This text is very short and basic.
It allows less able children to read a text and answer questions demonstrating their understanding.
The questions can be a little tricky so also useful to give to more able children to assess their understanding and address the problem of not reading questions and thinking about them carefully.
This text is a short setting description.
The whole class can pick out powerful vocabulary and look at how sentences are structured.
Children can then draw the setting using only the information within the text.
As a further challenge, children can then write their own setting descriptions using the text as a scaffold.
A great time-saver!
This is a paragraph designed for the winter. It is a debate about school closures in heavy snow which is an engaging for children.
It includes GPC, common exception and poly-syllabic words as well as words with common suffixes.
I recorded my children reading the text and marked the words read correctly which then hit numerous objectives on the interim framework both on working towards and working at expected level.
I also expanded the work so children then created their own debate regarding school closures in the snow.
This weekly planning can be used week after week with minimal adjustments and can be applied to almost all genres.
I have used this in years 2 and 3 successfully.
It is a HUGE time saver and since I have followed it, I have seen SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS in my children’s reading and writing.
The result is a piece of evidence for reading and writing each week, completed independently by the children and gives them the confidence to take ownership of their targets and work largely independently.
It will need to be adapted to suit your class and the type of writing you want to cover.
Objectives -
Links to other texts.
Inference.
Answering questions based on text.
Can be used as a starting point to writing own adventure story with a similar plot. Links to a fairy-tale structure demonstrates knowledge of classic fairy-tale stories.
Three workbooks with a range of information and activities covering the Grammar and Punctuation curriculum. The activities are differentiated with challenges and each workbook gets progressively more challenging with reduced scaffolding. There are also some accompanying PowerPoints which link to the pages in the workbooks.
I used these workbooks and PowerPoints to teach the grammar and punctuation curriculum and they were also excellent reference books for children to look back through to remind themselves of the different concepts.
Less able children completed the first activities whilst more able children moved onto the more difficult work at the bottom of the pages.
Writing on the PowerPoints has been left to show examples and can be deleted by clicking on the writing.
I hope this is helpful. I found it very useful and was great evidence for coverage!
The story is about a Monkey who wants something just because his friend has it. He gives up his time trying to get it instead of being happy with what he has already. Great for PHSE or assembly.
Text included.
Questions for a comprehension or class discussion included.
Assessment grid relating to the interim framework included.
The story stops with the monkey needing to make a decision. The children in my class had to choose how the story should end and some wrote it up for homework.
We also wrote a similar story about two bears looking for a cave with the same lesson.
2 Week Rotation covering –
• Responding to feedback
• Verbal and written responses to texts demonstrating comprehension
• Spelling Patterns
• Grammar Rules
• Evidence of writing, drafting and editing.
Area for recording additional support for children who need it.
Handwriting practice completed separately.
Minimal tweaking required to apply to any genre. Used last year for year 2 children and got top 10% writing results for SATs.
One text required for each 2 week cycle. One comprehension, one spelling activity and one grammar activity also needed.
Huge time saver as weekly planning time is small changes to include additional activities (eg. debates for persuasive writing etc)
Two versions of the same text - one very basic using GPC words where possible, one with much more detail with year 2 vocabulary (suffixes, adjectives, conjunctions and common exception words).
Comprehension questions with two sections - the first which can be answered by all children and the second to be answered by the more able with the more complex text.
An assessment grid next to the questions for marking off the three year 2 objectives covered.
All children can access the same lesson at significantly different levels.
NB - the sheets don’t have any images. I would draw my own before photocopying or the children could decorate the page…
Complete handwriting practice workbook for the initial letter formation and a little fine motor control practice.
Print off and create an easy to teach booklet that can be used everyday to help children practice their letter formation.
I have used these every day in my class across multiple year groups. Children can either work through the books together or at their own pace, completed additional practice of the specific letters they struggle with. Additional practice pages can be added at the back if needed and children who finish can move onto the next workbook. Children work at their own pace, making structured progress.
I have found it really nice to have some relaxing music on at the start of the day and children come in and get started. I walk around monitoring and correcting any errors and children know to have their work checked and ticked before turning the page.
Time saver and really effective.
I hope you find it useful.
Part of a set along with other time saving, useful resources.
This workbook is a stand alone spelling unit of work with 11 lessons covering a range of activities for each lesson. Perfect for following on from workbook 1 (also available).
Images show the basic structure of the workbooks.
Blank lesson plan included at the back for additional lessons if needed.
Quick and East Reading Assessment for Year 2!
Reading for children and and recording sheet for adult.
Common exception words
Words with two or more syllables
(Some words with suffixes)
Checking sentences for mistakes
Covers WTS and EXP objectives.
Can be read by the child or read to the child depending on ability.
Great for ticking off a few objectives at once.
This is a stand alone workbook with everything you need to teach spelling to either an individual child or a class. Each lesson has lots of different activities to complete including a focus on sounds, spellings, handwriting and using the words in sentences.
Images show the basic structure of the workbooks.
Using the three workbooks would cover the whole year for spelling work with 33 different lessons. (This first book covers the first 11).
There is also a spare blank lesson template at the back in case your child/children need to practice a specific set of words.
When using this in class, the children have initially been slow and unsure, however by the end of the year, it was a very popular lesson where children could choose their music and complete the tasks confidently.
I hope that it is helpful.
Look out for other time saving and useful resources.
This is the second handwriting book in the set. They look very similar so it won’t be as obvious what level children are working on.
Workbook 2 is for children beginning to learn how to join letter together. Each letter has two pages to practice on. There are example letters and grey versions to go over.
There are also practice pages at the back if children need to do some more of certain letters.
Print as many off as you need and turn into workbooks the children can use independently as daily practise. I always used them first thing in the morning with some relaxing music. I monitored the children as I walked around the room correcting mistakes and children knew to get their work checked before turning the page. Children worked at their own pace so some were on different workbooks and all children were challenged at the right level for them.
I hope it is helpful.
Have a look for other time saving, useful resources.
These texts cover a range of objectives and can be used as an assessment for gathering evidence to show children's ability to read and understand text.
Text, questions and assessment grid included.
Reading a selection of alien words and using more difficult sounds to create own words to practise.
The adult who assesses the child will need to make a note in the space provided of the sounds that they are struggling with. The child can then use those sounds with an adult or on their own to create their own alien words. I have used this with a complete sound chart on the back.
Simple worksheet with the six objects listed at the bottom so you know what you need to draw in the boxes before you photocopy them. In the first six boxes the children must look at the picture and complete the basic sentence by spelling the final word using the sounds at the bottom. In the final box, the children must try to read the final word and draw their own picture of the object. There are three sheets.
I haven’t tried these yet so I hope they are useful!
A story about a magical book and the little girl who finds it. Two chapters leading to the point where she first opens the book. Both chapters have questions for either a comprehension or guided reading activity.
Links to reading curriculum for years 2, 3 and 4. Possible extended writing activities linked to text.
Children enjoyed thinking about what might happen next and the use of description to build tension.