**Dragon writing! ** This illustrated writing frame invites similes, description, and action words for dragons - plus suggestions for their favourite food. Not Teachers on Toast, surely?!? The Guide sheet provides teacher support for firing enthusiasm, ideas and language, and presenting the sheet. Supports literacy, poetry, vocabulary-building, speaking and listening skills, expressive movement (in the recommended warm-up enactments), and study of mythical beasts. Best for lower juniors (7-9 year-olds).

Exciting, illustrated writing frames supporting Journeys, Explorers, Transport, Space, Ocean and World topics, harder and easier versions. Children write in first person, as the explorer, describing their imaginary expedition: destination, means of transport, clothes, equipment, dangers (3 invited), and how they’re feeling. An activity to get everyone on board, fired up and thinking, also developing literacy skills.

Which of the eight given sound-words fits which slot? That’s the simple challenge here. Eight separate lines of prose are given below them, each with a gap for one, but which? There’s a blank line at the end, with an invitation to write a sentence containing onomatopoeia independently.

This intriguingly illustrated sheet sets children dreaming, and the simple line starters prompt them to think up words for their thoughts. Extra-keen writers can add further description about the sea - and anything else related - on the wavy lines below. An example version, showing just one of the infinite ways the poem could be written, is supplied on a separate sheet. Easier versions also available, same price. Prepare your class by studying and discussing sea flora and fauna, treasure and detritus, mythical creatures and characters, and sounds, shapes and colours, too. Consider caves, sand and rocks, the rusty remains of ancient shipwrecks, picnic items washed away, bubbles, echoes - all sorts! Build up banks of describing words, imagery, action words and onomatopoeias as you go, but informally, keeping the atmosphere as free as the sea. Alliteration might crop up too (e.g. shimmery and shiny), but let individual creativity flow. SEE ALSO - TREASURE MAP alliteration game (popular) - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/treasure-map-alliteration-game-yr1-6-guide-for-use-11887395 .

What We Found at the Seaside - published by The School Magazine, Australia, celebrates natural seaside wonders, in a flowing pattern. 15 short lines, starting: Waves purring wind stirring      gulls chuckling      crabs scuttling spray splashing fish dashing Supports: poetry appreciation, poetry crafting, creative writing, ocean studies, nature, environment, green living, vocabulary, speaking and listening, and PSHE - calming and soothing.

Squirrels are fun to watch and write about, so your class will enjoy this writing sheet. The illustrations will spur ideas, and the Guide sheet will supply you with a handy list of further ideas to bring in. Follow the warm-up introduction suggestions to get everyone focused and enthused first, and set colouring pencils ready for shading in the illustrations when they’ve all had a go and read out their chosen words and phrases. The resource supports creative writing, vocabulary development and other aspects of English, while also nurturing an appreciation of the natural world and local environment.

Creative writing flows with a fun picture-poem frame, so your 5-7 year-old will be keen to think up words and similes to fill this fluffy cloud and the lines below. Prompt suggestions are provided on the Guide sheet, and your warm-up activities and real-life observations will inspire them further. See my Sun + Cloud resource for simpler writing and sunshine focus; also my Rain Rhymes resource. YouTube recording of my poem ‘What is a Cloud?’ https://youtu.be/EOKVIktMh10

Emergent and newly independent writers will enjoy thinking up describing words to write on the swirly, little lines on their cloud. Think up some together first, e.g. - fluffy, puffy, white, grey, floaty, soft, light, high, drifting, quiet, slow, pink, dark, stormy, woolly, silky, silver, whirly, swirly or candy floss. Here’s a published poem of mine about clouds on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EOKVIktMh10 Let children sound out the words, whether or not correctly, to sustain flow and build confidence. See my other weather writing frames, including harder version of this: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/weather-poetry-bundle-ks1-11974784

Rainy days can be fun when you’re being the rain yourself in a punchy action rhyme, and thinking up sounds and ‘doing-words’ to say and write - especially when writing them on an umbrella! Children who can’t write yet can colour the many-sectioned umbrella and contribute verbally. There are 2 short rhymes - actions provided - and 1 writing sheet with accompanying Guide for use/lesson plan. This resource supports Literacy, Expressive Arts & Design, Understanding the World (seasons and weather) and Physical Development. Rhymes are original, designs hand-drawn - home produced. PDFs. Here’s my poem ‘What is a Cloud’ (published): https://youtu.be/EOKVIktMh10

This engagingly illustrated under-the-sea writing frame will prompt your Yr 2s and confident Yr1s to write down their ideas about that fascinating world, with fish and treasure to describe, and a line for extra contributions. The wavy line below that can also be written on, and the many under-water items around it will fire all sorts of creative possibilities. The sheet is a simpler version of my Under the Sea writing frame for Ys 2-4, also available here.

