"The Christmas Story" Literacy Worksheet is a carefully designed resource for Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 & 6) that brings the timeless story of the Nativity to life. This worksheet provides a detailed narrative of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, combined with comprehension questions to enhance reading and understanding skills. It encourages students to explore key historical and cultural elements of the Christmas story, such as the census, the visit of the Wise Men, and the significance of the star. In addition to comprehension practice, the resource includes activities for critical thinking, such as analysing text structure and connecting the story to traditional Christmas carols. Perfect for integrating literacy with seasonal RE topics, it is ideal for fostering discussions about traditions, empathy, and storytelling. This resource is ready to use, with clear instructions making it a valuable addition to your pre-Christmas lessons.

This resource, designed for Years 5 and 6 (Upper KS2), is a comprehensive literacy activity based on Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem, The Night Before Christmas. It offers a variety of engaging tasks aimed at developing reading comprehension, critical thinking, and creative writing skills. Here’s what it includes: Close Reading and Comprehension Questions: Students analyse key excerpts from the poem, answering questions about details, themes, and vocabulary to deepen their understanding. Partner Activities: Collaborative tasks encourage discussion and teamwork, such as interpreting specific lines, exploring literary devices, and identifying the mood and tone of the poem. Creative Writing: A “Santa’s Special Letter” activity invites students to adopt the persona of Santa Claus, writing a reflective and imaginative letter. It emphasises narrative writing, descriptive language, and the use of poetic vocabulary. Scaffolded Learning: The worksheet transitions from guided individual questions to collaborative and creative activities, supporting a variety of learning styles and abilities. Seasonal Relevance: With its festive theme, the resource is perfect for engaging students during the holiday season while maintaining academic focus. This worksheet not only brings literary classics into the classroom but also offers a structured way to enhance literacy skills in a fun, Christmas-themed context. It would work well as a standalone lesson, part of a seasonal unit, or even as an engaging holiday homework activity.

This Christmas Customs literacy worksheet (10 pages) is designed for Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) and offers engaging activities to support reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and collaborative learning. Key Features: Thematic Content: Explore various Christmas traditions, including Advent, mistletoe, the Yule log, Boxing Day, and Christmas pudding, with accessible explanations tailored for younger readers. Comprehension Questions: Includes individual and paired activities to encourage both independent work and partner collaboration, helping pupils practise reading for detail and critical thinking. Cultural Insights: Connects historical and modern customs, sparking discussions about the significance of traditions and their origins. Flexible Use: Ideal for literacy lessons, seasonal activities, or as part of cross-curricular projects linking history and literacy. This resource is perfect for teachers looking to blend seasonal cheer with meaningful learning opportunities in the classroom.

The Christmas Story Literacy Worksheet for Years 3 and 4 Engage your Year 3 and 4 students with this literacy worksheet based on the story of the first Christmas. This resource is designed to develop reading comprehension and critical thinking skills while exploring a classic narrative. Key Features: A well-structured retelling of the Christmas story, emphasising key events like the visit of the angel Gabriel, the journey to Bethlehem, and the Wise Men’s gifts. Comprehension questions that reinforce understanding of the story, including vocabulary and recall exercises. A creative task where students can illustrate six scenes from the story, fostering imagination and artistic expression. This resource is perfect for literacy lessons during the Christmas season, providing a blend of learning and festive celebration.

Upper KS2 Christmas Literacy Worksheet - Reindeer Theme - Answers This literacy worksheet, designed for Years 5 and 6, blends festive cheer with cross-curricular learning. Centred around reindeer and their significance in Christmas traditions, the resource includes a mix of history, geography, and poetry analysis. Key Features: Historical Context: Learn about the ancient origins of reindeer, their uses, and their relationship with early humans. Explore the cultural importance of reindeer in Lapland, where they are essential to daily life. Poetry Analysis: Dive into an extract from Clement Moore’s classic poem ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ Activities encourage pupils to identify literary elements, analyse imagery, and understand vocabulary in context. Comprehension Questions: Thought-provoking questions guide pupils to extract key information and develop critical thinking. Includes activities on interpreting evidence and making connections with the text. Quick Quiz: A fun and interactive recap to consolidate learning. Covers key facts and ensures retention of information in a playful manner. This resource offers a unique opportunity to celebrate Christmas while enhancing literacy skills. It’s perfect for independent work, group discussions, or even a whole-class festive lesson.

