This is a simple close reading and response activity using Walter de la Mare’s festive poem, “Mistletoe”. There are four questions and the second slide offers suggested responses although the questions are sufficiently open to enable a range of responses.

This is a straightforward reading starter activity created for a lower ability class in year 11 (targets of 2 and 3). It uses an extract from “Dracula” in which Mina Harker’s diary records details of weather and setting. There are questions focusing on the effect of the writer’s use of repetition and on the effect of the connotations of death. There is a further challenge question on the repetition of an idea. Suggested responses are provided and these could be used for self or peer assessment or as models.

This powerpoint was planned to help a KS4 class hone their skills of reading fluency when it comes to pinpointing a writer’s viewpoint and explaining how it’s communicated. The powerpoint uses an extract from Charles Dickens in which Dickens describes people who have been unable to acccess the workhouse and then uses an extract from Albert Smith in which he describes the play of impoverished children in the 1800s. Useful preparation for reading pre-1914 non-fiction at GCSE. Also useful in conjunction with “A Christmas Carol”.

This powerpoint was created to help students revise the poetry anthology. It deals with four of the poems: “Remains”, “Storm on the Island”, “Exposure” and “The Charge of the Light Brigade”. The focus is on reassuring the students that they don’t have to memorise entire poems but that they must have secure knowledge of what the writer is communicating and be able to refer to the poem to support that knowledge.

Created as a cover activity for a KS4 class, this uses an image and a GCSE-style task. There are prompts for sentence starters, verb and adjective use and proof-reading. Could be used as a homework activity or for revision. It could also be used to structure and lead a guided writing activity.

Planned for a less able class at GCSE, this powerpoint is focused on the presentation of Scrooge at the end of the novella. There are a couple of recall activities; key knowledge is flagged up and public domain illustrations are used to support comprehension.

Planned for a less able KS4 class, this powerpoint recaps some of the key ideas from Stave 1 of “A Christmas Carol”. The focus is on Scrooge and the lesson aims to embed the idea that Scrooge is in very real danger of going to hell and that time is running out. The lesson also touches on how Dickens uses setting for the characterisation of Scrooge.

This powerpoint was created for year 9 who were embarking on some GCSE poetry at the end of the academic year. The key question asks what Blake is saying about life in industrial cities and the focus is on several of the key images in the poem. The lesson introduces the key question at the outset and returns to it at the end.

This lesson was planned as part of a unit on gothic horror for y8 but could work for any class at KS3. The powerpoint includes both reading and writing activities. The lesson forms part of a SOW focusing on writing in the gothic genre. The initial focus is on the characterisation of Dracula and the creation of a foil. The focus then moves to the idea of characterisation through setting and introduces the idea of “Frankenstein”.

This worksheet was created as a cover activity for a year 7 group who were studying a unit on poetry. It could be assigned to any class at KS3. The focus is on the use of extended metaphor and two poems are used, one by Shakespeare and the other by Langston Hughes. Useful for improving reading fluency and practising comprehension. Could be set for cover or for homework or alternatively the questions could be used to structure a reading intervention or guided reading session.

This ppt is a single slide with a copy of the poem (public domain) and with questions alongside intended to prompt thinking and annotation. This could be used prior to an unseen poetry response or to support independent approaches to reading and considering an unseen poem.

A simple powerpoint that can be used for first teaching of the poem but which would also work as cover or as a homework activity. Easily adaptable to set more or fewer tasks from the grid. Could also be extended to explore what aspects of Dunbar’s life and experience could have inspired the poem.

This is a straightforward activity using an extract from the public domain, introducing Hercules. There are six questions (suggested answers provided) intended to support children in comprehension, thoughtful reading and building reading fluency. Created as a cover activity for a mixed-ability year 7 class but also good for key stage 2. Useful as part of a unit of work on myths and legends.

This worksheet has 10 questions (suggested answers provided). The extract used is from “The Reluctant Dragon” by Kenneth Grahame which is in the public domain. The focus is on comprehension and reading fluency. Created for a mixed-ability year 7 class as a cover activity but is very accessible for KS2. Could be set for homework; alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity.

This is a single powerpoint slide that could be printed off or displayed. The task asks the children to read two extracts from Kenneth Grahame’s “The Reluctant Dragon” (public domain). There are then two activities - one to test basic comprehension and the second requiring more evaluative thinking. Planned for a mixed-ability year 7 group but would also work for KS2. Useful as part of a unit on myths and legends.

This is a straightforward comprehension activity using an extract written by Nathanial Hawthorne (in the public domain). There are 8 questions (answers provided). These could be used as a cover activity for children working on myths and legends. The questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity. Alternatively, it works well as a homework activity.

This was planned as a cover activity for a year 7 class working through a unit on myths and legends. It could also be set as a homework or the activities could be used to structure a guided reading/guided writing session. The extract used is in the public domain.

This reading comprehension activity uses an extract from Nathanial Hawthorne’s “The Gorgon’s Head” (public domain". There are 10 questions with answers provided. This was created for a mixed-ability year 7 class for use as a cover activity but could work at KS2. As well as being used for cover, it could form part of a unit of work on myths and legends. It could equally be used for homework or the questions could structure a guided reading activity.

Created as a cover activity for a mixed-ability year 7 class as part of a unit on origin stories, myths and legends, this uses a public domain text about Zeus unleashing the great flood on humanity (pairs well with the story of Noah’s Ark). There are ten questions focused on retrieval, inference and some basic analysis. Could be used as a cover activity, set for homework or the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session. Suggested answers are provided.

This simple activity uses a public domain poem. There is a grid of questions. Less confident readers could be asked to choose 3 questions; alternatively, all questions could be set. The questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity or the sheet could be set as cover work or for homework.