Here’s our list of must have, go-to, life-saving, instant lesson idea resources for English teachers, including websites, teaching ideas, and recommended books.
Websites and blogs
- National Literacy Trust – resources for teachers and schools.
- Scholastic teaching resources – ideal for Primary English and Literacy teachers in the UK.
- Ten uses for your redundant classroom computer.
- 13+ Common Entrance English revision
- English Teaching Resources page for KS2 and KS3
- Using Film and Media in KS2 and KS3 English teaching.
- Mr Aitken’s Writing website.
- The Book Trust – resources for primary school teachers.
English teaching books and ideas
These suggestions are not specifically tied to curriculums and have been picked on the strength of the teaching ideas and activities described.
Mind Maps for Kids by Tony Buzan
An excellent resource for teaching pupils how to structure and plan ideas for writing fiction, non-fiction and revision. Very visual and engaging in style.
The Graphic Novel Classroom by Maureen Bakis
A great guide explaining how to create graphic novels in the classroom to engage pupils with writing, reading and critical thinking skills. The ideas work particularly well with pupils aged 12-16.
Let’s Do Poetry in Primary Schools by James Carter
This book is packed with fun and practical workshop-style ideas for teaching poetry to primary-aged pupils. There’s an excellent range of ideas, all of which will work well with pupils aged 5-11.
Spelling Rules, Riddles and Remedies by Sally Raymond
An innovative and interesting set of ideas to engage pupils in learning to spell. The book is aimed at children who struggle with spelling, but the ideas and methods will work well with all pupils aged 5-13. The book uses games, mnemonics and confidence-boosting strategies.
Bananagrams game
An ideal game to encourage and build confidence with independent spelling, word building, use of prefixes and suffixes and imaginative vocabulary. Bananagrams is perfect group activities involving spelling or proofreading. There’s also a large outdoor set available.
Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary
This is probably the most child-friendly rhyming dictionary published. Now out of print, this US English edition features word lists built up progressively by the number of syllables – including internal rhymes and funny phrases and idioms which encourage pupils to become engrossed.
Rip the Page! by Karen Benke
This book is full of creative and left-field prompts to spark ideas for poems or solve a blank-page story situation. It’s an excellent resource for reluctant writers and suitable for pupils aged 9-14. There are numerous quotes and anecdotes from prominent US children’s authors such as Lemony Snicket.
For more ideas, see our list of graphic novels for children in KS2, our list of graphic novels for children in KS3 & KS4, our GCSE revision book recommendations, and our graphic novel versions of popular GCSE English Literature set texts.
