DEVELOPING LITERACY

Photocopiable teaching resources for literacy

CREATING AND
SHAPING TEXTS
Ages 8–9

Christine Moorcroft

A & C Black • London

 Contents
Introduction 4
Notes on the activities 5
Using the CD-ROM 12

Narrative
Stories with historical settings
A story in Ancient Egypt develop and refine ideas in writing; use settings and characterisation to engage
readers’ interest 13
Egyptian story cards develop and refine ideas for written stories 14
Tudor story use settings to engage readers’ interest 15
Evacuation story: 1 develop and refine ideas in writing using planning and problem-solving strategies 16
Evacuation story: 2 develop and refine ideas in writing using planning and problem-solving strategies 17
The raid use settings and characterisation to engage readers’ interest 18
Stories set in imaginary worlds
Imaginary worlds develop and refine ideas in writing using planning and problem-solving strategies 19
Another world use settings and characterisation to engage readers’ interest 20
Scene setters choose and combine words for particular effects 21
Good and evil character builder choose and combine words for particular effects 22
Stories from other cultures
An alien came to school use a planning format for a story 23
Ask the alien explore and develop ideas for a story through characterisation 24
Going home with the alien develop and refine ideas about a setting using planning and problem-solving
strategies 25
The alien: scene setter develop and refine ideas about a setting using planning and problem-solving
strategies 26
Stories that raise issues or dilemmas
The issue: cards developing and refining ideas in writing 27
The issue: story mountain refine ideas using planning and problem-solving strategies 28
The issue: story dialogue write dialogue, with narrative 29
Choices map develop and refine ideas using planning and problem-solving strategies 30
Plays
Characters and setting use settings and characterisation to engage readers’ interest 31
Scene planner refine and develop ideas for a play 32
Dialogue planner: 1 show imagination through language used to create humour 33
Dialogue planner: 2 show imagination through language used to create humour 34

Non-fiction
Recounts: newspapers and magazines
Theme park recount route
Theme park recount cards
Theme park paragraph writer
Theme park recount writer
In the news
History in the news
A different view
shape material to write non-narrative texts 35
shape material to write non-narrative texts 36
shape material to write non-narrative texts 37
engage readers’ interest; summarise material and ideas from different sources 38
refine ideas in writing using planning and problem-solving strategies 39
shape material and ideas from different sources to write informative
non-narrative texts 40
show imagination through the language used to create emphasis 41

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Information texts
Finding out
Notes to information report
Report improver
Weather words glossary
Village notes to chart
Cartoon characters chart
Explanation
The Shirt Machine
The Shirt Machine flowchart
The Shirt Machine explanation develop and refine ideas in writing using planning and problem-solving
Persuasive texts
Animal persuaders
The pop festival: notes
The pop festival: persuasion
The pop festival: complaint
Persuaders
summarise material and ideas from different sources 42
organise text into paragraphs to distinguish between different information 43
edit down and reword sentences or paragraphs 44
organise an alphabetically-ordered text 45
use a chart to record information in an organised way 46
present information from a variety of sources in a simple format 47
summarise material and ideas from different sources to write convincing and
informative non-narrative texts 48
organise text into paragraphs to distinguish between different sections of 49
strategies 50
choose and combine words for particular effects 51
develop ideas for writing 52
choose and combine words for a particular effect; use adverbs and conjunctions
to establish cohesion within paragraphs 53
choose and combine words for a particular effect; use adverbs and conjunctions
to establish cohesion within paragraphs 54
choose and combine words in order to create an effect 55

