‘Coach Yourself Study Skills’ is a 50-page PDF workbook for students at GCSE, A-level and in Higher Education.
This resource uses a coaching approach to support students to identify and develop the study strategies that are going to be most useful to them. The focus is not on a prescriptive approach (do this, not that) but on supporting students to uncover their personal strengths, skills, limiting beliefs and barriers to effective studying. The booklet comprises many activities, including reflections on previous experiences, action planning, and challenging unhelpful beliefs. There is also practical advice and suggested strategies for each of the various study skills.
The booklet is suitable for students studying any subject at GCSE level and beyond. It is also designed to be fully inclusive of neurodivergent students with an awareness that not every strategy will work for every student.
The sections include:
Introduction
Understand your ‘why’ (finding your motivation and enthusiasm for studying)
Understand yourself (uncover your strengths, skills and achievements and discover how these can be used to your advantage when studying)
Time management, focus and organisation
Note-taking and reading
Written assignments
Presentations
Revision and exams
More about this resource:
Students can work through it independently
Useful for study skills sessions, exam preparation, and at the beginning of a course of study
Suitable for students at GCSE level, A-level and in Further and Higher Education across all subject areas
Designed to take into account individual needs, neurodiversity and different learning styles
Encourages self-awareness and reflection
Supports students to find their own solutions, reflecting and adapting as they progress
This is a detailed powerpoint presentation for a staff CPD session - suitable for primary, secondary and FE. Audience: teachers, teaching assistants, support staff, leaders.
Discusses what is meant by social, emotional and mental health, explores risk and resilience factors. Activity on how to identify pupils with difficulties. Links with SEN and particular difficulties for this group. Facts and figures included on why this is a current issue. Discusses what schools can do to support this group and improve wellbeing. Video links included. Links to useful organisations and websites.
This is a SENCO survival kit to help to implement a whole school approach to SEN.
Included is:
A staff SEND audit (along with descriptions) for you to audit your staff training needs and confidence in working with students with SEND.
A quality first teaching SEND for you to use on learning walks / observations to identify good practice and areas for development.
Two booklets for staff - one on supporting students with dyslexia / literacy difficulties, and one on supporting students with speech, language and communication needs. Focus is on quality first teaching in the mainstream classroom.
A powerpoint about dyslexia to deliver to staff.
A powerpoint about SLCN to deliver to staff.
Suitable for primary, secondary and FE.
The author is a senior advisory teacher, trainer and writer in the field of SLCN.
This is the Teaching Assistant’s Survival Kit - a bumper bundle of resources and information useful for all teaching assistants, new and experienced, primary and secondary.
This kit contains 21 different resources. Begin by reading the powerpoint ‘Teaching Assistant’s Survival Kit Overview and Instructions’ which outlines how to use each resource.
Kit contains:
Overview and Instructions Powerpoint.
Task Management Boards
Storyboards.
Various Essay Planning Templates.
Pupil Writing Checklist.
Maths Mat or useful Maths facts.
Ten Games to practise topic-specific and general vocabulary.
Narrative bookmarks to aid reading comprehension.
Times Tables fortune tellers - an activity pupils of all ages love.
Working in a group powerpoint, discussion and poster - useful when delivering interventions or doing any group work.
Plenary Dice - prompts to lead discussions about learning.
Phonics / Visual letter recognition games - snap and pelmanism.
Information booklet about how to support pre-reading skills.
Information booklet about supporting reading skills.
Information booklet about supporting spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Learning Self-Audit Profile to support students’ independence.
Blank wordsearch grid.
Information Sheet and activity for students about revision and examination technique.
Oral Presentations planning sheets and self-evaulations for students.
Goal Setting Template to support students to work towards goals.
This is a presentation which introduces various tenses: the present tense, past tense, present progressive, past progressive, present perfect and past perfect. All are introduced with examples and activities which can be used within a whole class, small groups or as partner work.
There is enough here to cover three lessons:
Lesson one: Introduce the present tense and past tense. Do side one of the worksheet.
Lesson two: The present progressive and the past progressive. Links with side two of the worksheet.
