A fifteen-lesson writing unit, leading students towards writing their own information text about two rainforest creatures. This unit of writing is ideal for students who have already studied the rainforest or to be taught alongside a rainforest topic (try ours here!). Students spend time at the start of the unit reading sample information texts to understand their purpose and structure. They then research two rainforest creatures to write their own texts about, they can use the rainforest fact files provided and we strongly advise also using textbooks or the internet to support their research. The first ten lessons explore the text type and sentence level work. The final five lessons allow time to write the information text. The unit uses three differentiated example text types about giant anteaters and red-eyed tree frogs to support students’ understanding. Where appropriate, each lesson is differentiated and carefully planned to suit different students’ needs. Answers (or example answers) are provided, where appropriate. Lesson order: • Hook lesson: read through the sample information texts with parts missing, students can try to work out what the texts are about and gain an understanding of the purpose of information texts. • Identify key features, students use the sample texts to understand and identify the key features in information texts. • Sorting information, students begin researching their rainforest creatures using the rainforest fact files provided and class books/the internet. Students complete a mind map to sort the information they find. • Answering questions in more detail, students use a chatterbox to answer questions about their creatures in more detail. • Using present tense, students will learn how information texts use present tense and practise writing in the present tense. • Using third person pronouns, students will learn how information texts use third person pronouns and practise using them to avoid repeating nouns. • Comparing and contrasting the two rainforest creatures using conjunctions and adverbials. • Writing a glossary for the information texts. • Exploring how rhetorical questions are used in information texts and practise writing them, • Introducing headings and sub-headings, students will use these to plan their information texts in preparation for writing. • Writing the introduction, looking at examples and creating a shared write as a class. • Writing the second and third paragraphs, more detail about the rainforest creatures. • Writing the conclusion. • Students can practise editing using our ‘information text to edit’ before editing their own work. • Publishing texts. Looking for more? Try our newspaper writing units, available for Years 3&4 and Years 5&6. Or our Year 3&4 explanation text.

Semi-colon activity sheets with three levels of differentiation that have a range of activities allowing children to use semi-colons correctly, inset them in the correct place and mark sentences that have tried to use them. Answers included. Semi-colon talk cards, a range of questions including questions about how semi-colons can be used and identifying where they can be used in a sentence. Perfect for use in pairs or small groups to consolidate what children know about using semi-colons. Semi-colon passages. Short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify where the semi-colons need to go. Ideal as a short activity or as part of a grammar session. Answers included. National Curriculum Year 6 statutory content to be introduced – Use of the semi-colon, colon and dash to mark the boundary between independent clauses [for example, It’s raining; I’m fed up]. Use of the colon to introduce a list and use of semi-colons within lists. Years 5 and 6 – Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses. Differentiation Separating detailed items in a list and using semi-colons to replace conjunctions. Separating detailed items in a list, using semi-colons to replace conjunctions and to separate related clauses. Separating detailed items in a list, using semi-colons to replace conjunctions and to separate related clauses in multi-clause sentences.

Ideal for introducing prepositions in Year 3 or consolidation in Year 4. Activity sheets with three levels of differentiation including a range of activities to help children identify prepositions that show the position of a noun in a sentence. Answers included. Preposition passages, short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify the prepositions used to show the position of nouns. Ideal as a short activity or a grammar session. Answers included. Preposition matching cards – match the picture to the preposition. Ideal for small group or paired work. Preposition display cards. National Curriculum Links -Statutory content to be introduced in Year 3: -Expressing place using prepositions. Differentiation Behind, on, outside, underneath, above, beside. Behind, on, outside, underneath, above, beside, inside, alongside, upon, below. Behind, on, outside, underneath, above, beside, inside, alongside, upon, below, by, between, near, among, around.

A bundle of activities to help you teach how to use hyphens for clarity and to avoid ambiguity in Upper Key Stage Two. Hyphens activity sheets with three levels of differentiation, includes a range of activities for children to identify words that can be joined with hyphens, how they can be used and how they can change the meaning of a sentence. Hyphen matching cards. A range of words that can be linked together using hyphens, this is a fun matching game that can be used to help children make hyphenated words and go on to use them in sentences for clarity. National Curriculum Year 6 statutory content to be introduced – how hyphens can be used to avoid ambiguity. Years 5 and 6 – Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using hyphens to avoid ambiguity. Differentiation Using hyphens to link two words, explaining how a hyphen makes the meaning of the sentence more clear. Using hyphens to link two words, explaining how hyphens can change the meaning of a sentence and adding hyphens in the correct place. Using hyphens to link three words e.g. mother-in-law and explaining the difference in meaning between words with and without hyphens e.g. re-cover and recover.

