In the build-up to writing stories it's useful to give children practise in writing character descriptions. These handy planning sheets (one with more structured prompts on and one more basic for HAPs) can help children to create their own image of a character to describe. The Teacher example and cheat sheet help to demonstrate how notes can be made and turned into a fuller description of a character.

Included is the full text of Chapter One of The Creakers by Tom Fletcher, a set of comprehension questions to go with it, a set of extension questions for deeper study/more able, and a set of suggested activities based on the text. Also contains the full text of the prologue and questions for discussion/indep activity based on the prologue. Can be used with Key Stage 2 or 3, suitable for guided reading focus groups or independent activities, as well as whole class sessions. Enough material for several sessions. If you find this resource useful, please spare a moment to leave feedback - thanks!

An attractively illustrated PowerPoint presentation showing the fantastic poem The Magic Box by Kit Wright, easy to show to the class to read together for reading sessions, lesson starters, discussion etc. Also a Word doc of the poem and comprehension activities differentiated three ways for children to think more deeply about the text and consider the different RIC aspects. Good for a pre-writing poetry activity - the poem is great for inspiring children with their own ideas. Suitable for KS2 and KS3. Please see my other resources if interested. Thank you.

The Door is an amazing poem by Miroslav Holub. It provides powerful imagery within a very simple form, also offering a first understanding of metaphor in a very accessible way (i.e. opening the door can be seen as taking opportunities). The bundle includes a Word copy of this poem, an attractively illustrated PowerPoint presentation of it that can be shown to the whole class to engage them with it (e.g. as lesson starter, RIC session, stimulus for discussion etc. Also, a set of comprehension questions about the poem using different RIC styles of questioning and differentiated to three levels. Could be used for guided reading, class reading sessions, independent activity or even philosophy PSHE session discussions. Can be an introduction to metaphor or to give a wider range of poetry or as a stimulus for children’s creative poetry writing - this poem really lends itself to emulation, allowing children of all abilities to produce effective results. Suitable for all of KS2 and possibly lower KS3. If you like this resource, I have other similar resources; please take a look if interested. Thank you.

This is a set of questions with a reading LO emphasis. It is based around the poem Warning by Jenny Joseph (When I am old, I shall wear purple, etc.), a Word copy of which is included. Three differentiated levels of questions, intended for Y3/4 but could be used with Y5/6.

An A4 scaffold sheet for children to format an information text including lines on which to write and space for a title, two paragraphs, a picture, caption and 'Did you know?' fact circle. Useful for LAPs, SEN or just children in Lower KS2 who may need support with formatting.

This is a short unit of work on performance poetry including two weeks' plans (this includes a cold and hot performance and Friday sessions have a reading focus linked to the unit, i.e. poetry comprehension). This massive bundle includes a large number of poems that are brilliant for children of different abilities to perform. Both modern and classic poets are included and are credited. Worth buying the bundle just for this collection alone! This unit represents a lot of time and effort on my part. If you think they are of high quality then please leave me a 5-star rating. Thank you!

This resource contains the full text of Chapter 2 of the Firework Makers Daughter by Philip Pullman as well as three sets of differentiated comprehension questions for HAPs, MAPs and LAPs (LAPs version based only on one page of the text. Suitable for children throughout KS2, can be used as an activity for guided reading groups or as a whole class comprehension lesson. Depending on time and thoroughness, it may well take children two sessions to fully answer all of the questions. If you find this resource useful, please take a moment to leave a review - thanks!

This powerpoint goes through the various common features of fairy tales including good/bad characters, magical items, helpers, royalty, numbers 3/7 and shows familiar illustrations for each as examples to discuss. If you like this resource, please take a moment to give it a 5-star review. Thank you!

This contains an actual football match report (Man City v. Huddersfield 26/11/17) adapted from the BBC website and differentiated into 3 ability levels. Although the match report can be used for a variety of purposes, I had a reading focus and the activity is connected to direct speech (which we have been studying along with our recounts, hence the reports). So the children need to find and separate all of the direct quotes from the two managers Wagner and Guardiola to rewrite them in the form of a speech bubble for each.

This short warning story by Pie Corbett called Elf Road is brilliant as a box-it-up activity for identifying the themes within the story. As well as including the short story text (which is freely available on the internet) I have included a worksheet I made for children to 'box up' the story. One side is for writing the underlying generic patterns within the story (e.g. Main Character finds a magic portal and enters) while on the other side children have to identify the actual examples of this specific to the Elf Road story (e.g. Billy finds a wooden door in Elf Road and goes through.) These are differentiated on three levels so that HAPs have to fill in the entire grid on both sides (I suggest after modelling a few examples first), the MAPs have to identify some of the underlying patterns and some of the specific details, and LAPs only have to find the specific examples with all of the underlying patterns being provided. Also included is a blank grid and (scroll this down) the 'answers' to the whole grid for teacher reference. It also provides a super clear framework from which to progress to adding a third column on the right for 'new ideas' - i.e. children collectively or individually vary the story details to include their own ideas following the underlying theme (e.g. my lovely class decided that main character Daisy would fall into a sewage pipe and end up in a new world...). I taught this with Y3/4 but I think could also be useful with upper KS2.

Includes a Word copy of the poem From A Railway Carriage by Robert Louis Stevenson (i.e. Faster than fairies, faster than witches, etc.) and three sets of differentiated questions based on it. Intended for KS2. If you like this resource, please take a moment to leave a 5-star review. Thank you!

This is a set of 5 stimuli and questions to be used for whole class reading sessions. We use RIC - ie retrieve, interpret and choice, so the questions include a range of these different styles. Different stimuli include an information poster, the complete adventure story of Jumanji on PPT, two short animated stories on YouTube and a poem by Pie Corbett. Can be used throughout KS2; sessions would last approx 30 mins. If you like this resource, please take a moment to give it a 5-star rating. Thank you!

This resource contains the text of the second section of the book (‘Why I Didn’t Go to School’) and a set of questions based on the text. There is also another page of suggestions for deeper discussion and activities based on the text.

A starter presentation on why connectives are useful for improving creative writing. Begins by showing a boring story passage with lots of repetition of openers and too many 'and's. Goes through ways of improving writing by adding different types of connectives. Finishes by improving the passage and comparing to the original.

A Ppt presentation to start a lesson to teach children to identify different genres of writing. A very similar story is told in several versions including adventure, horror, instructional, diary, letter... The first give children the idea of what kind of 'clues' to look out for, e.g. personal pronouns, repetition, simple or informal style, etc., while the rest can be used for children to work through together and discuss. Finally children are given a short and simple activity to reinforce their understanding of the different genres shown.

Set of three differentiated worksheets for children to practise punctuating direct speech.

Classic poem by TS Eliot - Macavity The Mystery Cat - comprehension activity including all three RIC elements and differentiated three ways for HAPs, MAPs and LAPs. Suitable for Upper KS2 or KS3 children.

Contains three fantastic poems to use with KS2 children: Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, Warning by Jenny Joseph and Warning by Carl Sandburg. Each one includes a list of activities that children can do based on the poems, all in pairs or small groups. These may be used as a whole class activity or e.g. as an extension task for children with a few spare minutes; children may complete the activities exhaustively or pick one or two ideas they fancy doing. Gets children to engage with these three fantastic poems on a deeper level, as well as helping with the Imitation - Innovation - Invention process. Designed with KS2 in mind, ideally Y4 and above, but could also be useful for lower KS3.

This resource contains the text of the first chapter of the fantastic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, along with a set of comprehension questions differentiated three ways. Suitable for KS2 children. Can be used as an activity for guided reading groups or for whole class reading sessions.