Stormy Day poetry format with prompts and gaps to fill, illustrated, in three grades, recommended for ages 6-7, Yr 2. Tried and tested successfully with three Y2 classes of mixed ability.
Warm up with discussion, pictures, opening window to check today’s weather, and acting out. Be the wind, rain, lightning, thunder and finally the welcoming sun coming out. Remember the rainbow too! Discuss simile ideas for the lightning and thunder. Share describing words for the sun at the end - gentle, kind, merry, warm, cheerful…
The wind might be blowing at your coat, howling round the trees, roaring at the washing on the line. The rain might be going pitter-patter, drip-drop, or splish, splash, splosh. The lightning might be as bright as a flashing firework, flame or torch. The thunder could be as loud as drums, a lion’s roar or a popping balloon.
Above all, have fun!
Football poetry support! A list of 14 rhyming couplets about playing football, for teachers and pupils. Use as prompts to spur further ideas or incorporate favourite couplets into a class rhyme. Humour, excitement, tension and exhaustion all roll about together in the mud here, with positive messages for losing teams too.
The sheet is illustrated with girl and boy footballers of different ethnicities, with space for further little sketches around the verses.
14 rhyming couplets depicting autumn leaves - their colours, movements and other qualities, often with imagery. Bare, winter trees also feature towards the end.
A handy resource for teachers and pupils to work from, spurring further ideas for poetry and prose creations.
My animal poetry collection - Squeak! Squawk! Roar! - is due out on 9th January ('25) with Otter-Barry Books. Available now for pre-order.
The Thrill of December - this is the title of my 4-verse poem for children and their teachers.
Enjoy the magical images, the rhythm and rhyme, the sparkle and glow of natural, outdoor Christmastime in this upbeat poem.
Discuss, share similar experiences, add a verse of your own.
BOOK NEWS! My animal poetry book - Squeak! Squawk! Roar! - comes out on 9th Jan. with Otter-Barry Books. Details:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squeak-Squawk-Roar-Amazing-Animal/dp/1915659558/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QGMI3DOA0ZAU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FvZglVbTBZCqICARsQkTRlDbVm7WyJaJ4yyZJQzy2vI.KkCtk-kzt5oxbxhaYynBMSZdrAoBpxAGaxgZqI_RKew&dib_tag=se&keywords=squeak+squawk+roar+amazing+animal+poems&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1733386904&sprefix=squeak+squaw%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1
Christmas Lights poetry writing and colouring sheets - 3 graded variations for Reception to lower Juniors.
Colour similes and description called for, with gaps to fill, e.g. -
"Christmas lights are ____ and ____.
They can be red, like ____ "
Harder and simpler versions included.
Fun, creative, educational, stretching literacy skills, imagination, colour awareness and pencil control, also teaching about Christmas celebrations and the dark winter nights.
My animal poetry book, ‘Squeak! Squawk! Roar!’ will be out on 9th January '25!
Short, punchy poems and rhymes with lots of lively illustrations.
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!
Ocean rhyming words + example 2-line couplets -
handy prompts and examples for class poetry-writing on sea themes.
Two sheets to download, each backed with ocean photo:
Sheet 1 offers paired rhyming words relevant to the sea,
e.g. tide/wide, swishy/fishy, exciting/inviting.
Sheet 2 offers examples of full rhyming couplets with some of the word pairs, e.g.
Deep and wide,
tilting with the tide.
Display, photocopy as a hand-out, or just quote words and rhymes from the lists, to spur more ideas.
See also my seaside word and simile lists and many other sea-themed resources.
Insect words - for creative writing and poetry.
Quick reference for prompts and inspiration.
Handy for teacher and/or students, for developing the love of rich, expressive writing, and igniting other possibilities and developments.
Use as spurs for similes, metaphors, descriptive poems, ‘What am I?’ riddles, nature study write-ups, and to bring mini-beast topics alive.
See my many other Mini-beast and nature resources too.
Summer Sea Word Bank + Summer Sea Simile Bank, on two separate sheets, each backed with beautiful seaside photo panorama.
Useful for reference and prompts in creative writing lessons and ocean studies.
Words and similes selected by published children’s poet.
I have many other seaside and ocean writing resources here.
This cat poem is fun and child-friendly. Follow this restless cat around the house, checking its food dish, checking window view, zipping upstairs for a look-around, then at last remembering the cosy sofa - ideal for a snooze!
This poem will inspire discussion, language-stretching, creative writing, drama, art, and physical movement, also nurturing animal appreciation.
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.
Healthy eating poem, with fun, celebrating bananas.
This fun, snappy little rhyme is presented attractively over a photo of bananas in a bowl. The writing is in a curve, just like the fruits!
Poem and photo are both by this author, Kate Williams.
See also my other healthy eating resources.
Inspiring spring writing frames, illustrated, in 5 grades.
Opportunities to describe different young animals, as well as daffodils and more, with similes invited and space for individual input.
Prepare by taking children outside on a fine spring day and sharing experiences and observations. Talk about the soft, fresh, fragrant air, the bright, cheerful daffodils, the busy, nesting birds, the budding leaves and crisp, green grass. Look out for buds, insects, squirrels, birds of all kinds, and any other flora or fauna around.
Be the different young animals yourselves, and the budding trees, swaying gently in the breeze. Be birds, butterflies, squirrels and frogs. Have fun!
Invite similes when helping children describe spring features. Lambs are as white as what? Wedding lace? Fluffy clouds? Snowdrops? Daffodils are as yellow as the sun, sunspots, corn, buttercups, lemons.
SEE MY OTHER SPRING SHEETS TOO.
FREE - DRAGONS writing resource!
Dragons are fun, exciting, and anything you want them to be. Children love to dream up their own dragon. This simple writing sheet offers a launch pad for actions and similes, and the GUIDE sheet provides a poem, ready-written by this author, a published children’s poet, to clap, chant and build together first!
Tips and extra ideas also included in the guide.
See also my many other dragon writing sheets and pictures here.
’Watch for the Moon’ is a published poem for children by this author, Kate Williams. The 12-line rhyming poem is presented on a moon photo background.
It is fascinating, yet easily accessible for junior-aged readers.
The poem highlights the ever-changing appearance of the moon, likening it to different things - a coin, a slice, melting ice…
The rhymes are fun to spot - slice/twice/ice/trice, bright/white/sight, swerve/curve, and more.
‘Fireworks’ - an exciting firework poem by this author - published children’s poet - on firework photo background.
Celebrates the thrills, beauties, sounds and wonders of fireworks.
Read out to your class, invite variations, and set as format for poetry-writing challenge.
See my many other FIREWORKS reading/writing/colouringhttps://www.tes.com/resources/search/?authorId=23864398&q=fireworks&shop=katewilliams_poetry, +support video included with this download.
FREE! Firework Night - an exciting, atmospheric poem by this author, a published children’s poet.
Read out, pin up, copy and distribute, use as a base for your class poem, draw from its vocabulary, imagery and poetic techniques for inspiration and examples.
So much to do with this poem!
See my many other fireworks poetry and colouring resources too.
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.
This beautiful autumn leaves resource contains a simple sample poem about autumn leaves, to read and share with class, a blank frame, and some sample words and lines to generate more poetry-writing ideas.
(See my other autumn leaf and woods resources for more ideas.)
Spooky lit. fun for Halloween - whole school.
Rhymes, similes and spell chants and ghostly poem to complete, shadowy night-time poem to hear/read, plus creepy castle words!
Exciting, fun, engaging, imagination-firing, skills-stretching!
Easy and quick for teachers to use.