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.
Word types from the curriculum lists are represented in these 3 graded reading practice/assessment sheets and the Yr 2 practice spelling test. But they’re child-friendly in presentation, with patterns and bright colours, reducing nerves and promoting a positive approach to the challenges.
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 .
Sea monster food? What’s that? Rock roast? Splash salad? Fish and ships? The starter words here open up ideas and get children dreaming and writing - even reluctant and struggling writers! The guide sheet offers teachers ideas for prompting with. Tip: think up sea features together -from fishes to mermaids and pirate ship wrecks - then combine with human dishes, like roasts, sandwiches and pies, perhaps bringing in alliteration (Killer Whale Crisps, Treasure on Toast). Best for KS2, or KS1 as a whole-class, teacher-led game.
SEA ALSO: Treasure Map alliteration game: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/treasure-map-alliteration-game-yr1-6-guide-for-use-11887395 .
Phonics and reading practice with seaside theme and picture. Ten simple describing words, clearly highlighted in red boxes over a beautiful seaside photograph. Words: wet, fun, cool, bubbly, wavy, splashy, shallow, fresh, calm, sandy.
See also: Seaside Writing & Colouring Sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-colouring-sheet-simple-12099515, and Boat on Sea Colouring Sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/boat-on-sea-colouring-sheet-12096606 .
National Curriculum word lists for Year 2 are represented, category by category, in these 2 spelling tests. Each comes with teacher’s version to read out and children’s child-friendly version to write. First test has 15 questions; second has 16. The children’s versions have gaps to fill; the teacher’s versions have words highlighted to instruct children to write in the gaps provided, as in SATs tests. Children’s papers also have stars to colour in at start and end.
See also child-friendly word lists for reading practice and assessment: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-spelling-reading-assessment-practice-mid-level-12107263, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-spelling-reading-assessment-practice-sheet-hardest-12107572 (mid-level + hardest).
KS1 Reading, Spelling, Phonics support - 3 sheets, differentiated: Easy, Mid-Level, Hard, for assessment and practice of reading and spelling, in accordance with word types, phonics and spellings for KS1 National Curriculum. Decorated and coloured, child-friendly sheets, taking the fear out of testing and adding fun to learning.
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
This KS1 reading/spelling assessment or practice sheet contains 28 words of low to mid difficulty. The word types are drawn from the National Curriculum Y1-2 spelling list, and include 2-letter vowels, as in cart and fur, long vowels, as in lake, double letter followed by ed/ing, consonants of 2 letters, e.g. ch, unusual spellings, as in call, and other spellings beyond basic phonics. A bright, cheerfully decorated sheet for practice and monitoring.
See also KS1 reading test - simpler version (pale orange) - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-reading-test-practice-3-letter-words-12107255
Alphabet letters a-z are included in the 22 simple words in this decorative reading assessment/practice sheet. The vowels are all short, 1-letter ones, as in zip, pot and fun. There is one 4-letter word - quit - to include q. Suitable for early years and lower ability Yr 1 readers.
See also - harder version also, in blue https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks1-reading-assessment-practice-harder-12107263
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
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.
Children of all ages will love this inspiring, yet simple creative writing frame. The flowing lines between the gliding, twirling dragonflies offer infinite scope for poetic expression. IDEAS: Some children may like to fill the lines with adjectives (glittery, bright, fast, delicate…), others with verbs (darting, gliding, shooting, dancing…); others again might write phrases (like - dazzling dragonflies hovering in the silky blue), similes (fast as jets, bright as bows…), or rhymes (delicate dragonfly/in the azure sky/lightly, brightly zig-zagging by).
PREPARE your class by building ideas and language, perhaps with the help of watching real ones, live or on a video, miming their movements and sharing language ideas.
Supports Literacy, including poetry, vocabulary and creativity. Also supports topics: seasons & weather, mini-beasts, flight, animals, forces, travel, symmetry, colour, movement, environment, and more.
**SEE ALSO: BUTTERFLY - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/butterfly-picture-poem-frame-eyfs-y1-guidance-notes-11885225 , LADYBIRD - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ladybird-picture-poem-frame-early-yrs-yr1-guidance-notes-11885212, SPIDER - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/2-spider-picture-poem-frames-guide-11887282 .
Phonics learning activities: 6 rhymes for oo, ee, u, ar, er and long i (iy), Reading/Phonics Game, Woodland Animals Reading Challenge (labels on picture); Mini-beasts Phonics Fun (labels on picture). Supports Phonics, Reading, Writing, Listing, Speaking, and Understanding the World. EY/KS1. All original items.
Rhymes to support Literacy & a range of class topics too: Colour, Dragons, Spring, Mini-beasts, Castles, Space, & Weather, + a Weather writing sheet. Most rhymes come with tips and ideas for use. All are original, fun, punchy, educational and versatile. Can be read aloud, chanted together, clapped, enacted, sung to a tune or percussion beat, embellished, developed and discussed.
9 simple animal writing/colouring sheets. Animals from UK habitats: rabbit, robin (with egg), ladybird, squirrel, hedgehog, frog, snake, spider (2), butterfly. Style variations included. Attractive, idea-prompting pictures. Line starters for descriptive writing. Great literacy incentives, also educational, relevant to many topics, promoting fine motor skills, creativity, presentation care, colour sense and more.
Stretch vocabulary and speaking/writing skills with these 3 word banks. They cover 3 interesting themes: Castles, Spring and Healthy Eating/Wholesome foods. Draw from them yourself in class discussions and elicit selected words from children. Encourage use in speech and writing; point out in reading material. Supports literacy, topic study and all-round education at all levels.
Rhyme banks for Space, Dragons, Castle Characters + Ocean (sailors, pirates, more), with Examples for all, PLUS Seabed Rhymes to complete. Fun for whole class, together, in groups or pairs, or individually. Literacy made fun! Themed information, topic study, & creativity scope incorporated. Huge discount!
3 Healthy Eating language and expression resources:
Healthy Eating Word Bank
Healthy Eating Acrostic Writing Frame, with ideas sheet,
Healthy Eating rhyme about oranges to read out and discuss.
These attractive, versatile resources will spice up your healthy eating drive, making it fun and meaningful for children, also supporting literacy development. Present and combine them all in one session for a lively, thought-provoking, entertaining, inspiring lesson.
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
A big bundle of themed activities to help EYFS children get to grips with phonics and letters and start reading naturally: a mix of reading cards, games, rhymes and challenges, featuring castles, creepy-crawlies, woods, under the sea, animals, and more.
