This is a short and straightforward activity giving students an opportunity to practise and develop the skills of writing an analytical essay about an unseen poem. The poem is “A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti so no issues with copyright. The first slide of the ppt has a copy of the poem and the essay question. The second slide gives students a suggested pattern for tackling the task, the idea being that they should go through each of the steps in every paragraph of their response. The third slide can be used for self/peer assessment and developing the response further.

I made this as a cover activity for a year 10 class with targets of 3 and 4. Could be used as a recall/revision activity, set as homework or used for cover. There are 10 questions which could also be used as a starting point for a guided reading activity.

This is a lesson focusing on the skills needed to tackle the unseen poetry question in paper 2 of the English Literature exam. The two poems used are “The Thunderstorm” by Emily Dickinson and “The Thunder Mutters” by John Clare (both public domain). Printable copies of the poems, for annotation, and the exam-style questions are on the final slide.

This is a revision (practice) powerpoint covering many of the skills required for English Language Paper 2. There is also an unseen poem which links thematically, so there’s a bit of Paper 2 Lit interleaved. There are three non-fiction texts, rather than two, so that there’s a greater breadth of reading during the revision period. The powerpoint ends with an exam-style paper 2 writing task.

This is a simple and straightforward activity originally created for use as cover with a mixed-ability year 7 class but also suitable for upper primary. There is a very short extract describing the hound from Conan Doyle’s “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and 7 questions which could be used for homework or cover or to structure a guided reading activity.

This is a multiple choice quiz with 18 questions (answers provided). It could be used for homework or revision. Alternatively, it could be used for pre-teaching to identify gaps in knowledge or understanding so that the subequent lesson can be more sharply focused. For less confident students, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session.

This is a simple and straightforward powerpoint created for cover but also useful for homework - or could be taught as a lesson or used to structure guided reading and writing. There are three slides. The first focuses on writing to describe, the second is a simple comprehension activity and the third is an opportunity for more extended creative writing. The intention was for the ppt to be displayed, reducing the need for photocopying, but the slides are easily editable if handouts are required.

Originally planned for KS3 students as part of a reading unit on the natural world, this could be used with much less confident readers at KS4, perhaps as part of a catch-up or intervention series. The text used is from “Nature Near London” (1905 so public domain) by Richard Jefferies. Alongside the short excerpt are some questions which can be used to diagnose gaps in reading skills and comprehension.

This is a straightforward multiple-choice quiz (answers provided) focusing on the description of Fred from Stave 1 and how his characterisation contrasts that of Scrooge. Useful for homework or could be used as a starter to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that subsequent teaching can be more sharply focused.

This is an excerpt from a speech given by Dickens on 5th November 1857. There are ten questions with suggested answers provided. This could be used in class, for cover or as homework. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session. Competing this activity will give students a sound understanding of Dickens’ viewpoint and so this activity could usefully be used alongside the Ghost of Christmas Past and the description of Scrooge’s schooldays.

This is a straightforward powerpoint intended for revision which reminds students of five of Delaney’s key methods in the play. These are: the symbolism of the flower bulbs, the symbolism of the light bulb, the proximity of the church clock, the proximity of the gasworks and the Boy’s quotations from “Othello” (contrasted with Jo’s reading of fairy tales). Each of the methods has a few questions to encourage recall and then suggested answers and ideas are provided on the next slide.

This powerpoint uses questioning to direct learners to some of the writer’s methods. The poem itself has an easily recognisable viewpoint and is a good one for less confident learners to practise responding to unseen poetry.

A revision powerpoint on language analysis useful for English Language GCSE preparation. The powerpoint uses a short extract from a public domain text and this is provided - together with the question - on the final two slides so that you can print it out. The powerpoint asks students to consider their choice of evidence and then goes through how to use that evidence in an answer that clearly explains how the evidence shows what it does.

This powerpoint was planned for a mixed-ability year 7 class as part of a unit of work on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The focus is on the meaning of Puck’s final speech and the ideas that Shakespeare is expressing through that speech. A suggested (short) response to the writing prompt is provided on the final slide. The homework is a multiple-choice quiz on the extract, to be used after the lesson, intended to embed the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the speech. Answers to the quiz are provided.

This is a straightforward comprehension activity using an extract written by Nathanial Hawthorne (in the public domain). There are 8 questions (answers provided). These could be used as a cover activity for children working on myths and legends. The questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity. Alternatively, it works well as a homework activity.

This was planned as a cover activity for a year 7 class working through a unit on myths and legends. It could also be set as a homework or the activities could be used to structure a guided reading/guided writing session. The extract used is in the public domain.

This is a straightforward activity using an extract from the public domain, introducing Hercules. There are six questions (suggested answers provided) intended to support children in comprehension, thoughtful reading and building reading fluency. Created as a cover activity for a mixed-ability year 7 class but also good for key stage 2. Useful as part of a unit of work on myths and legends.

This worksheet has 10 questions (suggested answers provided). The extract used is from “The Reluctant Dragon” by Kenneth Grahame which is in the public domain. The focus is on comprehension and reading fluency. Created for a mixed-ability year 7 class as a cover activity but is very accessible for KS2. Could be set for homework; alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity.

Created as a cover activity for a KS4 class, this uses an image and a GCSE-style task. There are prompts for sentence starters, verb and adjective use and proof-reading. Could be used as a homework activity or for revision. It could also be used to structure and lead a guided writing activity.

This is a straightforward reading starter activity created for a lower ability class in year 11 (targets of 2 and 3). It uses an extract from “Dracula” in which Mina Harker’s diary records details of weather and setting. There are questions focusing on the effect of the writer’s use of repetition and on the effect of the connotations of death. There is a further challenge question on the repetition of an idea. Suggested responses are provided and these could be used for self or peer assessment or as models.