Hi! I am a teacher with over 20 years' experience at Primary level. I try to make my resources as challenging as possible with a slice of fun, while cramming in as much detail as possible into the guided reading / writing activities, plays, worksheets and comprehension exercises that I produce. I also create and publish a range of free worksheets and resources, which now account for over 40% of my published resources. Any feedback and suggestions welcome!
Hi! I am a teacher with over 20 years' experience at Primary level. I try to make my resources as challenging as possible with a slice of fun, while cramming in as much detail as possible into the guided reading / writing activities, plays, worksheets and comprehension exercises that I produce. I also create and publish a range of free worksheets and resources, which now account for over 40% of my published resources. Any feedback and suggestions welcome!
I have created a chapter - by - chapter set of comprehension exercises with linked SPAG activities and additional writing tasks. There are 12 comprehension / SPAG worksheets and 5 corresponding writing tasks
Each comprehension activity has a variety of different questions, with 20 marks available (allowing for a % score to be made!). I have designed questions which allow success for less able children but with challenging, higher order questions for above average pupils. Harder questions are signified by being awarded extra marks (up to 3 marks as in the SATs and key stage tests). Each reading task has a learning objective in line with Year 5/6 National Curriculum objectives and requires the reading of one full chapter or part of a chapter of the Firework - Maker’s Daughter.
The worksheets are all A4 size, written in Word, and there are various ways to use the activity sheets, including:
As part of a shared reading session, with the pupils completing the written tasks after discussion and analysis of the text as a class or group.
As independent written tasks for the rest of the class, while the teacher is reading with a smaller group.
As an additional, ready-made resource to support the study of The Firework-Maker’s Daughter as a Unit of Work / class book.
As a stand-alone, independent reading activity / assessment.
As a useful teacher prompt/ discussion leader when doing a guided read.
Alongside the comprehension task, each worksheet has a SPAG challenge based on the Year 5 and 6 English frameworks - for example: dictionary activities, synonyms, etc. These could be the focus of the lesson, serve as an extension task or be used as a stand alone / separate activity.
As all worksheets are created on Microsoft Word they can be easily adapted to suit your needs. For example, in the past I have shrank the set questions to half-page size and photocopied them to stick in pupils’ books, ready for independent work. You could also add your own questions, objectives etc.
Thomas is trapped in a room but we don’t know why or how he has got there . . .
This resource can be used in a number of ways: as a story starter for a suspense / mystery story; for an example of creating empathy for a character; for a stimulus for a cold / independent write, etc.
I have used it as part of a wider drama scenario, whereby Tom has been arrested (wrongly) for shoplifting and is awaiting his mum whilst locked in the manager’s drab office, all alone with his mind racing . . .
These resources are based on the following 3 poems by Allan Ahlberg:
Parents’ Evening
Please, Sir
Mrs Brady.
A large range of learning objectives and activities are covered, including:
Cloze procedure
Predicting rhymes
Features of a poem
Comprehension
Creative writing
Creating a whole class verse based on a verse of the ‘Please, Sir’ poem
‘A Victorian Diary’ is a series of 15 minute videos showing life in Victorian times. Events are reported by fictional character Maggie Johnson and by other characters she meets, providing different perspectives. This series is brilliant just to watch and enjoy, but it can also be used to help develop literacy skills.
These are resources based on chapters 2 and 3 and also include generic diary writing templates.
The chapter 2 resource is a punctuation and proof reading exercise. Pupils have to read and correct a diary entry, written from Maggie’s perspective. It could also be used as an example of writing in diary style and lead to the pupils writing their own version.
The main learning objective of the Chapter 3 worksheet is to develop pupils’ understanding of empathy, but there is activities on prediction skills and note - taking. Alongside the worksheet I have created some excerpts and images to cement the main learning objective.
These are weekly 15-word spelling lists and LSCWC practice based on the Regular Spelling and Common Exception spellings for both year 4 and year 5.
I have a mixed class this year so I have devised separate lists for the two year groups. Each worksheet contains a list of the weekly spellings alongside a table where the children practise the words 4 times using Look-Say-Cover-Write-Check. I usually let the children start off on a Monday morning, then take the sheet home to practise for a test on Friday.
There is 5 week's work included, alongside templates to make further lists of your own and displays of the weekly spellings for your literacy board.
This has 2 self assessments on a piece of A4 so can be cut in half and stuck in the pupils'books, following a piece of writing that you want them to assess themselves.
This is a very detailed worksheet and is ideal for use after reading and discussing chapter 7 with your class. It consists of:
* 6 comprehension questions
* Vocabulary extension - verbs and adjectives
* Dictionary Challenge
* Modelling a picture based on the text
Over resources altogether.
They are suitable for Years 4 to 6 and can be tweaked to suit your class. The following topics are included: Electricity, Sound, Tudors, Rainforests, Brazil, Great Britain, Victorian Toys and Games, Street Child by Berlie Doherty, Victorian Inventions and Penguins.
There are also plenty of other activities included to work alongside the comprehension activities, such as adjectives worksheets, vocabulary challenges, powerpoints, various sorting activities and research challenges.
These resources focus on exploring rainforests through literacy and give lots of scope for follow up writing activities! They’re also useful in the study of conservation issues. As some of the language is tricky the comprehensions are mainly suitable for Year 5 and above, but could be a challenge for a bright Year 4 class!
Comprehension 1 - consists of a detailed A4 sized text on the Amazon rainforest, including conservation issues. The question sheet is designed to stick in the pupils’ books and includes lesson objectives and 2 differentiated dictionary challenges.
Comprehension 2 - an A4 - sized cloze procedure exercise called ‘What is a Rainforest?’
Map of world rainforests with space for written tasks.
Seven pages of rainforest images which are useful for initiating and inspiring a rainforest art project.
Useful for topic - based literacy lessons. Could also be used to stimulate non fiction writing.
First comprehension has detailed non fiction text followed by 10 questions.
Second comprehension consists of 20 cloze procedure missing words.
Third and fourth comprehensions look at the human ear and are both on the same A4 worksheet - cut in half to differentiate.
A worksheet designed to teach about trickier connectives such as:
However
Therefore
In addition
Consequently
etc . . . to help build cohesion within a paragraph.
After discussion, pupils will redraft a paragraph about keeping fit. A simple but effective resource.
Suitable for Years 4-6 and helps to support the skill of note taking.
Pupils love the latest text message abbreviations so will enjoy working in pairs to find all the abbreviations contained in this worksheet.
It is a worksheet in 2 halves, the second activity is simpler and can be used to support pupils with SEN.
Based on two poems from the ‘English Alive’ series of literacy books for Key Stage Two. Contains two detailed lesson plans written in simple language, giving step by step instructions to make your lessons go smoothly (!) - plus scope for follow up lessons in reading and writing poetry.
The lessons teach use of verbs, similes and poem structure in fun activities where pupils write and perform their own poems based on the two poems read. Pupils will play interactive starter games, read and discuss poems and write and perform their own poems based on the models provided. The accent is on fun!!!
Theme: Feelings
Objectives include: 1) Compare and contrast poems on a similar theme.
2) Recognise and begin to use similes.
3) Use rhythm and rhyming couplets
This is a bundle of 4 activities based on a 21 page powerpoint presentation and a non fiction text called, ‘Why don’t penguins feel the cold?’ The PP could be used as a starter or discussion activity or as a stand alone activity. The other activities include:
* Cloze procedure - 10 missing words
* Dictionary Challenge
* Cartoon picture - invent a caption
There are also lots of opportunities, within this pack, for pupils to practise their non fiction writing .