Poetry
Creating images
Your similes choose and combine words for particular effects 56
Compare it choose and combine words for particular effects 57
Coloured images choose and combine words for particular effects 58
Model poem show imagination through language used to create images 59
An image in a verse show imagination through language used to create images 60
Exploring form
Poetic prayers show imagination through the language used 61
Fairy-tale poem: 1 write a ballad about a fairy tale 62
Fairy-tale poem: 2 write a ballad about a fairy tale 63
How many miles to Babylon? show imagination through the language used to create humour 64
Published 2008 by A & C Black Publishers Limited The author and publishers are grateful for permission to reproduce the
36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY following: pp.48-50: Artwork and activity based on ‘The Shirt Machine’
www.acblack.com by Jon Davis. Reproduced by permission of Jon Davis; p.61
‘Benediction’ by James Berry, from Chain of Days (OUP). Reproduced
ISBN 978-1-4081-0033-2
by permission of PFD. Every effort has been made to trace copyright
Copyright text © Christine Moorcroft 2008 holders and to obtain their permission for use of copyright material.
Copyright illustrations © Piers Baker 2008 The author and publishers would be pleased to rectify any error or
Copyright cover illustration © Piers Baker 2008 omission in future editions.
Editor: Dodi Beardshaw All rights reserved. This book may be photocopied for use in the
Designed by Bob Vickers school or educational establishment for which it was purchased,
The author and publishers would like to thank Ray Barker but may not be reproduced in any other form or by any means –
and Rifat Siddiqui for their advice in producing this series graphic, electronic or mechanical, including recording, taping
of books. or information retrieval systems – without the prior permission in
writing of the publishers.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library.
A&C Black uses paper produced with elemental chlorine-free
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Halstan Printing Group, pulp, harvested from managed sustainable forests.
Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
3
 Introduction
100% New Developing Literacy: Creating and Shaping Texts
is a series of seven photocopiable activity books for developing
children’s responses to different types of text and their
understanding of the structure and purposes of different types
of texts.
The books provide learning activities to support strands 7 and 8
of the literacy objectives of the Primary Framework for Literacy:
Creating and shaping texts and Text structure and organisation.
The structure of 100% New Developing Literacy: Creating and
Shaping Texts Ages 8–9 is designed to complement the
objectives of the Primary Framework and include the range of
text types suggested in the planning for Ages 8–9.
100% New Developing Literacy: Creating and Shaping Texts
Ages 8–9 addresses the following learning objectives from the
Primary Framework for Literacy:
7 Creating and shaping texts
• Develop and refine ideas in writing using planning and
problem-solving strategies
• Use settings and characterisation to engage readers’ interest
• Summarise and shape material and ideas from different
sources to write convincing and informative non-narrative
texts
• Show imagination through the language used to create
emphasis, humour, atmosphere or suspense
• Choose and combine words, images and other features for
particular effects
8 Text structure and organisation
• Organise text into paragraphs to distinguish between
different information, events or processes
• Use adverbs and conjunctions to establish cohesion within
paragraphs
The structure of 100% New Developing Literacy: Creating and
Shaping Texts Ages 8–9 focuses on the following types of text:
• Narrative (Stories with historical settings, Stories set in
imaginary worlds, Stories from other cultures, Stories that
raise issues or dilemmas, Plays)
• Non-fiction (Recounts: newspapers and magazines,
Information texts, Explanation, Persuasive texts)
• Poetry (Creating images, Exploring form).
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The activities
Some of activities can be carried out with the whole class, some
are more suitable for small groups and others are for individual
work. It is important that the children are encouraged to enjoy
stories and poetry – not just to learn about how they are written
– and that they have opportunities to listen to, repeat, learn,
recite and join in poems for enjoyment and to read non-fiction
texts for information and interest. Many of the activities can be
adapted for use at different levels, to suit the differing levels of
attainment of the children; several can be used in different ways
as explained in the notes which follow.
Reading
Most children will be able to carry out the activities
independently but some of them might need help in reading
some of the instructions on the sheets. It is expected that
someone will read them to or with them, if necessary.
Organisation
The activities require very few resources besides pencils,
crayons, scissors and glue. Other materials are specified in the
Teachers’ notes on the pages: for example, fiction, poetry or
information books, websites, interactive whiteboards and CD-
ROMs.
Extension activities
Most of the activity sheets end with a challenge (Now try this!)
which reinforces and extends the children’s learning. These
more challenging activities might be appropriate for only a few
children; it is not expected that the whole class should complete
them, although many more children might benefit from them
with appropriate assistance – possibly as a guided or shared
activity. On some pages there is space for the children to
complete the extension activities, but others will require a
notebook or a separate sheet of paper.
Accompanying CD
The enclosed CD-ROM contains all the activity sheets from the
book and allows you to edit them for printing or saving. This
means that modifications can be made to differentiate the
activities further to suit individual pupils’ needs. See page 13 for
more details.
 Notes on the activities
The notes below expand upon those which are provided at the
bottom of most activity pages. They give ideas and suggestions
for making the most of the activity sheet, including suggestions
for the whole-class introduction, the plenary session or for
follow-up work using an adapted version of the activity sheet.
To help teachers to select appropriate learning experiences for
their pupils, the activities are grouped into sections within each
book but the pages need not be presented in the order in which
they appear, unless otherwise stated.
Stories and poems featured or suggested in
this book and supplementary texts
Stories in historical settings
Doodlebug Summer (Alison Prince, A & C Black Flashbacks
series)
Mission to Marathon (Geoffrey Trease, A & C Black Flashbacks
series)
A Candle in the Dark (Adèle Geras, A & C Black Flashbacks
series)
Across the Roman Wall (Theresa Breslin, A & C Black
Flashbacks series)
A Ghost-Light in the Attic (Pat Thomson, A & C Black
Flashbacks series)
The Thieves of Ostia (Caroline Lawrence, Orion The Roman
Mysteries series)
The Secrets of Vesuvius (Caroline Lawrence, Orion The Roman
Mysteries series)
The Pirates of Pompeii (Caroline Lawrence, Orion The Roman
Mysteries series)
The Assassins of Rome (Caroline Lawrence, Orion The Roman
Mysteries series)
The Dolphins of Laurentum (Caroline Lawrence, Orion The
Roman Mysteries series)
The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina (Caroline Lawrence, Orion
The Roman Mysteries series)
Carrie’s War (Nina Bawden, Puffin)
Keeping Henry (Nina Bawden, Puffin)
The Railway Children (Edith Nesbit, Penguin)
Stories set in imaginary worlds
Harry Potter series (J K Rowling, Bloomsbury)
The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame, Penguin)
The Winter Sleepwalker (Joan Aiken, Red Fox)
Whizziwig (Malorie Blackman, A & C Black)
Whizziwig Returns (Malorie Blackman, A & C Black)
The Dragon’s Child (Jenny Nimmo, Mammoth)
Stories from other cultures
On the Run (Elizabeth Laird, Mammoth)
Abdullah’s Butterfly (Janine M Fraser, HarperCollins)
Grace and Family (Mary Hoffman, Frances Lincoln)
Tales from Africa (Mary Medlicott, Kingfisher)
Stories that raise issues or dilemmas
The Girl Who Stayed For Half a Week (from Roundabout, Gene
Kemp, Faber & Faber)
Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish (Michael Foreman, Puffin)
Project Kite (Sian Lewis, Red Fox)
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky (Chief Seattle, Puffin)
Free the Whales (Jamie Rix, Walker)
Badger’s Parting Gifts (Susan Varley, HarperCollins)
Little Obie and the Flood (Martin Waddell, Walker)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Judy Blume, Random House)
Down and Out (Bernard Ashley, Orchard)
The Bad Beginning (Lemony Snicket, Egmont)
Playscripts
The Boy Who Fell into a Book (Alan Ayckbourn, Faber)
Grimm Tales (Carol Ann Supple & Tim Supple, Scholastic)
Whale (David Holman, Heinemann)
Curtain Up series (A & C Black)
Bill’s New Frock (Anne Fine, Longman)
Two Weeks with the Queen (Morris Gleitzman, Macmillan)
The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler (Gene Kemp, Heinemann)
The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Alan
Bennett, Faber)
Useful books of poems
The Works (chosen by Paul Cookson, Macmillan)
The Works 2 (chosen by Brian Moses & Pie Corbett, Macmillan)
I Like This Poem (chosen by Kaye Webb, Puffin)
Shades of Green (chosen by Anne Harvey, Red Fox)
Welcome to the Party (chosen Nicola Davies & Simon Rae,
BBC)
The Hutchinson Treasury of Children’s Poetry (edited by Alison
Sage, Hutchinson)
The Kingfisher Book of Children’s Poetry (selected by Michael
Rosen, Kingfisher)
The Puffin Book of Twentieth-Century Children’s Verse (edited by
Brian Patten, Puffin)
Useful websites
Narrative/plays
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/romanmysteries/game/index.shtml
(Caroline Lawrence’s series The Roman Mysteries)
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/562525/index.html (The
Railway Children)
http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/children/other/
railway_ children.htm (The Railway Children)
Dual-language books
http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/leisure/libraries/
childrens _library_ service/dual_ language.htm
For selected fiction and non-fiction books and book boxes:
http://www.badger-publishing.co.uk/,
http://www.madeleinelindley.com/aboutus.aspx
Non-fiction
Newspapers and magazines
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk/default.stm (a news site
for children)
http://www.schoolnetglobal.com/introduction/gd.html (a site to
which children can contribute news or reports on issues)
Usborne Newspaper History: The Egyptian Echo (Paul
Dowswell), The Roman Record (Paul Dowswell), The Medieval
Messenger (Paul Dowswell), The Viking Invader (Fergus
Fleming), The Greek Gazette (Paul Dowswell)
5
Information texts
Khalipathar, India
www.globallinks.org.uk/liveto_india/khalipathar.html.
Explanation
The Shirt Machine www.jonsmind.com
Poetry
Videos
Birds http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/. Grazing cows
www.magheramore.com/farm.php,
www.ukagriculture.com/multimedia/farming_ pictures.
The book is split into three main sections: Narrative, Non-fiction
and Poetry. These are subdivided to match the planning units of
the Primary Framework for Literacy.
Narrative
Stories in historical settings
The activities in this section help the children to plan and
write stories set in the past. Children are encouraged to
explore settings from the past, to use what they know about
the period and to research it further to inform their writing.
A story in Ancient Egypt (page 13) This helps the children to
develop and refine ideas in writing and to use setting and
characterisation to engage readers’ interest. They write their
own stories set in the past, using their oral stories to structure
the written versions. The scene is based on a picture from the
tomb of Menna at Thebes. The scribe, dressed in white linen,
watches over the workers as they harvest and winnow the grain.
There are cattle trampling the grain to loosen it from the chaff,
then workers gather it in scoops and toss it high into the air so
that the chaff blows away. The harvested grain is carried away
in baskets suspended from poles. An important activity is
gleaning. Families of the field workers were allowed to gather
any grain that was dropped by the harvesters. In the centre of
the bottom row of the pictures, two children can be seen
fighting over some ears of grain. It is useful to remind the
children of the importance of a few ears of grain to a peasant
family. Ask the children to imagine the scene: the weather, the
people and what the workers and their overseers are doing.
Encourage them to imagine the feel of the scene: the hot
sunshine, dust and the hard work going on.
Egyptian story cards (page 14) These cards help to stimulate the
children’s ideas for storytelling by providing a setting and a
character to support oral storytelling. They can discuss these to
develop and refine their ideas for written stories. Encourage them to
choose their character, to make notes about his or her appearance
and personal characteristics, to use what they know about Ancient
Egypt and to read information books to find out more.
Tudor story (page 15) This activity helps the children to develop
a story setting in order to engage readers’ interest. Point out that
6
the setting should seem realistic to the reader. Show how to do
this through the use of detail from the picture and from other
sources that feature Tudor towns. Ask them to imagine walking
through this street. What would they see, hear, feel and smell?
How would all this affect their actions: for example, avoiding mud
and dirt on the ground and slops being thrown out of windows,
being tempted by the smell of pies? Discuss the action in the
picture: the work going on, such as fetching water, selling
goods, removing vermin such as rats, mending shoes. Also note
the actions of the children in the picture.
Evacuation story: 1 and 2 (pages 16–17) The first activity
helps the children to use planning and problem-solving
strategies to develop and refine their ideas for a story in a
historical setting, and to organise text into paragraphs to
separate parts of the story. They could use what they know
about evacuation during the Second World War, and find out
more: for example, where children were evacuated from, where
they were taken to, how, and why. Discuss what might happen
to the evacuees: for example, meeting other children during the
journey, how they were allocated to households at the end of
their journey, how they were treated, how they kept in touch with
their families, what it was like in their new temporary schools
and how the local children responded to them. The second
activity helps the children to develop the characters in their
story. They can name the evacuees in the picture, describe their
clothes, luggage and general appearance and say how they
think they feel and what they might be saying to one another.
The raid (page 18) This develops skills in creating the setting for
a story and developing characters through the use of powerful
verbs. The idea for the market visit was inspired by the opening
of Across the Roman Wall by Theresa Breslin (A & C Black
Flashbacks series). The children could read the book and use it
to develop their own ideas. Point out how the atmosphere of the
market is created through the description, including adjectives.
Stories set in imaginary worlds
These activities help the children to develop their own
imaginary settings and characters through suggesting ideas
for imaginary settings, encouraging them to imagine how
characters can cross from one setting into another, imaginary
one – and return from it, providing ideas for creating different
atmospheres and suggesting how to develop characters.
Imaginary worlds (page 19) This activity is about creating a
setting or scenario for a story. The children can use these to
inspire role-play and oral storytelling with a partner before they
plan a longer story. Encourage them to use problem-solving
strategies as they plan their story. Ask them how the setting would
affect some of the actions they plan, and invite them to figure out
ways around any obstacles or ways of meeting challenges (such
as how to open the tiny door in Through the book-case).
Another world (page 20) This is about using setting and
characterisation to engage readers’ interest. It also involves
developing and refining ideas using planning and problem-
solving strategies. The children are provided with a starting-
point for a story. Their problem is to figure out how Crawford
could move into another world. They are also asked to describe
this world, which is based on the real world but has some
differences: for example, it might be in the same physical
location but in the past or the future. The children are
challenged to consider how these would affect the setting and
Crawford’s activities. You could display the passage on an
interactive whiteboard for the children to alter as a class or
group activity. Stories the children could read that involve the
movement of characters between two ‘worlds’ include the Harry
Potter series (J K Rowling, Bloomsbury), Red Fox Classics,
(Joan Aiken, Random House), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
(Lewis Carroll) and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C S
Lewis). In these stories the children can identify the ‘transit’: a
magic spell, the wardrobe and the rabbit hole.
Scene setters (page 21) This activity develops skills in creating
a setting through the careful use of language. The children
choose and combine words and phrases that create a happy or
creepy house. If used on an interactive whiteboard the children
could try out different words and phrases and compare their
effects. Children could also generate their own words to fill the
gaps, and as an extension, think of a third type of house and
write the description for it.
Good and evil character builder (page 22) This activity helps
the children with characterisation and the use of language to
create impressions. The passage features a ‘neutral’ character
and the children are challenged to use powerful nouns,
adjectives and adverbs to create two different characters. They
could use a thesaurus to find different words with a similar
meaning and to consider the images created by the different
words: for example, slender/scrawny, fingered/fiddled with.
Children could discuss how characters can sometimes appear
to be one thing, but emerge as something different.
Stories from other cultures
These activities help the children to create settings with different
cultures and to be aware of the ways in which the setting affects
the characters and the story. There are opportunities to link this
with work in citizenship (Living in a diverse world).
An alien came to school (page 23) This helps the children to
use a planning format for a story. They are presented with a
scenario: an alien arrives as a new pupil at school. Encourage
them to consider the problems the alien (and the children in the
class) may face because of their differences in culture,
appearance and behaviour. Focus on the possibilities for
misunderstanding, which could lead to humour while at the same
time dealing with issues such as racism or bullying. This activity
could be linked with work in citizenship on different cultures,
racism and bullying if the children are encouraged to think about
all or one of these issues. They could discuss the problems that
arise through misunderstandings because of different cultural
expectations or because one member of a group looks and
behaves differently from the others. Encourage the children to use
role-play to explore these problems and to find solutions that
make all members of the group happy and develop friendship.
Ask the alien (page 24) This activity helps the children to
explore and develop ideas for a story through characterisation.
They imagine they could meet the alien and ask him or her
questions. What do they want to know? Encourage them to think
up interesting answers that show that the alien has a completely
different lifestyle to the children. They can then use these ideas
to inform the detail of their story (see page 23).
Going home with the alien and The alien: scene setter
(pages 25–26) These pages focus on the development of a
setting. The children use imagination and their ideas from
page 24 to create a setting and to envisage the problems they
might face (through misunderstanding or ignorance) when they
go there. Ask them to imagine the alien’s home and family (they
could make a labelled drawing of it) and to record their ideas
and the problems or difficulties they face. They can then write
the narrative and dialogue of the scene using the ‘starter’ on
page 26 as a model to help them to include details that help to
create a realistic setting. Make it clear that the description of the
planet on page 26 is just one version of what it could be like on
the planet, and that children’s will differ.
Stories that raise issues or dilemmas
In these activities the children consider important issues or
dilemmas a character might have to face and incorporate
them into stories. They have opportunities to consider the
consequences of different choices. You could link with these
with work in citizenship on choices. The activities could be
used in sequence to help the children to plan and write a
story based on one of the cards on page 27.
The issue: cards (page 27) This page focuses on developing
and refining ideas in writing. The cards outline different issues
or dilemmas faced by characters. The children could discuss
the issue on their card with a partner and consider what the
character could do and the consequences of each choice.
The issue: story mountain (page 28) This focuses on refining
ideas using planning and problem-solving strategies. The ‘story
mountain’ format helps the children to structure a story in
paragraphs or chapters. The story could develop from a card on
page 27. Encourage the children to make brief notes of what might
happen and to build up tension by exploring the scenario on the
card until this reaches a climax. How is the problem resolved?
The issue: story dialogue (page 29) This develops an issue
introduced in the cards on page 27 but the children need not
have completed that page or page 28. It will help them to write
dialogue with narrative for the story they planned about one of
the issues on page 27 using The issue: story mountain on
page 28 or it could be used as a model to demonstrate the
7
effective use of dialogue. Note that it begins with a question that
is understood by the story characters but not (yet) by the
reader. This invites the reader to read on in order to find the
answer; the reader is thus drawn into the story.
Choices map (page 30) This develops an issue introduced in
