See also: Drama and Theatre Studies; Books, reading and stories

There is no shortage of resources for help with the English language, however this proliferation can often make it difficult to find the right materials. English in itself is a huge subject area and not simply a collection of over one million words. It is ever evolving, with new words added to its dictionary every year and new literature being created by authors, poets, playwrights and all manner of wordsmiths on a daily basis. The aim of this section is to inspire children and young people with resources that stimulate creativity and engage the imagination as well as provide access to understanding the principles of the English language.

The areas covered are: English Grammar; English Language and Literacy for Primary; English Language and Literacy for Secondary; Writing Skills for Primary; Writing Skills for Secondary; English Literature; Authors and their Books; Plays; Poetry and Comics. Within each, there are learning resources from a variety of sources. Both the Writing Skills and the Poetry sections bring together creative writing activities from an eclectic mix of museums, galleries and organisations and provide a wide range of writing ideas and styles to use either at home or within the classroom – from letter writing as an evacuee to diary writing as a passenger on the SS Great Britain, from Haiku poetry to Words That Burn.

Authors and their books

A Christmas Carolm Charles Dickens

www2.bfi.org.uk/victorian-masculinity

This uses silent film to enhance the study of Victorian literature for KS3 and KS4. The lesson plans and films offer context for studying A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Barrington Stoke: A Christmas Carol resources

www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/books/a-christmas-carol-resources

These resources have been designed to guide students through Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It includes a synopsis of the book, key characters, themes and scenes, providing quotes for each of these key areas. Excellent.

Also available:

Barrington Stoke: Of Mice And Men resources

www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/books/of-mice-and-men-resources

Barrington Stoke: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde resources

www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/books/the-strange-case-of-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-resources

Jane Austen: British Library Discovering Literature

www.bl.uk/people/jane-austen

A host of resources for students and teachers, including essays and digitised images of primary sources.