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A beautiful butterfly picture to colour. This clear but intricately patterned butterfly offers exciting colouring opportunities. An attractive activity for young children, helping development of colour sense, fine motor control, and understanding of the natural world. Supports work on seasons, mini-beasts, animals, colour and more.

Children love rhymes, but they can be tricky to construct, so this resource provides 4 structured rhyme frames on the theme ‘seabed’, with a sheet of tips and examples to help them along. Suitable for Yrs 5/6 working mostly independently, and for Yrs 3/4 with teacher support. However, all will benefit from a whole-class rhyme produced together, chanted and clapped to check rhythm, and written up on the board as an example. Year 2 would also enjoy a shared rhyme challenge, using a selected verse from the sheet. The resource supports literacy, especially poetry and linguistics, developing language dexterity and control of rhyme and rhythm. It would also support any topic related to sea, pirates, holidays, maritime history or the environment. Contents: 2 sheets, black-and-white, PDF.

This tea table has some tasty dishes - and some inedible ones too! The challenge is to clear away the unsuitable ones, such as the old boot, clock and paper, by reading the words to identify them and crossing them out. This humorous activity takes the fear out of reading and will motivate able and hesitant readers alike to read or sound out all the 15 words. Designed for Year 1, but will also serve older children for reading practice. Can they create a tea table conundrum of their own? Early Years children will also enjoy picking out words and colouring in the picture.

Plurals s, es, ies and unusual variations are all addressed in the 3 varied challenges here. There’s an odd-word-out game (s/es), some practice words for ies plurals with a line for children to think up their own, and a list of single nouns with unusual plurals (all different) to be provided, including some tricky ones like fungus and antenna. Recommended for Years 4-6, with support as needed. Fun to do and share; handy lesson enhancers and gap-fillers. Two sheets.

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 cheerfully illustrated poetry frame prompts simile ideas for the colour red and encourages description with gaps for two adjectives per item. The first idea is given (tomato) - perhaps juicy, ripe, squashed, bright, squishy, garden, fresh or round. The other lines leave the object open to thought and choice. This would tie in with my other colour-themed poetry frames and rhymes - see catalog.

The ocean bed is a mysterious place, and this light-touch poetry frame invites children to dream about the possibilities, and describe their imaginings as they wish. The given structure, meanwhile, helps to focus minds and get pens rolling. The two-page resource includes a page of guidance notes for the teacher’s reference, with an example poem to share with the class. The poetry frame promotes creative writing, and literacy generally, while also drawing attention to the wonders of the sea.

Literacy and castle studies are brought alive by these attractive sheets and their fascinating writing opportunities. There are two versions of this illustrated “CASTLE” acrostic frame, one with short lines for single words (describing words recommended), and one with longer lines for phrases, sentences or extended descriptions and similes. The Examples sheet provides suggestions to prompt for, for each version. Perhaps read some out to fire other ideas. The sheets allow room for a castle sketch below. Suitable for all juniors, with support as needed.

This autumnal poetry frame inspires creative descriptions of falling, flowing, colourful leaves. The illustrations spur the imagination, and the wavy lines encourage words to reflect the leaves’ whirling movements. The 2-verse format invites moving words - gliding, floating, spinning, dancing, etc., with space for similes - like graceful dancers, bright flames, birthday candles, colourful butterflies, etc. Descriptions of the sky are also called for, and the poem ends with a colour simile opportunity. Tips - let your class watch leaves falling first. Catch, study and imitate them together. Build a bank of action-words for the leaves, and discuss simile ideas, then briefly share ideas for the sky. Encourage free-flow writing, with rich vocabulary. This is not a rhyming poem, though rhymes within lines could be effective (riding and gliding, whirling and twirling…).

‘Juicy Fruit Queen’ is the fun title of this lively, rhythmic poem. Clap and swing along to it with your class, to liven up your healthy eating guidance and encourage fruit-eating. As a published children’s poet, I’ve written this multi-verse poem specially for TES users. It’s versatile for a range of applications and age groups, also serving as an introduction to poetry-writing, rhyme fun or discussion, or as an action rhyme to get your class up and moving.

Motivate your class to get up and moving with this punchy, inspiring rhyme. Why miss out on all the fun? It asks, encouraging standing rather than sitting, and running rather than walking, to keep fresh, smart, trim and slim. The rhyme is in two verses, with different styles. You could use them separately as two different rhymes. Act them out and develop with stretches, runs, jumps, spins and anything else the children suggest.

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.)

This ghost, in its spooky castle poetry frame, will get your young writers hooked, and the 2 graded versions cater for different ability levels. The clear and spacious gaps for description, and the atmospheric illustrations, will inspire expressive language, as they describe the ghost’s movements through a castle’s passages, dungeon and stairs - and further perhaps. The accompanying Guide Sheet provides an example version of the poem to read out or refer to for prompts. Preparation suggestions for the activity are also given. Tried and tested with success in many schools. NB: 2 differentiated frames; guidance notes.

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

Sunshine and clouds are the focus of this 4-sheet pack. The illustrated writing sheets - or picture poems - provide attractive and accessible means for children to develop their writing and phonics skills, also spurring creativity and stretching active vocabulary. There are colouring opportunities too. The accompanying rhymes can be chanted, clapped, swayed to or enacted, and are recommended (on the Guidance Sheet) as warm-up activities. The Guidance Sheet offers lists of prompt ideas for each writing sheet, with development suggestions for the cloud one. Suggested preparatory activities are also included. The sheets are hand-illustrated and home-produced, rather than machine-perfect. All sheets are black-and-white, PDF. YouTube recording of my poem: ‘What is a Cloud?’ - https://youtu.be/EOKVIktMh10

Two simple, punchy little rhymes about clouds, sun and sky, with upbeat, cheerful messages. Tips below for making full use of the rhymes with your young child or children. If you have a musical instrument to hand or are happy to sing unaccompanied, the rhymes can also be set to simple tunes. This resource supports language development, dramatic expression, introductions to poetry, awareness of rhythm and rhyme, and understanding of weather, as well as positive thinking and potential for physical exercise and creative, communicative movement.