the cards on page 27 but the children need not have completed
that page. It helps them to develop and refine ideas using
planning and problem-solving strategies by focusing on the
consequences of choices made by a story character. When
planning a story they consider the consequences of Rachel’s
choice and decide which would make the best story. They
could also consider the ‘message’ they want their story to give.
Plays
These activities develop the children’s understanding of the
characteristics of playscripts and help them to plan their own
to tell a story. The activities provide starting points and formats
to help in the planning of plays and help the children to plan
and write the dialogue. They should be used in sequence in
order to support the writing of a short humorous play. This
section has links with speaking and listening (drama).
Characters and setting (page 31) This activity supports the
use of characterisation and setting to engage readers’ interest.
It provides the scenario for a play and supports the creation of
characters. The children need to think up characters/teachers
and to make notes about them: appearance, age, clothes,
characteristics, mannerisms (especially humorous ones). They
should make notes about the setting: the type of classroom,
furniture, equipment and so on.
Scene planner (page 32) This activity provides a format to help
the children to refine and develop their ideas for a play and to
make notes about how it opens, the build-up of tension after the
teacher turns into a parrot, the climax and then the resolution.
The resolution might involve a new character (perhaps an
animal or a magical character) or a surprise event. Link this with
the children’s previous work on imaginary settings: the setting
itself is an everyday one but what happens is fantastical.
Dialogue planner: 1 and 2 (pages 33–34) These help the
children to show imagination through language used to create
humour. The first activity presents a picture story, with speech
bubbles, based on the action of a scene in a play. The children
read the story and then enact it. This helps them to identify the
spoken words and the action. They can then set out the spoken
words in a playscript format that shows which characters speak
them. You could also demonstrate how to include stage
directions to tell the actors what to do. They should be written in
brackets in the appropriate places, for example:
Mr Macaw: (opening door and entering classroom) Good
morning, Class 4. Where’s Miss Grey?
Gary: (putting up his hand) Good morning, Sir. She’s up
there (pointing to the top of the interactive whiteboard).
8
Non-fiction
Recounts: newspapers and magazines
This section focuses on the features of non-fiction recounts,
including the sequence of events, details of where they took
place and the people involved and the distinction between
fact and opinion. It provides opportunities for links with work
in citizenship (In the media – what’s the news?)
Theme park recount route and Theme park recount cards
(pages 35–36) These pages focus on the sequence of a factual
recount. They support the children in planning this. The board
game (page 35) should be used with the cards (page 36). The
children will finish the game with a collection of random cards.
They should all begin planning from ‘START’, in which they
travel by bus to the theme park, and should end with ‘FINISH’ in
which they return by bus. They choose how to order the other
cards. They could swap some cards with one another in order
to achieve a realistic structure for the day, especially if some of
them have no ‘café’ cards and others have several.
Theme park paragraph writer (page 37) This activity focuses
on shaping material for a recount. The children should write in
the past tense and the first person, since this is a personal
recount, as if they have visited the theme park. They can find
out more about a theme park and rides (including videos of the
rides and a pictorial map of the site on www.altontowers.com
and www.atmania.com). Encourage them to make the recount
interesting and appealing to the reader by including
descriptions of the rides that create a vivid picture of the speed,
movement and height and the feelings of the riders.
Theme park recount writer (page 38) This page focuses on
engaging the readers’ interest and summarising a recount. It
develops the children’s learning about journalistic writing in
which they consider how a recount answers the questions Who?
What? Where? When? and Why? It also focuses on the
distinction between fact and opinion in a recount. The
Introduction should inform the reader what the recount is about
(a trip to a theme park, which also says where it happened); it
should say who went (the children’s class), when (the date and
perhaps say that it was in a particular school term) and why
(perhaps it was arranged as a treat or to help with work in
another subject). The conclusion can include a summary of the
provision for visitors to the theme park, the people it is likely to
attract, and why, and the writer’s opinion of the day.
In the news (page 39) This provides a format for refining ideas
in writing using planning and problem-solving strategies. It
focuses on the structure of a newspaper recount: a headline to
provide a brief indication of what a story is about and attract
readers; the introduction to orientate the reader, the main part of
the story, which recounts the story; and the conclusion, which
sums it up and might add an opinion or a comment about what
has happened and what might (or should) happen in the future.
The children should first have read some news stories and
know about the main features of their layout and structure. They
should read the reporter’s notes and decide in which order to
present the information, how to introduce it, how to attract
readers’ attention through an eye-catching headline and
engaging introduction and how to sum it up, rather than letting it
end abruptly or tail off.
History in the news (page 40) This activity helps the children
to develop and refine ideas in writing and to use information
from different sources. Provide football match recounts from
newspapers for them to read. They could list the main events on
a timeline. (Note that the writer might not begin the recount with
the first event, but open with something to engage the readers’
attention). See page 5 for books on historical issues and stories
presented in newspaper form.
A different view (page 41) This develops skills in using
language imaginatively to express an opinion while recounting
facts. The children identify words and phrases to express either
a favourable or an unfavourable opinion of a new library. Their
recount should tell the same facts as the original but use
language to create an impression. You could display the
recount on an interactive whiteboard so that the children can
alter the text in different ways and evaluate the effects of their
choices. Discuss the place of pieces such as this in
newspapers; explain that newspapers do not give only objective
or factual recounts.
Information texts
These activities develop the children’s skills in collecting
information from texts and writing their own information texts.
They summarise material and ideas from different sources to
write their own interesting and informative information texts,
using appropriate organisation structures.
Finding out (page 42) This develops skills in using information
texts quickly and efficiently and writing brief, accurate notes.
The children develop an understanding of how information texts
are structured to help readers to find information. How did the
children find the information they wanted? For example, by
scanning the contents pages website map, links, index,
headings and captions and by using alphabetically-ordered
texts.
Notes to information report (page 43) This activity develops
skills in filling out brief notes into connected prose and
organising a text into paragraphs to distinguish between
different pieces of information. Point out that the children should
write in the present tense and use impersonal, fairly formal
language in the third person. You could give examples of styles
of language and ask the children which they think is the most
suitable, and why: for example, The climate there is monsoon.
This means heavy rainfall in the summer months of June to
September and a dry winter or It’s a monsoon climate. That’s
heavy rain in summer (June to September) and it’s very dry in
the winter. They can find out more about Khalipathar from the
Global Links website
www.globallinks.org.uk/liveto_india/khalipathar.html.
In order to reinforce the reasons why information like this, about
a place, ought to be in the third person and in the present
tense, say sentences using the notes, in the past tense, such as
Khalipathar was a village in Orissa. It had a monsoon climate
etc. and then do something similar using the future tense or first
person. Invite children to comment on the effect/purpose.
Report improver (page 44) This activity develops skills in
editing down and rewording sentences or paragraphs by
deleting the less important elements, such as repetition, and
explaining the editorial choices. Ask the children whether they
think the report is split correctly into paragraphs and, if not,
which sentences they would move to different paragraphs. After
this they could go through a similar process in pairs or small
groups with a piece of their own writing. Model how to improve
the first two sentences by ‘thinking aloud’.
Weather words glossary (page 45) This develops an
understanding of how to organise an alphabetically-ordered text
and write brief definitions of words. The children could write
glossaries for topics they study in different subjects.
Village notes to chart (page 46) This helps the children to
understand how a chart can be useful in recording information
in an organised way so that it can be easily located. They could
also write questions for others to answer using the chart: for
example, Which villages should a tourist interested in Roman
remains visit? Which villages might have developed because
they were close to rivers? Which sites might have been chosen
because they were on hilltops and so were easy to defend?
Which ones might have grown when railways were built?
Cartoon characters chart (page 47) This activity shows how to
present information from a variety of sources in a simple format.
It can also support work in understanding and responding to
texts: the children could use the chart to help them to analyse
their responses to fictional characters.
Explanation
The activities in this section are based on the short film The
Shirt Machine by Jon Davis, which can be viewed on Jon
Davis’s website www.jonsmind.com. The children can also
explore the website to find out how the idea arose, how the
film was created and to look at still pictures from the film. This
can also be linked with work in narrative on how authors work.
There is a link to contact Jon Davis by email.
The Shirt Machine (page 48) This provides an opportunity to
plan and orally rehearse an explanation using a picture. It is
based on fiction, but the children can invent explanations based
on what they can see and what they know the machine does
from the film. They should use the present tense and begin with
a general statement: for example, This is a machine that makes
shirts and packs them ready to post. The operator has to
9
programme in the design, using the computer so that it knows
what to make. He also has to put in all the materials it will need:
cloth, thread, buttons and so on so that it has everything it
needs. Ask them to compare this with the language of the film,
which tells a story in the past tense and is organised in the
order in which the events happened. Note that the paragraphs
of an explanation are in an order that helps the reader to
understand what is happening in the machine. Also point out
the different types of connectives that are useful in each text
type. In narrative, time connectives are useful: first, then, next,
after that. In an explanation the connectives are logical: so that,
because, in case. There will be some use of time connectives if
a sequence is explained: for example, the order in which the
processes take place in the Shirt Machine. Once the children
have given an outline of what the machine does, ask them to
choose a numbered part, to name it according to what they
think it does, to explain what it does, and how. Focusing on how
it works helps to avoid giving a recount of what happens: for
example, The thread goes in here; it is woven to make the cloth
here, then this part stitches it. Instead, the children should be
encouraged to imagine how the processes are carried out.
The Shirt Machine flowchart (page 49) This helps in
organising text into paragraphs to distinguish between different
sections of information. It provides a flowchart to help the
children to organise and sequence paragraphs for a brief
explanation of what happens in the machine. They will add
details when they write the explanation (page 50). The flowchart
has six sections although twelve parts of the machine are
numbered in the diagram on page 48, but some of these parts
will be grouped because they carry out similar functions: for
example, weaving (stripes, plain, spots, other patterns); different
colours; cutting (some might cut out collars, some might cut out
sleeves, others might cut out the right-hand or left-hand front or
the back of the shirt); stitching (seams, hems, buttons). The
children should consider each section as a paragraph.
The Shirt Machine explanation (page 50) This helps to
develop and refine ideas in writing using planning and problem-
solving strategies. Children could work in small groups (three to
four); each group could focus on part of the machine, agree
what it does and then share ideas about how it works. You
could use the explanation of the ‘Packing Drum’ as a model.
Remind them of the connectives that will be useful: because,
for, in order to, so that, to.
Persuasive texts
This section develops skills in using key features of language
to convince readers of an opinion or to persuade them to do
something.
Animal persuaders (page 51) This helps the children to choose
words for a particular effect (to write a persuasive sentence)
and to use conjunctions to establish cohesion within
paragraphs. They should fill out the notes on their card to write
10
a sentence to persuade the audience not to be afraid of the
animal or not to treat it as a pest. Help them to compile a list of
persuasive words and phrases: You may think that… but…,
Have you ever considered what/why…, Many people think…
but…, This animal may seem… but, in fact,….
The pop festival: notes (page 52) This helps the children to
develop ideas for writing. It presents notes on what people said
to a newspaper reporter about a local pop festival. The children
are asked to identify the positive comments and to use these
notes to help them to write persuasive sentences to convince
readers that the pop festival was good for the local area.
The pop festival: persuasion (page 53) This activity helps the
children to choose and combine words for a particular effect.
They should think of a positive-sounding headline (for example,
Pop festival brings boom in trade), and discuss the purpose of
the introduction (to orientate readers and encourage them to
read on). It also develops skills in using adverbs and
conjunctions to establish cohesion within and between
paragraphs.
The pop festival: complaint (page 54) This helps the children
to choose and combine words for a particular effect. It also
develops skills in using adverbs and conjunctions to establish
cohesion within and between paragraphs. Discuss how some
articles in newspapers do not simply describe events but also
try to change people’s opinion. Show examples of editorials
from different newspapers to demonstrate this.
Persuaders (page 55) In this activity the children choose and
combine words in order to create an effect. You could begin by
reading the examples aloud and asking the children which
sounds the more persuasive. Draw out that the first is too long
and that people will not listen to more than the first few words.
Which one will attract the attention of people in the market?
Point out that people in a hurry are unlikely to listen to long
sentences, but short sharp exclamations and sentences are
effective because they give information quickly and sound
interesting.
Poetry
Creating images
Here the children use language containing similes,
comparisons and other poetic features to create a vivid
picture for the reader. They also have opportunities to write
poems using others as models.
Your similes and Compare it (pages 56–57) These pages
develop the children’s skills in using imagination to create
emphasis and choosing and combining words for particular
effects. A comparison uses the word ‘like’ to compare one
person, object, place or idea with another; a simile uses ‘as’ to
liken an attribute of one of these to a known attribute of another.
The children should first read poems containing similes and
notice how poets use them to create a vivid image. You could
compare the similes used by poets to some of the standard
similes which have become clichés and which do not create
vivid images: for example, as right as rain, as heavy as lead, as
dull as ditchwater. Encourage the children to note down all the
similes they can think of for each line. They could work in
groups, taking turns to act as scribe and should read their
similes aloud to check their effects. Examples (similes): A frown
as stern as a glaring sergeant-major/an ugly stone carving;
eyes as cold as splinters of lead/pencil points; hair as soft as a
curtain of velvet/a sheet of silk; a room as cold as a cave in a
cliff/a stone tomb; a house as cosy as a cat’s basket/Santa’s
kitchen; a quilt as colourful as a rainbow in the sky/a flock of
parrots; (comparisons): (narrow eyes) eyes like thin
letterboxes/slits in a castle wall; (fierce eyes) eyes like flashing
warning lights/headlights/glaring burners; (big long teeth) teeth
like tall milestones/slabs of stone; (big fierce teeth) teeth like
splinters/the edge of a giant saw; (small white teeth) teeth like
pearls/beads of dew; (rows of sharp fearsome teeth) teeth like
the blades of saws/an army with pikes; (short coarse brown hair
that stands up on end) hair like a scrubbing brush/a bristling
hedgehog; (long black silky hair with a slight wave) hair like
ripples in a deep pool/black silk ribbon; (very short blonde curly
hair) hair like golden bubbles/froth on custard; (short spiky
chestnut hair) hair like points (introduce ‘shards’) of brown
glass/spears of toffee.
Coloured images (page 58) This develops an understanding of
how to choose and combine words for particular effects. It also
deepens the children’s appreciation of the connotations of
words as they experiment with different adjectives to enhance
colours and compare the effects they create, for example: fresh,
moist green; dull, murky green; sharp, piercing green; fresh,
warm blue; frozen, shivering blue; merry, dancing blue; fresh,
living yellow; cracked, dusty yellow; stained, brownish yellow;
gleaming, burnished black; dank, gloomy black; opaque,
bottomless black.
Model poem (page 59) This helps the children to write their
own simple poem based on one they have read and analysed
and to show imagination through language used to create
images. Before they read the poem they could look at a
pictorial calendar showing a seasonal image for each month
and make notes about the main features of each month. After
reading the poem they could use the calendar pictures and
their notes to help them to imagine each month: for example,
they might think of conkers in October, a bonfire in November
and a snowman in December. They can then make notes of
useful rhyming words.
An image in a verse (page 60) The focus here is on showing
imagination through language used to create the image of a
bird feeding. In addition to reading the model poem the children
could observe birds feeding (in the school grounds or on the
Internet Bird Collection website http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/). They
could then enact the movement of a bird similar to the one in
the poem: for example, a wagtail, blackbird, starling or sparrow.
They should notice how the poem captures its movement of
hurrying around, stopping, glancing about and feeding. Then let
them observe a cow grazing (if there are none nearby, see
www.magheramore.com/farm.php,
www.ukagriculture.com/multimedia/farming_pictures).
Exploring form
This section focuses on poetic form (arrangement, length and
number of lines, rhyme pattern and rhythm) and provides
models and ideas to help the children write poems with
different forms: prayers, a ballad with a repeated chorus and
a question-and-answer poem with lines 2 and 4 rhyming.
Poetic prayers (page 61) This presents a model on which the
children can base their own non-rhyming prayer poems. It could
be linked with work in religious education: discuss the purposes
of prayers (for example, to thank, ask for something, ask for
help or praise God). The children could read and classify
prayers from different religions and some from no specific
religion, according to their purposes. After making notes about
what they want to say thank you for, they can list useful words
and phrases. They should try to write a prayer poem with the
same rhythm as the original and starting each verse with
Thanks.
Fairy-tale poem: 1 and 2 (pages 62–63) These pages provide
a model on which the children can base their own ballad, and a
structure to help them to write their poem. A well-known story is
suggested (Little Red Riding Hood) so that the children can
concentrate on the form of the poem. For a more challenging
activity you could delete some of the ‘line starters’.
How many miles to Babylon? (page 64) This encourages the
children to show imagination through language used to create
humour. It provides a model on which they can base their own
‘silly’ question-and-answer poem. Suggestions to help them to
get started on the extension activity: How many clouds in the
sky? How many hairs on a dog? How many stars in the
heavens? Encourage fantastical ideas as in the model poem:
How many fish in the ocean? – Enough to fry for tea. – Can I
catch them all in a net – Yes, and cook them for me.
11
 Using the CD-ROM
The CD-ROM included with this book contains an easy- Adobe Reader is free to download and to use. If it is not
to-use software program that allows you to print out already installed on your computer, the fourth link takes
pages from the book, to view them (e.g. on an interactive you to the download page on the Adobe website.
whiteboard) or to customise the activities to suit the
needs of your pupils. You can also navigate directly to any of the three screens
at any time by using the tabs at the top.
Getting started
It's easy to run the software. Simply insert the CD-ROM
into your CD drive and the disk should autorun and
launch the interface in your web browser.

