This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Elizabeth Jennings’ 'Absence.’ They are perfect for aiding the progress of students learning poetry either in KS4 (or for higher attaining KS3 students) in preparation for poetry at GCSE, as the tasks draw on English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies - it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. The booklet 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.’ All images are licensed for commercial use.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising John Keats’ poem 'Bright Star.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Line-by-Line Analysis; Poetic Devices/ Language Devices; Themes; Form/Structure; Poems for Comparison; Links to Wider Reading. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. 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).

These resources offer an original and efficient way to approaching the spelling expectations of the 2014 National Curriculum. They contain over 30 slides of spelling rules, 5-minute stand-alone activities, and application tasks to apply spelling patterns to more extended writing opportunities. This lower KS2 (year 3-4) pack provides comprehensive and varied tasks for approaching spelling rules, such as: - The prefixes un-, mis- and dis-; - The prefixes in-, im-, il- and ir-; - The suffixes -ion and -ian; - The suffix -ssion; - The /eɪ/ sound spelt ey, ei, or eigh; - Spellings of 'borrowed' words such as ch making a /k/ sound (from Greek) and -que and -gue endings (from French); - Common homophones; - Common suffix rules; - Apostrophes for possession - both singular and plural; - The year 3/4 appendix words. All images used are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the presentation.

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of John Donne’s sonnet 'Death, Be Not Proud.’ They are perfect for aiding the progress of students learning poetry either in KS3 and KS4 in preparation for poetry/unseen poetry at GCSE, as the tasks draw on English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies - it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. The booklet 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 Robert Frost’s poem 'Fire and Ice.’ They are perfect for aiding the progress of students learning poetry either in KS3 and KS4 in preparation for poetry/unseen poetry at GCSE, as the tasks draw on English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies - it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. The booklet 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 detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising David Lucas’ 'Lost in the Toy Museum.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Story Summary; Settings and Characters; Themes; Writing Techniques; Important Vocabulary. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. 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 detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Mini’ Grey’s ‘Traction Man is Here.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Story Summary; Main Characters; Themes; Writing Techniques; Important Vocabulary. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. 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 resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in exam revision, comprehension tasks, or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the KS4 expectations within the National Curriculum framework - this makes the tasks suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and for teachers there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that students gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘Context: 1940s America’ - to aid students with ‘Drawing on knowledge of the purpose, audience and context of the writing, including its social, historical and cultural context and the literary tradition to which it belongs, to inform evaluation;’ ‘Miller’s Description’ - to aid students with ‘Analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact;’ ‘Analysing Linda’ and ‘Analysing Biff’ - to aid students with ‘Seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence;’ ‘Editing the Play’ - to aid students with ‘Making an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is around 30 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for year 3 and 4 children when writing instructions. 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 instructions at lower KS2. It contains distinct sections covering: -An Overview of Instructions; -Content: Recipes, Directions, How To Guides and Procedures; -Language:Vocabulary Choices, Imperative/ Bossy Verbs, Time Conjunctions, Prepositions, Adverbs, Conjunctions, Punctuation Checklist and Word Mat; -Structure - Titles, Bullet Points, Images and other tips; -Key Vocabulary The content is fully aligned with the age-related expectations for lower 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 lesson is designed to teach/ reteach KS2 children about the basic punctuation marks and when they should be used. I wrote it for a KS2 class who persistently forgot to punctuate their work accurately, which was undermining their progress in other areas of writing. We were learning about Ancient Greeks at the time and hence this is the theme throughout the lesson. The punctuation marks covered are: -Full stops -Exclamation marks -Question marks -Speech marks -Commas For each punctuation mark, children learn how and when they should use it and are shown an example. They are then given an opportunity to show their understanding by applying the punctuation mark in a descriptive sentence, using a picture stimulus. At the end of the session, children are given the opportunity to use all of the punctuation marks in a descriptive paragraph. A model example and a success criteria are included. I have also included a scaffolded sheet that I used for the inclusion of some of the lower-achieving learners in the class. I hope this helps. Enjoy!

