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.

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 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 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.

A simple and straightforward powerpoint, animated as it was used in a revision session. The powerpoint has a recap slide with suggested answers. (These may not match your students, in which case they’ll need editing). There are 4 suggested tasks. 3 are very straightforward; the final one is more challenging and closer to the task that students will encounter in the exam. The weather task asks students what is wrong with the sample paragraph. The answer is that it doesn’t express a clear viewpoint.

A revision powerpoint on language analysis useful for English Language GCSE preparation. The powerpoint uses a short extract from a public domain text and this is provided - together with the question - on the final two slides so that you can print it out. The powerpoint asks students to consider their choice of evidence and then goes through how to use that evidence in an answer that clearly explains how the evidence shows what it does.

This powerpoint was planned for a mixed-ability year 7 class as part of a unit of work on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The focus is on the meaning of Puck’s final speech and the ideas that Shakespeare is expressing through that speech. A suggested (short) response to the writing prompt is provided on the final slide. The homework is a multiple-choice quiz on the extract, to be used after the lesson, intended to embed the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the speech. Answers to the quiz are provided.

This is a straightforward powerpoint intended for revision which reminds students of five of Delaney’s key methods in the play. These are: the symbolism of the flower bulbs, the symbolism of the light bulb, the proximity of the church clock, the proximity of the gasworks and the Boy’s quotations from “Othello” (contrasted with Jo’s reading of fairy tales). Each of the methods has a few questions to encourage recall and then suggested answers and ideas are provided on the next slide.

This is a very simple and straightforward powerpoint using John Clare’s poem “Hares at Play” and created as a revision activity for year 11 in the run up to their English Literature GCSE exam to support them in practising reading and responding to an unseen poem. This could be used as a homework task or revision activity. Alternatively, the questions could be used in class to structure a model answer. There are prompt questions on structure and form and on language. On the following slides are suggested answers to these prompt questions - these are easy to remove if you wish to use the ppt for homework. The question uses similar wording to AQA English Literature Paper 2 and asks: **How does the poet present the speaker’s ideas about hares? **

This powerpoint uses questioning to direct learners to some of the writer’s methods. The poem itself has an easily recognisable viewpoint and is a good one for less confident learners to practise responding to unseen poetry.

This uses Walter de la Mare’s simple poem, “Alone” and encourages an analytical response through questioning, leading to a question that could prompt a more extended response. Useful for homework, cover or for revision prior to a GCSE English Literature exam.

This is a short and simple powerpoint taking as its starting point Oberon’s speech to Puck about seeing a mermaid on a dolphin’s back. Reading skills are developed through drawing inferences from images (both in the public domain). There is then a slide which focuses on the “rude sea” and using present particples and adverbs in a short piece of descriptive writing.

I created this for a year 11 class. The intention is that they use it alongside their knowledge organiser or anthology to support quick revision of the poetry. There are two questions for each poem so it should be straightforward for students to identify their own gaps for further revision.

On this powerpoint, slides 3 and 4 are the same for ease of printing off (2 slides per page) so that students have a copy of the poem to annotate and a copy of the question that they will be tackling once they have worked through the tasks and questions. The exam style question is: How does the poet express the speaker’s thoughts and feelings about the landscape? Prior to attempting the question, students are invited to consider the use of: semantic field, sibilance, enjambment, pace and structure. Planned for a year 11 class as a revision/practice activity. Would also suit a capable KS3 group.

This activity uses a prose retelling from “Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare” by E. Nesbit (public domain). The extract focuses on Oberon and Titania’s quarrel. There are 8 questions/activities (answer and guidance provided) testing both reading and writing skills. Created as a cover activity for a year 7 class but would also be suitable for KS2.

This multiple choice quiz uses Titania’s short speech to her fairies and there are 11 questions (answers provided). This could be used for flipped learning to test understanding to identify gaps so that subsequent teaching can be more precisely focused. Alternatively, it could be used in class or as homework. The questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity.

This is a simple and straightforward powerpoint designed to polish the reading skills necessary for English Language Paper 1. The ppt was planned for a less able class (targets 3) so there is scope to edit the powerpoint if you would like a closer focus on question 2 (language) or question 3 (structure) or if you would like to add an evaluation question. The final slide is a suggested writing activity to harness the ideas that will hopefully have come from the reading.

This quiz was created as a revision resource for less confident readers in year 11. However, it could also be used at KS3 or with a GCSE resit class. The quiz could be used for homework or independent revision. Alternatively, the questions could form the basis for a guided reading session or the quiz could be used in a flipped learning context to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding so that subsequent teaching can be more precisely focused. Answers are provided.

This lesson was planned for a mixed-ability year 7 class and explores Titania’s description of the chaotic weather that has resulted from the fairies’ argument.

This lesson uses Jack London’s brilliant story “Moon Face” which would sit really well alongside Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart”. Planned for a year 9 class as part of a unit on short stories but has potential to be used elsewhere at KS3. The aim of the lesson is to use inference to explore the idea of an unreliable narrator. The lesson takes the students through discussion of the effect of a simile, of personification and begins to explore the idea of the narrator’s hypocrisy. After a short time in paired discussion, students are then asked to respond to this question - In ‘Moon Face’, what do we understand about London’s unreliable narrator?