If the disk does not autorun, open 'My Computer' and

select the CD drive, then open the file 'start.html'.

Please note: this CD-ROM is designed for use on a PC. It

will also run on most Apple Macintosh computers in
Safari however, due to the differences between Mac and
PC fonts, you may experience some unavoidable
variations in the typography and page layouts of the
activity sheets. The Activity Sheets screen
This screen shows thumbnails of all the activity sheets in
the book. Rolling the mouse over a thumbnail highlights
the page number and also brings up a preview image
of the page.

Click on the thumbnail to open a version of the page in

Microsoft Word (or an equivalent software program, see
above.) The full range of editing tools are available to you
here to customise the page to suit the needs of your
particular pupils. You can print out copies of the page or
save a copy of your edited version onto your computer.

The Menu screen

Four options are available to you from the main menu
screen.

The first option takes you to the Activity Sheets screen,

where you can choose an activity sheet to edit or print out
using Microsoft Word.

(If you do not have the Microsoft Office suite, you might
like to consider using OpenOffice instead. This is a multi-
platform and multi-lingual office suite, and an 'open-
source' project. It is compatible with all other major office The Index screen
suites, and the product is free to download, use and
This is a text-only version of the Activity Sheets screen
distribute. The homepage for OpenOffice on the Internet
described above. Choose an activity sheet and click on
is: www.openoffice.org.)
the 'download' link to open a version of the page in
Microsoft Word to edit or print out.
The second option on the main menu screen opens a
PDF file of the entire book using Adobe Reader (see
below). This format is ideal for printing out copies of the Technical support
activity sheets or for displaying them, for example on an If you have any questions regarding the 100% New
interactive whiteboard. Developing Literacy or Developing Mathematics software,
please email us at the address below. We will get back to
The third option allows you to choose a page to edit from you as quickly as possible.
a text-only list of the activity sheets, as an alternative to
the graphical interface on the Activity Sheets screen. educationalsales@acblack.com

12
 A story in Ancient Egypt
It is harvest time in the Nile Valley. Give the main
characters names.
What might happen here?
• Write notes for a story.
Weighing the grain
What if some has gone missing?

Why are the children

fighting? What might
happen next?

Teachers’ note Ask the children to imagine the scene. Invite volunteers to talk about what is going 100% New Developing Literacy
on in sections of the picture. The children can then choose a main character and other characters in Creating and Shaping Texts:
the scene, give them names and make notes about their experiences and the events in the scene. Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK 13
 Egyptian story cards
Characters

A rich girl named A peasant boy named

A scribe named Soros Teteimhotep Nakhte

A peasant girl named A rich boy named

A cat named Nef Tefnakhte Bakenptah

Settings

The Great Pyramid of Giza Soros the scribe’s house A vineyard

A Nile ship An old tomb A banquet

Teachers’ note Copy a set of characters and settings cards (each set on a differently coloured paper) 100% New Developing Literacy
for each group of children. Cut out the cards and turn them face down. The children should then Creating and Shaping Texts:
pick up a character card and a setting card. They can then talk to a friend and make notes about Ages 8–9
14 what might happen and what the character might do in that setting. © A & C BLACK
 Tudor story
• Discuss the picture with a friend.
What is it like What are the What are the
in the street? adults doing? children doing?

• Write the opening paragraph of a story set here.

What might you

see, hear and smell?

NOW TRY
THIS!
Which important person from history
might appear on the scene? Why?
• Make notes about what happens.

Teachers’ note Ask the children to imagine they are walking along this street and to describe what 100% New Developing Literacy
they see, hear, feel and smell. They could pick out and name a character from the scene, and talk Creating and Shaping Texts:
about what the character is doing. Ask them to think about how he or she might respond to what is Ages 8–9
going on. They could even improvise dialogue. © A & C BLACK 15
 • Plan a story about two children during the Second World War.
How?

To where?

From where?

Who?

Opening – Evacuation

Evacuation story: 1
NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write notes to help with your story.
• Do some research about evacuation in the Second World War.

What?

Where?

Who?

Something happens
How?

What helps?

Who helps?

Resolution
Ending

Write notes.

Teachers’ note The children could begin by discussing their characters with a partner. Ask them to 100% New Developing Literacy
discuss what life might be like for their characters, what they look like, what they might wear, their Creating and Shaping Texts:
home and school life and how the Second World War might affect them, their families and their Ages 8–9
16 neighbourhood. © A & C BLACK
 Evacuation story: 2
Where are the children? When?
What is it like there? Where are they going?
How do they feel? What are they saying?
• Write the opening of a story.

Use the past

tense.

Write in the
third person
(he or she).

Use describing
words.

Use
connectives:
after that, first,
next, then,
when, while.
NOW TRY
THIS!
• Act the scene with a friend.
• Write the dialogue.

Teachers’ note It is useful, but not essential, for the children first to complete page 16. They could 100% New Developing Literacy
begin by working in threes, each of them identifying with a child in the picture and talking about Creating and Shaping Texts:
what is going on, what they are doing, where they are going and how they feel about it. Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK 17
 The raid
• Read this passage from a story set in The verb-bank
will help
Roman Britain.
• Choose more powerful verbs to replace the
ones in bold. Verb-bank
• Write the new verbs in the gaps. arranged
charged
charging
Flavia walked through the market place with cracked
Marina, the family slave. She liked the weekly dashed
enjoyed
shopping trip, when she would look at all the goods that had
flapped
come from all over the Roman Empire. gazed
hated
In one stall, huge clay bottles of oil were in a noticed
row along the wall; in another, beautiful glassware had been put ran
rolling
on a piece of silk. rose
running
Flavia looked for the herbs she needed for
rushed
cooking. Marina saw some sacks of flour and saw
quickly went over to the stall, to buy one searched
sped
before they sold out. spied
spotted
All of a sudden, four chariots came along the spread
dusty street.The riders were in a hurry and used stood
their whips. Clouds of choking dust came up strolled
thundered
into the air. thundering
Flavia looked at the riders as they went
away. She thought she knew one of them.

