FLS Module 2 - PGCE

The National 

Literacy Strategy 

Guidance 

Curriculum, 

Examination and 

Assessment 

Further Literacy 

Support 

Module 2 

Year 5 teachers and 

Teaching Assistants 

Status: Recommended 

Date of issue: 10/02 

Ref: DfES 0586/2002

Contents 

Introduction to the Further Literacy Support Programme 

iv 

CONTENTS 

Target plan 

Programme overview 

Programme summary (Module 2: Weeks 5–8) 

vii 

viii 

xii 

Week 5 1 

Week 6 11 

Week 7 21 

Week 8 31 

Module 2 PCMs (for teaching assistant’s use) 43 

iii

INTRODUCTION TO THE FURTHER LITERACY SUPPORT PROGRAMME 

National Literacy Strategy 

Introduction to the 

Further Literacy Support 

Programme 

The modules 

● 

The programme is divided into three modules, each lasting four weeks. 

● The overall focus is on consolidating objectives from Year 4 and Year 5 terms 1 and 2. 

● 

● 

● 

Each module focuses on several text level objectives, particularly writing objectives. These 

provide the context for developing writing in a particular form. Sentence and word level 

objectives are addressed in this context. 

Each module has a writing outcome. 

Children see writing demonstrated in the guided and supported sessions and then go on to 

apply these skills and strategies in independent writing. 

Module 1: Writing to Persuade 

● Consolidation of key objectives from Year 4 

● 

● 

Outcomes: Write three pieces of persuasive writing: an advert, a leaflet and a letter. 

Context: Children read and evaluate advertisements, write promotional material for a new 

product called ‘VIP’, and finally write a letter using persuasive language. 

Module 2: Fantastic Tales 

● Consolidating key objectives from Year 4 and from Year 5 term 1 

● 

● 

Outcomes: Plan and write a story. 

Context: Children read and evaluate examples of myths and legends. They identify key 

features and use these to plan and write their own stories, editing and reviewing as they write. 

iv 

Module 3: Writing to Inform 

● Consolidating key objectives from Year 5 terms 1 and 2 

● 

● 

Outcomes: Plan and write a report. 

Context: Children read and evaluate non-chronological reports. They identify key features 

and use these to plan and write a report on their school, as well as instructions about how 

to get there for a visitor from ‘another world’. They edit and revise their writing and plan a 

presentation.

Weekly structure 

Each week has the same structure and contains the following elements: 

● guided work – led by the class teacher; 

● supported sessions – led by a teaching assistant or other teacher; 

● independent work – carried out in the literacy hour or at another time; 

● homework – homework is available but is optional. 

Monday 

● 

● 

Guided reading or writing: This session is completed during the literacy hour. It 

provides the focus for work in all further sessions that week. Notes are provided to help the 

teacher plan and run these sessions. 

Supplementary homework: If the teacher decides to use the homework, then the day’s 

task is introduced. 

Tuesday 

● 

● 

● 

Independent activity: The group completes this during the literacy hour or at another 

time set by the teacher. This work will follow up the guided session and lead into the first 

supported session. 

Supported session 1: This is led by a teaching assistant or other adult working with the 

group outside the literacy hour. Session notes are provided. 

Supplementary homework: This is set by the teacher. 

Wednesday 

● 

● 

Supported session 2: This is led by the teaching assistant or other adult outside the 

literacy hour. 

Supplementary homework: This is set by the teacher. 


Thursday 

● 

Independent activity: This is completed by the group during the literacy hour or at 

another time set by the teacher. 

Friday 

● 

Supported session 3: This is led by the teaching assistant or other adult outside the 

literacy hour. 

Session structure 

Each supported session follows the same sequence and should take about 20 minutes: 

1 On your marks Introduction 

2 Get set Preparation and support 

3 Go Independent activity 

4 Finishing line Review and preparation for next step 

v


Monitoring progress 

● 

● 

● 

At the beginning of each module, the children are introduced to the target plan. They 

consider what they will learn and review their weekly targets listed on the target bank at the 

end of the module. Children are involved in self-evaluation throughout the programme, 

having considered their own learning initially in ‘limbering up’ sessions. At the end of each 

week they reflect on what they have learned, using the target bank. 

The emphasis is on highlighting skills and knowledge which children can transfer to reading 

and writing across the curriculum. 

Teachers and teaching assistants also make notes about children’s progress each week, 

using the Planning / Review Sheets, which can be found at the beginning of each weekly 

section. At the end of each module the teacher and the teaching assistant summarise their 

comments on the group, using the Review Sheet. This procedure can help to ensure 

effective communication. 

Links with whole-class teaching 

● 

● 

● 

● 

The FLS programme provides additional opportunities for children to consolidate key literacy 

objectives. It is designed to run in addition to the literacy hour. 

Teachers are provided with notes each week to help them make links between their whole-class 

teaching and the work being done in the FLS group. Although the FLS group will be working at 

a different level, teachers should make opportunities to link into the whole-class sessions. 

Teachers can make more direct links where there is an overlap between the text focus for 

the literacy hour and the FLS materials, e.g. Module 2 – Fantastic Tales; Module 3 – Writing 

to Inform. 

The FLS text focus and outcome are designed to stand alone rather than be directly linked 

to whole-class teaching. The main emphasis is on helping children to transfer what they are 

learning within their FLS group to their independent reading and writing. 

Resources and preparation 

vi 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Teacher’s book – The teacher’s book contains: 

– an overview of the FLS programme; 

– screening and selection materials (including the limbering up materials); 

– summaries for each module; 

– notes for the guided and independent sessions; 

– guidance on the use of the homework material; 

– the relevant PCMs. 

Teaching assistant’s books – There are three books, one for each module, each 

containing all the session notes and PCMs needed to deliver the module. 

The FLS Book – Each child’s book contains the support materials for all modules, a target 

plan for each module, blank sheets for writing and a target bank to be used for tracking 

progress. 

Homework sheets – These contain homework tasks that are related to each module but 

are not essential to it. The homework material is also on the accompanying CD-ROM. 

CD-ROM contains all material for the programme.

