If your school has a pond, this picture-poem sheet will provide an excellent way of motivating your class to take an interest in it, while stretching their language and creative skills as well. Children will love writing describing words on the pond itself, and expressing their thoughts about it around the picture. The accompanying guide sheet offers ideas for each section to support discussion and prompting, as needed. This resource supports English, biology, animal and nature studies, outdoor learning opportunities, and celebrations of the school. Best for Years 2-4, able Yr 1 pupils and under-achieving older ones; also as a warm-up sheet for independent writing of poetry, stories or description at all junior levels.

Literacy boost with exciting twists! Fun, inspiring spelling + vocabulary enhancer about pirates, treasure and oceans. Eight questions, including a rhyme, an anagram, a spelling choice, a type of gem, and more, on an attractive, illustrated sheet. Answers on accompanying sheet. Supports multiple topics, e.g. ocean, pirates, weather, journeys, going for gold, the wider world, voyagers, and seaside, and brings literacy alive. See also my other ocean/pirate lit. resources, e.g. Treasure Map: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/treasure-map-alliteration-game-yr1-6-guide-for-use-11887395 and Stormy Sea: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/stormy-sea-poetry-frame-guide-12043779 .

Supports Literacy, PSHE, mental wellbeing and physical exercise, as well as poetry, drama and all-round creative expression. This is a fun writing challenge, involving similes and action words, with scope for enrichment. A monster (s/he) can be any sort you like, with three heads and two tails perhaps, and this one has moods - happy, cross, excited, ?.. How does a monster behave when cross? Do they charge around the monster school, stamping on books like an angry giant? When happy, does s/he glide like an angel, or perform back-flips like a gymnast? The warm-up actions sheet will spur extended ideas. Hand-sketched illustrations. SEE MY SEA-MONSTER FOOD sheet too!

Fascinating creative opportunity for older/more able writers, depicting the sea as different entities or things. Format and starter lines for a sequence of verses are provided, with quality sample poem, written by myself (published poet) for the purpose. Tip: build up to metaphors by (1) discussing sea in different weathers, climates, times and seasons, enacting and sounding out; (2) elicit words and similes for the variations; (3) invite pupils to try taking out the ‘as… as’ or ‘like’ from their similes to form metaphors (e.g. ‘the sea IS a mirror’; (4) read the sample poem; (5) give out the frames and scrap paper for independent writers and let them write their own, personal versions. See also my many other sea poetry frames in my catalogue, with sub-topics such as sea monsters, seabed mysteries, summer’s day sea, stormy sea and a pirate’s treasure map.

Reading/sounding out + learning about shells, seaside, nature and more. Eight describing words for shells for young readers (Reception - Y2), big, bright and clear, around a colourful photo of shells on beach. Words: shells, hard, curly, dry, shiny, hollow, sandy, wet. Help children turn sheet to read the words. Watch my video on seaside shells: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wkeZ8K6iCfcFQneZ9 See my other seaside and phonics resources too.

Peeping, creeping; chattering, pattering; barging, charging; flapping, snapping - these are a few of the 24 rhyming action verbs suggested here for rainforest or jungle poems. Examples of completed couplets are also provided. Select, build and edit with your pupils, to create your own vibrant, action-packed class poem! It’ll bring your topic to life, enhancing literacy skills along the way.

This simple rhyme invites exciting whole-body actions, with scope for humour, drama, fantasy and expressive, imaginative movement. It includes a simile that can be exchanged for different ones in follow-on verses. The punchy rhythm and clear rhymes will help children develop an ear for rhyming couplets. While focusing minds on stars in space, it also prepares children for any writing task on the subject. The 1-sheet resource includes suggestions for warm-up and development, and lists of words to prompt for when swapping in new ones. The activity supports the learning areas of Literacy, Expressive Arts & Design, Physical Development, Communication and Language, and Understanding the World.

