Useful links and resources
Sites offering downloadable lesson plans and other guidance and inspiration are numerous. The following list includes some of the most popular choices and is a good starting point that can lead you to other useful links and points of contact.
National
Literacy Trust (NLT)
You will find resources and information for all levels of education on the
NLT website including free downloadable pdfs, booklists and recommended
reads, and information on the National Reading Campaign website.
Everybody
Writes
Everybody Writes is an online resource, launched in the summer of
2007, which aims to help teachers get everyone excited about writing.
The British
Council's LearnEnglish Kids programme
This programme is an internationally applicable resource from the British
Council, which aims to bring free, dynamic and interactive content to children
around the world who want to learn English.
The British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA) has produced two free educational resources based on the theme of the post in the First World War. These resources are aimed at children between Key Stages 1 to 4 and support the teaching of Citizenship, Literacy and Remembrance at Primary and Secondary schools. You will also find seven educational resources on a variety of topics such as boy messengers and Victorian childhood, citizenship and communication for children with special educational needs, letters and correspondence throughout history, and stamps.
A football-based DVD Reading the Game has been designed by the NLT to promote reading and features high-profile footballers who talk about what, when and where they like to read. Although primarily aimed at 10— to 12-year-olds, people of all ages can become inspired to pick up a book. There are a number of resources including football-based literacy activities, ideas for libraries, and what children of different ages might like to read. State schools in England can get their free copy of the DVD via their local authority literacy consultants.
TeacherNet's reviewed lesson
plans
Read a lesson plan review before downloading it. The database contains over 2
000 reviews on subjects across all levels and Key Stages.
Andrew Moore's English-teaching resources
A favourite among English teachers, this site offers free online resources,
especially at Key Stage 4/GCSE and GCE. This site has been recommended by the
Sunday Times Culture magazine, the TES
and The Guardian.
Teachit
This extensive database of lesson plans offers teaching and revision approaches
to primary and secondary tasks and set texts.
Teacher Resource Exchange (TRE)
Teachers can post and access downloadable lesson plans and worksheets. Search
tip: the database is large so best results are achieved using the keyword
search box, rather than browsing by subject and Key Stage.
Shakespeare for all ages and
stages
This booklet offers teachers ideas on how to work with Shakespeare across all
the key stages.
Firework Safety
This government website helps literacy and citizenship teachers get across
the message about using fireworks safely. The site
has resources for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.
Diversity in children's literature (film
)
You can watch the film via modem or slow, fast and superfast broadband connections.
In 2004, Arts Council England and The Bookseller published 'In Full Colour', a research report identifying the many barriers to cultural diversity in the publishing industry. This revealed a widespread perception of under-representation of diverse cultures and languages in children's publishing.
This film, funded by the Department, was commissioned by
Arts Council England especially for the Diversity Matters conference of 26 July
2006. It serves as a showcase of what the youth of today's culturally
diverse Britain really do like to read.
All discussions came back to the recurring theme of representation: despite the
apparent diversity of choice, overall these books fail to represent the diverse
cultures and communities that exist within our schools, and British society as
a whole.
Reading for pleasure is important but, for young people in particular, it is
also vital for their personal and social development.
Poetry
Poetry in the classroom can help develop creativity and enhance literacy. For resources to help with teaching poetry, see:
-
The Poetry Archive, a free online resource with recordings of English-language poets reading their own work. The website is packed with information about poets and poetry, with advice on teaching poetry effectively, lesson ideas based on the Archive's recordings and an area where teachers can create and save their own lesson plans.
- The Poetry Society's website, which as well as extensive resources has information on poetry projects and events such as National Poetry Day. National Poetry Day 2009, held 8 October, celebrated the Poetry Society's centenary in the Royal Festival Hall, with readings from poets Carol Ann Duffy, John Hegley and many others.
The best of the BBC's resources
The BBC offers a vast range of resources. Some key ones are:
-
Key Stages 1, 2 and 3: TeacherNet regularly reviews this list of BBC literacy and English resources to make sure new sites are included.
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Key Stage 3 and 4 revision: Access the range of BBC Bitesize Key Stage 3 revision sites for students and teachers. These subject revision guides offer manageable study approaches. The English guides look at non-fiction reading and writing. The English Literature guides focus on set texts in prose, drama and poetry.
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Ask a Teacher: This site is aimed at pupils but is useful for teachers. It gives answers to questions posted by students stuck on essays. Type keywords into the search box, rather than pick from the list, as many more texts are covered than are listed.
Don't forget you can also search for resources by subject in TeacherNet's useful sites directory.
Last updated: 15 December 2009
