This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills when reading non-fiction texts. This particular session focuses on their reading of an original information sheet (included) about saltwater crocodiles. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 2-4, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension of the opening chapter of Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile. It contains a link to the online text (on the first slide) and this is also provided as a PDF. This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 2-3, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension of the opening chapters of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. It contains a link to the online chapter (on the first slide). This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 3-5, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension of the opening chapter of Malorie Blackman’s ‘A Dangerous Game.’ It contains a link to the online chapter (on the first slide) and a PDF version if needed. This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 2-4, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension of the opening chapter of Roald Dahl’s ‘The BFG.’ It contains a link to the online chapter (on the first slide - also provided as PDF). This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 3-5, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This fun and informative helps students to gain a deeper understanding of the main character in Roald Dahl’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox:’ Mr Fox himself! Students use their skills of inference and deduction in order to establish key information about Mr Fox’s character, likes, dislikes, and mannerisms. They then create a character profile using the information that they have gathered! The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Considering how Roald Dahl was influenced by real-life foxes in his characterisation; - Reading and understanding extracts from the opening of Fantastic Mr Fox, in which Mr Fox's character traits are revealed; - Inferring and deducing key features about Mr Fox from across the text; - Creating a character profile for Mr Fox, utilising knowledge that they have gathered from over the course of the lesson; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Text Detectives Worksheet (and answer sheet); - Selected extracts - Fantastic Mr Fox; - Character Profile Template (Word and PDF); - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 3 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 1 and 8 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for year 1/2 children when writing recounts. The organiser is also perfect for teachers, parents and English subject leaders - aiding their planning and supporting of children’s knowledge development for this writing text type. The organiser has a particular focus on the content, language and structural features required to write effective mystery stories at KS1. It contains distinct sections covering: -Recounts Overview; -Content: Settings, Characters, and Plot; -Language: Descriptive Devices, Dialogue, Conjunctions, Punctuation Checklist and Word Mat; -Structure - Titles, Planning Techniques and other tips; -Key Vocabulary The content is fully aligned with the age-related expectations for KS1 children in writing. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to).

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for Year 5/6 children when writing traditional tales. The organiser is also perfect for teachers, parents and English subject leaders - aiding their planning and supporting of children’s knowledge development for this writing text type. The organiser has a particular focus on the content, language and structural features required to write effective traditional tales at upper KS2. It contains distinct sections covering: -An Overview of Traditional Tales; -Content: Myths, Legends, Fairy Tales and Fables; -Language: Descriptive Devices, Sentence Openers, Dialogue, Conjunctions, Punctuation Checklist and Word Mat; -Structure - Titles, Structure Mountains and other tips; -Key Vocabulary The content is fully aligned with the age-related expectations for upper KS2 children in writing. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening chapter of Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Born to Run.’ The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in Years 3 to 5, but it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. The session is also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening chapter of Cressida Cowell’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’ The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 3-5, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. The session is suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of a non-fiction text about Stone Age Britain. The resource pack includes the full text and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in lower KS2, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly older or younger year groups. This resource is suitable for home/ remote learning. These resources are also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of a non-fiction text about Ancient Egypt. The resource pack includes the full text and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The text is originally sourced from an age-appropriate version of Britannica, and includes details on Ancient Egyptian history, geography, housing, clothing, religion, and a number of other important information categories. The session is best suited for children in lower KS2, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly older or younger year groups. This resource is suitable for home/ remote learning. These resources are also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Siegfried Sassoon’s World War 1 poem ‘They.’ Teachers have found the activities particularly useful throughout teaching, or for exam revision or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the key English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. It is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen.’ Teachers have found the activities particularly useful throughout teaching, or for exam revision or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the key English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. It is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make insightful and developed interpretations of Dickens’ use of language in describing ‘The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come’ in A Christmas Carol. In particular, they explore how the descriptive language used to describe the appearance, mannerisms, and movements aid the haunting portrayal of the ghost. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: - Reading and understanding the key plot elements of stave 4 - in which The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears; - Identifying and exemplifying the key language features used by Dickens in describing the ghost, including its appearance, actions, and mannerisms; - Analysing the extent to which the language used creates a haunting and imposing image of the ghost; - Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Extract - Stave 4 of A Christmas Carol; - Dickens' Language: The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Worksheet (and completed answer sheet for teachers); - Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses; - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to mixed ability year 10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This stimulating and thought-provoking lesson enables students to create playscript texts containing varied and imaginative dramatic language and devices, using techniques appropriately to engage audiences. In particular, students learn how key features such as dramatic irony, dramatic tension, pauses, hesitations, and stage directions can aid the creation of original and engaging playscripts. The lesson follows a clear, logical, bite-size learning journey, which guides students towards differentiated learning objectives. Over the course of this journey, they become able to: - Define and exemplify the key language devices of playscripts; - Identify the key features within an extract of an existing playscript, commenting upon effect; - Gaining an in-depth understanding of the application of some of the more complicated language features; - Completing short, fun, application tasks to check their understanding; - Write their own playscripts, with accurate language and devices; - Self/Peer assess their playscript attempts. This resource pack includes: - A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - An engaging and appropriate playscript extract to learn from; - Cards for the card-sorting task; - An analysis worksheet; - A detailed lesson plan, complete with what the teacher and students should aim to achieve at each stage of the lesson. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the PowerPoint.

