We are a team of two sisters who specialise in primary education. We are determined to create resources of the highest standard that can be used without further preparation. Our lessons and assemblies have been designed to challenge children of all levels within a creative, engaging and inspiring context. Explore our shop to find lesson packs for languages, art and religious education, plans for assemblies and numerous high-quality resources to help you teach phonics, mathematics and literacy
We are a team of two sisters who specialise in primary education. We are determined to create resources of the highest standard that can be used without further preparation. Our lessons and assemblies have been designed to challenge children of all levels within a creative, engaging and inspiring context. Explore our shop to find lesson packs for languages, art and religious education, plans for assemblies and numerous high-quality resources to help you teach phonics, mathematics and literacy
This resource is a reading comprehension activity covering the part of the Christmas story when the Wise Men visit Jesus. I have adapted the bible story to create a descriptive passage for Grade 5 or 6. It is split into three differentiated levels.
Higher Ability
There is a reading booklet of 3 pages (1132 words), followed by 4 pages of questions (14 questions). The passage is very descriptive and includes some advanced vocabulary. The questions are varied and include finding the meaning of words and phrases, drawing inferences, describing characters, ordering the story, true or false questions and multiple choice tick questions.
Middle Ability
There is a reading booklet of 3 pages (965 words) followed by 4 pages of questions (14 questions). This passage is slightly shorter and simpler than the higher ability passage. The questions are varied and include finding the meaning of words and phrases, drawing inferences, describing characters, ordering the story, true or false questions and multiple choice tick questions.
Lower Ability
There is a reading booklet of 3 pages (837 words) followed by 4 pages of questions (12 questions.) This is the shortest, simplest passage, while still challenging the kids. The questions are varied and include finding the meaning of words and phrases, drawing inferences, describing characters, true or false questions and multiple choice tick questions.
There is also a set of answers for each level.
Standards Covered by this Resource:
Grade 5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 (summarize the text)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 (Higher Ability)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5 (ordering the story question)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.10 (Higher Ability)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.5 (synonyms)
Grade 6
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.4
This resource is a non-fiction comprehension activity for year 2 on Rosa Parks. It is based on the KS1 SATs reading paper and includes 3 differentiated levels with answers. Rosa Parks is listed as a significant individual in the Key Stage 1 History curriculum.
Please note no photos of Rosa are included, owing to copyright restrictions.
There are a range of ‘what’ and ‘when’ and ‘where’ questions, some multiple choice tick questions and some that require more detailed answers. The activity is also laid out in a similar way to the SATs booklets, with four pages of pictures and short written extracts to read and 2-3 questions per page.
Fantastic Value
These Year 2 SATs style comprehension booklets cover Bonfire Night, Remembrance Day and Christmas.
There are 12 topics:
The Gunpowder Plot
How to build a bonfire
Bonfire and Fireworks Safety
Bonfire Night Food
Remembrance Day
Angel Gabriel visits Mary
The birth of Jesus
The shepherds visit Jesus
The Wise Men Visit Jesus
Christmas Pudding Recipe
Mince Pie Recipe
Trifle Recipe
Each topic is split into 3 differentiated levels.
There are a range of ‘what,’ ‘where,’ and ‘who’ questions, some multiple choice tick questions and some that require more detailed answers. Each booklet is based on the reading SATs paper, containing a similar style of questions and the same layout.
No further preparation required.
A collection of non-fiction comprehension activities for year 2, all with the theme of winter. Each booklet comes in 3 differentiated levels. They are all based on the reading SATs paper, containing a similar style of questions and the same layout.
The 3 topics explored in the comprehensions are:
What happens in the winter?
Winter wildlife
What activities can I do in the winter?
These Year 2 Remembrance Day comprehension activities are split into 3 differentiated levels. Each level contains 3 comprehensions with answers. They are:
What is Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday?
Why do we wear poppies?