Module 2 Fantastic Tales (Weeks 5–8) 

Target plan 

Week 5 

Evaluating 

myths and 

identifying key 

features 

to use as a 

model for writing 

Week 6 

Planning story 

plots 

Week 7 

Developing a 

story from 

a plan 

Week 8 

Completing and 

reviewing a story 

TARGET PLAN 

T 

arget 

T 

arget 

T 

arget 

T 

arget 

I am learning 

to identify 

features in 

stories and 

use these to 

plan my own 

writing. 

I am learning 

to use 

paragraphs 

to organise a 

story plot and 

move the 

action on. 

I am learning 

to write a 

story that 

engages my 

readers and 

builds up to 

the most 

exciting part. 

I am learning 

to resolve the 

problem in my 

story with 

a satisfying 

ending, and 

improve it to 

make it more 

interesting to 

a reader. 

When I am writing a story I can: 

● use story structures from stories I’ve read; 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

plan a whole story with a clear sequence of events; 

write a good opening to introduce the setting and characters and give a clue about the 

plot; 

build up events to the most exciting part and resolve the problems at the end; 

write a satisfying ending; 

arrange the story into paragraphs to move the action on; 

describe good and bad characters effectively; 

use some short sentences for effect, and combine others into complex sentences; 

review, edit and correct my writing to produce a final draft; 

plan and write my story with a real reader in mind. 

vii

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW 

Further Literacy Support: 


Module 2 Fantastic Tales (Weeks 5–8) 

Week 

Reading and writing targets 

Key objectives 

5 

W Y4 Style: Language effects Use 

powerful verbs to show character. 


well-chosen phrases or vocabulary to 

engage the reader. 

R Y4 Interpretation and response 

Identify and discuss issues locating 

evidence in the text. 

R Y5 Knowing how text works 

Identify features of different fiction genre, 

i.e. myths and legends. 

Y5 T2 Text 1 To identify the 

features of myths … 

Y5 T1 Text 3 To investigate how 

characters are presented. 

Y4 T1 Text 11 Write character 

sketches, focusing on small details to 

evoke sympathy or dislike. 

Y5 T1 Sentence 4 To adapt 

writing for different readers and 

purposes. 

Y4 T3 Text 3 To understand how 

paragraphs or chapters are used to 

collect and order ideas. 

6 

W Y4 Purpose and organisation 

Use main features of story structure to 

organise events vary opening, build-ups, 

conflicts and endings. 


adjectives and adverbs selectively to 

show character or add impact. 

R Y5 Use of context Understand how 

stories may vary, e.g. in pace, build-up, 

sequence, complication and resolution. 


Infer meaning with reference to the text 

but also apply wider experience. 

Y5 T1 Text 2 To compare the 

structure of different stories, to 

discover how they differ in pace, 

build-up, sequence, complication and 

resolution. 

Y5 T1 Sentence 3 To discuss and 

edit their own writing. 

Y5 T1 Text 14 To map out texts 

showing development and structure. 

viii

Speaking and Listening 

Outcome 


QCA Y4 T1 Speaking for 

different audiences 

Telling and retelling stories – 

discuss how telling is adapted 

to audience. 

QCA Y4 T2 Drama 

Activities Recognise how 

the roles in situations can be 

approached from different 

viewpoints. 

QCA Y4 T3 Discussion 

and group activities 

Investigating, selecting and 

sorting – anticipate possible 

outcomes and 

consequences. 

To plan for the introduction 

of the two characters – the 

beast and the heroine or 

hero. 

QCA Y4 T2 Listening 

and responding to an 

expert giving information – 

comparing notes with others. 

QCA Y4 T2 Drama 

activities Work in and out 

of role. 


and group interaction 

Explaining, reporting and 

evaluating – listening carefully 

and responding 

constructively. 

Continue planning a story 

based on myth, focusing on 

resolution. 

ix


Week 

7 

Reading and writing targets 

W Y5 Purpose and organisation Use 

paragraphs to structure plot by shifting 

paragraphs for change of time, scene, 

action, mood or person. 

W Y5 Punctuation Use speech marks, 

with new lines for the speaker and correct 

punctuation. 

R Y5 Grammatical awareness 

Maintain understanding by applying 

knowledge of the use of pronouns within 

sentences and between paragraphs. 

R Y5 Use of context Understand how 

stories may vary in pace, build-up, 

sequence, complication and resolution. 

Key objectives 

Y4 T3 Text 13 Write own longer 

stories from story plans. 

Y5 T1 Sentence 7 Understand how 

dialogue is set out … . 

Y5 T1 Sentence 3 Discuss, 

proofread and edit own writing for clarity 

and correctness, e.g. by creating more 

complex sentences, using a range of 

connectives, simplifying clumsy 

constructions. 

Y5 T2 Text 11 To write own version of 

legends, myths and fables using 

structures and themes identified in 

reading. 

8 

W Y5 Process Review and edit writing to 

produce final form, matched to the needs 

of an identified reader. 


well-chosen phrases and vocabulary to 

engage the reader. 


Respond critically to issues raised in 

stories, explore alternative courses of 

action, evaluate author’s solution. 

R Y5 Attitude Develop an active 

response to own reading. 

Y5 T2 Text 13 To review and edit own 

writing to produce a final form … . 

Y5 T1 Word 1 Identify misspelt words 

in own writing … and Word 3 Use 

independent spelling strategies … . 

Y5 T2 Text 11 To write own version of 

legends, myths and fables using 

structures and themes identifed in 

reading. 

x

Speaking and Listening 


and group activities 

Make decisions effectively, 

anticipate possible outcomes 

and consequences. 



Planning, predicting and 

exploring – modify plans in 

the light of review. 

QCA Y5 T1 Speaking for 

different audiences 

Support or defend points of 

view. 

Outcome 

Develop the plot – write the 

middle of a story. Include 

dialogue. 




Explaining, reporting and 

evaluating – review progress 

at intervals. 

Write, edit and publish 

finished story. 

xi

PROGRAMME SUMMARY 

Module 2: Fantastic Tales 

Summary 

Week 

5 

Timing 

During 

literacy hour 

Monday 

Guided reading 

(teacher) 

Reading a story (myth / 

legend genre). Identifying 

features and using as a 

model for writing. 