Getting to Grips with Similes (blurb) This resource is a comprehensive set of worksheets designed to teach year 5/6 students about the use of similes in writing. It covers the following key areas: Defining similes and distinguishing them from metaphors, with clear examples provided. Explaining how similes create vivid imagery by comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as”. Guiding students to craft their own original similes to describe concepts from the natural world, like the sea, sun, etc. Using similes effectively to bring story characters to life by comparing their traits to animals or objects. Identifying similes in poetry and analysing the comparisons being made. Applying similes to describe fantasy characters or scenes. The resource employs an engaging, multi-modal approach with written explanations, example similes, visuals of characters/animals, and plenty of practice exercises. Students get opportunities to demonstrate understanding by writing their own similes and short descriptive passages. The content is pitched appropriately for the upper KS2 level, with clear instructions and a gradual progression from identifying and explaining similes to generating original ones. Overall, this is a well-designed resource that uses relatable scenarios, images, and step-by-step scaffolding to build students’ skills in recognising, interpreting, and incorporating similes to enhance descriptive writing. The variety of exercises and examples caters well to different learning styles.

Getting to Grips with Metaphors Getting to Grips with Metaphors is a comprehensive packet focused on teaching upper KS2 students about metaphors. It covers the following key topics: Defining and distinguishing metaphors from similes, with examples. Explaining how metaphors create vivid imagery by comparing two unlike things directly. Analysing the deeper meaning behind common metaphorical expressions like “a storm in a teacup.” Guidance on how to craft original metaphors to describe concepts like the sun, sea, and night. Using metaphors effectively in poetry and prose writing. Practice exercises for identifying, creating, and converting between metaphors and similes. The lesson uses an engaging instructional style with clear explanations, sample metaphors, and opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding through written responses. The visuals and imaginary scenarios help make the abstract concept of metaphors more concrete and relatable for year 5/6 students. Overall, this resource provides a structured yet creative way for teachers to build students’ skills in recognising, interpreting, and generating metaphors to enhance their descriptive writing abilities. The exercises and examples are pitched appropriately for upper KS2.

This resource is a comprehensive Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6) literacy worksheet centred around the carol Good King Wenceslas. It combines historical context, vocabulary building, and comprehension exercises, making it suitable for cross-curricular learning. Here’s an overview: Key Features: Carol Analysis and Story Writing: Pupils read the carol and use provided definitions to understand historical and linguistic aspects. Encourages retelling the story of Good King Wenceslas in the pupils’ own words, developing narrative and comprehension skills. Quick Quiz: Ten detailed questions about the carol ensure close reading and understanding of key details. Questions are scaffolded with a mix of factual recall (e.g. “What did the king bring?”) and interpretative thinking (e.g. following the king’s footsteps). Theme Exploration: Includes reflective questions about the carol’s main theme (generosity) and its broader message (blessing others leads to blessings). Promotes critical thinking and moral reasoning. Grammar and Writing Practice: Activities on using connectives effectively in sentences. Exercises include combining and splitting sentences, aiding in sentence structure mastery. Teaching Highlights: Versatility: The resource blends literacy skills with moral and thematic discussions, fitting well in both English and PSHE lessons. Seasonal Engagement: The Christmas theme adds relevance and excitement, engaging pupils in festive learning. Historical Context: Definitions of archaic words like “league” and “sire” help pupils understand the language and cultural context of the carol. Suitable For: Teachers aiming to enhance comprehension and writing skills while integrating festive content. Use in classroom discussions, guided reading sessions, or as independent tasks. Extension activities exploring the historical figure of King Wenceslas or medieval charity practices. This resource is intended to create a rich, engaging, and meaningful lesson during the run up to Christmas.

In this lesson, the first little pig makes several fraudulent claims to an insurance company about his house being blown down by a wolf. This lesson will have no happy ending! The police have issued a warrant for the first pig’s arrest.