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of T.H. White’s 'The Sword in the Stone.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS2 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework. Children love learning from these resources, whilst they are also of great use to teachers, as there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘An Interview with Wart’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ ‘White’s Description’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Explain meanings of words that they know and ask the meaning of new words. Link the meaning of new words to words that they already know;’ ‘Merlin’s and Uther Pendragon’s Character Profiles!’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ 'Figurative Language in ‘The Sword in the Stone’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, to create an impact on the reader.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 21 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising William Wordsworth’s relationships poem 'A Complaint.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Line-by-Line Analysis; Poetic Devices/ Language Devices; Themes; Form/Structure; Poems for Comparison; Links to Wider Reading. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. 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 lesson enables students to gain a detailed insight into how the social and historical context of post-apartheid South Africa influences J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace. In particular, students learn about how power and patriarchy, two key themes in the novel, are heavily informed by real-life features of South African society. They demonstrate strong communication skills in making clear and sustained links between the features of context and the text. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Defining ‘patriarchy’ and understanding the key features of patriarchal society; Reading and comprehending a key news article outlining the key features of ‘macho’ South African society; Linking their understanding of context to the key elements of the text; Considering how the nature of patriarchal society affects different people in society. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Guardina Newspaper Article (freely available online) Power and Patriarchy worksheet; Teacher guidance/ lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. These resources were originally taught to A Level students, but with subtle adaptations they have also been used with younger (GCSE) students. 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 make clear, detailed and well-informed interpretations of the character of Ruth in ‘Never Let Me Go.’ In particular, students develop their understanding of how the character is introduced and developed, drawing on a varied range of textual evidence from across the novel, before demonstrating their understanding of how the character through writing a letter from her viewpoint. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Reading an extract detailing Ruth’s introduction in the novel and answering comprehension questions about the initial portrayal of her character; Finding quotations in order to back up ideas about how her character is developed over the course of the novel; Understanding how Ruth reflects Ishiguro’s key meanings and ideas; Using their deep understanding of Ruth’s character to write a letter from her perspective; Peer assessing each others’ learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Quote Detectives Worksheet; Selected extract (from chapter 5); 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 year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. 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 make clear, detailed and well-informed interpretations of the theme of life and death in ‘Never Let Me Go.’ In particular, students develop their understanding of how this theme is introduced and developed, drawing on a varied range of textual evidence from across the novel, before demonstrating their understanding of how the theme is used to get across Ishiguro’s key ideas. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Reading an extract detailing the introduction to the theme of life and death in the novel, and answering comprehension questions to demonstrate understanding; Tracking and analysing the development of the theme of life and death throughout the novel, through a interesting timeline task; Understanding how the theme of life and death is used to portray Ishiguro’s key meanings and ideas; Using their deep understanding of the theme of life and death to answer an exam-style question; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Novel TImeline Template; Selected extract (from chapter 7); Essay Template 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 year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. 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 make clear, detailed and well-informed interpretations of Tommy’s characterisation in ‘Never Let Me Go.’ In particular, students develop their understanding of how his character is introduced and developed, drawing on a varied range of textual evidence from across the novel, before demonstrating their understanding of how the character reflects Ishiguro’s intentions. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Reading an extract detailing Tommy’s introduction in the novel and answering comprehension questions about the initial portrayal of his character; Reading around quotations in order to track how Tommy’s characterisation is developed over the course of the novel; Understanding how Tommy reflects Ishiguro’s key meanings and ideas; Using their deep understanding of Tommy’s character to write a diary entry from his viewpoint; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Quote Interpretation worksheet; Selected extract (from chapter 1); Diary writing succcess criteria; 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 year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This interesting and engaging lesson enables students to gain a detailed understanding of the masquerade ball scene (Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting) in William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Students learn to make sustained and detailed inferences and interpretations in relation to the language and structures utilised by Shakespeare. The lesson also guides them through a close analysis of the figurative language used by the lovers in their opening dialogue. The lesson utilises a range of tasks, that require students to be attentive and interactive learners. It follows this learning journey: - Establishing the events that lead up to the Masquerade Ball; - Reading and interpreting the prologue and Act I Scene V, interpreting and inferring the key meanings; - Understanding the complications of Romeo and Juliet’s feelings for one another; - Analysing Shakespeare’s use of language and structure throughout Romeo and Juliet’s opening dialogue; - Peer/self evaluating the learning in the lesson. Included in this resource pack are: - A well-presented, thorough, and informative, whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Resources for the reading and interpreting activity - full scene transcript with space for notes; - A template to help scaffold the main task, complete with P.E.E instructions; - A challenging and thought-provoking worksheet, and an answer sheet for the teacher. All images in this resource are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the lesson presentation.

Based on the popular game show ‘Pointless’, this resource is perfect for use as a whole lesson resource, enrichment option, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. (I’ve also added a blank template so that you can make your own games from scratch). Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, engaging visuals, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build or revisit knowledge of characters, plot, and themes in ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Round 1. The characters in Romeo and Juliet Round 2. Quotations from the play Round 3. Settings, themes, and objects Round 4. Who appears in Act 1 Scene 1? The nature of this game ensures that the resource can challenge students of all levels.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to develop a detailed understanding of the dramatic devices used by Shakespeare throughout The Tempest. In particular, students define a wide range of dramatic devices, before identifying and analysing their use in Act 3 Scene 3 of The Tempest. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Defining each of the main dramatic devices; Reading and comprehending Act 3 Scene 3 of the play, identifying and analysing the dramatic devices; Applying this understanding to a range of ‘Bloom’s Taxonomy’ related learning activities; Creating their own play-script scene, using the range of dramatic devices appropriately and effectively; Self-assessing their learning throughout the lesson; Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Dramatic Devices Cards; Act 3 Scene 3 Extract (freely available online); Dramatic Devices Bloom’s Taxonomy Activities Worksheet; Comprehensive lesson plan. Resources are provided in PDF (to maintain formatting) and Word (so that they are easily editable - they can be found in the zipfile) The lesson contains opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This interesting and stimulating lesson aims to improve students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s use of figurative language in Macbeth, focusing particularly on similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and euphemisms. Students learn to analyse the intended effect of these devices through a close-reading and interpretation of Act 5 Scene 1: The sleepwalking scene involving Lady Macbeth. The lesson utilises a range of tasks, that require students to be visual and interactive learners. It follows this learning journey: - Defining the key term ‘figurative language’ and establishing its importance as a literary technique; - Defining and exemplifying each of the key terms ‘simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and euphemisms through collaborative group opportunities; - Understanding how and why figurative language is used to add depth to writers’ ideas; - Reading and interpreting Act 5 Scene 1, and establishing how figurative language impacts upon the scene; - Reflecting upon why this may/ what effect this may have had on audiences at the time; - Summarising the events of the scene; - Peer/self evaluating the learning in the lesson. Included in this resource pack are: - A well-presented, thorough, and informative, whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Resources for the reading and interpreting activity - full scene transcript with space for notes; - A template to help scaffold the main task, complete with P.E.E instructions; - Cards for the card sorting group activity - A comprehensive teacher guidance form/lesson plan to assist delivery. All images in this resource are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the lesson presentation.