Tuesday 

Independent activity 

Read another story in the 

same genre and evaluate, 

using a checklist of 

ingredients. 

Outside 

literacy hour 

Supported session 5:1 

Read a simple retelling; 

evaluate; discuss further 

detail to be added. Write a 

paragraph based on ideas 

discussed. 

Supplementary 

homework 

Homework task 

Spelling investigation into 

root words and suffixes – 

spellings and meanings. 

Homework task 

Write a paragraph describing 

a character in the story, 

adding more detail. 

Week 

6 

During 

literacy hour 


(teacher) 

Introduce Story Staircase, 

demo-mapping a story (e.g. 

Perseus) onto it. 


Map out the plot of another 

myth onto the Story 

Staircase, as in the guided 

session. 

Outside 

literacy hour 


Demonstrate planning a 

myth, using Story Staircase 

up to the most exciting part. 

Children begin own plan. 

Supplementary 

homework 

Homework task 

Reading journal: identify and 

summarise the climax of a 

story read recently. 

xii

Wednesday 

Thursday 


Children choose from a set of 

ingredients on cards and 

write a plan based on them. 

Friday 



Use picture cards in sets 

related to ‘ingredients’ to 

plan simple myths orally. 


Plan descriptions of a beast 

and heroine discussing 

effective use of adjectives 

and verbs. 

Evaluate learning this week. 

Homework task 

Rules for plurals. 


Children plan story resolution 

using Story Staircase, based 

on the three choices 

discussed in Supported 

session 6:2. 


Demonstrate planning three 

possible resolutions: kill beast 

and escape; trick beast and 

escape; befriend beast. 

Children discuss choices. 


Demonstrate reviewing early 

part of plan to ensure that it 

links to chosen resolution. 

Reminder about using past 

tense for narratives. Review 

week’s learning. 

Homework task 

Children compose sentences 

containing comparative 

descriptions. 

xiii


Week 

7 

Timing 

During 

literacy hour 

Outside 

literacy hour 

Monday 

Guided writing (teacher) 

Use shared writing 

techniques to compose the 

opening two paragraphs of a 

myth, using the Story 

Staircase plan from Week 6. 

Tuesday 


Write first two paragraphs of 

own story. Use ideas from 

the guided session and own 

story plan. 


Demonstrate writing 

introduction of the beast. 

Children introduce the beast 

in their own stories. 

Supplementary 

homework 

Homework task 

Comment on the effective 

opening of a story. 

Homework task 

Creating new sentences 

using connectives. 

Week 

8 

During 

literacy hour 

Guided writing (teacher) 

Use shared writing strategies 

to compose the climax of the 

shared story – the 

confrontation. 


Children complete own 

‘confrontation’ scene. 

Re-read own story so far. 

Outside 

literacy hour 


Demonstrate writing the 

resolution of the shared story. 

Children begin writing their 

own resolutions. 

Supplementary 

homework 

Homework task 

Reading journal: analyse the 

ending of a story. 

Homework task 

Spelling: self-checking 

routines; identifying spelling 

strategies. 

xiv

Wednesday 



build-up to the confrontation. 

Children continue with own 

story. 

Thursday 


Write the build-up to the 

confrontation in their own 

stories, based on plans and 

Supported session 7:2. 

Friday 


Work on connectives to link 

paragraphs of story. Review 

own stories so far. 


Homework task 

Reading journal: analyse the 

climax of a story. 


Use ‘Checklist for revising 

and improving a story’ to 

review their own work. 


Children write own resolution 

and begin to edit story. 


Children consider which 

activities have helped them 

most, then review learning 

and select a personal target. 

Homework task 

Writing journal: prepare a 

book blurb for a story they 

have written. 

xv

xvi

MODULE 2 WEEK 5 

Week5 

1


Notes for teacher and teaching assistant 


Focus for the week: Reading, evaluating and planning 

fantastic tales 

The children will read examples of myths and legends. This will build on their experience of reading other 

examples in class-shared reading sessions. They will identify the ‘ingredients’ of a good story and use 

these as the basis for planning their own myth. 


The FLS group is working during their additional sessions on objectives different from those being taught 

in the whole-class literacy sessions. The following prompts are to help you make links and involve the 

FLS group in the whole-class part of the literacy hour. 

Text level 

If you are currently looking at myths and legends, draw attention to features of this text-type, e.g. setting, 

heroes / heroines, fantastic beasts, a challenge, a struggle, a resolution. Involve the group in recognising 

these features. 

Draw attention to the use of paragraphs, and emphasise that a new paragraph is often used to introduce 

a new theme, or to move the action on in a narrative. 

Word level 

Involve the group in looking for examples of words ending in -tion and -tory. Identify the root word, and 

talk about the word class, e.g. direct / direction / directory. Talk about the links between the meaning and 

the spelling. 

Sharing work 

On Thursday the FLS group will have planned their own stories and used their plan to tell their story to a 

partner. Individuals may feel confident enough to tell their story to the class. Encourage children to 

respond by saying what they liked, and then making suggestions for anything they think could be 

changed or improved. 

Key points 

Myths and legends usually include certain elements, or ‘key features’. One way of thinking of these is 

as a set of ingredients that can be combined together to make a good tale. 

In order to create convincing settings, characters and monsters, writers of myths need to use: 

● powerful verbs 

(e.g. ‘gnashed its teeth’; ‘pierced the dragon’s neck with his sword’; ‘seized the helmet and leapt 

into the boat’); 

● powerful adjectives 

(e.g. ‘saw the glittering mound of treasure’; ‘knew that she was loyal and brave as well as 

generous and trustworthy’); 

● strong adverbs 

(e.g. ‘the village lay peacefully’; ‘she frantically searched the rooms’; ‘they shouted desperately’). 

2


Planning / review sheet for teacher and teaching assistant 

Teacher’s comments on guided reading 


Teaching assistant’s comments on group this week 

e.g. evidence of learning; completion of independent tasks; issues arising; 

questions for teacher 

Teacher’s comments (to be added at end of the week) 

e.g. evidence of children transferring learning; issues arising; questions for 

teaching assistant 

3



Summary – Week 5 

Focus for the week: Evaluating myths and identifying key 

features to use as a model for own writing 

Week 5 

Monday 

During literacy hour 


(teacher) 

Reading of a story (myth / 

legend genre). Identifying 

features and evaluating 

story. 

