The GCSE, Reading Response, English Language Unit supports students in understanding how to write an extended response to a question on the Reading Section. Dyslexic GCSE, English students have commented that the structure helps them see what they need to do to succeed in this type of question.
The texts focus on a difficult relationship between two explorers.
It scaffolds students response by providing a Vocabulary Bank to help write the topic sentences, a model answer and a marking rubric for an independent activity. The model essay sentence openers are coloured in blue so students understand the way they need to begin their own sentences.
The unit finishes with an independent, reading response unit with a marking rubric.
The unit is effective in supporting students who struggle to structure a reading response answer!
The unit is based on the GCSE, English Language, AQA, Paper 1 - Question 5 response. It includes picture prompts, model answers, plans and spelling activities.
Key words are taken from the text and colour coded to help learners with additional needs learn to read and spell them. The model responses showcase different sentence openers used in GCSE, descriptive writing.
Coherent plans are provided to help students structure their writing in response to the colourful pictures.
Along with the models, additional short stories based on the settings of the beach and the city are provided. These also demonstrate the use of show not tell and interesting sentence openers.
The resource provides a structured way to teach GCSE English Language, imaginative and descriptive writing in an engaging way!. It is useful if your students struggle to use appropriate language to structure descriptive or imaginative writing.
This GCSE, English Language, writing unit is based on an persuasive task about why they should choose a charity fund raiser. It contains a model answer, a spelling activity, a speaking and listening task and a grammar component.
The unit has been successfully used to raise the attainment of students who struggle to move into the Grade 4 and 5 bracket.
Once the student has completed the tasks there are two independent writing activities to assess the understanding of the components of GCSE, persuasive writing.
It is ideal for SENCOs, teachers and English language coordinators. It offers excellent value and the unit should provide three to four lessons of content.
Using vocabulary taken from the a key abstract noun list, the programme introduces language commonly used in reading texts from the SATs English, Reading and Writing papers. Research indicates that explicit teaching of vocabulary improves comprehension and writing.
The 41 page course is suitable for a whole school approach to improve the comprehension and use of formal vocabulary across the curriculum. It is an ideal resource for SENCOs, English Language/Literacy Coordinators, English subject leads, teachers and leaders. It is useful for students who need to improve attainment and move into the SATs bands 5 and above.
Each section of the main booklet includes picture prompts, speaking and listening activities and gap fills to familiarise students with the targeted words. There is a ‘Show not Tell’ section, which helps students with narrative writing and a story writing activity to show understanding of the key noun. For some words, there are model stories to read with the students.
Also provided is a vocabulary graphic order, a vocabulary list and an assessment when the programme has been completed.
The resource will improve comprehension and is an effective way to target struggling readers and writers for their SATsl.
The bundle includes a range of GCSE, English Language Writing materials. It includes model answers, spelling activities, key vocabulary, engaging images, plans, independent writing activities and marking rubrics.
Although aimed at the AQA writing papers, the bundle will support all the GCSE exam boards. It includes materials to support:
descriptive writing
persuasive/argumentative writing
creative writing
Each unit is structured in an easy to follow format based on model texts. They are useful for students with additional needs who need explicit language support to achieve a higher grade in their GCSE, English Language writing.
They have been proven to raise attainment because of the strategies used, namely grammar in context and modeling.
The value for money bundle offers weeks of writing support and is beneficial for teachers, English coordinators, teaching assistants and SENDCOs!
The booklet provides an extract and model answer with key vocabulary which is colour coded so that students can practice reading and spelling. It also provides the colour code to enable teachers to write further key vocabulary for their student to practice.
The booklet starts with an extract from Act 2, Scene 2. Difficult words are coded to practice fluency.
Then there is a model paragraph with a key word list.
The rest of the essay is provided for students to read.
Finally, students have opportunity to write a response for themselves.
The booklet is an excellent template for teachers to use to make further resources!