Activities in this lesson include reading the full text of Jack and the Beanstalk, learning how to describe a character, answering higher and lower order questions; looking at tense/person/punctuation and scaffolding (which includes ways to improve writing) writing an alternative ending to Jack and the Beanstalk and writing a short newspaper article that answers the question ‘Is Jack a Villain’? The five-minute evidence-based CPD activity at the end of this lesson develops the skill of collaboration.

These are the key features of this KS1 literacy skills builder lesson: Aligned with Key Stage 1 Learning Goals – The resource is well-suited to KS1 literacy objectives, helping pupils develop essential skills like reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and basic literary analysis. It aligns with curriculum goals for reading fluency, understanding text structure, and making simple inferences. Develops Foundational Comprehension Skills – The questions cover a range of comprehension levels, from literal recall to inferential thinking. By using a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions, the lesson builds pupils’ confidence in both recognising straightforward details and expressing opinions or interpretations. Engaging Storyline with Relatable Themes – The story of Dippy the Duck and the Tin Soldiers resonates well with young learners, making reading more enjoyable. Themes of inclusion, empathy, and perseverance are meaningful yet accessible, helping pupils connect to the story while building their social-emotional learning skills. Encourages Vocabulary Growth and Discussion – The resource introduces vocabulary in a context that encourages natural exploration and questioning. This is ideal for KS1 pupils, who benefit from contextual learning and the opportunity to discuss new words, characters, and ideas with their teacher and peers. Ready-Made Structure for Teachers – With a mix of reading passages, questions, and a poem, the lesson is well-rounded and organized for easy classroom integration. Teachers can use the resource as a complete lesson or select parts for guided reading, group work, or individual assessment. Promotes Enjoyment in Reading – The relatable setting and playful character dynamics make this story enjoyable for young children. This helps foster a positive attitude toward reading and literature, an important aspect of early education. Built-In Extension Opportunities – The lesson introduces The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen, a classic fairy tale, which opens up possibilities for comparison with other fairy tales, further comprehension activities, and discussions around literary tradition. Additionally, the poem reinforces skills like rhyming and rhythm, important in phonics and early literacy. In Summary This resource is valuable because it’s versatile, engaging, and pedagogically sound, providing teachers with a structured way to build pupils’ reading comprehension while reinforcing key KS1 learning objectives. It’s also flexible enough to support differentiation, making it a practical and worthwhile addition to any KS1 teacher’s toolkit.

This complete grammar resource on modal verbs is designed to support KS2 teachers in providing a structured, interactive approach to teaching modal verbs. The resource is divided into three parts: Part 1: Lesson – This section introduces students to the concept of modal verbs, focusing on how they convey levels of certainty (e.g. might, should, will). Through relatable scenarios and characters, students explore different modal verbs and how they express possibilities, probabilities, and certainties in context. The lesson encourages students to work in pairs, make notes, and prepare for further activities, enhancing understanding through collaborative learning. Part 2: Peer Teaching and Group Activity – Students use the notes from Part 1 to teach the concept to another pair, reinforcing their understanding through teaching. A group video activity is included to further engage students and provide an opportunity for them to present and solidify their grasp of modal verbs in a creative format. Part 3: Self-Assessment Q&A – To support retention, this part includes questions that allow students to assess their knowledge and reflect on their understanding of modal verbs. This resource offers a blend of structured learning, peer teaching, and self-assessment to support teachers in engaging students with the nuances of modal verbs in an enjoyable and effective way.

This engaging and informative literacy resource, designed for Years 5 and 6, explores the classic song The Twelve Days of Christmas in an educational and festive way. Pupils will: Reorder the lyrics of the song, enhancing their comprehension and sequencing skills. Discover the historical and cultural significance of the Twelve Days of Christmas, including its connection to Epiphany and traditions from around the world. Explore potential symbolic meanings of the song’s elements, linking them to biblical teachings. Complete activities independently and collaboratively, building literacy and teamwork skills. This resource not only reinforces literacy skills but also provides cross-curricular connections to history and religious studies, making it perfect for the festive season.

