My poem, ‘My Town at Night’ is exciting and atmospheric, stretching imaginations and language, and offering a spur for creative writing. I’ve used it very successfully with Year 3 classes upwards, together with pictures and discussion of the colours, shapes and mysteries of lit-up streets. Now on YouTube with sound & pictures! https://youtu.be/BNzvD31flwo The poem has been published twice over by https://theschoolmagazine.com.au/The School Magazine, Australia - .

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

An inspiring seascape with gaps to write words and phrases in, for Yrs 2-6, as a starter sheet for poetry or creative writing, or a picture poem in its own right, use adaptable for different aims, ages and abilities. Also provided: the picture free from word gaps; guide sheet for teachers. The 15 white writing slots in and around this inviting scene offer scope for expressive describing words, similes and phrases. GUIDE: the accompanying teacher’s guide sheet provides a comprehensive list of word and simile ideas for use as spurs and examples for students. USES: Literacy - building vocabulary, simile-writing, preparing for poetry or descriptive writing; Topic enhancement: a simple, effective way to enthuse pupils in topics, e.g. seaside, ocean, seasons, weather, water, coastlines, sea pollution or global warming, while also enhancing literacy. Time filler: offers learning through fun for any spare 10 minutes. See my other words-in-gaps sheets too.

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.

A colourful phonics writing sheet, with wording: “lots of lego”, in large, clear, pale blue letters for over-writing, and a line below for copying again. 3 Lego pieces to colour in below, and a photo of Lego above. Attractive, engaging activity for EYFS + Y1, bringing meaning to letters and their sounds and developing handwriting skills. Many other fun phonics sheets in my catalogue too.

This attractive seaside sheet links letters and their sounds to pictures of familiar items starting with those letters: s - sea, f - fish, b - boat. Children will naturally sound out the words, without the bother of working their way through all the letters in them. This will bring meaning and interest to the sounds. The letters are pale, for writing over, with an extra set below the seaside colouring picture. VIDEO inspiration, with poem about shells: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wkeZ8K6iCfcFQneZ9 For similar sheets, see my other phonics sheets (most are recent uploads) at my shop.

This funny, lively space rhyme supports all-round literacy. It’s simple, four-line verse can be varied to allow for different ideas, and each can be enacted or expressed with gestures, sounds or mime. Children will enjoy its catchy rhythm and be interested in the rhyme (space/face), also finding the tone cheerful and humorous. The resource offers embellishment for space topics, too, and encourages physical movement and expression. The tips below the rhyme include handy prompts for enacting, line by line, and also for eliciting alternative alien features. Using a simple, familiar tune, this verse could also be set to music.

Poetry in haiku form, with trees as the theme, is taught here with an introduction to haiku and six examples to complete. Tips for preparation are also given. Trees are familiar to all children, but each child will bring their own experiences, observations, thoughts and feelings to their writing. Trees are fascinating things, providing us with a wealth of glories, services and vital resources. They offer ever-varying colours, shapes, sounds, expressions, silhouettes, textures, fruits, flowers, leaf patterns, and more. They mark the seasons for us, offering summer shade and winter shelter; they inspire us with their noble, statuesque figures against the ever-changing sky; they house wildlife, secure and enrich the soil, and feed the atmosphere with vital elements. Yet around the world, they are being chopped down and uprooted. What will your children decide to say about them, and how, in their 17 syllables? Recommended for upper juniors and higher. 1 A4 page, black and white. Includes 3 haiku frames with gaps to fill, and 3 starter lines/phrases.

Simple writing and colouring autumn leaf sheet for emergent and newly independent writers. Children can either write on the lines (leaf veins), turning the paper round as need be, which is fun to do, or they can write their words in the gaps or round the outside of the picture. Suggested words to prompt for: yellow, brown, red, golden, curly, floaty, light, colourful, soft, thin, old, torn, spotty, pretty, flappy, delicate, crispy.

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 .