Lesson three: The present perfect and the past perfect. Links with side three of the worksheet.
An answer sheet is also included.
Alternatively, this pack can be used as a revision lesson for classes who are revising for the SATS. The worksheets could be given as a homework task.
Suitable to leave as a cover lesson as the powerpoint is self-explanatory and all answers provided for a non-specialist teacher.
Suitable for: Key Stage 2 (links to SPAG content). Also very relevant as a revision task for Key Stage 3 / 4 and suitable for EAL learners.
Presentation to be used for a staff CPD session. Brief introduction as to what is meant by dyslexia followed by twenty easy-to-implement classroom strategies, which will require little or no additional planning. Suitable for teachers and teaching assistants at KS2, 3, 4 and 5. Focus is on quality first teaching strategies and enabling dyslexic students to access the curriculum.
Suitable for a whole school or department refresher or initial training session on dyslexia and aimed at those who have little / no prior experience of the topic.
Writing by a senior advisory teacher, trainer and author in the field of special educational needs.
Enough SEN CPD to last all year!
A presentation on supporting dyslexic students in the mainstream classroom - with a booklet for staff containing the same information.
A presentation on supporting students with speech, language and communication needs - again with booklet for staff containing the information.
A presentation on supporting students with social, emotional and mental health needs.
A presentation on social communication skills - along with two activities.
Suitable for primary, secondary and FE. Teachers, school leaders and teaching assistants.
The author is a senior advisory teacher, writer and trainer in the field of SEN.
Presentation for use in staff CPD sessions which includes a brief introduction to dyslexia and twenty easy-to-implement classroom strategies (quality first teaching) to enable dyslexic students to access the curriculum.
Also included a PDF booklet with the same strategies which can be given out to staff as handouts.
Suitable for teachers and teaching assistants at KS2,3, 4 and 5. Great as a whole-school or departmental refresher session on dyslexia.
The author is a senior advisory teacher, trainer and writer in the field of special educational needs.
Many children and young people have difficulties with social communication for various reasons.
This is a staff CPD session which includes a presentation and corresponding activities. Looks at what we mean by social communication, which pupils have needs in these areas, how to identify needs and what can be done in the classroom. Final part of the powerpoint discusses interventions in this area and things to take into consideration. Links to further resources.
Suitable for EY, Primary, Secondary and FE. Mainstream staff - teachers, teaching assistants and leaders.
The author is a senior advisory teacher for speech, language and communication needs.
This is a presentation for use in staff CPD sessions. There is a detailed introduction to what we mean by speech, language and communication needs, why this topic is important and how it affects students. Different area of SLCN are then highlighted including how to identify students in these areas and easy-to-implement classroom strategies to support these students as part of quality first teaching.
Suitable for teachers and teaching assistants at KS1, 2, 3 and 4. Great as a whole-school initial training session or refresher session.
The author is a senior advisory teacher, trainer and writer in the field of speech, language and communication needs.
This is the Supply Teacher's Survival Kit - everything you need for supply work in both primary and secondary schools. Nineteen resources which can be used in all subjects and age groups! A great time saver and ensures you are prepared in those classrooms that lack resources or when no work has been left.
Begin with the 'Instructions and Overview' powerpoint which explains all of the resources and how to use them.
The Survival Kit includes:
Instructions / overview of how to use each resource.
Task management boards.
Maths Mats.
Times table fortune tellers.
Plenary dice.
Code Wheels.
Ten Vocabulary Games.
Blank Wordsearch Grid.
Ten Teaching Activities.
Group work presentation and poster.
Plenary Question Cards.
Peer feedback templates
Oral presentation feedback templates.
German Who wants to be a millionare? Quiz for covering MFL lessons.
French powerpoint and quiz for covering MFL lessons.
Writing checklist.
Essay planning sheet.
Storyboard templates.
Teaching for neurodiversity information and checklist.
This is a detailed 16-page booklet aimed at parents on how to support their child with essential pre-reading skills. Sections include: spoken language, phonological awareness, attention skills, memory skills, sequencing, motor skills and instilling a joy of reading. Lots of lots of practical and easy-to-implement activities for everyday. Aimed at parents of children in pre-school, nursery, reception and key stage 1 (although much is also relevant to KS2). Get parents on board and use them to support pupils to develop skills essential for reading and writing.
