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Primary Texts provides a range of EAL resources which are suitable for KS1 and KS2 new arrivals with little or no English. Our free EAL resources  include these useful school flashcards designed to help EAL beginners learn key vocabulary linked to the school environment.

If you are looking for more EAL resources, our great-value EAL premium range includes EAL starter worksheet packs designed to introduce key vocabulary linked to home, school and the wider environment. Plus, we also offer a wide selection of EAL newcomer activity packs which are great for interventions. You might also be interested in our popular  EAL Sentence Builder Pack which contains 20 colourful worksheets designed to help pupils formulate sentences.

To explore our full range of premium EAL resources, click here.

The National Curriculum for English objecives for key stage 1 include the following statutory objectives. Pupils should be taught to develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:

• listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently (Year 1)
• learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart (Year 1)
• listening to, discussing and expressing views about a wide range of contemporary and classic poetry (Year 2)
• continuing to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear (Year 2)

It is perhaps easier to find collections of fun contemporary poems for Key Stage 1 than it is to find classic poems which are of a suitable length and level of complexity to be discussed and possibly performed.  In order to develop an appreciation of poetry, it is important that the classic poems we share with our pupils should be engaging and relevant.

Our classic poetry bundle contains a selection of poetry written by the poet Christina Rossetti which are all linked to animals, which are of course an area of high interest to children of all ages. The poems are easy to understand, fairly short in length, rich in vocabulary and offer lots of potential for discussion.

The bundle contains 5 lessons with comprehension worksheets which are differentiated in three ways so as to be suitable for students in year 1 and 2 of varying abilities. The PPTs are visually attractive and include explanation and points for discussion. The PPTs also contain a variety of writing activities enabling teachers to extend on and develop the lessons into units of work if they wish. Plus, each PPT contains guidance for performing the poems.

To find more information on our Classic Poems Bundle click here. All of the poems in this bundle are also available as individual lessons and can be found in our website's KS1 Poetry section.

This resource is designed to help pupils to develop their understanding of the contributions made by black and Asian soldiers / army personnel of the Commonwealth during World War 2. It includes a PPT which includes background information about WW2 and the Commonwealth, nine biographies of black and and Asian soliders, plus details of two follow-up activities. Also, incorporated is a fascinating video produced in 1943 by  the Ministry of Information which was designed to show what life was like for Caribbean people who had travelled to the UK to join the armed forces.  The resource also contains comprehension worksheets to accompany each biography, differentiated  biography writing frames which enable the students to write their own biographies and other worksheets to support the two-follow-up activities. View the preview page below:

The black and Asian heroes featured in this resource are:

• Learie Constantine
• Ulric cross
• James Hyde
• Billy Strachan
• Prakash Singh Chib
• Lilian Bader
• Johnny Symthe
• Noor Inayat Khan
• Yeshwant Ghadge

To access this resource pack click here.

Burns Night takes place on the 25th January and celebrates the life and poetry of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. With Burns Night approaching, you may be  looking for a poetry lessson which uses one of his poems.  This resource is based on the Robert Burns poem 'My Heart's in the Highlands.' It is particulary useful for introducing Robert Burns and Burns Night, but is also great for anytime of the year. 

Robert Burns loved nature and this gentle rhythmic poem illustrates the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. The resource contains a PPT which introduces the poem alongside a glossary and pictures to aid understanding. The PPT is fully editable and also contains background information about the poem, the poet, Burns Night and discussion questions.  Plus, the resource includes accompanying comprehension worksheets. 

In addition, the lesson provides teachers with the opportunity to extend the lesson into a unit of two or three lessons using these optional follow-up activities (details of which are provided on the PPT slides):

• Write an advert for a hiking tour of the Scottish Highlands
• Imagine that you go for a walk in the Scottish Highlands and write a sensory description.

A copy of the poem is provided for use with the comprehension worksheets. It is also useful for annotation or further analyis.  Burns Night often features recitals of Robert Burns's poems. If you would like students to learn the poem off by heart and perform it, the copy of the poem provides a useful prompt.

To access this lesson, click here.

Understanding why similes and metaphors are used and the effect they have on the reader can help pupils to develop a deeper understanding of what they are reading. In addition, if students explore using these techniques themselves it can help them to bring their writing to life. In key stage two, similes and metaphors are linked to the following statutory English national curriculum reading comprehension objectives:
• Discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination (Years 3 and 4)
• Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader (Years 5 and 6)

For years 5 and 6, the non-statutory guidance states: 'Pupils should be taught the technical and other terms needed for discussing what they hear and read, such as metaphor, simile, analogy, imagery, style and effect'.

There are lots of lists of common similes and metaphors on the internet, and while these can be useful, it is important that students see examples of how these techniques can be incorporated into high-quality descriptive writing , especially if our aim is for the students to try using similes and metaphors themselves.

Our 'Similes and Metaphors PowerPoint lesson for KS2' contains examples of the use of similes and metaphors within three different classic texts. Plus, incuded are three tasks which require students to explore using similes and metaphors themselves and to explain their meanings. To access further details about this lesson click here.

This lesson is also available as part of our Figurative Language Bundle for KS2: a five day unit of PPT Lessons exploring figurative language. Click the image below for more details:

Are you looking for SPAG materials to help students revise  for the Key Stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) test?  This test often features questions linked to year 6 objectives plus many topics covered in previous years. It can be difficult to find an appropriate range of SPAG revision materials which offer the extensive coverage needed. It can also be hard to find engaging materials, particularly when it comes to some of the more challenging concepts.

Our great-value resource contains 30 detailed no-prep SPAG PPT lessons for year 6 providing comprehensive coverage of the content students need to revise to succeed in the GPS tests. Each lesson includes explanation, exercises and discussion prompts.

All PPT lessons are accompanied by assessments which contain five SATs style questions linked to the objective and an answer sheet. Click here for resource details.

Are you looking for resources about which explain Epiphany? Epiphany or Three Kings Day is the date used to celebrate the arrival of the wise men (also known as the Magi). This fun and informative resource is suitable for ages 6 to 11 years. It contains a PowerPoint lesson presentation which explains what Epiphany is and how it is celebrated in different countries and includes details about Three Kings Day. The PowerPoint contains ideas for two follow up activities: design a Epiphany cake or design a crown.  Find more details abouut this resource here.

You may also like our Epiphany / Three Kings Day bundle featured below which includes a poem and comprehension linked to the wise men (the three kings) and a selection of accompanying activities which are useful for creating a longer unit of work.

Developing knowledge of the nine parts of speech is incredibly important. It helps students to understand sentence construction and how language works. When students have this understanding, they are able to focus on specific aspects of their written work in order to improve it. Without this understanding, teacher comments such as 'Try adding adjectives.', 'Use powerful verbs.', etc. are meaningless!

The bundle above contains teaching PPTs for five parts of speech: nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs. Each PPT contains explanation and a range of practice exercises. All PPTs are also available to download individually. To access this resource click here.