**Snappy dragon rhymes - with key colours. ** Great for all ages, especially early years, developing rhythm, rhyme, language, creativity and expressive confidence. Scope for drama, music and art developments. Once there was a dragon dressed in red. He liked to stay all day in… You can guess the last word, as can the children, though some may prefer to offer alternative rhymes. Red is just one example of the numerous colours featuring in these crazy dragon verses, which lend themselves to being enacted, and even sung to a made-up tune, as well as chanted and clapped. Follow on with dragon sketches or try my dragon’s menu for easy, crazy writing fun.

Versatile resource to discuss, add to, prompt with, link and build with, or hand out individually for reference for descriptive writing on ‘Spring’ and related topics. Supports work on Seasons, Environment and Nature, Colour and more, as well as Literacy, including vocabulary-building, expressive writing and verbal language skills. **SEE ALSO - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/springtime-creative-writing-harder-easier-frames-12078237 + https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/3-spring-rhymes-12070798 .

Seaside writing resource for young children. “Shells can be…” with short, thick writing lines between shell representations for describing words. Supporting guide sheet for teacher also included. Start by handing round some shells, encouraging children to study, feel and listen to them. Discuss their properties, prompting for words like curly, light, hard, smooth, rough, shiny, hollow, round, twisty, pretty, patterned and delicate. Then present sheet, demonstrating how they can have a go at writing their word ideas on the lines. Perhaps try some together on the board first. After the activity, invite all to choose a word to read out or say. The shells can then be coloured or decorated.

This pretty woodland picture will attract young children, and the big, bright, highlighted text will motivate them to read or sound out the ten animal words. These are all familiar, one- and two-syllable words, such as robin, frog, ants and rabbits. A handy resource for phonics and reading practice and monitoring, best used one-to-one or in small groups for most children, though able readers will enjoy working out the words independently. Also suitable for advanced EY and lower ability Yr 2 children. The resource will also support work on woods, countryside, animals, mini-beasts and nature generally.

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 is an exciting, fascinating picture-poem frame, in 3 variations of graded difficulty. It will inspire your 5-7 year-olds to get dreaming and writing, drawing on passive vocabulary to express their buzzing imagination. Their castle might be dark, damp and gloomy, or grand, golden and magical, or ancient, crumbling and haunted. It’s as old as …, and as [__] as __ . What will you find inside? Treasure? A sword? A secret message? Who lives there? A lonely ghost? A fiery dragon? A bossy king? And what does he/she like to do? There’s scope for drama, humour and mystery here. Recommended for Yrs 1-2. Supports Poetry, Literacy and History. See my other Castle-themed resources too.

Phonics reading + writing sheet, illustrated, featuring ‘e’ in ‘egg’ and ‘eggs’, with extra ‘e’ letters below. Pastel shades to write over, with clearly presented letters. One of the 2 pictures can be coloured or decorated; the 2nd pic. shows pretty blue eggs in natural nest setting. Space for child to draw their own egg too. Also included, a photo of a fallen bird egg, with ‘egg’ label. If you like the writing sheet, see my others in this series at my shop. (Click ‘recent’ option.)

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word or more to complete the given phrase - I can see… , and having a go at sounding it out and writing it on the line provided. They can then be rewarded with colouring fun, shading in this fascinating picture. For the writing, encourage children to study the picture and identify some of its features first, then let them choose their favourite one or few to write. Examples to prompt for if needed - a snail, a bird, flowers, grass, leaves, sky, the sun, a ladybird. Able writers could be encouraged to add a describing word or other embellishment. The resource promotes literacy, fine motor control, colour and shape awareness and an appreciation of the natural world.

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

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 simple, two-verse rhyme celebrates the colour red, listing some attractive and exciting red items. The tips below include ideas for more red things to prompt for, besides other developments. The rhyme introduces children to rhythm, rhyme and the concept of poetry, also stretching vocabulary and developing colour awareness. It can be chanted, clapped to a tambourine or drum beat, and even set to music with a simple tune. The items mentioned can also be shaped with hands or, in some cases, enacted. There is also a cheerful, lively tone to the rhyme, supporting mental wellbeing. Rhythm and rhyme themselves offer a pleasing, reassuring sense of security and order, so this resource also supports PSHE.

Letters a-d and their phonics are linked to familiar pictures for sounding out and over-writing activities. The letters and words also offer rhythm and pattern for clapping and chanting: a a apple, b b ball, c c cat, d d dog. Fun and meaningful way to learn sounds and practise writing.

Phonic short o, in ‘on’ and ‘off’, recognition, reading and writing practice, illustrated. Young children will instantly connect with the pictures and familiar, simple words - on and off, and enjoy writing over the pale, coloured letters, twice over. See my other short ‘o’ phonic resources and other sound practice sheets too, for more phonic teaching support.

Phonics a and s feature in this illustrated reading + writing sheet. Numbers to count too. Text: “2 hats 3 bats 4 cats” . Pale lettering in varied colours for over-writing. See linked sheets: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/phonic-a-in-cat-12249906 https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/phonic-a-cat-in-a-hat-12251051 https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/phonic-a-in-bat-12254461

This reading + writing activity teaches the phonic ‘o’ as in dog, fox and frog. It is fun and attractive, with varied pastel colours to write over. Young children will associate the letters and words with the pictures of familiar animals, helping them to focus on their shapes and sounds, and recall them later. I have many other phonics activities at my shop. See ‘newest’ for others like this.

Phonics to sound-out + words to read and over-write are presented on this colourful, illustrated sheet. ‘big dog’ is presented twice, with smiling dog picture, with g and d repeated for practice. Teaches vowels i and o, differentiates between b and d, and also highlights letter g. Children will love this charming dog, and will be relaxed and encouraged by the pretty flowers. I offer many similar phonics sheets. Please see ‘newest’ on my catalogue.

Phonic ‘a’ (short) writing and recognition practice sheet, with words: cat in a hat, illustrated in colour. Two extra letter a’s to write over, say and learn. The cute cat and bright hat will help children understand and learn the phonic, and the words too. I also have a simple ‘cat’ writing sheet, and many other phonic reading and writing sheets in my catalogue.

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.

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.

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