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TEACH READING & WRITING
describe themselves. Encourage themto use
adjectives to build description and similes to
showwhat things look like, e.g.
●
I amtheflame’s flicker in the great
fireplace, like the scarlet tongue froma
dragon’smouth.
●
I amthe great table, made fromancient
oak and carvedwith strange creatures and
peculiar patterns.
●
I
ama silver plate, completewith a pile of
ruby raspberries that have sugar sprinkled
on top like snow.
After the descriptivework, turnwhat
the children have said into a descriptive
paragraph. Show the scene through Billy’s
eyes (Billy stared round the hall) and use
prepositions to build the description, e.g. in
themiddle, on top, to one side.
Billy stared round the hall. In themiddle
of the roomstood a great table, made
fromancient oak and carvedwith strange
creatures and peculiar patterns. On top of
it was a silver plate, completewith a pile of
ruby raspberries that had sugar sprinkled on
top like snow. To one side, flames flickered
in the great fireplace like the scarlet tongue
froma dragon’smouth.
Underlying pattern
New ideas
Main character (MC) finds a magical
portal and enters.
Describe the new setting
TheMC is warned not to do something
in the newworld.
TheMC explores the newworld and
disobeys the warning.
TheMC has to escape and return
through the portal.
TheMC cannot find the portal again and
has brought back some magical item.
Josie finds a door in the cupboard under
the stairs and goes through it.
It leads to a world of magical animals,
guarded by tiny elves.
She is told she can explore the world but
should not touch the birds.
She frees a ‘bird of paradise’ that has
been trapped and picks up a feather!
She is chased and just manages to
escape through the portal.
She can never find the door again but the
feather grants her a magical wish.
Fig. 1
Let the children draw the little people,
colour in their clothes and provide descriptive
labels. Thiswill help children imagine the
scene. In role as Billy, children can thenwrite
a diary entry about what happened.
Generatenewideas
Start the children thinking about journeys
into ‘magical worlds’ by using a playful
poetry pattern. Read the poetry example
below, then use sharedwriting to
showchildren howto generate and
craft their own ideas before theywrite
independently. The aim is to create
interesting sentences of three, using
commas and alliterative adjectives:
I opened themagical door and sawa
diabolical dragon, an elegant elf and
a greedy goblin.
I opened themagical door and sawa
silent snake, a gorgeous goat and an
elegant elephant.
I opened themagical door and sawa
charming cherub, a sunlit saucer and a
fragile photo.
I opened themagical door and saw
a silky sunset, serious stars and
mournful moons.
I opened themagical door and saw
meagremountains, ravenous rivers and
ferocious forests.