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write the next four paragraphs.
• Use powerful verbs.

Teachers’ note Encourage the children to imagine the market place: the sights, smells and so on – 100% New Developing Literacy
also what Flavia and Marina might be wearing and their actions as they talk to traders and make Creating and Shaping Texts:
purchases. The children could make notes of words to use for setting the scene and consider how to Ages 8–9
18 recount the change in the scene when the chariots arrive. © A & C BLACK
 Imaginary worlds
The planet Heracles
The force of gravity is ten times
that of Earth. Heracles is covered
with water, with four enormous
islands: Purpuris, where the
people have light purple skin and
dark purple eyes and hair;Verdis,
where they are green; Jaunus
(yellow) and Rufus (red).
Wellfonda
Wellfonda is at the bottom of a
deep well.There is no water in
the well, just miles and miles of
tunnels going in all directions.
There are towns and villages in
the tunnels, and the people who
live there never see more than a
few beams of daylight.
Shadow people
The shadow people are the
shadows of humans.When human
shadows cannot be seen (at night
or even when the light is not
bright enough) the shadow
people come to life.The owners
of the shadows find strange
things happening around them.
Through the book case
In a secret compartment in the
bookcase is a small golden key
that opens a tiny door just ten
centimetres high.The door leads
to a beautiful land where the sun
always shines and no one ever
harms anyone. But no one has
been able to get through the tiny
door.
Teachers’ note Copy and cut out the cards or display them on an interactive whiteboard. The
children could print a card that gives the setting and scenario for a story (or, if using cut-out cards,
glue it on to a sheet of paper). They could then invent and key in (or, if using paper, write)
additional details about the setting and about what might happen there.
Subterra
Subterra is just below the ground
but we cannot find it by digging.
We can get there only by finding
the Subterran path and by
chanting the Subterran spell at
exactly ten seconds after ten
minutes past ten o’clock on the
tenth day of the tenth month of
the year.
Ephemeria
Ephemeria is a land that lasts
only for a day. Everything has to
be completed in twenty-four
hours before it disappears and
then reforms in a different way
and in a different place. Only a
few people can travel from one
Ephemeria to another.
Triplex
There are three ‘worlds’ that
exist at the same time in the
same places. Most of the people
of these worlds cannot tell that
the others are there.They know
nothing about them, but
Crawford, Minetta, Saul and
Tanya have discovered the secret.
Humanacats
Humanacats were once humans.
They look like ordinary cats and
sound almost like them but their
meows sound like some kind of
language.They understand
everything humans do. Dr Phizz
and his assistant,Tara, are trying
to find out more about them.
Anumera
In the land of Anumera there are
no numbers. No one counts
anything.There is no money and
no way of measuring anything:
for example, weight, length,
temperature. Instead the people
just describe things.
Glumblat
In Glumblat it is considered very
good to be miserable. People can
be fined for smiling and
imprisoned for laughing.There
are misery competitions.There is
even a championship league for
misery teams who meet to tell
unhappy stories.
Rhymeria
The people of Rhymeria always
speak in rhymes.They cannot
understand normal speech that
does not rhyme.A character
goes to Rhymeria and has to
learn the language so that he
can teach it to others and so
that the Rhymerians cannot tell
that he is a stranger.
Trainline
A train stops at Platform 2 of
Euston station in London. It is
supposed to be going to
Liverpool but it never gets there.
It disappears but some of the
people on it begin to send
messages to their families and
friends. No one knows where the
train is.
100% New Developing Literacy
Creating and Shaping Texts:
Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK 19
 Another world
• Read the passage and imagine that Crawford can
move into another ‘world’. How does he do this?
• Write in the Transit box. The other world
• Rewrite the passage to describe could be in the past
what the other world is like. or in the future.

Fifteen… sixteen… seventeen… eighteen….
nineteen… twenty pike jumps, one after the other.
That was a record. He would get to thirty before
long. Crawford practised on his trampoline every
afternoon after school, unless it rained too heavily.
He began to bounce again. On each bounce he
caught a glimpse of the High Street. He could hear
the rumble of traffic: the heavy lumbering sound of
a lorry, the grind of a bus, an impatient hoot. In the
garden, three shirts flapped on the rotary
clothesline – two white and one pale blue.The gate
was open. He could see his mother’s small
Volkswagen on the flagged driveway.The door was
open and she was unloading blue and white striped
carrier bags. He could hear the thud of plastic
bottles of spring water and the clank of a glass jar.

Transit
How does
Crawford move into
the other world?

In the other world

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Make notes about what might happen in
the other world and how Crawford could
return to his own world.

Teachers’ note Discuss what might be meant by ‘another world’ with reference to stories in which 100% New Developing Literacy
characters move from one ‘world’ to another – and how they do this (see Introduction page 6). Creating and Shaping Texts:
Encourage them to use the term transit for this movement. The children could then think up ideas Ages 8–9
20 for Crawford’s movements between the two worlds. © A & C BLACK
 Scene setters
• Complete the two scene setters.
• Make one house a happy place.
• Make the other one a creepy place.

Word-bank and phrase-bank

bright yellow brick bright evil skipped
glinted in the glare of the sun broken flowers slid
homely-looking people cackle fragrant sparkling
seemed to warn him off crept laughter spiky
seemed to welcome him cracked merry strolled
shone in the sunlight creaked overgrown thistles
sharp-eyed men and women crumbling red-painted tinkle
slimy green stone dusty shiny white

Happy house Creepy house

The walls were made of . The walls were made of . Five
Five windows windows
. As Simon . As Simon
along the path the along the path the
door . He heard the door . He heard the
of . He stopped and looked of . He stopped and looked
around the garden. around the garden.
filled the flowerbeds and filled the flowerbeds
. and .
Soon Simon reached the step. Soon Simon reached the step.
He into the hallway and looked He into the hallway and looked
around.There were pictures of around.There were pictures of
on the walls and in the centre of the room on the walls and in the centre of the room was
was a small round table. a small round table.

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write the next paragraph.

Teachers’ note The children could work in pairs or in small groups split into two sets – one describing 100% New Developing Literacy
the ‘Happy house’ and one the ‘Creepy house’. They could also create images of the two houses, Creating and Shaping Texts:
starting with two copies of the same photograph of a house and altering the colours and adding Ages 8–9
drawn details. © A & C BLACK 21
 Good and evil character builder
• Can you tell whether the character in the passage
is good or evil?
• Explain your answer.
• Rewrite the passage to You could
make the character good. change some of Word-bank
• Rewrite the passage to the words or Nouns
add new ones eyes
make the character evil. fingernails
glance
A man came into the room and sat at the table. He was about 30 years old and hair
wore a blue tweed jacket, dark blue trousers, a light blue shirt and a navy blue tie hands
with tiny white spots. He sat in the armchair and turned to face me. Verbs
“Hello,” he said.“My name is Charles Porterhouse. I have some important news fiddled
for you.” gazed
glared
hissed
looked
shifted
smiled
sniffed
stepped
shuffled
sidled
strode
twitched
Adjectives
clear
grimy
mean-looking
open
scruffy
shifty
shuffled
sly
still
NOW TRY Adverbs
THIS! briskly
• Try to improve each passage by brusquely
NTT a/w adding other words of your own. sideways
slyly

Teachers’ note The children could first compare passages from stories in which a character is 100% New Developing Literacy
introduced. Ask them what the character is like and how they can tell. They could identify the key Creating and Shaping Texts:
words. Discuss why it is difficult to tell what Charles Porterhouse is like and how the description can Ages 8–9
22 be altered. © A & C BLACK
 An alien came to school
• Plan the rest of the story. Think about the
What problems might there be? alien’s culture.
How might it be
How could they be resolved? different from the
How might the story end? children’s culture?

• Write in note form.

Opening
Monday morning. Children seated at tables.Teacher checks
register. Door opens. In walks alien.Teacher greets her & shows
her where to sit.Teacher doesn’t seem to notice alien looks
different from other children.

Problem

Resolution

Ending

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write the opening You could first act
this with your group.
of the story.

Teachers’ note The children could begin by imagining the alien arriving in their classroom – or you 100% New Developing Literacy
could help them to enact the scene (with another adult disguised as the alien) and to improvise on Creating and Shaping Texts:
it. If necessary, introduce a problem, for example, a misunderstanding caused by the alien’s lack of Ages 8–9
understanding of the children’s culture and customs. © A & C BLACK 23
 Ask the alien
What do the children want to know about the alien’s
culture?
• Write their questions.
• Write the answers.

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write the part of the story where
the alien faces a problem.

Teachers’ note It is useful if the children have first completed page 23. They could first spend five 100% New Developing Literacy
minutes or so talking to a partner about the alien. Ask them to write three questions to ask, in Creating and Shaping Texts:
order to find out more about the alien and his or her home. They could pass them to a partner to Ages 8–9
24 answer or make up their own answers. © A & C BLACK
 Going home with the alien
An alien invites some children from Earth
to her home.
• Imagine the scene when they arrive.
Think about . . . . . . home life . . . . . . customs . . . . . . beliefs . . .

• Write notes about the scene.

• Write what happens: narrative and dialogue.

Notes

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Check the connectives What other connectives
could you use?
in your story.
• See if you can improve them.

Teachers’ note The children should first complete page 24. They could begin by making sketches of 100% New Developing Literacy
the alien at home and, in groups, enact the journey to the alien’s home and the meeting with his or Creating and Shaping Texts:
her family. Encourage them to describe the alien’s home. They could enact the scene in which they Ages 8–9
arrive there and meet the alien’s family. © A & C BLACK 25
 The alien: scene setter
Continue the opening scene of the story.
Use Use Write some Include
connectives. interesting short and some dialogue.
verbs. long sentences.

“Look! There it is,” called Jellina.“My home.”

All Simon and Hasanna could see were miles and miles of dust and rocks. No houses,
no buildings of any kind.Then they noticed a few humps among the rocks – dome-
shaped humps, but still no buildings.
There was a whirring sound, then a judder and a slight bump.The hatch of the
spaceship slid back.A flight of steps slid down on to the dust and Jellina led the way.

NOW TRY
THIS!
What problem might the Oh!
visitors face?
• Write the next part of the story.

