Teaching and Literacy Resources by Kate Coldrick
Welcome to the resources page of Kate Coldrick, literacy tutor and creator of inclusive English materials. Here you’ll find teaching ideas, adaptable tools, and literacy support resources for Functional Skills English, GCSE English, and confidence-building literacy practice. My work is designed especially with autistic and neurodivergent learners in mind, drawing on over twenty-five years of teaching experience in classrooms, tutoring sessions, and home learning.
Many of the materials can be downloaded from my TES shop, while others are linked to blog posts that explain how I use them in practice. Each resource is designed to support learners without overwhelming them. I aim to reduce unnecessary information, use clear and consistent layouts, and allow space for flexible use. Many of the learners I work with are neurodivergent or have had difficult experiences in education. These materials are built with those needs in mind; they are intended to reduce anxiety, make expectations clear, and offer structure without distraction.
What You Will Find Here
- Structured writing activities to help learners build confidence with writing
- Reading comprehension tools for non-fiction, stories, and visual texts
- Literacy resources for entry level learners, with visual support and clear steps
- Lessons based on everyday texts such as letters, blog posts, job adverts, and news articles
- Editable templates that can be adapted to suit different learners and contexts
- Printable resources and tools I regularly use in my own teaching
Who These Resources Are For
- Teachers and tutors looking for ready-made, adaptable materials
- Parents supporting learning at home, especially for children with additional needs
- Learners who want to improve literacy skills in a practical and realistic way
- Anyone who has lost confidence with reading or writing and wants to rebuild it gently
Published Books by Kate Coldrick
I also have a growing collection of structured English workbooks and books available on Amazon. These are designed to support students who benefit from clear explanation, modelling, step-by-step guidance and manageable practice.
My published books include resources for Functional Skills English, descriptive writing, morphology and word study, alongside wider work on inclusive education and my creative/literary writing project On the Skyline: Women Rewritten.
Understanding English Through Word Parts
A structured workbook on Anglo-Saxon, Latin and Greek word parts for vocabulary, spelling and reading. This book helps students look inside words, recognise meaningful parts, connect spelling and meaning, and approach unfamiliar vocabulary with greater confidence.
The Structured Descriptive Writing Workbook
A step-by-step descriptive writing workbook for students who find creative or open-ended writing difficult. It includes clear models, sentence-by-sentence guidance, image prompts and structured practice to help students build descriptive responses with more confidence.
Functional Skills English Writing Workbook
A structured writing workbook for Functional Skills English, with clear models, practice tasks and support for sentence control, audience, purpose and written communication.
Music for Every Learner
A practical guide to inclusive music teaching and curriculum design for children and young people with SEND. It explores access, communication, participation, progression and creative choice across mainstream, specialist and community settings.
Read more about Music for Every Learner.
On the Skyline: Women Rewritten
A creative/literary writing project reimagining women’s stories, voices and perspectives.
View all books by Kate Coldrick on Amazon
Browse Teaching Resources
Here are some of my current downloadable resources, blog-linked teaching materials and classroom tools, with more added regularly. You can also browse the full catalogue on my Shop page. These resources are designed to support Functional Skills English, GCSE English and literacy development, especially for neurodivergent learners and those rebuilding confidence.
- TES Shop – Kate Coldrick’s Resources
A full catalogue of downloadable teaching materials, lesson plans, and literacy tools. - Descriptive Writing Opening Paragraphs Workbook for KS3 and GCSE English
A KS3 and GCSE descriptive writing workbook focused on opening paragraphs, with modelled examples, clear scaffolding, planning templates, and independent practice. Designed to support atmosphere, sentence control, and structured writing, particularly for autistic and neurodivergent learners. - GCSE English Language Descriptive Writing – Developing Atmosphere and Structure (Paper 1 Question 5)
A GCSE English Language Paper 1 Question 5 descriptive writing resource focused on atmosphere, structure, and sentence control. This 18-page lesson sequence uses a model image, fully worked response, structured observation questions, and guided planning frameworks to help students understand how successful descriptive writing is built. Particularly suitable for autistic and neurodivergent learners, and for students who benefit from explicit scaffolding when planning and writing extended responses. - Blog: Writing Sentences – Entry Level Practice
A behind-the-scenes look at how and why I created this resource, including thoughts on sentence progression, Functional Skills criteria, and supporting learners who need structure without distraction. - Blog: Animal-Themed Phonics Progression – Multisensory Activities for Reading and Writing
A structured, play-based approach to teaching phonics using animal toys, listening games, and writing activities linked to the Letters and Sounds framework (Phases 1–4). - Practice Exam Papers – Functional Skills English
Original Entry Level 3 and Level 1 papers set in real-world contexts such as animal care, eco-adventure holiday camps, and parks and recreation. Closely mapped to assessment standards to build exam familiarity and confidence. - Blog: Sentence Types – Simple, Compound, Complex
Visual guides and step-by-step worksheets to help learners identify and use different sentence structures, with answer keys for self-checking. - Reading Comprehension Packs – Functional Skills
Short, accessible non-fiction texts with retrieval, inference, and vocabulary questions. Includes topics such as wildlife, community events, and practical life skills. - Literacy Support Worksheets – Neurodivergent-Friendly Design
Printable spelling, grammar, and writing resources with uncluttered layouts, consistent formatting, and adaptable templates to suit different learners. - Functional Skills Writing Bundle (EL1 to L2)
A four-part collection covering progression of writing skills, sentence types, audience and purpose, and step-by-step sentence practice. Designed to be clear, structured and practical, and especially supportive for neurodivergent learners. Save 50% compared to buying each resource separately. - Curating a 19th-Century Playlist for GCSE English
Audio Versions of My Writing
You can now listen to audio versions of my blog posts and articles on SoundCloud. This channel features spoken recordings of my work on inclusive education, literacy, and neurodiversity.
About the Creator
All of the resources on this site are written by Kate Coldrick, a literacy tutor and teacher based in East Devon. With over twenty-five years of experience across mainstream and specialist settings, Kate specialises in Functional Skills English, GCSE English, and literacy support for autistic and neurodivergent learners. Her work focuses on accessible, thoughtful teaching that builds skills and confidence step by step, whether in classrooms, tutoring sessions, or home learning.
Further Reading
For more insights from Kate Coldrick on inclusive teaching and literacy support, explore these articles:
- Kate Coldrick’s strategies for teaching autistic students – practical ideas drawn from experience, focused on confidence-building and clarity.
- Inclusive Education for Autistic Students: Evidence, Gaps, and Urgent Questions – a research-informed analysis combining systematic review evidence and practical school strategies.
You can also find my free parent guides on neurodiversity at Neurodiversity Learning Support Consultancy:
- Autism in Girls: A Guide for Parents – helps parents recognise signs of autism in girls, understand masking and social motivation, and find practical support strategies.
- Understanding Dyslexia: A Guide for Parents – clear explanations of dyslexia and practical strategies for home and school.
- Understanding Monotropism: A Guide for Parents – introduces monotropism in plain language and offers parent strategies to support attention, focus, and energy.
- Understanding Autistic Processing: A Guide for Parents – explains autistic processing through everyday examples, highlighting strengths, challenges, and simple metaphors.
All guides are free to read online and available to download as printable handouts in Kate Coldrick’s TES shop.