Outside literacy hour 

Preparation and 

resources 

Select a short story in the 

myth / legend genre, e.g. 

‘Kakarat’ by Jane Grell, 

(one for each child from 

Tales, Myths and Legends, 

published by Scholastic, 

ISBN 059053112) 

FLS Book page 28, PCM 

1 ‘Ingredients for a 

fantastic tale’ – cards 

Homework task 

Spelling investigation into 

root words and suffixes – 

spellings and meanings. 

Homework Activity 1: Word 

sums 

Tuesday 


Read another story in 

same genre and evaluate 

using ‘Ingredients for a 

fantastic tale’. 

Select story, e.g. ‘The 

Beast with a Thousand 

Teeth’ from Fairy Tales by 

Terry Jones, pages 

112–115 Pavilion ISBN 

090756114 (copy needed 

for each child) or use FLS 

Book pages 32–34 ‘The 

Beast and the Burgers’. 

PCM 1 Ingredients for a 

fantastic tale FLS Book 

page 28 ‘Ingredients for a 

fantastic tale’ 

Writing – FLS Book 

page 35 

Wednesday 


Read a simple retelling of 

myth; evaluate; discuss 

further detail to be added. 

Write two sentences 

based on ideas discussed. 

Homework task 

Reading journal: 

write a paragraph 

describing a character in the 

story, adding more detail. 


Use picture cards in sets 

relating to ‘ingredients’ to 

plan simple myths orally, 

taking turns round the group. 

Homework task 

Rules for plurals. 

FLS Book page 29 

‘Perseus’ 

Reuse PCM 1 ‘Ingredients’ 

cards 

Reading journal 


‘Checklist of ingredients’: 

PCM 3 ‘Story plan cards’ 

Homework Activity 2 

Thursday 


Children choose a set of 

picture cards from 

Supported session 5:2 and 

write a simple plan based 

on them, using PCM 

checklist as frame. 

Refer to FLS Book page 

28 ‘Checklist of 

ingredients’ 

Reuse PCM 3 set of ‘story 

plan cards’ 

4 

Friday 


Plan descriptions of beast 

and hero/ine, discussing 

effective use of adjectives 

and verbs. Children evaluate 

learning during week. 

FLS Book pages 37 and 

38: Creating a mythical 

beast and a description of 

a hero

Week 5: Monday 


Guided reading session 

Notes for the teacher to use in the session and for the teaching 

assistant’s reference 

Aims: To introduce the theme for Module 2 – Fantastic Tales 

To identify the features of myths and legends by looking closely at one example and 

preparing to use these ideas in their own writing 

Objectives: Y5 T2 Text 1 To identify the features of myths, legends …, e.g. fantastical 

beasts in legends 

Y4 T3 Text 3 To understand how paragraphs or chapters are used to collect, order and 

build up ideas 

● 

Show the group the poster for this module and introduce this week’s target: ‘I am 

learning to identify features in stories and use these to plan my writing.’ 


Book ● Ask the children to read the opening paragraphs. Then ask them to talk to a 

introduction partner about what type of story this is – what does it remind them of? Have they 

read any other similar stories? If you are looking / have looked at myths and 

legends as a class, make comparisons with other stories you have read together 

recently. 

This example 

is based on 

‘Kakarat’ by 

Jane Grell, 

from Tales, 

Myths and 

Legends, 

published by 

Scholastic, 

ISBN 

059053112. 

● 

● 

Draw attention to features that tell you that this is a traditional story, e.g. Once 

there was …; stock characters (poor widow, some lazy and vain children, one 

good child). 

Draw out the information that has been given, e.g. about setting and main 

characters. 

Strategy ● Ask children to review the strategies they can use to tackle unfamiliar words or 

check 

ideas, e.g. pronunciation of names: break the word into syllables, or think of 

other similar words they know. 

● Ask children to review strategies for comprehending descriptions of characters, 

places, creatures, etc. 

Independent ● Provide a focus for the independent reading by asking the children to look out for 

reading 

specific ‘ingredients’: the hero / heroine; the ‘beast’; a problem or challenge that 

needs to be solved; a description of the beast being defeated; a resolution. 

● Use cards (PCM 1) and ask each child to identify evidence from the story about 

one aspect of the ‘fantastic tale’ that they are reading. 

● Monitor and support individuals as they read the whole story. 

Return to ● Give each child a turn to share the evidence that they have found. Encourage 

text 

others to suggest further examples from the text. Draw attention to the fact that 

the author uses paragraphs to introduce the different ‘ingredients’ and to divide 

up events in the story. 

Response to ● Draw the discussion together by explaining that the story they have read has 

text 

all the elements of a ‘fantastic tale’. Encourage children to think of other myths, 

legends, and traditional stories that they have read or heard – do they have all 

these elements? 

5



Week 5: Tuesday 


(To be introduced by the teacher as part of the literacy hour on Tuesday) 

Objective ● Y5 T2 Text 1 To identify the features of myths, legends ..., e.g. 

fantastical beasts in legends 

Activity ● Read another ‘fantastic tale’, i.e. a short story that retells a traditional 

myth or legend, or is based on that text-type. 

● Use the checklist (FLS Book page 28) to identify the features of the story. 

● Compare the stories read and decide which they prefer. Use the FLS 

Book page 35. 

Links to supported ● Builds on work in guided reading session. 

sessions ● Checklists are used again in Supported session 5:1. 

Success criteria ● Children can identify the features of the text-type (myths / legends) and 

begin to respond to their reading by making comparisons and expressing 

preferences. 

Resources ● Copies of a short story (myth or legend text-type), e.g. ‘The Dragon and 

St. George’ from Myths and Legends by Anthony Horowitz, pages 

153–158, pub. Kingfisher ISBN 0862727863 or ‘The Beast with a 

Thousand Teeth’ from Fairy Tales by Terry Jones, pages 112–115, pub. 