The workbook focuses on the AU pattern to make the ‘or’ sound and the E-E letter patterns to form the long E sound.
Designed for struggling readers and spellers, the booklet provides a list of AU and E-E words which are colour coded for students to copy and draw.
Due to the visual memory cue, students are more likely to read and spell the words!
This GCSE, Vocabulary course focuses on the academic words needed to succeed in the GSCE, English Language course. It is suitable for GCSE students, often with a good verbal ability, who struggle to express their language using formal language.
There is a section focused on targeted words from the Academic Word List. It contains speaking and listening activities, gap fill tasks and an explanation of the body language and facial expression linked with some of the words. This should aid narrative writing.
It also contains graphic organisers to analyse key meanings and story examples to help learn key words.
There is an assessment to help understand if students have grasped the key vocabulary.
Also included are a reading and wordsearch activity and discussion questions.
Finally, there are two units to explore how to write about vocabulary in a GCSE examination.
I have also added a free vocabulary unit - Reading Response - Analysing Situations! This will provide you with a list of words to analyse situations.
The course is excellent for English coordinators, SENCOs and TAs who want to run targeted groups for students who are verbally strong but struggle to use academic language. Since vocabulary is a key component of comprehension and writing, the course has proved successful in helping underachieving GCSE English Language students succeed!
This comprehensive, GCSE, English Literature study guide is specifically designed to support dyslexic learners and learners with additional needs in their study of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.” Aimed at enhancing understanding and accessibility for their GCSE, English Literature course , this resource ensures that all students, regardless of their reading challenges, can navigate and appreciate the complexities of the text.
Tailored to accommodate the unique learning needs of dyslexic students, the guide employs a pale yellow background, dyslexia friendly fonts with key words highlighted, simplified language, and structured formats to facilitate comprehension.
It includes an in depth plot summary, character overview with visuals , themes and discussion questions and key vocabulary - each word/phrase divided into syllables.
Ten carefully crafted booklets break down the novel into manageable sections, each focusing on key extracts to maintain the narrative’s essence while easing the reading load.
Carefully selected key extracts from each chapter are provided. Comprehension questions follow each extract, designed to reinforce understanding and critical thinking, allowing students to engage deeply with the text at their own pace.
This differentiated study guide for “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is an invaluable tool for educators seeking to provide an inclusive and effective learning experience for dyslexic students, ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to succeed in their GCSE course and enjoy this timeless literary work.
This graded, GCSE, English Language unit uses a story and a picture as a way to help students understand some of the consequences of heavy traffic. The student uses these prompts to write a persuasive article about have a no car zone near school.
There are also two model letters, one formal and one informal, to show students how they could structure a GCSE writing task.
The resource is also useful for KS3 and KS2 English students.
This free lesson uses a football story to engage KS2 and KS3 students about persuasive writing. It is also suitable for lower ability SEN and ESL students at GCSE level.
The story is about a footballer who adopts a pet dog. It outlines the benefits he receives from the relationship with his beloved pet. After a story there is a comprehension activity.
Finally, there is a persuasive, writing activity about adopting a pet and a checklist for marking.
Ideal for preparation for GCSE English Language, AQA - Paper 2, Q4, this unit has two extracts, an exam question based on Q4 and a marking rubric.
The rubric focuses on the use of narrative voice and tone to convey a message.
The two texts are based on ‘Litter Picking’ - one from Victorian times and one modern.
Having used the resource with my students, it has been successful and exploring the use of narrative voice.
This resource is a five-lesson unit aimed to improve persuasive writing skills and is ideal for GCSE level or equivalent. It includes teacher notes, five lesson plans and a student booklet. Uniquely, the unit is structured around a model response to a sample exam question. It looks at the vocabulary, grammar and overall structure of a persuasive letter and encourages the use of these skills in independent writing. The unit follows a sequence that includes an exam question analysis, a vocabulary and grammar in context set of activities, a comprehension exercise based on the model text and an independent writing section.