A review of this resource (which also serves as a useful description) I recently came across an amazing Bloom’s Taxonomy resource that I believe could be an absolute game-changer for any teacher. It’s called “Bloom’s Taxonomy Meets Five Children & It” and it provides a clear, step-by-step guide to implementing Bloom’s in your classroom using the beloved children’s story. I would give this Bloom’s Taxonomy resource a 5 out of 5 star rating. It is an absolutely stellar teaching tool that provides immense value. This resource is ingeniously designed to elucidate the Bloom’s framework AND develop teacher competency in applying it through guided practice. The ability to move from theory to application is a game changer. Unlocking higher order thinking abilities in students is essential in today’s world. This Bloom’s resource allows you to do exactly that - in a simple, hands-on way. I could not recommend it more strongly to any teacher looking to maximize their students’ potential. Here’s why this resource is so powerful: Demystifies Bloom’s - It breaks down the often confusing Bloom’s levels into simple, easy-to-grasp explanations that make the framework crystal clear. Models the Full Process - You receive a complete walk-through of Bloom’s Taxonomy applied to the story, from basic remembering questions up to higher order creative questions. Builds Understanding - The explanations reinforce the core distinctions between question types, helping you deeply comprehend the taxonomy. Develops Teacher Skills - You are actively involved in writing your own questions for each level, scaffolding your ability to formulate taxonomy-aligned activities. Ready-to-Use Student Resource - A student handout is included allowing you to immediately have pupils work with the story and Bloom’s questions. This resource stands out for making a framework that is often vague and theoretical into something concrete and actionable for teachers. Breaking down barriers to classroom application is hugely important. The guided explanations paired with opportunities to create aligned questions yourself scaffolds the learning process, building confidence in using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Being able to immediately have students try a Bloom Taxonomy activity further cements this. For its clarity, methodical training approach, reinforced connections, and classroom integration, I believe this resource merits 5 shining stars. It empowers teachers to turn Bloom’s Taxonomy from an abstract concept into a powerful teaching strategy. The result is substantial gains in critical thinking and higher order skills among students. When you consider the immense educational benefits unlocked, the resource delivers absolutely top-tier value worthy of the highest recommendations. 5 stars all the way! The best way to understand the power of this resource is to try it out yourself! You and your students will quickly see the many benefits.

Lesson Title: New Paragraphs and New Worlds – A Science Fiction themed English Lesson Dive into the imaginative world of science fiction with New Paragraphs and New Worlds, a fully resourced, ready-to-use lesson for Key Stage 2 designed to develop essential writing skills. This engaging lesson empowers pupils to craft paragraphs by understanding when to start a new one based on changes in time, setting, characters, dialogue, or action within a story. By working with sci-fi story extracts, pupils explore advanced storytelling techniques, making learning both educational and fun. Key Features: Target Skills: Five Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills, including collaboration, critical thinking, peer teaching, and self-regulation, enabling pupils to develop advanced learning capabilities. Structured Activities: Interactive exercises guide pupils through the distinct characteristics of science fiction and the five essential reasons for starting new paragraphs. Writing Practice: Story extracts prompt pupils to add new paragraphs, with guidance on tense, perspective, and dialogue to strengthen creative writing. Collaborative Learning: Paired and independent tasks encourage discussion, helping pupils consolidate understanding by teaching peers. Teacher Support: A 5-minute CPD on peer teaching for teachers, highlighting research-backed strategies to enhance collaborative classroom environments. This resource is perfect for teachers seeking an engaging, research-backed writing lesson that develops critical literacy skills through an immersive, story-based approach. This lesson is available for only £3 for whole-school use, making it an affordable and impactful addition to any classroom.

