I have been teaching across the foundation phase and Key Stage 2 since 2004, and I have created a wide range of effective resources for all sorts of topics and subjects, all of which have been tried and tested with my own pupils. Most of my resources are already differentiated, as I know how much time this saves. I hope other teachers find these resources useful and that other pupils enjoy and benefit from them as much as my classes have. All reviews/ratings gratefully received!
I have been teaching across the foundation phase and Key Stage 2 since 2004, and I have created a wide range of effective resources for all sorts of topics and subjects, all of which have been tried and tested with my own pupils. Most of my resources are already differentiated, as I know how much time this saves. I hope other teachers find these resources useful and that other pupils enjoy and benefit from them as much as my classes have. All reviews/ratings gratefully received!
A set of outdoor maths activity cards, which should be cut up and laminated for use outside. The cards have different mathematical tasks, including weighing, counting, sorting, addition, subtraction and shape, all using free outdoor resources (daisies, twigs, stones, etc). The cards feature clear, simple instructions, including pictures for less able pupils to be able to read them more independently. These cards could be used first in a whole class or group maths lesson, and then put into the outdoor provision for independent use.
Two worksheets for identifying and sequencing days of the week. One is a matching exercise where pupils match the days of the week to activities they do during the week. The other has the days of the week in a jumbled order, and pupils have to identify 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow' for each of the days of the week.
Three differentiated versions of a worksheet which pupils can use to record objects made from different materials that they find around the school or classroom.
Two differentiated versions of a sheet for recording results of a simple cress growing investigation to see what happens when you grow cress without either water, light or cotton wool, or with all three.
I created these tasks for my mixed ability Year 3 class, but they would be suitable to use with younger or older pupils too. As part of our human body topic, I wanted them to do some research about organs, and set this for homework, although it could of course be done in class too if you have non-fiction books/iPads/laptops available to use for research.
There are three differentiated tasks (all saved in one file):
'Less able' - Matching task where pupils have to research the appearance of the main organs so they can match images of them to the correct names.
'Middle group' - Research the main organs, and write a brief description of what each one does.
'More able' - Choose one of the main organs, research it and complete a fact sheet about it, describing its size, position, function and drawing a labelled picture of it.
This is a simple reading comprehension task which I created for my Year 3 class as a homework task, but could also be used in class. There are 3 pages in the file - the first is the lyrics, which everyone will need, and then there are two versions of the questions (one for the majority of the class, and one simpler version for the less able). I tried to write questions using similar formats to those used in our Year 2/3 national tests. I also included a QR code at the end, which links to the song on YouTube, so they can have a sing-along when they have finished!
Simple version of a family tree (parents, siblings + grandparents) for KS1/Foundation Phase. Pupils draw themselves in the 'me' box, and then cut & stick the images onto the tree.
Differentiated versions of a zoo animal themed data handling task. There are differentiated templates for pictograms with animal pictures included, already sized to fit into the spaces on the pictogram, and differentiated templates for zoo animal block graphs/bar charts. Originally created for Year 1, but suitable for more able Reception pupils and also for Year 2.
2 differentiated sequencing worksheets based on international rugby statistics. Worksheet 1- sequencing players in order of the number of international games they have played (2-digit numbers). Worksheet 2 - sequencing players in order of the number of points they have scored for their countries (3-digit numbers).
Differentiated versions of a worksheet where pupils have to identify, then cut-and-stick (less able) or write about each of the people who helps us in the pictures.
Differentiated writing frames for pupils to innovate part of the well-known story 'Flat Stanley' by putting their own name into the 'Flat _______' title and then imagining where they would post themselves and what they might do in their chosen destination if they were flat like Stanley. Pupils write about their chosen destination, the more able give reasons for their choice, and then pupils write about the activities they would like to do, and draw pictures of themselves doing them.
Leaf activity ideas which can be printed, cut up and laminated into cards for use in the outdoors with Foundation Phase pupils. Activities include sorting, measuring, colours, describing, symmetry and making things, all using leaves.
I created this project for my Year 3 class, but it could be easily adapted used in Y4 or higher. I based a whole week around it, including thinking skills, applying maths skills, designing products and advertising. I split my class into mixed ability teams for the week. The powerpoint file introduces the task, and contains instructions for every part of the task as you go through the week, including examples to demonstrate each maths activity. The maths activities are all differentiated for higher, middle and lower ability groups, and include calculating factory opening times, converting distances between metres and kilometres for 'distribution' and calculating production costs (multiplying by 2, 4 or 40). There are group thinking skills templates, which I enlarged to A3 for groups to brainstorm ideas for cereal types, flavours and brand names. There are also templates for designing a cereal box, an advertising poster, and a cartoon strip-style planning sheet to storyboard ideas for a TV advert. Afterwards, we filmed an advert for each group using an iPad and green screen.
Differentiated planning sheet for a non-chronological report on the Celts. Higher ability pupils can use the planner to complete research about the Celts' daily life (houses, clothes, food, etc) and then use the writing frame to structure their non-chronological report with sub-headings. The planner and writing frame for lower ability pupils concentrates on the Celts' roundhouses (what they look like, how they are built, what would be found inside, etc). Used with my Year 3 class, but could also be used with Year 4.
I have also included a simple Venn diagram sheet, used to compare a Celtic roundhouse with a modern home, which my Year 3 class used as a starting point for their research into the roundhouses.
A differentiated worksheet to cover time as part of my Year 1 class zoo project. File contains 4 slightly different versions where pupils either complete clock faces, read clock faces and record the time, or a mixture of both. The first is just O'CLOCK times, progressing on to a mixutre if O&'CLOCK and HALF PAST, and then including QUARTER TO/PAST for more able. Would also suit more able reception or less able Year 2.
Storyboard-style worksheet for writing instructions to grow cress. There are three differentiated versions; one is a cut-and-stick sequencing version, the second is a cloze gap-fill version, and the third just has pictures and the pupils have to write all the instructions themselves.
Pupils have to complete a timetable for the pirates to tell them what times to do their chores on the ship, using analogue and digital clocks . Three differentiated versions; 'o'clock times....'o'clock' & 'half past'....'quarter to', 'quarter past', 'o'clock' & 'half past'.
Differentiated tallying task. Just give pupils a handful of counters (differentiate by how many you give them) and allow them to count each colour, recording their results on the tally chart, and then answer a few simple data handling questions underneath.