore, engage, amuse, narrate, inform, explain, argue, persuade, criticise, comment on what they have heard, viewed and read. Respond imaginatively in writing to their texts showing a critical appreciation of language, style and content, choice of words, language patterns, tone, images. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.

Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Taking the Next Step This highly engaging and carefully designed interactive unit of work designed to teach some of the key skills required for tacking the Edexcel Functional Skills in English Level 2 exam paper. It is built around the idea of preparing for the world of college or work. There are three sections: Speaking and Listening – preparation for the discussion and presentation task Reading section – exploration of three different non-fiction texts Writing section – covers writing a personal statement and a formal e-mail - culminates in a assessed piece of work This package includes a 78 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a detailed set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 15 resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks, activities and non-fiction texts are relevant, engaging and ideal preparation for the Level 2 exam. I hope you and your students enjoy the unit. More Edexcel IGCSE Functional Skills Resources Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Complete Course Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit -Climate Change Crisis Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Leisure Edexcel Functional Skills English Level 1 and 2: Speaking and Listening Unit

AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - LEISURE This engaging and fully resourced unit of work is designed to teach some of the key skills required for tackling the AQA Functional Skills Level 1 English exam paper. It is built around the topic of Leisure and includes two sections: Reading section – exploration of three related non-fiction texts including a website and leaflet Writing section – culminates in an assessed piece of work in which students complete a piece of review writing. This includes a well-presented 49 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 12 resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks and texts are relevant and engaging and ideal preparation for the Level 1 exam. You may also like: AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 - Complete Course AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - Climate Change Crisis AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - Taking the Next Step AQA Functional Skills in English: Speaking and Listening Unit