Pavilion ISBN 0907516114 

● FLS Book page 28 ‘Checklist of ingredients’ 

● FLS Book pages 32–34 ‘The beast and the burgers’ may be used as an 

alternative to the above short stories. 

● FLS Book page 35 Writing page 

Week 5: Thursday 


(To be introduced by the teaching assistant at the end of Supported 

session 5:2 on Wednesday and by the teacher as part of the literacy 

hour on Thursday) 

Objective 

Activity 

Y4 T1 Text 10 Plan a story, identifying stages in its telling 

Children use a framework to make brief planning notes for a story which is a 

myth or legend. They can also use the sets of cards used in Supported 

session 5:2 to stimulate ideas for each ingredient. 

Links to supported Builds on work in Supported sessions 5.1 and 5.2 

sessions 

Success criteria 

Children can plan a story including features of a myth. 

Resources ● FLS Book page 28 ‘Checklist of ingredients’ 

● PCM 1 ‘Ingredients for a fantastic tale’ cards 

● FLS Book page 36 Writing page 

6


Week 5: Tuesday Supported session 5:1 

Teaching sequence 

On your marks 

Introduce module 

Get set 

Recap ingredients 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

This week you began a new module of work on fantastic tales like myths 

and legends. You’ve read two stories already and thought about the 

ingredients that make a good story – can you remember any of them? 

Children respond. 

Have a look at this week’s target: ‘I am learning to identify features in 

stories and use these to plan my own writing.’ We’re going to find out 

more about what makes a good story, so that you will be able to write a 

really good fantastic tale yourself. 

● This is a Greek myth. We’ll read it together and see whether it has the 

ingredients of a fantastic tale. 

● Use simple retelling of Perseus PCM 2 and FLS Book pages 29 and 30. 

Read it aloud, with children following on their copies. 

● I want you each to look out for your ingredient. 

● Give out ingredients cards (PCM 1), one per child. 


Go 

Identify key 

features 

Demonstrate 

composing 

sentences to 

give more detail 

Talk through story 

to prepare for 

writing 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Skim through the story again and see if you can find your ingredient. 

Children reread story, then give feedback. 

This version of Perseus has the basic ingredients, but not many details 

to bring the story alive so that we can picture it vividly in our heads. 

We’re going to think of ways to make it more interesting for the reader. 

Let’s look at each ingredient in turn, share our ideas about what sort of 

details to add, then put those ideas into sentences. I’ll start us off to 

show you what I mean. 

Setting – Ancient Greece. What would that be like? Hot or cold? Are 

there mountains, cities, islands? What about adding: ‘The land was hot 

and dry, but in the distance you could see high, snow-topped 

mountains. The palace was built from white marble. On the floors were 

beautiful mosaics and the rooms were cool and shady.’ Now let’s try the 

other ingredients. 

Encourage children to use their imaginations and picture the events in 

their minds. Encourage them to think of powerful verbs, and effective 

adjectives and adverbs, as they did in Module 1. 

Hero or heroine – imagine what Perseus looked like and what sort of 

person he was. 

Fantastic beast – imagine what the Gorgons looked, sounded and smelt 

like. What can they do? What might their eyes be like? 

Problem to solve – we need to know more about why it was so 

dangerous. Why did Perseus agree? What does this tell us about him as 

a person? Why did the gods help him? Why might the Ocean Nymphs 

have hated Medusa? 

Struggle – this is often the really exciting part of the story, where the 

hero or heroine finally confronts the beast. How might Perseus have felt 

when he saw the Gorgons for the first time, and when he was escaping 

from the two surviving Gorgons? 

Resolution – What might Perseus and Polydectes have said to each 

other? How did the people react when the king turned to stone? 

Finishing line 

Children compose 

independently 

● 

● 

● 

● 

You’ve tried out some ideas and listened to other people’s suggestions. 

Let’s practise writing a really powerful description to bring the story alive. 

I want you to write two sentences to describe Medusa, thinking of ways 

to make your writing interesting. Use page 31 in your FLS Book. 

Give time for children to write. Praise their use of ideas from the 

discussion. Prompt and encourage the correct use of punctuation. 

Today you’ve found out how to use those ingredients of a fantastic tale 

and add details to keep your reader interested. Tomorrow we’ll be trying 

out one way of making up our own myths. 

Resources 

● 

● 

● 

FLS Book pages 29 and 30 ‘Perseus and the Gorgon’s head’ 

FLS Book page 28 ‘Ingredients for a fantastic tale’ 

FLS Book page 31 Writing page 

7


Week 5: Wednesday Supported session 5:2 



On your marks 

Get set 

Introducing story 

prompts 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

We know what makes a good fantastic tale. Now let’s play a game to 

practise making up stories together. Then later on, when we start to plan 

the story, we will have loads of ideas. 

We’re going to use these cards (PCM 3) to help us make up stories. 

They’re in sets, and each set matches one of the ‘ingredients’ we’ve 

been looking at. So there’s a set for settings, a set for heroes and 

heroines, and so on. On each card there’s either a picture with a label, 

like this one, or there are a few words. 

We are going to turn each set of cards over so there are six piles, then 

take turns picking up a card and making up a sentence or two about 

what’s on the card. We need to pick up a ‘settings’ card first, then a 

‘hero/heroine’ card, then a ‘fantastical beast’ card, and so on until we’ve 

had one card from each pile and told our story. I think we might get 

some very strange stories! 

Go 

Using story 

prompts to 

compose orally 

Active listening 

Cooperative 

learning 


Preparing for 

next task 

Review learning 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Start the game off by picking up the top card from the ‘settings’ pile, 

showing it to the group, and making up a couple of sentences that open 

the story and describe the setting, e.g. if picking up the Hot Desert card: 

‘Long, long ago, was a land where it hardly ever rained. The boiling sun 

beat down day after day, and there was scarcely a living thing that could 

survive.’ 

Go round the group, so that each child has a turn. Allow children time to 

think up their sentences, but encourage them to help and support each 

other with ideas and suggestions. 

Make up as many stories as you can in the time so that children can 

practise fast planning of a story, using all the ingredients. 