Teachers’ note The children should first complete pages 24–25. Reread their notes and recount of 100% New Developing Literacy
their journey to the alien’s home and compare them with the opening passage on this page. Discuss Creating and Shaping Texts:
how this helps the reader to picture the scene; focus on details that describe what can be seen and Ages 8–9
26 heard and encourage them to continue in the same way. © A & C BLACK
 The issue: cards
Salim sees his friend Rohan
deliberately break the mirror
of a car parked in a quiet
road.The car cannot be seen
easily from the houses
nearby and no one else is
around. Rohan runs off and
does not notice Salim.The
owner of the car is a friend
of Salim’s mother. He hears
them talking about the
broken mirror.
Lee does not want to go to
school on Monday because
two older boys have told
him to bring £5 for them
every Monday, or they will
‘get him’.This Monday he has
no money, so he is scared.
He pretends to be ill.
Asma has said that she will
go to her best friend Nina’s
party.Then she has the
chance to go to watch a
ballet with her auntie on the
same day. She loves ballet
and really wants to go. Her
auntie cannot get tickets for
another day.
Teachers’ note You could ask the children to read a card aloud for the others to identify the issue. A
different card could be given to each group for them to discuss what might happen next or to enact
and develop the scene for the others to watch. Ask them about the choice the character made, and
the consequences of the choice. See also page 28.
On her way to the shops
Rachel sees her next-door
neighbour walking his dog.
He does not clean up when
his dog fouls the pavement.
Rachel has seen this happen
several times and the
pavement is becoming very
dirty. She sees him in the
shop and they say hello.
Three of Leah’s friends have
new iPods. Leah wants one
but she knows her mother
cannot afford it. She sees
one on a bench in the park.
The owner left it with a
friend while he played
football, but the friend has
gone off and forgotten about
it. No one would notice if
Leah took it.
Ben’s dad said that he will
pay him £10 for delivering
leaflets to houses in the
neighbourhood. His friend
Jack asks him to join his
football team. Ben says he
can’t because he has
promised to deliver the
leaflets. Jack says,“Just dump
them.Your dad won’t know.”
Anna and Gemma take
Gemma’s dog, Brock, for a
walk. Gemma tries to teach
Brock some tricks but he
does not understand what
she wants him to do.
Gemma says he is being
naughty and hits him with a
stick.
James has been telling his
friends that a famous
footballer is his uncle.This is
not true. His friends are very
impressed because James
tells them all kinds of things
they did not know about the
footballer. One day they see
that the footballer is signing
books in a local shop. They
ask James to introduce them
to him.
Janine has borrowed her
mum’s favourite bag without
asking her. She takes it to
her friend’s house. On the
way home she leaves it in a
shop. She goes back and
searches for it but cannot
find it.The next day, Janine
hears her mum saying to her
dad,“I have to find it.There
is £300 hidden in the lining.”
100% New Developing Literacy
Creating and Shaping Texts:
Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK 27
 • Write notes about each part of the story.

The issue: story mountain

Title
NOW TRY
THIS!

Opening
• Tell the story. Record yourself telling the story.

Build-up

Climax + problem
Resolution
Ending

Teachers’ note The children should first have chosen and discussed or enacted a scene from a card 100% New Developing Literacy
from page 27. They can then use this ‘story mountain’ to make notes on the main events of the story Creating and Shaping Texts:
so far and to plan their own story in a way that builds up to a climax and resolves a problem. They Ages 8–9
28 then compare their ideas. © A & C BLACK
 The issue: story dialogue
• Continue the dialogue for
the start of the story.
James tells his friends that a famous
Use the past tense. footballer is his uncle.This is not true.

“Any swaps?” Runa asked James, as they came into the playground. She had a box of
football stickers. James opened his schoolbag and pulled out a fat envelope. Harry and
Emma picked up the ball they were kicking about and came to look.
“I’ve got four of Mark MacTier,” he said.“He gives them to my dad for me,” he added
with a slight swagger.
“Who – Mark MacTier?” asked Runa, her eyes open wide.
“Yes – he’s my uncle,” said James.There was a slight smile on his face as the others gazed
at him with their mouths open.The palms of his hands felt very hot and damp.

NOW TRY
THIS!
What happened next?
• Write about a problem in the story.

Teachers’ note Read the passage with the children and discuss the problem James has caused for 100% New Developing Literacy
himself. Ask why his hands felt very hot and damp and what he could choose to do. Identify the Creating and Shaping Texts:
past tense verbs and the pronouns that indicate that the story is narrated in the third person. Ask Ages 8–9
them to continue it in the same way. © A & C BLACK 29
 • Write what the
• Write in the choice boxes.
What could Rachel do?
pavement.
his dog fouls the
not clean up when
his dog. He does
neighbour walking
her next-door
shops Rachel sees
On her way to the

Choices map
consequences might be.
NOW TRY
THIS!
• Plan the story.
• Make Rachel’s choice.

Choices

Consequences

Teachers’ note The children discuss Rachel’s choices with a partner and make notes about them. 100% New Developing Literacy
Then ask them to think about the consequences of each choice. They could develop one of these Creating and Shaping Texts:
into a story that draws in Rachel’s family, friends and the local community. Page 28 could be used to Ages 8–9
30 help to plan the story. © A & C BLACK
 Characters and setting
• Plan a play about the day the
teacher turned into a parrot.
• List the characters’ names and
write some information about
each of them.
• Describe the setting of the play.
The day the teacher turned into a parrot
Character
How are the characters
related to one another?
(Children in the same class or
from another class, friends,
family, teachers, head-teacher,
school inspectors.)
Information

Setting

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write notes about what might
happen in the play.

Teachers’ note Encourage the children to imagine a scene in which a teacher turns into a parrot. 100% New Developing Literacy
Ask them to plan a play that begins with this scene. They should list, and make notes about, the Creating and Shaping Texts:
main characters. Ask them to picture the setting and to make notes about what it looks like so that Ages 8–9
someone else could set it up on stage. © A & C BLACK 31
 • Continue the play plan.
groups.
Others working as
working with the group.
classroom.Teacher sitting
Maths lesson in
Monday morning.
Summer term.

Scene planner
Title: The day the teacher turned into a parrot
NOW TRY
THIS!

Opening
• Act the first scene with your group.

Teacher has disappeared

with teacher.
Shriek from group working

Build-up and problem

Climax and resolution
Ending

Teachers’ note The children should first complete page 31. Make notes about how the problem 100% New Developing Literacy
grows and how it might be resolved. Which characters might help? The children should refer to their Creating and Shaping Texts:
notes to consider the ending and the roles of the other characters (page 31). They might want to Ages 8–9
32 alter or remove some of the characters they originally listed. © A & C BLACK
 Dialogue planner: 1
• Act the scene with a group.
Good morning, She’s up there, Sir.
Class 4.Where’s
Miss Grey? It’s Miss
Where did that
parrot come from? Grey, Sir.

Good morning, Sir.

She’s up there.

Miss Grey, Too many books

You’ve been Sir. about magic.
reading too
many books
about magic.

You can go out to

play now, Class 4.

Go out to play
now, Class 4.

NOW TRY
THIS!
What else might happen?
• Continue acting the scene.

Teachers’ note The children should first complete pages 31–32. After they have read and enacted 100% New Developing Literacy
the picture story, you could hold a plenary session during which they suggest what else might Creating and Shaping Texts:
happen and what the characters might say. Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK 33
 Dialogue planner: 2
• Write the script for a scene for Write the
stage
The day the teacher turned into a parrot. directions
in brackets.
Character’s Spoken words
name (and stage directions)

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Give your playscript to another group to test.
Do you need to add or change anything?
• Edit the playscript.

Teachers’ note Use this with page 33. The children first need to have read and discussed playscripts 100% New Developing Literacy
and to be aware how the action and dialogue are presented in playscripts. Creating and Shaping Texts:
Ages 8–9
34 © A & C BLACK
 Theme park recount route

START Ghost train Lilypad trail

Run-away canoe

Cafe Down the tube A shady seat Wonder falls

The tree house A shady seat The big splash

River ride

Round and round

Hideous leap Mountain
Cafe
climber

Crocodile
creep

A shady seat Adventure Calamity

canyon cave Cafe

HOME Treetop trail The whizzer Tornado Cat’s cradle

Teachers’ note The children should play this board game in groups of three or four. They place their 100% New Developing Literacy
counter on Start, roll a die and move the counter along the board. They pick up a recount card Creating and Shaping Texts:
(from page 36) that matches the section they land on. These are to be retained to use as the basis Ages 8–9
for a recount (page 37). © A & C BLACK 35
 Theme park recount cards

Ghost train Lilypad trail Canoe

Wonder falls Shady seat Down the tube

Café The tree house The big splash

River ride Mountain climber Hideous leap

Round and round Crocodile creep Adventure canyon

Calamity cave Treetop trail The whizzer

Tornado Cat’s cradle Bus

Teachers’ note Make about three copies of this page for each group (extra copies might be needed if 100% New Developing Literacy
several children need copies of the same card). The children can later watch videos of different rides Creating and Shaping Texts:
on a theme park website, e.g. www.altontowers.com. Ages 8–9
36 © A & C BLACK
 Theme park paragraph writer
• Glue your recount cards on to Use the
the boxes. Internet.
• Find out more about each place.
• Write a recount paragraph about Write in the past tense.
each place as if you have been there. Write in the first person.

Teachers’ note Use the cards picked up in the Theme park recount route (page 35). Arrange these 100% New Developing Literacy
in order to help them to plan a factual recount of a day at a theme park. Remind them of the Creating and Shaping Texts:
difference between fact and fiction and that a recount should be written in the past tense. Write in Ages 8–9
the first person as if the children took part. © A & C BLACK 37
 Theme park recount writer
• Reread your Theme park recount paragraphs.
• Write a paragraph for the introduction. Who?
What?
• Write a conclusion paragraph to end When?
the recount. Where?
Why?
Introduction

Conclusion What did you think of the

trip? Add your opinions.
Say whether you would do
it again, and why.

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Complete your recount.
• Add connectives to link the paragraphs.

Teachers’ note The children should first complete pages 35–37. Ask them to reread the paragraphs 100% New Developing Literacy
they wrote for the Theme park recount. Remind them that a recount needs an introduction so that Creating and Shaping Texts:
the reader knows what it is about, and that it should not stop suddenly or tail off. They could add Ages 8–9
38 a comment – perhaps their opinion of the trip. © A & C BLACK
 In the news
• Write a newspaper story from Write in the past tense.
Write in the third person.
the notes.

Notes
large animal seen in woods near Oxham, cat-like, black, size of large dog (e.g. German shepherd)
spotted by four different people – different days, same week – also seen same month last year
Sam Catt (34) from Oxlake: shape of a panther and the right colour.
Bella Felina (26) from Oxwood: worried that it might attack dog, worried about going into the
woods until it has been caught.
police investigating, RSPCA on lookout,
no attacks on humans
no reports of animals missing from zoos, could be pet that grew too big & dangerous
hotline: 00011 101101
Grab the readers’
attention.
Headline

Who?
Introduction What?
When?
Where?
Why?

Story Use quotations from

eye-witnesses.

What might happen next?

Conclusion What should people do if
they see the animal?

Teachers’ note Tell the children that they are going to read some notes written by a newspaper 100% New Developing Literacy
reporter so that they can write the news story. You could first ask them to identify the headline, Creating and Shaping Texts:
introduction, main part of the story and the conclusion of a news recount. Remind them to write in Ages 8–9
the past tense and, because it is not a personal account, in the third person. © A & C BLACK 39
 History in the news
• Write about an event from Write in the past tense.
Write in the third person.
history for a newspaper report.
Newspaper name

Grab the readers’

Headline attention.

Introduction Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?

Story Use quotations from

people at the time.

What might happen next?

Conclusion Predict. Use what you
know about the event.

Teachers’ note The children should first read some newspaper-style recounts of historical events. 100% New Developing Literacy
Remind them that a news story answers the questions Who? What? When? Where? and Why? Creating and Shaping Texts:
Consult information books to find the answers. Remind them to write in the past tense and, because Ages 8–9
40 it is not a personal recount, in the third person. © A & C BLACK
 A different view
• Rewrite the newspaper article to show
a different opinion of the new library.

Word-bank and phrase-bank

improve will be well served by public transport wasteland of grass
superb congratulate themselves spirit of adventure
best grand, graceful structure grand design
useful superb new library
pleased with an exciting modern concrete structure
improvement desolate open space

Town Council approves destruction of ancient meadow

Cowford Town Council made one of its worst decisions ever today when it agreed to the
design for a monstrous eyesore of a library to be built in Meadow Lea.The building will be a
faceless, boring lump of concrete, which will blight this lovely expanse of green meadow.
The huge ugly mass of concrete and glass will not only be useless, because it will be too far
from the town’s schools and colleges but it will also destroy a valuable wildlife habitat.
Councillors should be ashamed of their woeful lack of judgement, and should think again
about both the design and the site of this disgraceful monstrosity.

