A fifteen lesson writing unit, leading students towards writing their own newspaper article based on a fictional event: people have lost their shadows This would make a great unit to be taught alongside a Science unit on light and shadows, or as a way to revisit Scientific knowledge. The lessons beginning with exploring the text type, followed by sentence level work and ending with writing their newspaper report. The unit uses differentiated example text types throughout to support students understanding. Where appropriate, each lesson is differentiated and carefully planned to suit different students needs. Lesson order: Hook lesson: introducing the newspaper story, people have lost their shadows. Students take part in a fun treasure hunt activity to piece together the story. Identifying and sorting features of a newspaper report, using differentiated example texts. Sorting facts and opinions, understanding their use in a newspaper report. Writing headlines. Writing captions, including using prepositions. Generating appropriate vocabulary for our newspaper report. Generating fronted adverbials to be used in our newspaper report. Understanding and using conjunctions, this fun activity involves students rolling a dice to see which conjunction makes sense in a sentence and which fits best. Writing in the past tense. Writing quotes, punctuating direct speech for quotes in a newspaper report. This lesson also includes a hot seating activity for the whole class to engage in. Writing the report: writing the introduction. Writing the report: writing the main body. Writing the report: writing the conclusion. Writing the report: editing. Writing the report: publishing.

Ideal for use in lower KS2 or in later years for consolidation, to help children understand how pronouns can be used to avoid repetition or to aid cohesion. ‘Prepositions to avoid Repetition’ activity sheets with three levels of differentiation, including different activities to help children identify the purpose of pronouns and where to use them to avoid repetition. ‘Prepositions to avoid Repetition’ story, a short story that children need to improve by identifying the nouns and choosing which to change to pronouns. National Curriculum Links Statutory content to be introduced in Year 4: Appropriate choice of pronoun or noun within and across sentences to aid cohesion and avoid repetition. Year 3 and 4 statutory requirements: pupils should be taught to develop their understanding of the concepts by choosing nouns or pronouns appropriately for clarity and cohesion and to avoid repetition. Differentiation Third person pronouns, including possessive pronouns. First and third person pronouns, including possessive pronouns First, second and third person pronouns, including possessive pronouns. Used in a range of multi-clause sentences.

A bundle of resources to teach commas for clarity in Years 5 and 6. ‘Commas for clarity’ activity sheets. A set of sheets with three levels of differentiation, including activities to allow children to identify correct and incorrect use of commas, where to add commas and how commas affect the meaning of sentences. Answers included. ‘Commas for clarity’ cards. A set of cards with pictures of signs using commas incorrectly, perfect to use in pairs or groups to encourage discussion around how commas can cause ambiguity. National Curriculum Links Year 5 statutory content to be introduced – use of commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity. Years 5 and 6 – Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity in writing. Differentiation Commas used to separate items in a list. Commas used to separate items in a list and to clarify the meaning within a sentence. Commas used to separate items in a list, to clarify the meaning within a sentence and clauses within multi-clause sentences.

Ideal for use in Year 4/ ‘Expanded noun phrase’ activity sheets with 3 levels of differentiation including a range of activities to allow children to create their own expanded noun phrases. Answers and examples included. ‘Expanded noun phrase’ passages, short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify the expanded noun phrases. Ideal as a short activity or a grammar session. Answers included. ‘Expanded noun phrase’ story, a short story for children to improve by expanding the nouns in order to add more detail and description. 'Expanded noun phrases' maze, a fun game for students to create different expanded noun phrases. National Curriculum Links – Years 3 and 4 Terminology to be introduced in Year 4: noun phrases expanded by the addition of modifying adjectives, nouns and preposition phrases. Differentiation Adjectives to expand nouns. Multiple adjectives and prepositional phrases to expand nouns in a range of of more complex sentences used. Adjectives, prepositional phrases and determiners to expand nouns. A range of sentences including multi-clause sentences used.