Haiku poems are easy and fun to write when you know how, and your class will love the syllable-counting fun, too. This 2-page, 10-step guide will see you through the process of introducing the format, practising it with the class and helping them produce their own haiku. There are also suggestions for topic, approach and follow-on poetry-writing. I use the process myself in my workshops, and am always amazed by the fascinating and powerful lines produced. Recommended for Year 5 upwards - ideally Year 6 and above.

This intriguing poetry-writing theme, and the accessible, attractive worksheets, will motivate writers of all ability to think up imaginative description and similes. The Ideas Sheet, titled ‘City Lights’, is fun to use, with a spider diagram and scattered lines for adjectives and images. The poem frame, titled ‘Night Lights’, has plentiful space for writing, with clear, supporting structure, though able writers may prefer to use it as a launch pad for an individual approach. Both sheets are excitingly illustrated, with details to spark ideas. The Guide provides prompt suggestions for each and development ideas for the poem. The resource is home-produced and has been successfully used with Yr 3-6 classes. Black and white, PDF.

Seasonal fun activity to stretch language and creativity! Beautiful autumn leaf picture to write on, with prompts and writing lines. Colouring potential too. Great for wall display. Let children gather, inspect and play with leaves, then write these sheets freely. Prompt for colour words, textures, movements - gliding, spinning, twirling through the sky. (What sort of sky?) Similes invited. Lots of poetic and expressive scope. Promotes calm and joy.

Sea-themed haiku poetry - lesson plan, including 3 frames with gaps to fill, 3 starter lines, information about haiku and how they work, warm-up tips, and a whirl of ocean thoughts to spur discussion and writing ideas. The sea has wonderful potential as a poetic theme, possessing such a wealth of features and variables, including many contradictory ones: it can be both deep and shallow, warm and freezing, colourful or grey as iron, gentle or savage. It’s fresh, yet ancient, fun, yet formidable. It offers up a kaleidoscope of colours, sounds and moods. A haiku looks so small and simple, yet it can convey any concept you like, with impact. For more themes, see my Trees, Birds, Butterfly, and Dragon Haiku sheets too.

Bring fun and laughter into your space studies with this two-page, quick-fire roll of crazy, snappy rhymes about aliens, rockets, stars and more! Most are couplets, with a few 4-line verses too, and all are bonkers! They’ll inspire variations and brand new rhymes from your class, boosting their literacy skills. The rhymes are my own, and I’ve used some in my space poetry sessions. TIPS for class rhymes - I recommend starting with “space”, eliciting a list of single words that rhyme with it to write below. Then fill up the line leading up to “space”, e.g. I saw an alien up in space, and finally think up a line to end with your rhyming word, e.g. She was doing up her lace. Have fun! **SEE ALSO ** - PLANET poetry frame (Yrs 2-4) - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/planet-poetry-frame-ys-2-4-12018025 + Planet picture-poem frame (KS2) - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/planet-picture-poem-frame-ks2-guidance-sheet-11886984

This large and varied list of rhyming words will provide the backing you need for class dragon poems. See video for extra ideas + song! Select your favourite words, or those best suited to your group, and read out some of the example verses on the next page, to build your class poem, or help children concoct their own, in pairs or individually. These words and examples offer funny, exciting, mysterious and crazy possibilities, opening up the potential for inspired creativity. Your pupils will love this activity. Watch your reluctant writers and hesitant speakers come alive as the activity takes off! With young children, make up your own, leaving a word gap for contributions, or concoct a simple couplet together. Clap the beat to ensure a punchy rhythm. Now, how about some illustrations?

Halloween fun! A sheet of magic spell rhyming couplets to complete - all guided towards happy, innocent wishes. Four couplet frames + two blank lines for an independent one. Example: Wind, rain, snow and sun - Let today be __ and fun! PS: See my new Poetry How-To Videos, featuring Fireworks, Dragons & Space - so far: Kate Williams - YouTube

This beautiful, exciting seaside writing sheet invites describing words and similes to express ideas about sea, sand, sandcastles and shells, writing ON THE WAVES in this hand-drawn picture! Popular in my seaside poetry workshops. See my simpler versions too: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-frame-r-y1-12099509 and** https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-colouring-sheet-simple-12099515** .

FREE: Meadow words and similes are invited for the ten writing gaps in this vibrant, flowery meadow picture - an engaging writing task, stretching vocabulary and building literacy confidence while developing appreciation of nature. A gap-clear version of the photo is included for inspiration. A Guide Sheet for teachers provides handy ideas for word and similes to give as prompts and examples. Supports poetry and descriptive writing, all-round literacy, nature study, global warming discussion, plant, colour, outdoor world and other topics. A great gap-filler, too, for any time, any class (approx. Yrs 2-6). See my other word-gaps in topical pictures too.