Teachers’ note Remind the children about the difference between fact and opinion. You could give 100% New Developing Literacy
them some examples. Before they rewrite this story to express a different opinion, they could Creating and Shaping Texts:
underline the words and phrases that express facts and opinions in different colours. Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK 41
 Finding out
How quickly can you find the information you need to
answer the questions? Make a note of
Work in a group.
Set a timer. where you found
the answers.
• Begin your research.
• Write the answers.
• When you have written the minutes seconds
last answer, check the time.
Question Answer Where we found the
answer
What is the highest mountain in
England?
What is the capital city of
Iceland?
Who will be the next monarch of
the United Kingdom?
What is the speed limit on
motorways in the United Kingdom?
How many millimetres equal one
centimetre?
How many sides has a
dodecahedron?
Which football club plays at
Prenton Park?
Who won the Men’s Singles at
Wimbledon in 2007?
What is a gimlet used for?

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write five questions for
another group to answer.
• Check the answers.

Teachers’ note This activity could be presented as a race between two teams. The children could 100% New Developing Literacy
work in groups of six to eight split into two teams, each with its own answer sheet. Each team will Creating and Shaping Texts:
need a stop watch and one child to act as timer, with the final time being recorded once all the Ages 8–9
42 questions have been answered. © A & C BLACK
 Notes to information report
A group of children made these notes about a village Begin with an introduction.
in India. End with a conclusion: you
could compare Khalipathar
• Use their notes to help you to write an information with where you live.
report about the village.
Report

Village name: Khalipathar

Location: state of Orissa on Bay of Bengal, NE India
Nearest town Bhubaneshwar
Climate: monsoon (heavy rain in summer
(June–Sept), dry winter
Work: mainly farming (some cattle & goats), crops:

of Khalipathar is in the state of Orissa on the Bay of Bengal in northeast India.’

kale, paddy rice, cotton), also weaving cotton cloth,
making saris. Mats & baskets from paddy stalks.
Religion: mainly Hindu
Food: mainly rice with dahl (lentil stew), also curry
(mainly fish from river), millet & ragi (a cereal)

tense and in the third person. Model how to write the first sentence: for example, It says ‘village
name Khalipathar’ and ‘location: state of Orissa on Bay of Bengal, NE India’ so I’ll write ‘The village
Water: well with pump in village; washing, laundry

Teachers’ note Remind the children that a non-chronological report should be written in the present
& washing up in pond near village
Roads: dusty tracks, transport mainly bikes & carts
pulled by people or animals

Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK
NOW TRY
THIS!
• Find out more about Khalipathar.Write notes.

Creating and Shaping Texts:

100% New Developing Literacy
• Write paragraphs about the lives of children:
at home and at school or work.

43
 Report improver
• Read these paragraphs from a report. Cross out anything you
• Find ways of improving them. think is not needed.
Cross out anything that is
• Cross out and alter them repeated.
using a different coloured pen. Change any clumsy
sentences.
• Rewrite the paragraphs.
For centuries people have reported sightings of ghosts. Ghosts have been talked about for
hundreds of years. Some people say that a ghost is the soul of a dead person who has died.
Others say a ghost is an ‘apparition’.This means that the person appears, and you can see
the person and the person transparent and the person does not look real.The person is not
real. Most ghosts are seen close to the place where the person died. Dead people come
back as ghosts and appear near to the place where they died. Sometimes they appear in a
place that was important to them during their life.
There are also mischievous ghosts called poltergeists. Poltergeists are mischievous.
They move things around.They usually move things around when no one is looking, when
there is nobody there.
There are many haunted places in Britain, and many different people have seen ghosts in
these places and reported seeing the ghosts.

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Talk to a friend about why
you made each change.

Teachers’ note Model how to improve the first two sentences by ‘thinking aloud’, using a copy of 100% New Developing Literacy
the passage displayed on an interactive whiteboard. You could delete the sentence. Creating and Shaping Texts:
Ages 8–9
44 © A & C BLACK
 Weather words glossary
• Find the meanings of the weather words.
• Check them in different sources.
• Write notes. A glossary should be in alphabetical
• Make a glossary of order.What will you do about words
weather words. that begin with the same letter?

Weather words
typhoon hurricane hail snow frost
ice fog smog mist cloud
rain breeze gale Beaufort scale monsoon

Word Definition

NOW TRY
THIS! Can you take
• Reread your definitions. out any words?
• Edit and improve them.

Teachers’ note Ask the children which word in the list comes first alphabetically. Discuss why 100% New Developing Literacy
Beaufort scale comes before breeze. You could display the page on an interactive whiteboard; drag Creating and Shaping Texts:
and drop the words on to the alphabetical list. Model how to find the next word: for example, I’ll Ages 8–9
look for other words beginning with ‘b’. There isn’t one, so I’ll look for ‘c’. © A & C BLACK 45
 Village notes to chart

100% New Developing Literacy

Creating and Shaping Texts:
• Read the notes some children made about villages near where they live.

© A & C BLACK
• Record their findings on the chart.

Ages 8–9
demonstrate) how to enter the information about one of the villages on the chart. Draw out how
6 villages nr Hexham, Northumberland. Whitfield: in River Allen valley on A686 road Simonburn: Stone circle & remains of Iron

Teachers’ note After reading the notes, ask the children questions about the villages. Is it easy or
Chollerford: at crossing of military road over North Tyne (crosses Pennines from Hexham – Penrith), farms, 2 Age homestead, old church, large manor
River. Nr Hadrian's Wall, lge Roman fort & farm land. old churches. Sawmill (once powered by waterwheel). house whose family owned most of land.

difficult to find the information? Point out the chart. Show them (or invite a volunteer to
Corbridge: where Roman roads Dere Street and Lge manor house – family owned most of land. Warden: at meeting of rivers N & S Tyne nr
Stanegate met nr R.Tyne crossing (old bridge), grew from Catton: on hill above River Allen. Railway (now Hadrian’s Wall & Roman roads. Stone Age
the Roman town Corstopitum nr Hadrian’s Wall & farm closed) took lead from Catton mines to Hexham. remains, Iron Age hill fort, Roman settlement
land. Market. Old churches. 2 Methodist chapels. Farms. & Saxon church.
Village facts
Village Hill or Roads Railway River Ancient Roman Market Church or
valley? settlement settlement chapel

easier it is to read a chart than a long paragraph of prose.

NOW TRY
THIS!
What conclusions can you draw about why people
settled in these places and how the villages grew?
• Write two sentences about each village.

46
 Cartoon characters chart
How are the main characters in cartoon films alike or different?
• List as many cartoon characters as you can think of from films
or television or comics.
• Make notes on the chart.
Name Human or Good or Friends Enemies Does he or she Do others Does the
animal? evil? chase or attack chase or attack character
others? him or her? always win?

and pass it on to another group who could ask one another to find information on it.
Teachers’ note Ask the children to name and contribute information about some cartoon
characters. Using a copy of the chart on an interactive whiteboard, they can then complete the chart
Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK
NOW TRY
THIS!

Creating and Shaping Texts:

• Make a chart that helps you to group cartoon

100% New Developing Literacy

characters by similarities.

47
 • Choose a numbered part and say what you think it does.
• Talk to a friend about how the Shirt Machine works.

The Shirt Machine

5
6
1

7
3

8
2

10
11
12

Teachers’ note Watch the film The Shirt Machine (www.jonsmind.com). Ask what it does (makes 100% New Developing Literacy
shirts, packs them and puts on labels for posting). Ask how to make a shirt. What materials and Creating and Shaping Texts:
equipment are needed? Ask which part of the machine might tackle each part of the shirt-making Ages 8–9
48 process. They could name some of the numbered parts, for example, material cutter. © A & C BLACK
 The Shirt Machine flowchart
• Write notes about how the Shirt Machine works.
. . . what the machine . . . the information
Think about . . .
operator does . . . the machine needs . . .

. . . finishing and . . . what has to be done: . . . materials . . .

packing . . . design, cutting, stitching . . .

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write a paragraph to explain how you
think the operator starts the machine.

Teachers’ note The children should first complete page 48 and summarise the machine’s actions. 100% New Developing Literacy
They then make notes about the process in the flowchart, with links to the numbered parts of the Creating and Shaping Texts:
machine. Using the illustration and flowchart, the children should explain orally how the machine Ages 8–9
works, as if for a television documentary. © A & C BLACK 49
 The Shirt Machine explanation
• Write an explanation of how you Say briefly what the
machine does.
think the Shirt Machine works.
Introduction Write a paragraph
for each key activity.

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

Paragraph 5

Paragraph 6

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Plan an interview with the shirt maker.
• Write questions to help you to find out more
about the Shirt Machine.
• Enact the interview with a friend answering
the questions.
Teachers’ note The children should first complete pages 48–49. Model how to use the flowchart to 100% New Developing Literacy
help in writing the explanation in the present tense and third person: for example, The Shirt Creating and Shaping Texts:
Machine cuts the material for shirts, sews it, stitches on the fastenings, folds the shirt, packs it and Ages 8–9
50 puts on a label to post it. Then begin a new paragraph. © A & C BLACK
 Animal persuaders

Bluebottle Rat Adder

Lays eggs ➝ maggots hatch from
them & feed on rotting plant and
animal material, including dead
animals. Gets rid of smelly
materials.
Feeds on waste food in bins –
animal and plant. Can be kept as
pet. Sociable & intelligent. Can be
trained to use litter box, come
when called and do tricks.
Although poisonous, does not
attack humans unless touched.
Illegal to kill or injure adder.

Garden spider Slug Wasp

Eats insects, especially flies
caught in web. Flies spread
disease by picking up germs
(from materials like dog dirt) –
spread to food.
Although feeds on living plants,
also eats debris: leaves that fall
off plants, grass cuttings.
Larvae ➝ parasites (feed on
fallen fruit & dead animals).
Many eat other insects.Adults
eat nectar. Go from flower to
flower ➝ pollinate.

Shark Mouse Earthworm

Rarely attack humans unless
provoked. Few are dangerous to
humans. Good source of food:
shark meat + shark fin soup.
Humans have eaten mice for
1000s of yrs. Delicacy in Zambia
and Malawi (imp source of
protein). Food for owls & other
protected birds of prey.
Feeds on rotting animal and
plant material in soil – so helps
to break down waste material.
Soil passes through body – leaves
small tunnels that add air to soil.

Teachers’ note Cut out the cards and give one to each child. Explain that each card has a picture 100% New Developing Literacy
and information about an animal that many people do not like because it frightens them or Creating and Shaping Texts:
because they think it is a pest. Ask them to use the information (which is in note form) to help Ages 8–9
them to write a sentence to persuade people not to dislike the animal. © A & C BLACK 51
 The pop festival: notes
• Read the reporter’s notes on what people said
about a local pop festival.
• Tick the ones that will help her to write an article
to persuade people that the festival was good for
the local area. ✔
• Write a sentence from each of these notes.
ers
Local youngst
ment
Traffic police Police Great entertain
p.
Too much traffic on country lanes. Increase in crime: theft, for 3 days. Chea
drunkenness & drug-selling.