Printable bundle, ideal in Year 2 to teach the coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or. -Coordinating conjunction activity sheets, children can practise joining words and phrases together using coordinating conjunctions and identifying the correct conjunction for the sentence. -Coordinating conjunction display cards. Differentiation Using and to join two words and create a phrase. Using and, but to join two phrases together. Using and, but, or to join two phrases together. National Curriculum Links# Pupils should be taught to learn how to use co-ordination (using or, and, but)

A fifteen-lesson writing unit, leading students towards writing their own explanation text based on a fictional product: a watering robot! Students spend time at the start of the unit designing their own plant watering robot/machine (there is also an option to write about the ladybird robot in the example texts provided). This allows them to focus on how to write an explanation text, without becoming bogged down in exactly how a specific product works, they can tell us! This would make a great unit to be taught alongside a Science unit on plants or living things and their habitats, or as a way to revisit Scientific knowledge. This unit begins with ten lessons exploring the text type and sentence level work. The final five lessons allow them to write their explanation text. The unit uses three differentiated example text types about a ladybird-shaped plant watering robot to supports students’ understanding. Where appropriate, each lesson is differentiated and carefully planned to suit different students’ needs. Lesson order: • Hook lesson: introducing the ladybird robot and its purpose. Students design their own watering robot/machine. • Questions, students answer questions in more detail about their watering robot/machine to have enough detail for their explanation text. • Creating diagrams with technical language, students draw and label diagrams of their robots/machines using technical language. • Identify features of explanation texts, students explore the key features of explanation texts and find examples in the texts provided. • Writing appropriate noun phrases, students will explore appropriate description for an explanation text and practise writing descriptions of their robot/machine. • Using prepositions to clearly describe different parts of the robot. • Writing with fronted adverbials, focussing on fronted adverbials to express time and cause. • Writing with conjunctions, students will use a range of subordinating and coordinating conjunctions to add information or to explain. • Understand and using bullet points, students will explore how they are used and practise writing a list or adding extra information with bullet points. • Introducing headings and sub-headings, students will use these to plan their explanation texts in preparation for writing. • Writing the introduction and second paragraph (explaining what the machine does in more detail), looking at examples and creating a shared write as a class. • Writing the third paragraph (explaining how the machine works). • Writing the conclusion. • Students can practise editing using our ‘explanation text to edit’ before editing their own work. • Publishing texts, including adding detailed diagrams.

A bundle of activities that are ideal in Upper Key Stage Two to help you teach pupils how to use colons. Colon activity sheets with three levels of differentiation that have a range of activities allowing children to use colons correctly and correct sentences that haven’t used colons correctly. Answers included. Colon talk cards, a range of questions including questions about how colons can be used and identifying where they can be used in a sentence. Perfect for use in pairs or small groups to consolidate what children know about how to use colons. Colon passages. Short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify where the colons need to go. Ideal as a short activity or as part of a grammar session. Answers included. National Curriculum Year 6 statutory content to be introduced – Use of the semi-colon, colon and dash to mark the boundary between independent clauses [for example, It’s raining; I’m fed up]. Use of the colon to introduce a list and use of semi-colons within lists. Years 5 and 6 – Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses. Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using using a colon to introduce a list. Differentiation Using colons to introduce lists. Using colons to introduce lists and single words. Using colons to introduce lists, single words, speech and to separate independent clauses.

Printable bundles with activities to support you teaching expanded noun phrases in Year Two. Expanded noun phrases activity sheets, children can practise identifying and creating expanded noun phrases. Expanded noun phrase matching cards. Cards with nouns, adjectives, determiners, prepositional phrases with accompanying pictures. Perfect in small groups to help children build up sentences or to develop writing in independent activities. DIfferentiation Expanded noun phrases with one adjective. Expanded noun phrases with two adjectives. Expanded noun phrases with adjectives and prepositional phrases. National Curriculum Links Pupils should be taught to learn how to use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]

A perfect resource to support your teaching of the subjunctive form in Year 6. Activity sheets with three levels of differentiation, allowing children to identify and write sentences in the subjunctive form. National Curriculum Year 6 statutory content to be introduced – The difference between structures typical of informal speech and structures appropriate for formal speech and writing for example the use of subjunctive forms such as If ‘I were’ or ‘were they to come’ in some very formal writing and speech.