Tomorrow in your independent time, you’re going to use the cards 

again, but this time you can pick the ones you want. You’ll be writing a 

brief story plan using the list of ingredients and the cards. 

Just think for a moment about any ideas you might already have for that 

plan. 

Decide which were the hardest cards to think up ideas for, and think 

about why that was. 

Take brief feedback. 

Resources 

● Cards from PCM 3 

● FLS Book page 28 ‘Checklist of ingredients’ 

8


Week 5: Friday Supported session 5:3 


On your marks 

Recap learning to 

date. 

Get set 

Use talk to 

prepare for writing 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

So far this week you’ve learned about the ingredients of a fantastic tale 

like a myth or a legend, and you’ve had a go at making up some 

fantastic stories of your own. Next week, we’re going to start on our 

own stories. Your teacher and I will write one, and you’ll each write your 

own. Those stories will need to include a mythical beast and a hero or 

heroine. Today we’re going to do some preparation so that you’re ready 

for when you plan and write your own myth. 

Let’s start with your fantastical beast. You need to invent and describe a 

creature so that it sounds terrifying, so you’ll need to choose your words 

carefully – powerful verbs, effective adjectives and adverbs – like you did 

when you wrote your adverts in Module 1. 

Close your eyes and make a picture of a beast that you would find 

terrifying. 

We’ll brainstorm some words and phrases together, then you can begin 

to write your description of your own made-up beast. 

If we start with the beast’s head – its eyes, mouth, hair, teeth, etc. – turn 

to your partner and think of some really gruesome phrases we could 

use. (Use ideas from PCM 4 ‘Creating a mythical beast’ if required.) 

Children rehearse ideas in pairs, then give feedback. 

Let’s do the same for its body – What sort of body is it? What size? 

What’s its skin like? Does it have a tail? Discuss with your partner. 

Children talk in pairs and give feedback. 

Finally, what does it do? Does it make a terrifying noise, or has it got 

special powers like the Gorgons had? 

Children talk in pairs and give feedback. 


Go 

Independent 

composition 

Suggest ideas 

for qualities of 

hero or heroine 

● Now I want you to think again about your own mythical beast and begin 

to write a description. 

● Children complete description independently, using FLS Book page 37. 

● Now I want you to describe your hero or heroine. You can describe the 

appearance in a minute, that’s easy, but now let’s discuss these two 

questions: What clues can you give about how he or she will cope with 

the struggle? What sort of qualities will the hero or heroine need? Think 

about the sorts of things they might have to do in the story. 

● Take feedback, scribing helpful words and phrases. Prompt the children 

to think of the qualities that main characters in stories often display, e.g. 

clever, able to outwit the baddies, quick-thinking, honest, trustworthy, 

etc., rather than simply ‘brave’ or ‘strong’. 

● Don’t forget that sometimes people in stories aren’t always what they 

seem – they might be fearless even though they look small and weak! 

Now have a go at describing your hero or heroine. 

● Children write independently, using FLS Book page 38. 


Evaluate 

descriptions 

Review target 

for the week 

Resources 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Ask two or three children to read parts of their descriptions aloud, and 

the group to respond constructively. 

Think about everything you’ve done this week, then look at the week’s 

target: ‘I am learning to identify features in stories and use these to plan 

my own writing.’ Decide if you think you’ve achieved that target. 

PCM 4 FLS Book page 37 ‘Creating a mythical beast’ 

FLS Book page 38 A description of a hero or heroine 

9


Week6 

11




Focus for the week: Planning story plots – fantastic tales 

The children develop a plan using a ‘Story Staircase’. They map out the plot of a myth they have read. 

The text of a myth, ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ (PCM 8), is provided to support the demonstration of 

story planning in Week 6 and demonstration writing in Week 7. Teachers and teaching assistants may 

choose to write their own myth and Story Staircase plan. 





Text level 

If you are currently working on narrative, draw attention to descriptions of setting and character. Involve 

the group in responding to character descriptions – do they help the reader to imagine the character? 

Look for ‘clues’ and ‘links’ between paragraphs or chapters which demonstrate themes in the story. 

Sentence level 

Draw attention to, and demonstrate, ways of varying sentence structure. Use commas, connectives and 

full stops to join or separate clauses, and talk about which is more effective and why. 

Word level 

Involve the group in recognising, reading and spelling the following words as they occur in shared reading 

or writing: after, although, before, during, first, often, once, sometimes, suddenly, then, until, upon, when, 

where, while. 

Sharing work 

On Friday children could be invited to appear ‘in role’ as a character in their story. They could describe 

their character based on what they have written. If they are sufficiently confident, other children could ask 

them questions about the character, to be answered in role. 

Key points 

● 

● 

● 

Children’s story writing benefits from thoughtful planning. A ‘Story Staircase’ helps them see how 

the plot develops to a climax in a story, and is then resolved in a satisfying conclusion, or 

resolution. 

Children need to decide on the problem or challenge faced by their hero or heroine, and plan how 

this will be overcome. There is usually a confrontation between good (the hero or heroine) and evil 

(a monster or wicked person). 

The story plan should be in the form of brief notes, not full sentences. It can be altered later if the 

child has a better idea, but knowing how their story will develop and end supports children in 

writing a story that hangs together, rather than one that peters out after a good opening. 

12



Teacher’s comments on guided reading 








13




Focus for the week: Planning story plots – fantastic tales 

Week 6 

Monday 



(teacher) Introduce 

Story Staircase, demomapping 

a story (e.g. 

Perseus) onto it. 


Homework task 

Reading journal: identify 

and summarise the climax 

of a story read recently. 


resources 

PCM 2 from Week 5 

‘Perseus and the 

Gorgon’s Head’ 

PCM 5 ‘Story Staircase 

Outline’ enlarged. 

PCM 6 ‘Perseus mapped 

on to Story Staircase’, 

enlarged 

FLS Book pages 29, 30, 

39 and 40 

Tuesday 


Map out the plot of 

another myth onto the 

Story Staircase, as in the 

guided session. 


Demonstrate planning a 

myth, using Story 

Staircase up to the most 

exciting part. Children 

begin own plan. 

