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.
**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.
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
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 .
Autumn leaves picture poem activities. Writing and colouring sheets for all stages from Reception to Ys 2-3. Describing words, similes, movement words and more are invited on these beautiful, inspiring, leafy sheets. Supports seasonal study and literacy together.
Warm up tip: combine with outdoor fun watching leaves blowing off trees and gathering fallen ones. Examine, discuss and launch them together, then fly and spin like leaves yourselves, building language and imagery as you go.
Very popular in my workshops.
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?
This rich assortment of castle-themed literacy resources includes poetry frames for all ages, rhyme and word banks, rhymes to clap and enact, an atmospheric picture to inspire, and fascinating illustrations, plus handy teacher tips. Similes, acrostics, descriptive writing and writing confidence are supported, while giving insights into castle life long ago.
My published poem 'Stormy Sea’is a dramatic, simile-rich poem in 20 lines.
It’s easy to read and listen to, with rhymes and rhythm, conjuring up exciting images.
SEE ALSO - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/stormy-sea-poetry-frame-guide-12043779.
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.
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.
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.
This resource comprises 3 sheets: a planet-themed picture-poem simile writing frame for KS2, a simpler version for younger/less confident writers, and a guidance sheet for use, with examples of full poems and suggestions for development.
Children have the fun of writing their poems on a planet - or planet-shaped frame. This fires enthusiasm and ideas for the writing task, which involves description and similes, and whatever individual writers may like to add. They’ll also need to invent a name for their planet. The possibilities for description are wide open, as the two examples on the guide sheet show, so creativity can take off in this activity. A simpler and harder example is provided on the guide sheet, for Yrs 3/4 and 5/6 respectively.
This home-devised, hand-illustrated sheet has proved popular and rewarding in my poetry workshops.
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
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.
This resource comprises a picture-poem frame sheet and a one-page guide for teachers.
The hand-drawn butterfly picture-poem is a Literature resource for young children. Its opening phrase invites describing words for butterflies, which can be written on the short, clear lines around the picture. There is also a simile to complete: 'They are as colourful as - ’ , and space for further ideas. There is plenty of scope for colouring too.
The guidance notes (or Guide) offers word and simile suggestions to prompt for, and thoughts about the colouring aspect, as well as ideas for preparing children for the activity as a whole.
The resource supports several aspects of the EYFS curriculum - Literacy, Expressive Arts & Design and Understanding the World, also providing opportunities for reading, spelling, fine motor skills and more.
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.