‘The First Remembrance Day’ - A fictional original tale following two children during the two minute silence in November 1919.
The higher level (Super Super Challenge) is based on the KS1 SATs reading paper and is a similar length to a SATs paper.
The middle level (Super Challenge) is similar to the higher level but contains texts that are slightly shorter and a few easier questions.
The lower level (Challenge) contains texts that are much shorter and different easier questions.
There are a range of ‘what,’ ‘where,’ and ‘who’ questions, some multiple choice tick questions and some that require more detailed answers.
No further preparation required.
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Year 1 Comprehensions : Remembrance Day
This is a set of 24 PowerPoint presentations covering all the high frequency words for phonics phases 2, 3, 4 and 5.
For each phonics phase there are 6 PowerPoint presentations. Each PowerPoint includes all the high frequency words for that phase. There is one word on each slide and the words are in a different order on each PowerPoint. Each PowerPoint has images with a different theme that is unconnected to the words. There are 6 themes - birds, minibeasts, seasons, pirates, dinosaurs and transport.
Get your class to call out together or choose targeted children to decode the words.
Use throughout the year - fit in during gaps or use during a phonics lesson.
This is a set of 6 PowerPoint presentations. Each PowerPoint includes all the Phase 5 high frequency words. There is one word on each slide and the words are in a different order on each PowerPoint. Each PowerPoint has images with a different theme that is unconnected to the words. There are 6 themes - birds, minibeasts, seasons, pirates, dinosaurs and transport.
Get your class to call out together or choose targeted children to decode the words.
Use throughout the year - fit in during gaps or use during a phonics lesson.
This is a set of 6 PowerPoint presentations. Each PowerPoint includes all the Phase 4 high frequency words. There is one word on each slide and the words are in a different order on each PowerPoint. Each PowerPoint has images with a different theme that is unconnected to the words. There are 6 themes - birds, minibeasts, seasons, pirates, dinosaurs and transport.
Get your class to call out together or choose targeted children to decode the words.
Use throughout the year - fit in during gaps or use during a phonics lesson.
This is a set of 6 PowerPoint presentations. Each PowerPoint includes all the Phase 3 high frequency words. There is one word on each slide and the words are in a different order on each PowerPoint. Each PowerPoint has images with a different theme that is unconnected to the words. There are 6 themes - birds, minibeasts, seasons, pirates, dinosaurs and transport.
Get your class to call out together or choose targeted children to decode the words.
Use throughout the year - fit in during gaps or use during a phonics lesson.
This is a set of 6 PowerPoint presentations. Each PowerPoint includes all the Phase 2 high frequency words. There is one word on each slide and the words are in a different order on each PowerPoint. Each PowerPoint has images with a different theme that is unconnected to the words. There are 6 themes - birds, minibeasts, seasons, pirates, dinosaurs and transport.
Get your class to call out together or choose targeted children to decode the words.
Use throughout the year - fit in during gaps or use during a phonics lesson.
A selection of 6 presentations on a variety of black figures from the past two centuries, perfect for using during Black History Month.
The slideshows cover prominent figures who have had a variety of roles in history.
Included are:
Benjamin Zephaniah
Mary Seacole
Mo Farah
Nelson Mandela
Rosa Parks
Serena Williams
A selection of 6 presentations and an assembly, perfect for using during Black History Month.
The slideshows cover prominent figures who have had a variety of roles in history.
Included are:
Benjamin Zephaniah
Mary Seacole
Mo Farah
Nelson Mandela
Rosa Parks
Serena Williams
The assembly is designed to be used as an introduction to Black History Month. It is a 16 page presentation and accompanying plan and covers prehistory, ancient civilizations, 18th and 19th century Britain and an introduction to the figures mentioned above.
A great pack for introducing the topic of black history to KS2, KS3 or KS4.
This resource contains a comprehension pack on ‘Remembrance Day.’ There are four different comprehensions:
What is Remembrance Day?
