Charles Dickens

Oxford is proud to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens's birth (Portsmouth, February 7, 1812) with a selection of activities perfect for use in the classroom or for self-study.

Games, crosswords, useful information and plenty of other resources mean you can have fun with your students while they explore the life and works of a true great of English literature.

The books of Charles Dickens have sold in the millions, and have also been adapted into countless theatre and cinematic productions.

The Oxford graded readers series contain a choice selection of his titles we are sure your students will enjoy: Nicholas Nickleby, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and Oliver Twist.

So come and learn more about Dickens , enjoy his work, and be ready for a surprise or two as you discover the fascinating truth of his life story... hand in hand with Oxford.

"I Love Dickens" Game

A fun respite from other activities! Download and print the board game and question cards. The more students have paid attention to the Dickens books they have read, the better their chance of winning!

Instructions
Board and cards sets

Feel like an Artist!

Did you know that Dickens took a great interest in the illustrations for his books? Dare your students to feel like real artists, illustrating the Dickens story they have read!

Instructions
Storyboard template

Famous Quotes by Charles Dickens

Love quotes? Enjoy reading these famous quotes from the great man himself .

Quotes & Phrases
BrainyQuote

Your opinion

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Get to Know Dickens

Get the most out of your Oxford graded reader. Students will learn the biography of Dickens alongside their reading. They will be desperate to answer these questions about his life and work.

Standard level
Higher level

Food for Your Brain

Encourage your students to link the clues and answers. They will have a great time solving these printable Dickens crosswords.

Easy (A2)
Medium (B1-B2)
Difficult (B2-C1)

Did you Know?

Charles Dickens had a pet raven named Grip. When the bird died in 1841 he had it stuffed and it is now in the Free Library of Philadelphia.

As a young man Charles Dickens worked for nearly four years as a newspaper reporter working on court cases and legal proceedings. This experience found its way into many of his books.

Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine had ten children. Many of them were named after famous writers.

Many of Charles Dickens' books were printed in magazines in serial form before being published in book format. Unlike other authors who finished their stories before the magazines printed them, Dickens often wrote each episode as they were being serialized. This meant that his stories had a rhythm which kept the reader looking forward to the next episode, just like a modern day TV series.

One of Charles Dickens' daughters was named Dora after the character in his book David Copperfield. The real Dora died tragically of an illness just like the Dora in the book.

Useful Links

Surf the web to learn more about Charles Dickens. Link to some interesting sites here.

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