Writing about baby animals and springtime is fun and inspiring for young children. These three graded writing frames provide stimulating pictures and easy starting points for verbs and adjectives for baby bunnies, young robins and the fresh spring grass, with spare lines for more on the hardest version, and space for more on all three. There’s plenty to colour too. Preparation: before starting, lead children in imitating young animals, birds and insects that you see in the spring, focusing particularly on rabbits and robins. Elicit appropriate action words, e.g. bouncing, skipping, hopping, bobbing, dancing and playing, for the bunnies, and hopping, flapping, tweeting, singing, pecking, flying and fluttering for the robin. The grass might be tall, fresh, green, wavy, soft, bright, dewy or damp. Discuss how flowers and leaves open out too, as the days grow warmer.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word to complete the phrase - This butterfly is…, sounding out their word and having a go at writing it. Colouring the picture could be a reward for their writing effort. Perhaps prompt for words like - pretty, colourful, red, blue, gentle, peaceful, soft, floaty, little, dancing, flappy, happy, beautiful. Let them attempt long words as they wish, building confidence in independent, expressive writing.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word for the hedgehog, to complete the phrase - This hedgehog…, sounding it out and having a go at the writing. Perhaps prompt for - spiky, shy, prickly, quiet, little, crawly, spiny, brown, hungry, sleepy, friendly, busy or cute. Present the colouring activity as a reward for the writing effort, to ensure children give it a try. This will build their confidence in writing, as well as helping them focus on this animal’s features and natural environment, nurturing an appreciation of the natural world.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word to complete the phrase - this robin is. Prompt for words such as - red, tiny, fluffy, happy, a baby, soft, hoppy, flappy, feathery, friendly. Encourage emergent writing and sounding out of letters, even if resulting in incorrect spelling. This will build confidence in writing. Present the colouring part of the activity as a reward for the writing, to ensure every child has a go at it.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word or more to complete the phrase - ‘This rabbit has’, and having a go at writing it on the line provided. Colouring in the picture could be presented as a reward for the writing. If word ideas are needed, perhaps prompt for - a tail, ears (or big ears), whiskers, fur, fluff, a smile, grass, flowers (to eat), or 4 paws. Supports literacy, fine motor skills, colour differentiation, creativity and an appreciation of animals and nature. I also have a frog writing + colouring sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/frog-writing-colouring-sheet-1-line-12045415

“Castle treasure can be -” is the lead-in phrase on this attractive picture-poem - or writing sheet, and the accompanying word bank supplies the teacher with easy and harder words to prompt for. Draw out the words from children’s passive vocabulary, rather than handing out this list. There are plenty of other words to contribute too - these are just suggestions. The sheet can serve as a creative writing sheet for younger children, or a launch pad for extended writing, for older or more independent writers. Supports literacy and history.

On this cheerfully illustrated sheet, young children can fill in the gaps to create their own poem, or descriptive writing sheet. Titled, In the Woods, the first line invites a describing word for a robin, and the second line invites a choice of woodland animal (the picture offers ideas) and a describing word to go with it. They can then think up a verb, or ‘doing word’ for the squirrels, and describe the trees too. There’s a spare line for any extra ideas the writer may wish to add. See my other woodland writing sheets too, for harder and easier work. This sheet is fun to colour, interesting to write, and insightful about forests and their wildlife.

This attractive writing and colouring sheet will motivate your 6-8 year-olds (approx.) to think up items of different colours and describe them, on the lines given. This will develop literacy skills, also promoting colour sense and appreciation. See my read-aloud ‘Colours’ poem and other colour rhymes (uploaded previously), for further support and embellishment of the activity.

The lively illustrations will draw children to this creative writing sheet, encouraging rich, expressive language. The given text will also inspire imaginative and varied descriptions of these familiar and popular animals. An example version is provided for the teacher’s use, with several suggested versions for each line. Perhaps read out one version and use the others as ideas to prompt for as needed. With the potential for fun and lively input and colouring fun, even less enthusiastic writers will be keen to get cracking on this creative writing sheet (or picture poem frame, if you like). While supporting writing development, the resource will also enhance animal and nature studies. Best for Years 2 and 3, and those in Year 4 needing extra writing support.

This colourful park picture contains ten mini-beast words for children to sound out and identify. The large, bright text and attractive picture make this an appealing challenge for young readers. Support one-to-one or in small groups, as needed. The resource will also support mini-beast studies. Suitable for beginner readers across KS1 and EYs.