Inspired by this blog post: http://www.learningspy.co.uk/english-gcse/how-to-improve-writing/ 96 mixable, random grammatical instructions on individual cue cards. Mix them up and share between learners individually or in pairs for collaborative writing exercises. Includes instructions such as: This sentence will… start with simile; This sentence will... end with an adverb of manner; This sentence will… challenge the reader’s beliefs. etc. Ready to slice with a guillotine. NOW WITH TYPOS FIXED!!

Another selection of THUNK questions with engaging images to kick start creativity in thought and communication between learners.

A concise (and hopefully info-rich!) A4 sheet self-assessment activity for formative and ipsative feedback on key reading/writing skills required for GCSE English and English Language. Learners/tutors identify areas of development, allowing the learner to compose specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound written targets for their own development or reference for key levels of success. I use this time and time again for differentiation, so hopefully somebody else will find it useful.

PPT Lexical/semantic starter activity - 21 different idiomatic phrases for learners to guess. Timed activity (with the Catchphrase theme?)

28 slide .ppt quiz asking learners to guess which character is represented in lyrics from popular Hip Hop performer, Jay-Z. Includes a bonus round of guessing whether a quote is from the book, or from a rap song.

A simple morphology starter activity involving crossword like clues and word segments.

OMAM revision board game Differentiate for rules etcetera Sample work cards included.

Lexical/anagram starter activity - 19 different words for learners to unpack and find alternative words. Timed activity (with the Countdown theme?) Words include plot elements, slang, author and dialogue.

A3 posters displaying common grammatical issues, homophones, overused words & phrases, synonyms and useful conjunctions and adverbials.

Past / Present / Future (simple+ continuous) slides using animated gifs of famous phrases from history, TV, film and music. Useful for GCSE reading and writing tasks. Could be expanded into perfect (D'y&'know any good film quotes in past perfect?)

Pre-GCSE Functional Skills English worksheet focused on the slang word 'swag&'. Level 1 reading comprehension Formal letter writing

A retro style video game designed to be played on an IWB, asking questions related to language features commonly found on the AQA English Lan Unit 1 exam. ***The file is editable, allowing any questions/subjects to be presented.*** Can be played on with pen or mouse. Display as normal Powerpoint show - learners need to guess correctly to progress.

Fun bingo variation in which students have to listen for slang, dialect and loan words in English to complete their bingo cards. Each lexical item has a definition/etymology (where possible) to prompt discussion on the histories of lexis and how semantics change over time. I use this as a starter for my Spoken Language Study C.A. as a light-hearted means to synthesise knowledge about slang and idiolect: 'Did you know where that word comes from?' Alternative bingo picker: http://www.mauvecloud.net/randomchooser.html

Classic matching pairs game with slang and idiomatic phrases with standard English answers.

A2 poster using simplified Bloom's Taxonomy to separate aspects of creative and analytical writing feedback. Editable.

Spelling words randomly selected from two banks of words: commonly misspelt words and richer vocabulary. Press delete to generate a new word.

Spice up your lesson overviews with 30+ Powerpoint slides and templates with funky, eye-catching designs. Add your own text and edit existing lesson objectives. Film, TV, Sci-Fi and different design themes.

Creative writing prompt in the style of the popular smartphone app. Four random images with specific vocab/grammar instruction to have learners think creatively about sentences and catching the reader's attention.

Quick-fire vocabulary starter.