These four texts are retellings in modern English of traditional Chinese folk tales. One - the story of the Nian - is specifically about the origins of Chinese New Year traditions. The other three could be used at any time of the year. These have several common themes (money, religion, magic, kindness, and more which could be suggested by pupils themselves), and would make a good starting point for textual comparison or cross-curricular work (eg RE, citizenship). The texts all come with a set of 10 questions which could be used for discussion in assembly, or for formal written comprehension in the classroom. The folk tale format makes the texts accessible to a wide age range, including KS1, whereas the themes broached in many of the questions make them more suitable for able KS2 or KS3 classes.

These three tests each comprise a pupil sheet with a list of the target homophone pairs/groups, and a teacher sheet with 10 sentences each containing one of the homophones. The sentences are read out one by one and the pupils have to circle the correct spelling on their sheets. Great for diagnostic testing or for a quick revision activity.

This resource comprises 2 worksheets of 10 questions each. Each question consists of a sentence containing a pair of homophones which pupils have to fit in the correct place. There are 20 different pairs altogether. Good for revision and/or diagnostic testing in KS2 and 3 classes.

The language level of this resource makes it suitable for able KS2 classes and KS3. It comprises an interactive presentation based on a specially written text themed on New Year resolutions. The text and presentation target the following SPaG areas: SPELLING -whose/who’s, loose/lose, choose/chose silent g (gnome, consign, diaphragm ) PUNCTUATION capital letters for festivals and religions ellipsis commas brackets GRAMMAR simple, compound and complex sentences elision of '‘that’ and ‘whom’ in some complex sentences Two slides cover how structure can be manipulated to improve writing. There is an example of how the first paragraph of my New Year text moved from simple to compound and then complex sentences, and finally to ‘hidden’ complex sentences. Plenty of written follow-up work is provided: SPELLING CROSSWORD (silent g) PUNCTUATION WORKSHEET (the unit text (stripped of commas and capital letters) DICTATION : this is a supported activity, where pupils fill the gaps in the text. More able pupils should be expected to write the whole text without the help of the worksheet. TEST (worth 30 marks. The final question is a writing assignment.) The pack would be good to use over a whole week , using the spelling, punctuation and grammar sections over consecutive days (possibly as lesson starters), with the dictation on the fourth lesson, and the test taking up the whole of the final session. If you find this works for you, look in my shop, where you will find several others text-based SPaG resources.

The text is the scene where the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to view the episode when his fiancee, Belle, tells him the relationship has to end. The comprehension exercise is accompanied by a mark scheme.

The resource consists of a copy of the text and a crossword with text-based clues.

Each of the five worksheets in this pack targets a specific problem children (and many adults) have in the use of spoken and written English. At the top of each worksheet, there is a brief explanation of the rules, and then there are 10 fill the gap sentences where pupils have to insert the correct word of a pair or a limited selection. Answer sheets are provided.

Five worksheets targeting words that children often spell or use incorrectly. Some (there,their, they’re) are homophones . Others (who,whom) are used incorrectly because of grammatical difficulties. Good for KS2 and KS3.

This a a lively look at three versions of the origins of panettone. The comprehension exercise is accompanied by a detailed mark scheme. It should provide enough material for a whole lesson. It’s a great resource for English teachers looking for something that is Christmas themed, but still fits into the curriculum and provides an end of term challenge for pupils.

This is a 10 question worksheet where students have to fill the gaps in sentences with subjunctive forms of verbs after an expression of wishing.

This is a 6 slide presentation on the use of the past subjunctive to express impossible or unrealistic wishes.

This is a 12 slide presentation which would be useful to anyone who is unsure about what the subjunctive is and how to recognise it. The slides show examples of how the present and past subjunctive appear in 9 set expressions in English. Students are challenged to write sentences using five of the expressions. There is a linked worksheet available separately.

Worksheet on using the past subjunctive and recognising the difference between subjunctive and indicative mood. It’s in the National Curriculum f or KS2 English, but would be equally useful for KS3/4 and for staff training. Linked presentation on the past subjunctive is available separately.

This worksheet could be used for classes from KS2 and beyond. Even more useful, perhaps, for staff training. The subjunctive appears on the curriculum nowadays, but there are few adults who are confident in recognising or using it.

A 13-slide presentation consisting of the text of Dickinson’s poem, together with questions on language, style and context to be explored either as a whole class or set as individual or paired challenges.

This is a nine slide presentation explaining in simple terms how the past subjunctive is used in such phrases as 'If I were you …" A linked worksheet is available separately.

Resource consists of a display copy of the poem Hallowe’en by Joel Benton, together with teacher notes with ideas of how to use the text in the classroom. This is a flexible resource - enough for one lesson or a week’s unit of work, depending on how many of the suggestions are explored. More seasonal poetry resources in my shop.

A good resource for KS2 for the period from October to New Year. The non-fiction text is about the problems caused by fireworks in the period lasting from just before Hallowe’en to just after New Year. It is accompanied by a 20 mark comprehension exercise with a mark sheet. The text would make an excellent starting point for class debate, and for a writing assignment on balance argument or persuasive writing. The 15 slide PowerPoint is on capital letters and covers 14 cases when they should be used. It is accompanied by an extract from the reading text which has been stripped of all capital letters.