The author:
I am a senior advisory teacher for SEN.
This resource contains 50 different games and activities which can be used to develop speech, language and communication skills in the classroom. This resource helps to develop speech, language and communication skills in all pupils, as well as those with identified needs. Many of the activities also have a strong link with literacy - supporting pupils to develop reading, writing and spelling skills.
This is a collection of games and activities to be used in mainstream classrooms. The activities can also all be adapted for use in small group interventions or for one-to-one work. They require minimal planning and preparation. They are designed to develop speech, language and communication skills in all pupils and to complement everyday teaching. They can be used in any order and staff should pick those most relevant to the pupils they are working with. The games and activities can all be adapted for KS1, 2, 3 and 4.
Activities 1 – 13 develop listening skills such as identifying syllables and initial sounds, identifying boundaries between words, identifying rhyme and listening for specific words and information.
Activities 14 – 30 develop vocabulary knowledge, both general and topic-specific.
Activities 31 – 36 focus on developing receptive language skills – understanding what has been said / written.
Activities 37 – 42 develop expressive language skills – the ability to use language clearly and coherently, including how to structure a narrative.
Activities 43 – 50 focus on social communication skills such as conversational skills, dealing with difficulties, emotional and social understanding.
This is suitable for any mainstream classroom, anybody with a responsibility for SLCN / SEN and for a whole-school approach to developing language and communication skills. For a whole-school approach, try introducing one activity per week and encouraging all staff to use and reflect on it.
This is a practical guide to improve wellbeing in pupils. It comprises over 60 pages of activities suitable for use with ages 7 - 18. All activities are based on findings of the positive psychology (the ‘scientific study of happiness’). There are activities for use in whole class settings, in small group interventions and when working one-to-one with students. Activites are all fully inclusive of pupils with special educational needs. There is also a guide to adult communication and advice for how to promote wellbeing in everyday classroom contexts.
Topics that the activities cover include: recognising and using character strengths; improving happiness; developing hope and optimism; enjoyment and savouring; gratitude; improving resilience; developing a growth mindset; wellbeing; meaning and purpose.
This guide can be used to develop a whole-school approach to wellbeing or as a basis for small group interventions. It can also be dipped in to and activities incorporated into everyday teaching. This is an ideal resource for anybody looking for practical ways to improve wellbeing levels in students.
Six detailed factsheets for parents with lots of easy games, activities and ideas to help them support their child.
1. How to support handwriting.
2. Ideas for supporting spelling, punctuation and grammar.
3. How to support writing composition - planning, structuring, writing and proofreading.
4. How to develop pre-reading skills.
5. Helping your child with phonics.
6. Supporting your child with reading fluency, accuracy, pace and comprehension.
Three factsheets for parents with lots of easy games, activities and ideas to help them support their child.
First is how to support pre-reading skills.
Second is ideas for supporting phonics.
Third is how to support reading - accuracy, pace, fluency and comprehension.
Three factsheets for parents with lots of easy games, activities and ideas to help them support their child.
First is how to support handwriting.
Second is ideas for supporting spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Third is how to support writing composition - planning, structuring, writing and proofreading.
A booklet for parents containing many activities to use at home with children to develop maths skills relating to number, time, money and shape.
Suitable for parents of Early Years and Primary pupils.
Resources for developing a whole-school approach to speech, language and communication needs.
A powerpoint for staff CPD about: what are speech, language and communication needs, what difficulties may children face, how to identify these needs, universal strategies for the classroom.
Handouts for staff including the information from the powerpoint presentation.
A booklet to send home to parents including easy to implement strategies to support their child's language and communication.
The author is a senior advisory teacher for speech, language and communication needs.
This is a seven-page guide for parents of primary school pupils with many quick and easy strategies they can use to help to develop their child's language and communication skills.
Great for SENCOs and class teachers to distribute to parents.
The author is a senior advisory teacher for speech, language and communication needs.