The Unit of work has proved to be an invaluable and proven way of moving pupils into the higher GCSE band and provides a structure of learning that can be applied to other forms of writing.
This GCSE, English Language, writing unit is based on an argumentative task about whether it is better to live in the city or the countryside. It contains a model answer, a spelling activity, a speaking and listening task and a grammar component.
The unit has been successfully used to raise the attainment of students who struggle to move into the Grade 4 and 5 bracket.
Once the student has completed the tasks there are two independent writing activities to assess the understanding of the components of GCSE, argumentative writing.
It is ideal for SENCOs, teachers and English language coordinators. It offers excellent value and the unit should provide three to four lessons of content.
Use the following games to make learning about prepositions fun!
There are a variety of games and puzzles to engage students in what can be a rather dry topic. They are particularly useful for ESL students and those with additional needs. However, they can also be used as starter activities for the SATs, SPaG assessment or to introduce sentence openers for descriptive writing at GCSE.
There is also an assessment at the end to see whether learners can use prepositions effectively.
The games include Find the Missing Letters, Memory Pair Quiz, Sentence Scramble, Jigsaws and more!
You can amend the templates to create your own puzzles.
At the end of the unit, there are two assessments for beginner and more advanced learners.
The unit contains resources and lesson plans to teach descriptive writing in a structured and successful way.
It contains picture prompts, a model answer, a five senses analysis sheet, a planning sheet and independent task.
Using the model and analysis sheets, the unit shows students how to be successful writers in the descriptive genre. It has proved highly successful in improving the writing of GCSE students!
This short unit is invaluable to teach how to write a GCSE, reading response essay. It provides an extract, model essay, lesson plan, marking rubric and numerous language rich activities to aid understanding.
Presented in a concise and interesting format, the student worksheet starts with the extract and two comprehension activities before they read the model GCSE essay.
Next, there is a model essay with a spelling of key words activity and a reading fluency exercise to help familiarise students with the essay.
Finally, students can write independently about another part of the play and use a rubric to peers assess.
The unit provides an engaging framework in which to teach the extract question for GCSE English Literature. It would also save invaluable time for a lesson observation.
The pack aims to support dyslexic students in improving their Discussion Writing.
It contains an outline of the lessons, a series of unique, visual spelling activities, a visual sentence activity and a model text. The unit finishes with an independent writing task.
The use of the copy - cover - spell technique has proved ineffective for dyslexic students. Instead, I have developed a unique approach to spelling that involves drawing and colouring the words and using colours to demarcate syllables. It is a simple, yet powerful approach.
Often dyslexic students struggle to structure sentences in writing due to memory processing issues. The pack contains a visual, sentence sorting activity.
Finally, there is a model text included so that students can see the key words and sentences in context.
The unit is a sure way to support dyslexic students!
Based on the AQA (GCSE) Q5, Paper 1, the unit focuses on the ability to use a range of sentence openers and vocabulary to describe clothes.
Writing in depth description of the clothes people wear is complicated. This unit uses model paragraphs, a vocabulary list, pictures, independent writing tasks and a marking rubric to guide GCSE, English Language students to improve their description of people.
Although aimed at AQA, English Language students, the unit is useful for GCSE students who wish to improve their creative writing and descriptions.
The unit has proved successful in raising the attainment of students who struggle with this skill.
Metaphors in Shakespeare’s texts can be difficult for students to understand. This unit explains some of the key metaphors used in Macbeth and prepares students for their GCSE, English Literature exam.
The unit includes a booklet to explain the key metaphors in depth and provides context to the quotations. To help students with additional needs, vocabulary lists are provided. The student can use these to identify meaning, and learn how to read/spell them.
There is a key quotation list provided separately. Students can use this to learn them by rote.
Finally, there is an assessment section using a short extract that includes one of the metaphors. This is accompanied with a marking rubric and sample answer.