The second in a series of comprehension exercises from Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The text (unabridged) is the description of Scrooge in Stave 1. There are 7 questions on the text, worth 20 marks in all. Mark scheme is provided. The same text is used as a starting point for four other exercises (cloze, punctuation, reading aloud, and spelling). Suitable for Y6 and up.

An interactive 10 question multiple choice exercise. The text is the passage where Scrooge first encounters Marley's Ghost. Good for a starter or plenary for Y6 and up.

Fun whole class PowerPoint activity for primary or KS3 classes: English with a bit of maths. Great for starters or plenaries. Teacher calls out a number (eg 12) which is the sum of two digits showing on the screen. Pupils choose two numbers (eg 8 + 4) that add up to the teacher’s number and, if correct, they turn those two cards to reveal two letters. As more letters are revealed, the spelling begins: pupils make as many words as they can. They are scored according to the number of letters they contain. The teacher may decide to set a minimum word length. The maths element can be made more difficult for more able classes ( eg '12 is the product of of which two numbers? ’ - Pupils could choose 4 and 3, 6 and 2, 12 and 1). Or it can be omitted entirely, and pupils simply select numbers to turn. There are 8 games included in the PowerPoint. And some frantic music. Turn your computer sound down if it gets too much!

Teacher controlled PowerPoint for whole class Look Cover Write Check activity. Words are revealed for reading, then hidden while pupils write them on whiteboards or in books. There are 34 words in the presentation: those ending in double consonants (including ck). Exception words are also included.

There is material here for several days' work for year 6 and above on Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The starting point is a guided reading session to allow pupils to get to grips with the meaning of the texts. The pack contains annotated teacher copies of the two texts to be used for comparison . In a second file are notes for a follow-up drama session where pupils explore the contrasting characters of Scrooge and his nephew. The PowerPoint presentation is a step by step guide on how to write a comparison of contrasting characters. A follow-up pupil worksheet is provided.

4 sets of 3 worksheets (multiple choice, missing letters, crosswords and word searches) for practising the i before e rule. Exceptions to the rule (weird, caffeine, etc) are included. All words conform to the part of the rule that specifies that the vowel string is pronounced 'ee'. Suitable for KS2.

Teacher controlled PowerPoint for whole class Look Cover Write Check activity. Words are revealed for reading, then hidden while pupils write them on whiteboards or in books. There are 23 words in the presentation, including exception words (such, rich etc).

A PDF presentation and a worksheet with 10 questions, answers and explanatory notes. The focus is on identifying verbs in order to determine sentence structure. Verbs are tricky beasts: very few of them are single words, and the compound ones can be split by negatives and adverbs. Sometimes, what looks like the verb in a sentence because it seems to describe an action, is not the verb at all because it is in a non-finite form. The presentation contains questions to be worked in a whole class context, and the worksheet provides individual work, including an extension activity for more able / older students. Suitable for upper KS2 and upwards. Good also for adult work (eg CPD).

The beginning of Dickens' A Christmas Carol is set as a comprehension text suitable for upper KS2 and KS3. A mark scheme is supplied. The same text forms the basis of four more worksheets: a timed reading test, a cloze activity, spelling correction, and a missing capital letter exercise.

There is enough material here for more than one lesson on myths and legends. An interactive PowerPoint shows the difference between myth and legend. The second slide has six flags of St George, which, when clicked, reveal a Raphael painting of St George and the dragon. At the end of the show, pupils are asked to read the accompanying comprehension text, decide whether St George and the Dragon is a myth or a legend, and to write their answer. The comprehension text is marked out of 20. A mark scheme is supplied.

A thirty minute quiz activity for testing subject knowledge, encouraging discussion, and generating enthusiasm in any classroom. Hardly any teacher preparation is required. This quiz format can be used for any subject. The teacher makes a list of 20 questions on the topic pupils are working on. These can be delivered orally or typed onto the on screen blackboard. There is an optional one minute timer (with sound effects) to focus thinking. Pupils are divided into four mixed ability teams, with one pupil white board per team for writing answers. Scores for correct answers are added to the on screen display. (They can also be deducted if necessary. NOTE: You need to ensure that macros are enabled on your computer in order for the on screen blackboard to work. A security warning will appear when you load the file asking if you want to enable content.

The resource contains the texts of three poems: November and No! by Thomas Hood and an acrostic by Lewis Caroll. Pupils are asked to compare the two texts by Hood and to consider why the poet might have written two versions of what is, essentially, the same poem. They are introduced to the acrostic form and challenged to draft and redraft their own acrostic on November.

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.

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.

This resource consists of lesson plans, a PowerPoint presentation and 7 activity sheets. The material is enough for a unit on poetry lasting a week. It’s great for Hallowe’en, but is not limited to that. It is aligned to the following National Curriculum standard: "Prepare poems and plays to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to an audience; identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning; learn a wider range of poetry by heart" The focus is The Hag by Robert Herrick, and the week’s work provides an introduction to the analysis of structure, syllable count, metre and rhyme. It also features related work on glossaries and apostrophes for omission. It is linked to music and drama and provides paired and group activities through the week to support the learning of the poem by heart. The fifth session is intended to be an extended one in order to give pupils the opportunity to put together a performance of their work.

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.

This resource provides enough material for a week or more. At the end of the unit, pupils should have a good knowledge of the text, and the more able should know it by heart. It consists of a copy of the spell from the witches’ scene from Act IV of Macbeth with a glossary, a comprehension exercise with suggested mark scheme, a poetry analysis exercise, and a group activity where pupils are challenged to stage the scene. The outcome could make a worthwhile and entertaining contribution to a class or whole school assembly.

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.

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