Poetry & literacy resources. I'm a published children's poet with numerous contributions to anthologies; debut solo collection on the way. Poetry workshop leader for UK primary schools. Website: katewilliamspoet.com
YouTube latest: Buttercup Party: https://youtu.be/pHKh1_NvaiY
Poetry & literacy resources. I'm a published children's poet with numerous contributions to anthologies; debut solo collection on the way. Poetry workshop leader for UK primary schools. Website: katewilliamspoet.com
YouTube latest: Buttercup Party: https://youtu.be/pHKh1_NvaiY
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.
My poem ‘Dragon in the Sky’ is a simple yet exciting and atmospheric poem, published in The School Magazine, Australia, who have also made a highly popular YouTube video of the poem.
19 lines. Upbeat ending. Offers inspiration and poetry-writing ideas for young writers. Supports dragon topic too.
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.
Healthy eating becomes meaningful for children when thinking up healthy foods beginning with particular letters, e.g. Green beans for the last letter in “Healthy eating”. Adjectives, like Gorgeous, and phrases, like Good for you (for the G letter), are also fun and meaningful to select. The Ideas Sheet provides plenty of suggestions for each letter of the acrostic, to prompt for as needed.
Supports Literacy as well as healthy eating drives. Recommended for upper Juniors (9-11 approx.).
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.
Lead your class into the wonderful, wild woods with this rich and varied array of descriptive words, similes and creature references. Draw from it for your own use and to prompt more suggestions from your students. This comprehensive list provides for every sort of wood, from damp and soggy to misty and mysterious, sparkling and scented, and twitching with animal life. The last column lists hints of creature and plant activity - squawks, squeaks, prickles and stings… Let your young writers roam this absorbing concept-bank to build their own ideas for creative writing, drama, art, music or speaking.
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?
‘Fireworks’ - an exciting firework poem by this author - published children’s poet - on firework photo background.
Celebrates the thrills, beauties, sounds and wonders of fireworks.
Read out to your class, invite variations, and set as format for poetry-writing challenge.
See my many other FIREWORKS reading/writing/colouringhttps://www.tes.com/resources/search/?authorId=23864398&q=fireworks&shop=katewilliams_poetry, +support video included with this download.
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.
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.
Rainy days can be fun when you’re being the rain yourself in a punchy action rhyme, and thinking up sounds and ‘doing-words’ to say and write - especially when writing them on an umbrella! Children who can’t write yet can colour the many-sectioned umbrella and contribute verbally. There are 2 short rhymes - actions provided - and 1 writing sheet with accompanying Guide for use/lesson plan.
This resource supports Literacy, Expressive Arts & Design, Understanding the World (seasons and weather) and Physical Development.
Rhymes are original, designs hand-drawn - home produced. PDFs.
Here’s my poem ‘What is a Cloud’ (published): https://youtu.be/EOKVIktMh10
These inspiring and attractive writing sheets of birds in flight (3 graded versions) will enthuse your independent and emergent writers. After a stimulating input - watching birds, flying like birds yourselves and building a word-bank of action and describing words for them, they’ll love choosing their favourites to write on the flowing, wavy lines. There’s plenty of colouring to do, too. The Guide sheet offers handy ideas to bring in. Supports bird migration, autumn and journeys themes.
Exciting words-in-picture writing challenge for Fireworks or related topic, or Literacy starter sheet before extended writing. GUIDANCE SHEET included, with tips for helping students think up words and phrases of different kinds to fill the gaps, e.g. describing words, verbs, onomatopoeia, simile, kenning, with examples of each.
Fires enthusiasm for writing, stretches active vocabulary, builds confidence in self-expression and literacy, and helps children focus minds on specific concepts.
Use across year groups, from Yr2-Y6, adapting challenge levels as appropriate, e.g. describing words for youngest and kennings for oldest.
Extra tip: similes can be reduced to metaphors (Yr 5+) by removing ‘as…as’ or ‘like a…’. Can also be inverted, e.g. ‘hot as lava’ = ‘laver-hot’.
See my other Firework sheets, too; also, my other gap-filling activities.
Peeping, creeping; chattering, pattering; barging, charging; flapping, snapping - these are a few of the 24 rhyming action verbs suggested here for rainforest or jungle poems. Examples of completed couplets are also provided. Select, build and edit with your pupils, to create your own vibrant, action-packed class poem! It’ll bring your topic to life, enhancing literacy skills along the way.
This simple, punchy poem clarifies and celebrates the main colours - blue, red, green, yellow, orange, silver and gold, black and white, grey and brown. Pink can be added as a class contribution, following the poem’s pattern. It can be clapped, chanted, and presented with a display of colours, to help young children learn them.
Here’s a fun colour riddle for your class to watch and hear (also by me):
‘What Colour am I?’ https://youtu.be/JGKvOUDyXmk
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.
This exciting jungle picture offers fun and learning combined, with wide open scope for colour choices, interesting shapes to shade in and a range of exotic flora and fauna to identify and focus on. This resource promotes development of fine motor skills, colour sense, shape and pattern awareness, creative expression, and an understanding of nature, wildlife and, in particular, jungle and rain forest. See my other wildlife colouring sheets for variation.
**SEE ALSO - ** This snake is - writing inside a snake picture - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-this-snake-is-picture-poem-frame-yr-1-11885174
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** .
Young children will enjoy picking an item or more from this exciting jungle scene to complete the given phrase below - I can see…, sounding out the word and having a go at writing it. If help is needed in getting started, help children identify and select an item from the picture (e.g. tiger, flower, spider), and clarify the first sound and letter. Able writers could add a describing word or extra items. Colouring could be presented as a reward for the writing effort. This resource promotes an understanding of the natural world, including plants, animals and mini-beasts, and the concept of jungle or rain forest, supporting related studies. It also promotes literacy, fine motor control, colour sense, shape and pattern appreciation, and more. See my other wildlife writing + colouring sheets for a variety.