This is a reading, writing and word-picture linking activity for young children, with example sheet. The three animal words, dog, cat, hen, are presented next to jumbled pictures of them. The challenge is to sound out the words and link them, with a pencil, to the correct picture. The pale letters can also be over-written, for hand-writing practice, and to consolidate the sounding out findings. This resource adds extra meaning and fun to early literacy lessons. Fun cat music! Do listen (free) to this delightful, jazzy cat movement music, by a favourite composer of mine - for all ages! https://soundcloud.com/rhodri-williams-wandoch/watching-the-cat

This rosy garden apple picture poem celebrates nature, seasons and healthy eating. The 5-line cinquain is simple and attractive to read, view and listen to. Perhaps your class can make up a similar cinquain about apples or another fruit? See my banana poem too, and my other Healthy Eating resources. The poem and photo are by this author, Kate Williams.

Seaside poetry writing on a fabulous seaside photograph! Line starters for free, expressive writing. Example sheet provided, to inspire ideas of all sorts. Flexible for all ages and abilities, written or out loud. Text: In the sea’s sparkly blue I find… In the sea’s soft hum I hear… In the sand’s ______ I feel… Metaphors, description, long or short responses, literal or imaginary - all sorts are welcome here! See also my many other seaside and ocean resources!

**A Congratulations message for your class! ** WELL DONE CLASS! Presented on coloured pencils photo (with raindrops), suggesting challenge, hard work + success. Glossy, fun, informal, celebratory poster. Supports PSHE, teacher/pupil rapport, positive thinking. For any class achievement, e.g. exam results, year-end, good work.

A beautiful, inspiring, comforting poem about autumn leaves, their colours, movements and seeming free spirits. Use as a starter for class poetry writing, to spur other ideas for language, imagery, movement and poem forms. Help the children identify the rhyming words (gloaming/roaming, where/care/air, glow(ing)/low/go). Who can spot the question? Any other questions to ask? See my other autumn leaf resources for more inspiration and format ideas.

Autumn leaves words, similes and colouring fun offered on this beautiful picture poem frame for newly independent writers. Leaves go - sailing, flowing, dancing, spinning, gliding, skipping, drifting… They are as colourful as - jewels, flowers, butterflies, rainbows… Wavy lines to write on, reflecting the wavy leaves. Let children gather and inspect leaves first, spinning and flying them. Discuss their movements and colours, and invite simile ideas. See also my other autumn leaves resources and woodland writing sheets.

A fun, attractive, autumn activity for young children. One word to write - action word for sailing, gliding leaves - and beautiful leaves to colour in. Go out to collect leaves first, and watch them falling. Examine and discuss them, then act out their movements, drawing action words from your class. Prompt for words like floating, gliding, darting, dancing, skipping, twisting, falling and swinging. Encourage emergent, have-a-go, writing, for a relaxed approach, to unleash creativity and build writing confidence. See my other autumn leaves poetry frames too.

Autumn leaves to write in and colour, with similes invited - as red as, as yellow as, as gold as, etc. 5 leaf similes to complete + a line of description. Recommended for Yrs 2-5 approx. Inspiring, fun, calming, nature-themed poetry and art resource. See also my other Autumn Leaves sheets.

I’m ___ ing and ___ ing, like a __ , this poem starts, with a long, wavy line down the page for children to take off and fly with their ideas. The accompanying colour sketch will inspire ideas. EXAMPLE: I’m sailing and gliding, like a leaf in the wind, free as the air and merry as sunshine… But now I’m tipping and tilting, like a boat on a rough sea. I’m spinning, spiralling, loop-the-looping. I’m a circus acrobat, vaulting the air… and now calmly cruising the fine, silky skies again. Supports literacy, including vocabulary, writing fluency and encouragement, also weather, travel and transport studies. **SEE ALSO - ** LAND OF L… magic land alliteration game - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/land-of-l-creative-alliteration-fun-12031118 .