Linking identification of word classes to language techniques, this simple worksheet helps build confidence in spotting what job each word or phrase is doing

Chart the progression and development of plot, theme, or character thoughts, feelings and motivations with these handy templates. 2 blank templates provide freedom for plotting story structure (rising and falling action), or creating your own chart to follow a particular theme or characters. There are 3 examples, using the dramatic structure of Conan Doyle's short story "A Scandal in Bohemia", A love, attraction and regrets chart for Dickens's "Great Expectations" and a moral integrity and principles chart for Payne's "No Man's Land". Useful for all text types, from short story, novels, plays or even epic poetry.

In language analysis we compute (work out) meaning and inference based upon the abstraction of what we read and the application of contexts. We bind concepts and substitute connotations to develop reasoned and logical answers regarding the writer’s purpose and a reader response. Lambda has been the result of 18 months investigation into the appropriate pedagogy of developing students' critical analysis. This pack includes my research, student documents, introductory presentation and a template for application with worked examples.

A straight forward compilation of punctuation use for new teachers and students alike. Use as an in-lesson activity, or as a print out for student focus.

Wanting to stretch your students through creative tasks? Impose restrictions on the approach they take. Use a single die to determine perspective, tense, genre and the narrator's tone.

The Interactive Grammar App is a classroom and lecture resource designed to aid the learning of grammar from secondary to degree level, by providing the ability to reveal or hide the breakdown of sentence construction on a number of levels. It uses a simple Excel front end and mouse clicks to hide or reveal the functions and forms of each word class or phrase. 167 different sentences to use. To check out the userguide for free, download here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/interactive-grammar-app-userguide-only-11334727.

Do you have students who shrug at inspiration and puff their cheeks at imagination? Use this great tool for slow writing to get them thinking about not just what to write, but how to write it. Currently with 54 different sentence types, print these back-to-back (flipping the page on the short edge), then guillotine the cards, eh voila! Shuffle the cards and get writing. Each card comes with an explanation and at least one example to help guide your students in their writing: Example: the chiasmus sentence A repetition (in reverse order) or words, phrases or ideas already expressed (balanced clauses reverse each other). Readers don’t need to write but writers do need to read. Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.

How often do you remember to give students their due praise? How about, passing that onto parents? Edit the Header, alter the details for your own name, school, email, etc, and print as 4 postcards on 1 A4 sheet. Print, cut and get writing those positive comments. Get the parents on side and include them in their children's' education.

Get your students thinking more critically as they decode the background behind a text with this display / prompt sheet. Print and laminate.

English teachers are the worst for mnemonics and acronyms. Particularly, since the likes of AFOREST PIE and MOPSA never actually cater for the needs of the students. Is that P for Personification or Pathetic Fallacy? That S, is it for Similes or Senses? Do you even know if they can remember both? Try SOAPMAPS instead. It's a far simpler approach to understanding what techniques make work more creative: Similes Onomatopoeia Adjectives Personification Metaphors Adverbs Pathetic Fallacy Senses Now the students can use the language devices to "clean-up their narrative direction".

Print and handout so that every student has a handy reminder of Drop Swap and Double spellings

Students, particularly those with low literacy or suffering from dyslexia, require strategies for reading. These prompts, logs, and question sheets are designed to draw out greater depth of comprehension.

I don't argue or negotiate with my students over the importance of English as a subject. I direct them to my "Break the ICE" posters which set out the reasons for them: Inference Communication Empathy All three skills are necessary for us to be fully functioning members of society. Further, they are intrinsic to a student's development in English.

The Interactive Grammar App is a classroom and lecture resource designed to aid the learning of grammar from secondary to degree level, by providing the ability to reveal or hide the breakdown of sentence construction on a number of levels. It uses Excel and simple mouse clicks to hide or reveal the info. Buy the app and its 167 sentences here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/interactive-grammar-app-11334721