This simple rhyme invites exciting whole-body actions, with scope for humour, drama, fantasy and expressive, imaginative movement. It includes a simile that can be exchanged for different ones in follow-on verses. The punchy rhythm and clear rhymes will help children develop an ear for rhyming couplets. While focusing minds on stars in space, it also prepares children for any writing task on the subject. The 1-sheet resource includes suggestions for warm-up and development, and lists of words to prompt for when swapping in new ones. The activity supports the learning areas of Literacy, Expressive Arts & Design, Physical Development, Communication and Language, and Understanding the World.

This is a reading, writing and word-picture linking activity for young children, with example sheet. The three animal words, dog, cat, hen, are presented next to jumbled pictures of them. The challenge is to sound out the words and link them, with a pencil, to the correct picture. The pale letters can also be over-written, for hand-writing practice, and to consolidate the sounding out findings. This resource adds extra meaning and fun to early literacy lessons. Fun cat music! Do listen (free) to this delightful, jazzy cat movement music, by a favourite composer of mine - for all ages! https://soundcloud.com/rhodri-williams-wandoch/watching-the-cat

Beginner readers will enjoy sounding out the words in this question - “Can you see the bee in the green tree?” and pointing to the bee in the picture. They will also like discussing the picture and the “ee” sounds with an adult. How many "ee"s can they find? Have they ever seen a bee? What can they tell you about them? This resource supports phonics-learning, reading, speaking and listening. See the others in this series. Here’s a related ‘ee’ phonic lullaby, by Rhodri Williams-Wandoch: https://soundcloud.com/rhodri-williams-wandoch/try-to-sleep

A fun, attractive, autumn activity for young children. One word to write - action word for sailing, gliding leaves - and beautiful leaves to colour in. Go out to collect leaves first, and watch them falling. Examine and discuss them, then act out their movements, drawing action words from your class. Prompt for words like floating, gliding, darting, dancing, skipping, twisting, falling and swinging. Encourage emergent, have-a-go, writing, for a relaxed approach, to unleash creativity and build writing confidence. See my other autumn leaves poetry frames too.

Phonics and reading support is offered in this enjoyable game. Children have to read or sound out the listed words to sort Mr Mix-Up’s house and garden items for him. Each identified item can be linked (by line or arrow) to either house or garden, as appropriate. The list contains 1- and 2-syllable words of varying difficulty, but the fun of the game will spur on any strugglers. Younger and older children will also it, older ones perhaps being inspired to create their own versions. Colouring opportunities too.

These rhythmic rhymes focus on colour, one specifically on red, the other, various colours, each representing a dragon. Guidance notes are included with each, with suggestions for extra verses and setting to music/acting out. Their titles are: ‘Red is for Strawberries’ and ‘Colourful Dragons’. Some young children have difficulty identifying colours by their names, so these rhymes will help, with their catchy rhythms, graphic images and invitations for further ideas. These activities support the curricular learning areas of Literacy, Expressive Arts & Design, Communication & Language, and Physical Development.

Which words fit the topic? that’s the simple challenge here. Children have to read a selection of words to work out which apply to the given category (e.g. colours) and which ones don’t. There are 4 of these challenges, spread down the page, with colour variation for clarity and added fun. Able readers can complete these independently, linking or ticking relevant words with a pencil; less confident readers will need support (either one-to-one or group). Some words may be instantly recognisable, such as ‘red’ or ‘hot’, but others will need to be sounded out. Ideal for phonics learning and reading practice.