Tag Archives: english

Idea 228: Teaching Exam Technique With ‘Spoof’ Test Marking

I wanted to familiarise my class with the format of an upcoming test and the type of exam skills needed to complete it. The most obvious way to do that is to simply give the children a test to complete. … Continue reading

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Idea 227: Improving Handwriting with Guide Sheet

I do short daily handwriting sessions at my school, and the recommended resource we had was a booklet printed in green and yellow that split a standard writing line into 3 lines, to give space for ascenders and descenders. It … Continue reading

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The Best Thing I’ve Done with my Year 2 Class?

Poetry. Without a doubt. Particularly involving this utter piece of poetry gold: Everday after lunch, after I do the register, we spend a few minutes reading some poems. And the children LOVE IT! I say the first line of a … Continue reading

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Idea 220: 5 Quick Plenary Ideas For Any Lesson

Below are some simple activities you can use at the end of any lesson as a plenary to check the level of understanding amongst your pupils and to spot any misconceptions that might have otherwise slipped you by. Sentence Summary … Continue reading

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Idea 208: Poem a day

I’m trying to find as many ways as possible to slip little ‘extra bits’ of learning into the school day wherever I can, as I’m aware of how powerful it is for children’s long-term retention if I am able to … Continue reading

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Idea 201: The ‘2 Minute Check’, Simple Idea to Encourage Children to Start Writing Immediately

This is a simple idea to motivate your children to start writing immediately, mentioned to me by a colleague just the other day (hi Dave!). Once you are ready for your class to go off and begin writing, tell the … Continue reading

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Idea 183: Superb Way to Teach Expanded Noun Phrases

Expanded noun phrases are quite a dry-sounding topic by nature, but don’t despair as there IS a fun way to teach them! My fiancee suggested the following activity, which I tried in my class when I was being observed and … Continue reading

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Idea 171: Poem Based on a Friend

Pupils choose a friend to use as their starting point for their poem. Ask the pupil to think of answers to the following questions: If your friend was a piece of furniture, what kind would they be? What kind of … Continue reading

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Idea 170: Structure for Beginner Poetry

This is a scaffold to allow pupils who are just discovering poetry to get into the swing of things. I often find that the problem with creative tasks is that children don’t know where to begin, as there are just … Continue reading

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Idea 169: Soundscape Drama Technique for English

This is particularly useful for immersing pupils in a story and to help them consider all their senses when reading, rather than just focussing on what they see. Choose a scene from your book, then ask groups of pupils to … Continue reading

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