The First Remembrance Day
Why do we wear poppies?
The History of the Poppy
It includes answers and is suitable for using with year 1.
Each comprehension contains a short piece of text (about 5 sentences) with words that can be sounded out. There are three trickier words which have pictures to help children work out what they say.
The text is followed by 5 simple questions.
There is also a powerpoint included in the pack containing a slide for each text so that you can go through the comprehensions before the children complete them. Each slide also contains 3 words that are trickier to sound out, with sound buttons underneath them.
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Year 2 Comprehensions - Remembrance Day
A set of 20 alien-themed PowerPoints to help your class revise the phonemes for each of phases 2 to 5.
Each PowerPoint contains 1 sound and 1 picture per slide. Simply click to reveal each sound.
There are 5 PowerPoints for each phase.
All the sounds are in a random order on each PowerPoint, to ensure children don’t simply learn the order.
A perfect daily filler or starter which can be used instead of flashcards to ensure every child can properly see the graphemes.
A set of 10 PowerPoints to help your class practise all phonemes on a daily basis.
Each of the 10 PowerPoints contain every phoneme from phases 2 to 5, with one phoneme per slide.
The phonemes are shown in a random order on each PowerPoint. Get the whole class to call out or choose certain children for targeted sounds.
Perfect for using instead of flashcards, as it ensures the whole class can definitely see the graphemes.
This set of PowerPoints uses an alien theme. Look out for other themes coming soon to Blossoming Minds’ shop.
This is Blossoming Minds’ second set of 10 PowerPoints to help prepare your class for the Phonics Screening Check.
Each PowerPoint includes 40 words, one on each slide. 20 words are pretend or ‘alien’ words and 20 are real words. They are organised in the same way as the screening check, starting with four simple phase 2 words, before moving on to phase 3, 4 and 5 and concluding with more complex words.
Get your class to call out together or choose targeted children to decode the words.
Use throughout the year - fit in during 5 minute gaps or use during a phonics lesson to make sure your entire class are prepared for the screening check!
An interactive PowerPoint to help your class revise the first half of phase 3 phonics.
The PowerPoint consists of 20 activities that focus on the skill of reading. They could be used as fillers for a whole month, or as part of a phonics lesson.
Example activities include:
speed reading
finding the odd one out,
finding as many ‘ch’ words as possible before the timer finishes…
…and many more!
I have created the PowerPoint to use with my year 1 class throughout the month of September as a revision activity, so some of the activities have an autumn/back to school theme. However, you can easily use them at any point in the year.
14 phase 3 sounds are covered, up to the ‘ee’ sound.
This is the first in Blossoming Minds’ new series of phonics filler activities! Follow us to see when we add more.
This resource is a comprehension booklet aimed at Lower Key Stage 2 (7-9 yrs). It is based around an entertaining, rhyming poem called ‘Around the World this Summer’ and would be perfect to use before or after the summer holidays as a springboard to children discussing their own holidays or writing their own poetry.
There are three differentiated booklets. The higher booklet has two pages of text for the children to read before they complete a range of questions based on a mixture of the KS1 and KS2 SATs.
The middle and lower ability booklets have the text split into separate pages with questions on each page.
PDF file format.
This resource is a bundle of activities perfect for using with your year 2 class during the 2018 football World Cup. All activities are football and World Cup themed.
The bundle contains:
Spag Booklet x 3
Maths Booklet differentiated 3 ways
Footballers comprehension booklet differentiated 3 ways
PDF file format
A collection of three enjoyable poetry comprehension activities for year 2, all with the theme of the seaside.
Each booklet comes in 3 differentiated levels. They are based on the reading SATs paper, containing a similar style of questions.
The following poems are included:
S…S…S…seaside
The Beach
A trip to the sea
The perfect way to bring the seaside into your classroom this term!
PDF file format.
Please note: These comprehensions are also available in a larger summer bundle.