This is a set of five texts which can be used during shared/guided reading sessions. Each text includes literal retrieval as well as ‘find and copy’ style questions and interpretation questions. The children should be given between 20 and 30 minutes to complete the questions therefore meaning their is time left to review the answers as a group/class. Within a whole class, the higher ability children can be given an initial task to complete, such as dictionary work, while the remainder of the class begin their text. After ten minutes the higher ability children then begin their text. This means all children should complete their work at the same time. All texts are aimed at Upper Key Stage 2, however could be accessible by confident Year 4 children or some Key Stage 3 children. Please note: I do not own the copyright to any of the texts used within these worksheets. Copyright for the original texts remains with the individual authors.

This is a complete lesson which I have used many times (including during observations). I have always received positive feedback and the children write excellent sentences with skills they can transfer into all subjects and future lessons. The lesson revolves around taking a basic sentence and adding 2 adjectives, followed by a fronted adverbial and finally a conjunction. Included is a whiteboard covering the entire lesson, the planning, starter tasks and activities and a differentiated (higher, middle and lower) main activity.

This is a great resource I have used with my Year 5 group, but would work well as SAT’s revision or as individual teaching elements in LKS2 or as a recap of skills in KS3. The Murder Mystery consists of five challenges based on five different SPAG areas. The children must follow the instructions on each challenge to find a clue. Each clue helps to eliminate people from the suspect list. A notebook file is included with examples of each style of challenge in order to check understanding before the children begin each task. The task begins with a story about a murder in a sleepy village and asks the children to help solve the case. Included in this set of resources is: Instructions for the teacher. A story introducing the event. The suspect list. Five clues** (with all of the answers). ** A self-assessment tool to use at the end of the unit of work. A bright, colourful Notebook file which guides through each challenge and includes examples. A lesson plan. SPAG skills covered by this resource include: Clue 1: Full stops and Capital Letters. Clue 2: Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs. Clue 2: Commas Clue 4: Subordinating and Co-ordinating conjunctions. Clue 5: Speech Punctuation. This works brilliantly in mixed ability groups or by individual groups of pupils. Higher ability pupils relish the challenge of investigating for themselves whereas some lower ability or SEN children will need support. It can be used across one (or a series of) lessons or as a weekly starter/plenary/SPAG task which can extend the ‘whodunit’ tension across an entire half term.