Reuse PCM 5 – 

enlargement for TA. Read 

PCM 8. Use PCM 7 

‘Planning notes for 

“Thespina and the 

Scorpidon”’. 


Independent task 

Homework task 

Comparing and changing 

dialogue. 

Homework Activity 3 

Wednesday 


Demonstrate planning 

three possible resolutions: 

kill beast and escape; 

trick beast and escape; 

befriend beast. Children 

discuss choices. 

As for Supported 

session 6:1 

Reuse TA’s scribed notes 

on Story Staircase from 6:1 

Children’s Story Staircase 

plans 

Homework task 

Children compose 

sentences containing 

comparative descriptions. 

Homework Activity 6: 

‘What? Even bigger than 

that!’ 

Thursday 


Children plan story 

resolution using Story 

Staircase, based on the 

three choices discussed in 



plans from Supported 

sessions 6:1 and 6:2. 

Friday 


Demonstrate reviewing 

early part of plan to 

ensure that it links to 

chosen resolution. 

Reminder about using 

past tense for narratives. 

Review week’s learning. 

TA’s Story Staircase from 

Supported sessions 6:1 

and 6:2 



plans 

14



Guided reading session 



Aims: To look at how the plot develops in stories 

Objectives: Y5 T1 Text 14 To map out texts, showing development and structure, e.g. its high 

and low points, the links between sections, paragraphs and chapters 

Y5 T1 Text 2 To compare the structure of different stories, to discover how they differ 

in pace, build-up, sequence, complication and resolution 

Example text: The example used in these notes is ‘Perseus and the Gorgon’s head’ PCM 2 (Week 5). 

● 

● 


learning to use paragraphs to organise a story plot and move the action on.’ 

Remind children that last week they found out the ingredients of a fantastic tale 

like a myth or legend. This week they will be planning their own myth or legend, 

using that knowledge. 


Book ● Remind the children of the story, ‘Perseus and the Gorgon’s head’, which they 

introduction read last week. Can the children remember the most exciting part of the story? 

● Ask them to imagine a staircase leading up to the most exciting part of the story, 

with each paragraph making up a ‘step’ in that staircase. 

● Explain that they will be re-reading the story of Perseus and looking for evidence 

to answer the questions on the staircase outline: What is the challenge faced by 

the hero? How does the hero find the beast – is there a journey? What happens 

when the hero confronts the beast? – Is there an argument, a fight or a new 

plan? Does the hero have any help in defeating the beast? What is the outcome 

of the confrontation? What are the consequences – for the beast, for the hero? 

Strategy ● Ask children to review their strategies for understanding how characters in a 

check 

story are feeling. 

Independent ● Turn to ‘Perseus and the Gorgon’s head’ FLS Book page 29. Monitor and 

reading 

support individuals as they are reading the story and the questions. 

Return to ● Ask the children to share their analysis of the structure of the story, encouraging 

text 

them to identify where they would plot each paragraph onto the Story Staircase. 

● Use the enlarged copy of PCM 5 to support the discussion. If required use PCM 

6 as a guide or to sum up discussion. Children can follow on FLS Book page 40. 

● Can the children think of any other stories they have read which would fit this 

structure? 

Response ● Talk about the fact that children can use this type of plan for their own stories, 

to text 

describing events leading to the most exciting point and then leading towards the 

conclusion, where everything is resolved. They will be using the Story Staircase 

idea to plan out their story later in the week. 

15





To be introduced by the teacher as part of the literacy hour on Tuesday 

Objective ● Y5 T1 Text 14 To map out texts showing development and structure, 

e.g. its high and low points, the links between sections, paragraphs and 

chapters 

Activity ● Map out the plot of another myth, thinking about the way events lead up 

to the most exciting point and then down towards the resolution. Children 

use the staircase in FLS Book page 39, as demonstrated in the guided 

reading session. Children make notes on the similarities and / or 

differences between the two plot structures. 

Links to supported ● Ideas will be developed in Supported sessions 6:1– 6:3 during the week, 

sessions 

as children plan their stories. 

Success criteria ● Children are able to map out the development of a story plot, identifying 

the most exciting point, planning how the action will lead towards it and 

how they will then resolve the story. 

Resources ● Copies of another myth, already read – ref. guided reading Week 5 

PCM 5 Story Staircase outline 

● FLS Book page 39 



To be introduced by the teaching assistant at the end of Supported 


hour on Thursday 

Objective ● Y4 T3 Text 3 To understand how paragraphs or chapters are used to 

collect, order and build up ideas 

Activity ● Children use the ‘Story Staircase outline’ FLS Book page 41 to complete 

the plan for their own myth, thinking through the confrontation and 

resolution. 

Links to supported ● Ideas will be developed in Supported sessions 6:1 – 6:3 during the week 

sessions 

as children plan their stories 

Success criteria ● Children complete their story plan and include all key elements of plot. 

Resources ● FLS Book page 41 Story Staircase plans 

16




On your marks 

Recap prior 

learning 

Get set 

Explain use of 

planning frame 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Our target this week is: ‘I am learning to use paragraphs to organise a 

story plot and move the action on.’ 

Today we are going to start planning our own myths, using all the things 

we’ve learned about the ingredients for a good story, and the way it 

needs to build up to the most exciting part and then keep the reader’s 

interest to the resolution. Let’s have the Story Staircase on display to 

remind us. 

I’m going to show you how I’m going to plan my story by writing notes 

onto the Story Staircase. 

I’m just going to plan to the most exciting part today, then we’ll do the 

rest tomorrow. 


Go 

Demonstrate 

planning brief 

notes 

Support children 

as they plan 


Children share 

plans 

Preparing for 

next step 

Resources 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Use PCM 7 ‘Planning notes for “Thespina and the Scorpidon”’ to 

support this demonstration, if required. Otherwise plan for own myth. 

First I want to plan my setting: it’s going to be on a beautiful Greek 

island where everything seems perfect, but I’m going to hint to my 

readers that there’s a problem, to make them want to read on. 

Scribe onto first stair: ‘beautiful sunny Greek island – but hint at 

problem.’ 

