Poetry & literacy resources by published children's poet.
I also lead poetry workshops for UK primary schools.
Website: katewilliamspoet.com
Book news - Squeak! Squawk! Roar! Animal poems - out 9th January '25. Publisher: Otter-Barry Books.
Poetry & literacy resources by published children's poet.
I also lead poetry workshops for UK primary schools.
Website: katewilliamspoet.com
Book news - Squeak! Squawk! Roar! Animal poems - out 9th January '25. Publisher: Otter-Barry Books.
Fun, motivating literacy activities for practice and assessment of tricky spellings (e.g. its/it’s, which/witch, and s/es plurals; also practice of lit. techniques - onomatopoeia & alliteration. Handy for pre-SATs or general testing, and year-round literacy development.
Four activities for younger/less confident KS1 readers, with adult support. Contents: 2 fun word games; one seaside picture with describing words spread over; 1 colourfully decorated reading test with simple words using the whole alphabet. Handy for pre-test practice and assessment, and as year-round reading spurs.
Word types from the curriculum lists are represented in these 3 graded reading practice/assessment sheets and the Yr 2 practice spelling test. But they’re child-friendly in presentation, with patterns and bright colours, reducing nerves and promoting a positive approach to the challenges.
Bring Literacy, Space studies and Healthy Living to life with this hilarious writing sheet.
How do Martians keep fit? By swinging from the moon? By running round black holes? By competing in floating races? The line-starters and prompts will fire up ideas and set pens rolling. See the accompanying guide sheet for examples and ideas to prompt with.
Recommended for Yr 2 upwards. Pool ideas first - both for space features and keep-fit methods, and share ideas for filling the gaps before independent writing.
SEE ALSO: Meals for Martians - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/meals-for-martians-fun-sheet-guide-12115040, and Funny Space Rhymes - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/funny-space-rhymes-12051967 .
More space writing resources at my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/katewilliams_poetry?sortBy=newest&p=2 .
Get your reluctant writers dashing down ideas on this crazy-fun writing sheet!
Supporting video (2nd half): https://youtu.be/sITQrMuDrfg
What would a Martian, or alien, like to eat? Star dust salad? Rocket roast? Soup served on a flying saucer? The starter words spur ideas to fill up the lines, with desserts and drinks included! Accompanying Ideas Sheet offers teacher-support for prompting and guiding.
Supports space study, literacy and food science, all in one!
**SEE ALSO: Funny Space Rhymes: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/funny-space-rhymes-12051967.
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Also many space poetry resources to read, write and build together, at my TES shop, .e.g. on page 2: ces/shop/katewilliams_poetry?p=2 .
Sea monster food? What’s that? Rock roast? Splash salad? Fish and ships? The starter words here open up ideas and get children dreaming and writing - even reluctant and struggling writers! The guide sheet offers teachers ideas for prompting with. Tip: think up sea features together -from fishes to mermaids and pirate ship wrecks - then combine with human dishes, like roasts, sandwiches and pies, perhaps bringing in alliteration (Killer Whale Crisps, Treasure on Toast). Best for KS2, or KS1 as a whole-class, teacher-led game.
SEA ALSO: Treasure Map alliteration game: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/treasure-map-alliteration-game-yr1-6-guide-for-use-11887395 .
Pirate treasure from the sea bed could be beautiful, mouldy or smashed to bits. It could be flamboyant or faded, delicate or dangerous, and you might find it floating and drifting or submerged and water-logged. It’ll probably be secret, too - stolen, smuggled and concealed. All these words and many more are listed in this mind-stretching word bank. Either read out from it yourself or copy and distribute it around your class, for selecting and trying out, or to trigger other ideas. Encourage some of these words in conversation too.
VIDEO SUPPORT: me reading my published poem, ‘Treasure Chest Mystery’ - details on my website, poemsforfun.wordpress.com : https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMarEm9uVBDEGPTykSlkAfT6jdVArKlPen6X5lk1le7dqUc89gEztNjSO7V6qsxUQ?key=X0hIWmdaV1M0Q2lHYURKbDdIVFFPMTVBTWRUdkhn
SEE ALSO: **Under the Sea **poem frame: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/under-the-sea-poem-frame-example-y2-4-11922054 , Seabed Rhymes Y2-4: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-seabed-rhymes-fun-rhyming-couplet-frames-ks2-11892578 . Seabed Mystery Poem Frame KS2: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seabed-mystery-poem-frame-ks2-guide-11892739 and Treasure Map alliteration game: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/treasure-map-alliteration-game-yr1-6-guide-for-use-11887395
Phonics and reading practice with seaside theme and picture. Ten simple describing words, clearly highlighted in red boxes over a beautiful seaside photograph. Words: wet, fun, cool, bubbly, wavy, splashy, shallow, fresh, calm, sandy.
See also: Seaside Writing & Colouring Sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-colouring-sheet-simple-12099515, and Boat on Sea Colouring Sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/boat-on-sea-colouring-sheet-12096606 .
National Curriculum word lists for Year 2 are represented, category by category, in these 2 spelling tests. Each comes with teacher’s version to read out and children’s child-friendly version to write. First test has 15 questions; second has 16. The children’s versions have gaps to fill; the teacher’s versions have words highlighted to instruct children to write in the gaps provided, as in SATs tests. Children’s papers also have stars to colour in at start and end.
See also child-friendly word lists for reading practice and assessment: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-spelling-reading-assessment-practice-mid-level-12107263, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-spelling-reading-assessment-practice-sheet-hardest-12107572 (mid-level + hardest).