Ideal for use in Key Stage Two, whether this is introducing the concept of subordinate clauses in Year 3 or consolidating in later years. Subordinate clause activity sheets with three levels of differentiation including a range of activities to help children recognise and complete subordinate clauses. Answers included. Subordinate clause passages, short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify the subordinate clauses in the sentence. Ideal as a short activity or a grammar session to discuss the purpose of subordinate clauses. Answers included. National Curriculum Links – Years 3 and 4 Terminology to be introduced in Year Three: subordinate clause. Pupils should be taught to extend the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although. Differentiation Subordinating clauses beginning with conjunctions: when, because, if, that, however, although. Subordinating clauses beginning with conjunctions: when, because, if, that, however, although, as, until, before, while, even though. Subordinating clauses beginning with conjunctions: when, because, if, that, however, although, as, until, before, while, even though, since, provided that, unless. Identifying subordinate clauses at the start and end of sentences.

Ideal for in Year 4 when teaching how to punctuate direct speech. ‘Punctuating Direct Speech’ activity sheet with three levels of differentiation and a range of activities to allow children to punctuate direct speech correctly, write direct speech with correct punctuation and mark the punctuation sentences. Answers included. ‘Punctuating Direct Speech’ passage, short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to spot the mistakes and punctuate sentences correctly. Ideal as a short activity or in a grammar session. Answers included. ‘Punctuating Direct Speech’ comic strip. A fun activity for children to turn a comic strip with speech bubbles into a short story, writing direct speech with the correct punctuation. Two versions available – comic strip with completed speech bubbles and blank speech bubbles for children to create their own version. National Curriculum Links Year 4 statutory content to be introduced – Use of inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech. Year 3 and 4 – using and punctuating direct speech. Differentiation Capital letters and inverted commas in direct speech. Above plus commas before and at the end of direct speech. Above plus ? ! . at the end of direct speech.

Activity sheets for children to add a range of prefixes to create nouns and understand their meanings. Prefixes: auto, anti, super, fore, mid, sub, tele, mini, micro, multi, semi. Includes definitions of each word for further support or teacher reference. Matching cards for children to match a prefix to a word and create a new noun, ideal for use in small groups or pairs. National Curriculum Links Year 3 – formation of nouns using a range of prefixes. Lower KS2 – use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them. – apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (etymology and morphology) as listed in English Appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words they meet.

A bundle of activities to help you teach how to use hyphens for clarity and to avoid ambiguity in Upper Key Stage Two. Hyphens activity sheets with three levels of differentiation, includes a range of activities for children to identify words that can be joined with hyphens, how they can be used and how they can change the meaning of a sentence. Hyphen matching cards. A range of words that can be linked together using hyphens, this is a fun matching game that can be used to help children make hyphenated words and go on to use them in sentences for clarity. National Curriculum Year 6 statutory content to be introduced – how hyphens can be used to avoid ambiguity. Years 5 and 6 – Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using hyphens to avoid ambiguity. Differentiation Using hyphens to link two words, explaining how a hyphen makes the meaning of the sentence more clear. Using hyphens to link two words, explaining how hyphens can change the meaning of a sentence and adding hyphens in the correct place. Using hyphens to link three words e.g. mother-in-law and explaining the difference in meaning between words with and without hyphens e.g. re-cover and recover.