This engaging and informative lesson helps students to demonstrate a clear understanding of the setting in ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ - The Secret Annex. Students explore the language used by Anne Frank in her description, explore the annex for themselves on a virtual tour, and then write imaginative and original descriptions based on what they have seen and read. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Empathising with the Frank family's situation by discussing the idea of displacement; - Reading and understanding extracts from the opening section of Anne Frank's Diary, in which Anne describes the annex; - Information gathering on each of the rooms in the annex through observing a virtual tour; - Linking information and using imaginative thoughts to produce detailed, original, and imaginative descriptions of rooms in the annex; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Information Gathering Template; - Selected extracts - The Diary of Anne Frank; - Link to a virtual tour video (you will need internet access to view); - Writing to Describe Helpsheet; - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 8 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 5 and 9 with minimal adaptations. Please note that internet access/ use of research mechanisms is required for the introduction task. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to understand how the main character –Auggie – is introduced and developed in R.J. Palacio’s ‘Wonder.’ In particular, students consider Auggie’s character traits in the opening section of the text, and how these alter as the novel progresses. They also consider R.J. Palacio’s intentions in her characterisation of Auggie. There is easily enough content for at least 2 lessons here, following a step-by-step learning journey. Children learn through: -Playing an interactive group quiz in order secure a base-level understanding of Auggie; -Comprehending further details about how Auggie is introduced to the reader, through close re-reading and understanding of identified extracts in Wonder; -Trackign Auggie’s personal development throughout the novel, whilst also considering J.P Palacio’s intentions in her characterisation; -Creating their own additional chapter, describing the next stage of Auggie’s life, using information about his character gained over the lesson; -Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Character tracking template; Writing to describe helpsheet; Comprehensive lesson plan. Due to the nature of the lesson, it works best when it is utilised post-reading of the text. All resources are provided in Word (for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure formatting remains fixed between different computers). Word documents are in the zip file. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a year 6 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 5 and 8 with only minor adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

In this engaging and informative lesson enables students to make clear and insightful links between Arthur Conan Doyle’s 'The Sign of Four' and its historical context of 19th Century London. In particular, students learn about the Jack the Ripper murders and subsequent attitudes towards the police, before considering how these ideas are reflected through Athelney Jones in the novel. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: - Researching the context of 19th Century London, such as the Jack the Ripper murders and attitudes towards the police; - Reading and understanding chapters 5 and 6, in which Athelney Jones makes his appearance; - Identifying and analysing the language techniques used by Doyle in describing Athelney Jones; - Analysing Doyle's intentions in presenting Athelney Jones in such a manner; - Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole Lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Paper Copies of Chapters 5 and 6; - Athelney Jones links to context worksheet; - Researching Context worksheet - Essay Template; - Detailed Lesson Plan There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. These resources were originally taught to GCSE students, but with subtle adaptations they have also been used with both younger and older (up to A Level) students. Please note that you'll need access to internet/laptops for the researching activity. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

In this engaging and informative lesson enables students to make clear and insightful links between Arthur Conan Doyle’s 'The Sign of Four' and its historical context of 19th Century London. In particular, students learn about the Jack the Ripper murders and subsequent attitudes towards the police, before considering how these ideas are reflected through Athelney Jones in the novel. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: - Researching the context of 19th Century London, such as the Jack the Ripper murders and attitudes towards the police; - Reading and understanding chapters 5 and 6, in which Athelney Jones makes his appearance; - Identifying and analysing the language techniques used by Doyle in describing Athelney Jones; - Analysing Doyle's intentions in presenting Athelney Jones in such a manner; - Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole Lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Paper Copies of Chapters 5 and 6; - Athelney Jones links to context worksheet; - Researching Context worksheet - Essay Template; - Detailed Lesson Plan There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. These resources were originally taught to GCSE students, but with subtle adaptations they have also been used with both younger and older (up to A Level) students. Please note that you'll need access to internet/laptops for the researching activity. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.