This complete lesson on the key features of fantasy stories is designed for upper primary pupils (Key Stage 2). Priced at just £3 for whole school use, it provides a comprehensive exploration of the genre using Alice in Wonderland as a core text. The lesson emphasises three key educational skills: collaboration, thinking skills, and peer assessment, all supported by evidence-based learning (EBL) principles. Lesson Highlights: Key Fantasy Story Elements: Through guided activities, pupils learn about fantasy story staples such as real vs. imaginary settings, characters (both good and bad), and magical portals. Interactive Activities: Higher and Lower Order Questions: Engage pupils in critical thinking. Collaborative Poster Design: Pairs of pupils create a poster showcasing fantasy story elements, reinforcing the material through visual creativity. Peer Assessment: Pupils review and give constructive feedback on their peers’ posters, honing evaluation skills. Teacher CPD: Includes a five-minute evidence-based CPD segment on collaboration, with practical tips for teachers on maximising pupil learning through peer interaction. This lesson combines literary analysis with skill-building exercises, making it an ideal choice for primary teachers looking to introduce fantasy literature in a meaningful, interactive way.

Getting to Grips with Connectives This learning resource titled “Getting to Grips with Connectives” is an excellent tool for teaching y5/6 students about the usage and importance of connectives in their writing. Here’s a summary of what the resource covers: It starts by explaining what connectives are and their purpose in making sentences and writing more interesting and coherent. The resource covers the different types of connectives such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’, ‘because’, ‘although’, etc., and how they can be used to join simple sentences into compound sentences or clauses into complex sentences. It provides numerous examples and exercises for students to practise writing compound and complex sentences using various connectives. The resource also teaches how to vary the structure of sentences by moving the placement of connectives, and how to use pairs of connectives like ‘if…then’ and ‘either…or’ in the same sentence. It demonstrates how connectives can be used to link sentences within a paragraph, making the writing flow better. Finally, it covers the use of time connectives like ‘firstly’, ‘secondly’, ‘finally’ to sequence paragraphs and events in a logical order. Overall, this resource is comprehensive, engaging, and full of practice opportunities. It uses a science-fiction theme which could appeal to y5/6 students. The exercises progress from simple to more complex, allowing students to gradually build their skills with connectives.

Teachers - Unhood New Skills with this Red Riding Hood Lesson Do you want an engaging new way to have students reflect on the classic tale of Red Riding Hood? This interactive lesson uses the well-loved story to advance collaboration, thinking, assessment, and metacognition - four essential competencies confirmed by research to enhance achievement. The step-by-step plans have students analyse text features, write a diary entry from the wolf’s perspective, and read a newspaper parody. Reflection questions connect processes to outcomes. Peer review activities build evaluative abilities. Differentiated tasks allow choice in demonstrating skills gained. The ready-to-implement format simplifies preparation and icons match activities to targeted skill development areas. Embedded teacher CPD summarises supporting evidence and suggests ways to apply insights from peer assessment. By blending a timeless narrative with research-backed methods, this cross-curricular lesson empowers deeper understanding across ability levels. Let Red Riding Hood lead the way to student growth this year! This hits the main reasons for using the lesson, linking engagement to focused skill building. It explains the interactive formats like the diary and parody. The CPD insights and skill-matching icons clearly showcase built-in teacher support.

Teachers - Bring Cinderella to Life with this Skill-Building Lesson! Do you want an engaging new way to have students climb the beanstalk with Cinderella? This interactive lesson uses the classic fairytale to advance collaboration, thinking, self-regulation, and independent learning - four essential skills research shows boost achievement. The step-by-step plans break down the story structure, then have students complete a story mountain to map the plot. Higher order questions analyze traditional tale elements and messages. Reflection activities connect learning processes to outcomes. Differentiated tasks allow choice in showing competencies gained. The ready-to-use format simplifies preparation with icons linking each activity to targeted skills. Embedded teacher CPD summarises supporting evidence and suggests concrete ways to nurture metacognition. By blending a beloved narrative with research-backed methods, this cross-curricular lesson empowers success across ability levels. Let Cinderella cast her spell on student growth in your classroom this year! This hits the main reasons for using the lesson, connecting fairy tale engagement to the focused skills development. Highlighting the plot mapping, analysis questions, reflections, and differentiation clearly explains the interactive formats. The CPD insights and skill-matching icons showcase built-in teacher supports.

Activities in this evidence-based learning lesson include looking at the characters, settings and problems in early traditional stories whilst focusing on the character of Goldilocks in particular. Also included is a creative writing task and answering higher and lower order questions. The five-minute evidence-based CPD activity at the end of this lesson focuses on self-regulation.