Perfect when children are learning how to create verbs by adding suffixes in Year 5 or consolidation in Year 6. Matching cards for children to match nouns and adjectives to a range of suffixes. Ideal for use in small groups or pairs. ‘Ise’ activity sheets with three levels of differentiation allowing children to add suffixes using the correct spelling rule and using them in sentences. ‘Ate’ activity sheets with three levels of differentiation allowing children to add suffixes using the correct spelling rule and using them in sentences. ‘Ify’ activity sheets with three levels of differentiation allowing children to add suffixes using the correct spelling rule and using them in sentences. ‘En’ activity sheet allowing children to add suffixes using the correct spelling rule and using them in sentences. National Curriculum Year 5 Statutory content to be introduced – Converting nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes [for example, –ate; –ise; –ify] Years 5 and 6 – Pupils should be taught to use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them. Differentiation Adding suffixes when no changes need to be made to the root word or when ‘e’ needs to be removed. Adding suffixes when no changes need to be made to the root word, when ‘e’ needs to be removed and removing ‘y’ when adding ‘ify’. Adding suffixes when no changes need to be made to the root word, when ‘e’ needsto be removed, removing ‘y’, ‘ation’, ‘able’ to add the suffix and exceptions to the rule.

A bundle of 10 fun Chirstmas activities suitable across Key Stage Two. Select individual activities or create your own Christmas activity booklet. Plan a Christmas party with a budget. Mindfulness colouring. Christmas elf and bauble colouring and craft. Spell check a Christmas letter (activities for Years 3&4 and Years 5&6). Addition and subtraction Christmas trees. Christmas story writing. Snowflake symmetry. Sorting the 12 days of Christmas. Rearranging instructions for a Christmas recipe. Sort and identify Merry Christmas in different languages on map of the world. These activities are also available as part of our Advent Calendar, along with many more Christmas themed activities.

A bundle of 35 resources aimed at Year 6 but suitable across Upper KS2. 35 short grammar activities that can be used in grammar sessions, plenaries or interventions. This bundle is also ideal for SATs revision. Can be used independently or as part of paired or group work. Answers included Resources for: Correct and incorrect punctuation Semi-colons and colons Commas for clarity Word types including determiners, pronouns, prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, hyphens, punctuation for parenthesis, inverted commas, modal verbs Using a word as a noun and a verb Noun phrases Tense Prefixes and suffixes and word meanings Contractions. Activities include identifying grammar within sentences, explaining how it has been used, marking and correcting sentences, matching meanings and improving sentences.

Fourteen weeks of morning task activities, four activities per week. These morning activities are perfect for the start of the day, after break or lunch. We know how these times of the school day can be tricky and there is a lot going on, each day’s activity focuses on one objective with a challenge for any students who need it. They are designed to review curriculum knowledge that students have already learnt about, so are a perfect way to warm up for the day. These activities are prepared for the first term of Year 4 but can be used whenever, keep an eye out for morning tasks for the rest of the year or buy our Autumn and Spring bundle here. Objectives cover: Times tables Writing numbers in words and digits Roman numerals Addition and subtraction Adjectives, nouns, verbs and adverbs Spelling Writing instructions, play scripts and cartoon strips Editing writing Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Try the first week’s morning activities for free.

Four activities, perfect for morning activities, after break or lunch. We know how these times of the school day can be tricky and there is a lot going on, each day’s activity focuses on one objective with a challenge for any students who need it. These activities are prepared for the first week of Year 3 but can be used whenever. Purchase the whole Autumn term here and keep an eye out for morning tasks for the rest of the year. PPT and worksheets. Answers/examples provided where appropriate.

Spelling activity cards with 30 different challenges for children, perfect for practising spellings in fun and creative ways. Activities range from written activities, challenges that can be done alone, games for pairs or teams to outdoor tasks. These activities can be used or adapted for all ages.

Four activities, perfect for morning activities, after break or lunch. We know how these times of the school day can be tricky and there is a lot going on, each day’s activity focuses on one objective with a challenge for any students who need it. These activities are prepared for the first week of Year 4 but can be used whenever. Purchase the whole Autumn term here and keep an eye out for morning tasks for the rest of the year. This first week of morning activities starts with a look at emotions and gives students a chance to share how they’re feeling at the start of the school year. The rest of the week includes **using adjectives to describe, writing numbers in words and digits and a fun ‘create as many words as you can’ activity **. PPT and worksheets. Answers/examples provided where appropriate.