KS1 Reading, Spelling, Phonics support - 3 sheets, differentiated: Easy, Mid-Level, Hard, for assessment and practice of reading and spelling, in accordance with word types, phonics and spellings for KS1 National Curriculum. Decorated and coloured, child-friendly sheets, taking the fear out of testing and adding fun to learning.
24 hardest level KS1 words for practice and assessment of reading and spelling. Attractively decorated sheet with unconnected words, each type taken from the National Curriculum KS2 word list (2018) - wide range included.
**See my two easier versions also in blue and peach:
3-letter word list (easiest), https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-reading-test-practice-3-letter-words-12107255
harder (mid-level) - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-reading-assessment-practice-harder-12107263
This KS1 reading/spelling assessment or practice sheet contains 28 words of low to mid difficulty. The word types are drawn from the National Curriculum Y1-2 spelling list, and include 2-letter vowels, as in cart and fur, long vowels, as in lake, double letter followed by ed/ing, consonants of 2 letters, e.g. ch, unusual spellings, as in call, and other spellings beyond basic phonics. A bright, cheerfully decorated sheet for practice and monitoring.
See also KS1 reading test - simpler version (pale orange) - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-reading-test-practice-3-letter-words-12107255
Alphabet letters a-z are included in the 22 simple words in this decorative reading assessment/practice sheet. The vowels are all short, 1-letter ones, as in zip, pot and fun. There is one 4-letter word - quit - to include q. Suitable for early years and lower ability Yr 1 readers.
See also - harder version also, in blue https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-reading-assessment-practice-harder-12107263
Sun and sunshine similes with starter phrases in an attractive frame with picture prompts all round, for Yrs 2-4 approx. The sun is as hot as, as yellow as, as bright as, as round as…, and as - (gap for idea) as. And when it’s sunny, I like to – (line for filling).
SEE ALSO: Weather Poetry Bundle - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/weather-poetry-bundle-ks1-11974784 **+ SEA SIMILES: **https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/weather-poetry-bundle-ks1-11974784 .
Sea similes and free style creative writing are invited on this wavy-sea picture poem, entitled “Summer’s Day Sea”. Children in my workshops are keen to write on the waves, thinking up their own similes for the sea and sand, and details to follow ‘It goes…’ and ‘You may find…’
IDEAS: The sea might be as blue as the fresh, summer sky, as refreshing as a dripping, mouthwatering, mint ice lolly, and as lacy as a bride’s frilly wedding dress. Or it might be as curly as hair rollers, as fun as your dream birthday party, or as reflecting as a gleaming, polished mirror. Perhaps start children off with similes for sparkly, e.g. as a whirl of precious diamonds, as silver glitter on a Christmas card, or as the twinkling stars in the night sky.
SEE ALSO Stormy Sea simile sheet:**** https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/stormy-sea-poetry-frame-guide-12043779**** and Treasure Map alliteration fun: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/treasure-map-alliteration-game-yr1-6-guide-for-use-11887395 - both very popular!
This lively seaside picture has two wavy line spaces for describing words for the sea: “The sea is … and …”, and there’s a whole line below for further ideas. Young children will enjoy thinking up two words or more to describe the sea and having a go at writing them, before colouring in the waves, sea creatures, sand, bucket and spade and more. Children in my poetry workshops use the sheet with enthusiasm, for both writing and colouring. See my two harder versions too, plus Shells writing sheet: - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-frame-r-y1-12099509, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-frame-y2-3-12099502 (free) and https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/shells-can-be-illustrated-writing-frame-guide-sheet-12099487 .
Video (looking at shells) https://photos.app.goo.gl/wkeZ8K6iCfcFQneZ9
Emergent writers will enjoy thinking up describing words for the sea and writing them on the waves of this lively seaside scene. The sheet is very popular with children in my poetry workshops, offering exciting colouring opportunities as well as writing fun. See the harder (free) and easier versions, too.
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** .
Children of all ages will love this inspiring, yet simple creative writing frame. The flowing lines between the gliding, twirling dragonflies offer infinite scope for poetic expression. IDEAS: Some children may like to fill the lines with adjectives (glittery, bright, fast, delicate…), others with verbs (darting, gliding, shooting, dancing…); others again might write phrases (like - dazzling dragonflies hovering in the silky blue), similes (fast as jets, bright as bows…), or rhymes (delicate dragonfly/in the azure sky/lightly, brightly zig-zagging by).
PREPARE your class by building ideas and language, perhaps with the help of watching real ones, live or on a video, miming their movements and sharing language ideas.
Supports Literacy, including poetry, vocabulary and creativity. Also supports topics: seasons & weather, mini-beasts, flight, animals, forces, travel, symmetry, colour, movement, environment, and more.
**SEE ALSO: BUTTERFLY - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/butterfly-picture-poem-frame-eyfs-y1-guidance-notes-11885225 , LADYBIRD - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ladybird-picture-poem-frame-early-yrs-yr1-guidance-notes-11885212, SPIDER - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/2-spider-picture-poem-frames-guide-11887282 .
Phonics learning activities: 6 rhymes for oo, ee, u, ar, er and long i (iy), Reading/Phonics Game, Woodland Animals Reading Challenge (labels on picture); Mini-beasts Phonics Fun (labels on picture). Supports Phonics, Reading, Writing, Listing, Speaking, and Understanding the World. EY/KS1. All original items.