A bundle of 34 resources aimed at Year 3 or suitable in Y4 for consolidation. 34 short grammar activities that can be used in grammar sessions, plenaries or interventions. Can be used independently or as part of paired or group work. Answers included Resources for: Punctuation Inverted commas Possessive apostrophes Subordinating and coordinating conjunctions Subordinate clauses Verbs, nouns and adjectives Statements, questions or commands. Activities include identifying grammar within sentences/paragraphs, explaining how it has been used, marking and correcting sentences/paragraphs and improving sentences/paragraphs.

Writing Bites! Ten writing prompt sheets, perfect for: morning tasks, English lesson starters or even as a stimulus for a piece of writing. Each sheet has a different image and eight prompts for writing including: vocabulary, writing an alliterative sentence, generating questions and more. PDF document of ten ‘writing bites’ and a PPT with writing bites explained, as well as an example writing bite.

A bundle of 10 fun Chirstmas activities suitable across Key Stage Two. Select individual activities or create your own Christmas activity booklet. Plan a Christmas party with a budget. Mindfulness colouring. Christmas elf and bauble colouring and craft. Spell check a Christmas letter (activities for Years 3&4 and Years 5&6). Addition and subtraction Christmas trees. Christmas story writing. Snowflake symmetry. Sorting the 12 days of Christmas. Rearranging instructions for a Christmas recipe. Sort and identify Merry Christmas in different languages on map of the world. These activities are also available as part of our Advent Calendar, along with many more Christmas themed activities.

Eleven weeks of morning task activities, four activities per week. These morning activities are perfect for the start of the day, after break or lunch. We know how these times of the school day can be tricky and there’s a lot going on, each day’s activity focuses on one objective with a challenge for any students who need it. They are designed to review curriculum knowledge that students have already learnt about, so are a perfect way to warm up for the day. These activities are prepared for the second term of Year 4 but can be used whenever, keep an eye out for morning tasks for the rest of the year or buy our Autumn and Spring Bundle here. Objectives and activities include: Multiplication and division facts Multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100 Multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers by 1 digit Perimeter Recognising fractions and their equivalents Writing decimals Sequences and patterns Adjectives, nouns, verbs and adverbs Spelling Following instructions to create an image Speech Writing stories and letters Reading comprehensions Try the first week of Autumn morning activities for free here.

Ideal for use in Year 4 when fronted adverbials are first introduced or for consolidation in later years. Fronted adverbials activity sheet with 3 levels of differentiation including a range of activities to allow children to identify and use a range of fronted adverbials. Answers included. Fronted adverbials passages, short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify the fronted adverbials. Ideal as a short activity or a grammar session. Answers included. ‘Punctuating fronted adverbials with a comma’ activity sheet. A range of activities to encourage and remind children how to punctuate fronted adverbials with a comma. Answers included. ‘Punctuating fronted adverbials with a comma’ passage, a paragraph where children need to add the commas to the fronted adverbials they find. Answers included. ‘Fronted adverbials’ story. A short story about Ursula the Unicorn that children need to improve by adding fronted adverbials. National Curriculum Links – Years 3 and 4 Terminology to be introduced in Year 4: fronted adverbial. Years 3 and 4: Pupils should be taught to develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by using fronted adverbials. Differentiation Fronted adverbials to show time and ‘ly’ adverbials to show how. Above + fronted adverbials to show time, place and how. Above + fronted adverbials to show how often and possibility.

Ideal for use in Year 3 when using ‘a’ or ‘an’ is introduced or consolidation in later years. PPT with the rules for adding ‘a’ and ‘an’ including the common exceptions to the rule and a quickfire **quiz**. Activity sheets with three levels of differentiation to allow children to identify when ‘a’ or ‘an’ needs to be used across a variety of words. National Curriculum Links Use of the forms a or an according to whether the next word begins with a consonant or a vowel Differentiation Using ‘a’ and ‘an’ before a range of words, no exceptions to the rule. Using ‘a’ and ‘an’ before a range of more increasingly difficult words, no exceptions to the rule. Applying their knowledge to sentences. Using ‘a’ and ‘an’ before a range of words including exceptions to the rule. Applying their knowledge to sentences and paragraphs.