Family at festival
Local householder Local father
Well-organised: camping,
Noisy. Loud music.
Local resident Gave youngsters
.
toilets, food & drinks stalls
. Loud voices.
Crowds.Too many something to do
f
people in small village. Kept them out o
trouble.
r
Local farme Tourism Information Centre
ed Local resident
Noise disturb Good for hotels, b&bs, restaurants,
shops – lots of customers. Litter on roadsides
animals. & in fields.

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write a postcard from someone who went
to the festival, telling a friend what a good
event it was.

Teachers’ note Invite volunteers to read the reporter’s notes from interviews about a pop festival. 100% New Developing Literacy
Can they find notes that say the festival was good for the local area? They could count those for the Creating and Shaping Texts:
festival and those against it and say whether the notes enable the reporter to write a balanced Ages 8–9
52 report. Model how to convert the notes into sentences. © A & C BLACK
 The pop festival: persuasion
• Write a newspaper article to Make up details:
Who? When?
persuade people that the pop Where? Why?
concert was good for the local area.

Headline
Music-lovers flocked to on
to listen to
Local youngsters

Families

Parents of teenagers

The local tourism office

Overall

NOW TRY
THIS!
• See if you can make the article
more persuasive.
You could: change the verbs
or adjectives
add connectives.
Teachers’ note The children should first complete page 52. Explain that this page helps them to 100% New Developing Literacy
write a persuasive report that says that the festival was good for the local area. They should think of Creating and Shaping Texts:
a positive-sounding headline. Discuss the purpose of the introduction and note how the sentence Ages 8–9
starters encourage active-sounding sentences. © A & C BLACK 53
 The pop festival: complaint
• Write a letter to a newspaper to Make up details:Who?
When? Where? Why?
complain about the pop festival.
• Say why no more pop festivals should
be held in this place.

Dear Editor
I have the misfortune to live next to ,
where the disgraceful pop concert was held on

Yours faithfully

NOW TRY
THIS!
Can you use more persuasive
language?
• Edit your letter.

Teachers’ note The children should first complete pages 52–53. Ask them to reread the notes they 100% New Developing Literacy
did not tick on page 52 and use them to write a letter about the pop festival being bad for the local Creating and Shaping Texts:
area. Draw out the way in which different facts can be used, or the same facts expressed differently, Ages 8–9
54 in order to persuade people about something. © A & C BLACK
 Persuaders
The market-traders have few Use informal language.
customers. Attract shoppers’ attention.
• Improve their sales pitch.
Come and buy my
good quality fresh Come over here and buy my
lamb chops. delicious home-baked cakes
that I made today.
Chops! Lamb chops!
Don’t miss out.
New season’s lamb.
Buy the best!

I’m selling fish that is

freshly caught. It was
swimming in the sea
this morning. If you need trainers, come to
my stall.These are fashionable
and high quality.

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Imagine you have a market stall.
• Write your sales pitch.

Teachers’ note Read the butcher’s two sales pitches. Explain what makes the improved version more 100% New Developing Literacy
appealing and persuasive: short phrases or sentences that begin by telling the customers what is on Creating and Shaping Texts:
sale, makes them think they might miss something if they are not quick enough and says very briefly Ages 8–9
what makes the chops the best. © A & C BLACK 55
 Your similes
• Complete the similes.
Make up your Do not use any you Test your similes by saying
own similes. have heard before. them before you write them.

A b r e e z e a s g e n t l e a s a n a n g e l ’s b
re a t h .
Tiptoe ing a s q ui etly as
Pi pi ng as m err ily a s
A f ro w n a s s t e r n a s
Eyes as cold as
Hair a s s oft as
A ro o m a s c o l d a s
A house as cosy as
A quilt as colourful as
NOW TRY
THIS!
• Make notes about a person,
object, animal or scene.
• Write similes to describe what
you see, hear, feel or smell.
Teachers’ note Read poems containing similes with the children and notice how poets use them to 100% New Developing Literacy
create a vivid image. Now read the completed example with the children and help them to Creating and Shaping Texts:
complete the next one by encouraging them to express their ideas about anything they think Ages 8–9
56 expresses quiet tiptoeing. See the Introduction page 10. © A & C BLACK
 Compare it
• Write comparisons to create
different effects.
• Use like for comparing.
Big, dark, gentle eyes Narrow, mean eyes
Eyes like deep purple pansies

Eyes that seem to bore into you Fierce eyes

Eyes like drills

Big, long teeth Big, fierce teeth

Small, white teeth Rows of sharp, fearsome teeth

Short, coarse, brown hair that stand up Long, black, silky hair with a slight
on end wave

Very short, blonde, curly hair Short, spiky, chestnut hair

NOW TRY
THIS!
Write some comparisons to
describe these.
Faces Noses Ears Hands

Teachers’ note Discuss the difference between a simile and a comparison (similes usually compare 100% New Developing Literacy
using as, whereas comparisons include like). Read the completed example with them and help them Creating and Shaping Texts:
to complete the next one by encouraging them to express their ideas about anything they think Ages 8–9
conjures up an image of narrow mean eyes. © A & C BLACK 57
 Coloured images
• Add words to the A cosy fire A dangerous fire
colours to create
different images,
for example – red. rich, glowing red spitting, fiery red
New leaves and grass A swamp Evil eyes

Green

A summer sky Cold hands Happy eyes

Blue

A summer flower An old book Dirty teeth

Yellow

A beautiful shiny stone A dark cave A deep, mysterious pool

Black

NOW TRY
THIS!
Choose one of the images. Your poem could be
as short as four lines.
Make more notes about it. It need not rhyme.
Use your notes to help you
to write a short poem.
Teachers’ note The children should first read poems containing images of coloured objects (see 100% New Developing Literacy
Introduction page 11). Use these poems to demonstrate how different descriptions of a colour can Creating and Shaping Texts:
create different images and feelings, as in the examples. Ages 8–9
58 © A & C BLACK
 Model poem
• Use the poem to help you to plan your own poem about
the months of the year.
• Make notes about what each month brings.
• Think about rhyme. Here are some
The Months examples to help you
to get started.
January brings the snow,
Makes our feet and fingers glow.
February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.
March brings breezes loud and shrill, January: frost, snowballs tossed, freeze, cold knees
Stirs the dancing daffodil. February: thaw, close the door, melt, chill is felt
April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daisies at our feet.
May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy dams.
June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hands with posies.
Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.
August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.
Warm September brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
Fresh October brings the pheasant,
Then to gather nuts is pleasant.
Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast.
Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.
Sara Coleridge
NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write two pairs of lines about two months
of the year.
Use rhyme, but it must make sense.

Teachers’ note Read the poem aloud with the children and ask them about the image it creates of 100% New Developing Literacy
each month: for example, a pleasant tingling cold feeling in the snow (January) or a cold wet image Creating and Shaping Texts:
(February). Ask the children what they notice about the rhyme pattern (couplets) and help them to Ages 8–9
write another January verse. © A & C BLACK 59
 An image in a verse
This verse is about a bird feeding Use a
and watching out for danger. thesaurus.
Make notes on the
• Think of ways of changing the notepad. Use words from
the word-bank and add
words and phrases in bold to others of your own.
describe a cow grazing.
He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around; Word-bank
They looked like frightened beads, I thought; brown
He stirred his velvet head. calm
deep
From A Bird Came Down the Walk by Emily Dickinson
gazed
gentle
her
Notes kind
lingering
mild
pleasant
plodding
pools
ponds
serene
she
slow
soft
stared
steady
tender
unhurried

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Use your notes to help you to write
a verse about a cow grazing.

Teachers’ note Ask volunteers to enact the verse as if they were the bird. Discuss how the bird moves 100% New Developing Literacy
(with small, quick, sharp movements) and tap the rhythm of the bird’s movement (perhaps using a Creating and Shaping Texts:
percussion instrument) while the others enact it. Then discuss how a cow moves while grazing, Ages 8–9
60 noting words that communicate this. © A & C BLACK
 Poetic prayers
This poem is a prayer that says ‘Thank you’.
• Read it aloud.
• Think of something you would like to say thank you for.
• Use the poem as a model for your ‘thank you’ prayer.

Thank you

Thanks

Benediction Thanks
Thanks to the ear
That someone may hear
Thanks to seeing Thanks
That someone may see
Thanks to feeling
That someone may feel Thanks
Thanks to touch
That one may be touched
Thanks to the flowering of Thanks
white moon
And spreading shawl of
black night
Holding villages and cities
together.
James Berry

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write notes for a prayer poem
that asks for something.

Teachers’ note Discuss how the prayer poem should be read. The children could then read it aloud 100% New Developing Literacy
in unison. Half the group could tap the syllables while the others read it again. Their thank you Creating and Shaping Texts:
poems could include thanks to the sunshine, moonlight, rain, stars or anything they want to say Ages 8–9
thank you for. © A & C BLACK 61
 Fairy-tale poem: 1
Which fairy tale does this poem tell?

Write about the way the poem is written.

Fair Rosa
There was a princess long ago A handsome prince came riding by
Long ago, long ago Riding by, riding by
There was a princess long ago A handsome prince came riding by
Long, long ago. Long, long ago.
A wicked fairy waved her wand He chopped the trees down one by one
Waved her wand, waved her wand One by one, one by one
A wicked fairy waved her wand He chopped the trees down one by one
Long, long ago. Long, long ago.
The princess slept for a hundred years He woke the princess with a kiss
A hundred years, a hundred years With a kiss, with a kiss
The princess slept for a hundred years He woke the princess with a kiss
Long, long ago. Long, long ago.
A great big forest grew around So everybody’s happy now
Grew around, grew around Happy now, happy now
A great big forest grew around So everybody’s happy now
Long, long ago. Happy now. Anonymous

Notes

Teachers’ note Give the children time to recognise the fairy tale it tells. How is it written? Draw out 100% New Developing Literacy
that: it is in verses of four lines; only the first and third lines tell the story; the second line repeats Creating and Shaping Texts:
the last two or three words of the first line; the fourth lines of every verse repeat ‘long, long ago’; Ages 8–9
62 rhyme occurs only because of repeated words. © A & C BLACK
 Fairy tale poem: 2
• Write a poem to tell Think about the rhythm.
Little Red Riding Hood.
• Use ‘Fair Rosa’ as a model. Use repetition.

Red Hat
Red Hat was a very kind girl

Red Hat
Long, long ago.

She went to see

She went to see

A wicked old wolf

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Write a poem to tell another fairy tale.
• Use ‘Fair Rosa’ as a model.

Teachers’ note Children should first have completed page 62. 100% New Developing Literacy
Creating and Shaping Texts:
Ages 8–9
© A & C BLACK 63
 How many miles to Babylon?
• Use this rhyme as a model for other rhymes.
• Use the same rhyme pattern.
How many miles to Babylon? Three score miles
and ten.

Can I get there by candlelight? Yes – and back

again.

How many fish in

the ocean?

How many threads in

a spider’s web?

NOW TRY
THIS!
• Make up a long question-and-answer
poem with a partner. Check the rhyme pattern.
• Record the poem. Count the syllables.

• Find ways of improving it.

Teachers’ note The children could work in pairs to write a poem modelled on ‘How many miles to 100% New Developing Literacy
Babylon?’ One asks the questions and the other answers. Encourage fantastical ideas. The rhyme Creating and Shaping Texts:
pattern should not be too difficult to follow, since the poem should be fun and does not need to Ages 8–9
64 make logical sense. © A & C BLACK