Now I need to introduce my hero or heroine. I’m going to write about a 

poor young girl who’s kind and gentle. She loves animals, and they trust 

her. I know she doesn’t sound much like a heroine yet, but the sort of 

person she is will turn out to be important later. She’s going to rescue a 

wild bird. 

Scribe on to second stair: ‘poor young girl – kind, gentle, rescues bird. 

Give readers a clue that this is important.’ 

It’s time to introduce the problem to solve and the beast. I need to 

explain why the beast is there, and describe it. 

Scribe on to third and fourth stairs: ‘Gods punish king for being greedy 

by sending beast that kills everything it can on island. Beast – head of 

snake, breathes fire; tail like scorpion, fires stings.’ 

Finally for today, I need to plan my heroine’s journey to confront the 

beast. On the way, she’s going to get help from the gods, a special 

charm to protect her. 

Scribe on to next stair: ‘scary journey – mysterious bird gives her cape 

to make her invisible.’ 

I want you to start your plan now, just making notes like I did, up to the 

most exciting part of your story. Remember, you can use ideas from 

other myths you’ve read or heard, as well as ideas from the game we 

played last week. 

Children make brief planning notes on their ‘Story Staircase outline’ with 

support – FLS Book page 41. 

Let’s hear some of your planning notes, and see how the stories are 

building up. 

Children share notes and respond to each other’s ideas. 

Tomorrow we’re all going to carry on with our plans, so spend a 

moment thinking about the different ways your story could move 

towards its ending. Try out different ideas in your heads. 

PCM 5 ‘Story Staircase’ enlarged for TA (FLS Book page 41 for children) 

PCM 7 ‘Planning notes for Thespina and the Scorpidon’ for TA’s 

reference 

PCM 8 ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’. 

TA will need to prepare by reading PCM 8 before the session 

17





On your marks 

Remind children 

of target 

Get set 

Recap on plan 

Go 

Demonstrate 

planning brief 

notes 

Demonstrate 

choosing from 

a range of 

possibilities 

Demonstrate 

making sure parts 

of the story link 

together 

Use talk to 

prepare for 

writing 

Demonstrate 

planning a 

resolution 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Do you remember that your target this week is to learn how to use 

paragraphs to organise a story plot? We started to do this for our myths 

yesterday, and we’re going to continue today. 

Let’s check through the notes I made yesterday to remind ourselves of 

where we got to. 

Re-read story plan so far. 

I need to plan the part of the story where my heroine meets the beast. 

This should be the most exciting part of the story, so I’ll need to make it 

very dramatic when I actually come to write it, and choose my words 

carefully to show how frightening it is. But for my plan, I just need to 

write a couple of notes. 

Scribe on top of staircase: ‘Describe how heroine felt when she saw the 

beast – sights, sounds, smells.’ 

Now my heroine has found the beast, I need to decide what will happen 

to her. I’ve got three choices. 

Scribe on separate sheet of paper: ‘She can: 1) kill the beast and 

escape; 2) trick the beast and escape; or 3) befriend the beast.’ 

Which one I choose will depend on why she is there. For instance, Perseus 

had to kill the beast because he’d accepted the challenge to bring 

Medusa’s head to the king. But in your story, perhaps the hero or heroine 

has to get something that the beast is guarding – treasure, for instance. Or 

maybe they are trying to rescue someone the beast is holding prisoner. In 

that case, they could just as well trick the beast. Or what if they discovered 

that the beast was really lonely and wanted to be friends? 

In my plan, I haven’t said why my heroine has gone to meet the beast. I’d 

like to hear your ideas. Turn to your partner and talk about why she might be 

there, and which of these three possible ways you think my story could go. 

Children discuss possible resolutions in pairs. 

I’d like each pair to tell me what you think would be the best choice, and 

give me your reasons why you think it would be the best way to get a 

good ending. 

Children give feedback. 

You’ve got some really good ideas, and this is what I’ve decided. I want 

my heroine to kill the beast, because if she doesn’t, it will kill everybody. 

She’s going to trick it in order to get near enough to try to kill it, but I also 

want to bring into the story the special cape that makes her invisible. And 

I need to explain who the mysterious bird is. So there’s lots to plan here, 

otherwise my story will be confusing and my readers will get fed up. 

Scribe on top of staircase: ‘Wears magic cape and tricks beast to stop it 

breathing fire. Bird appears again to help her.’ 

Now how do I want it to end? I want everyone to know she’s saved 

them, and I need to explain who the bird really is and why it helped her. 

Scribe on stair going down: ‘People find her with dead beast. Bird turns 

into god – helped her because she helped injured creature.’ 

Scribe on bottom stair: ‘Heroine safe at home. Others realise their mistakes.’ 


Reflect on own 

plans 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Let’s re-read my plan to make sure it links together and makes sense, 

then you can tell me if you think it will work. 

Children re-read TA’s notes and give feedback. 

Tomorrow in your independent time, I want you to plan out the rest of 

your myth. Think carefully about the part when the hero or heroine 

meets the beast. Don’t describe the beast in your plan, but think about 

which choice to make. It will depend on the problem you’ve decided you 

want your hero or heroine to solve, earlier in the story. If you want to go 

back and change that problem, you can – that’s why we plan, so we 

have a chance to make sure our story all fits together and makes sense. 

Then think carefully about a good ending. 

18 

Resources 

● TA’s planning notes from Supported session 6:1 

● PCM 7: ‘Planning notes for Thespina and the Scorpidon’ for TA’s reference 

● PCM 8: ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’




On your marks 

Get set 

Emphasise 

importance of 

linking problem 

and resolution 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

Today we’re going to review your story plans and do some work on 

verbs in preparation for writing your stories next week. You’ll also be 

thinking about whether you have achieved this week’s target. 

You had yesterday’s independent time to finish planning your myth onto 

the Story Staircase. Here’s my plan on the board. 

Do you remember, I said that it was important that you chose a way of 

resolving your story so that it fitted with the problem that you’d given your 

hero or your heroine near the beginning of the story? Well, I want to 

check that everyone’s done that before we start to write the stories in full. 


Go 

Check plan 

includes a problem 

to solve 


Reminder to use 

past tense for 

narratives 

Review target 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Let’s check my plan first, then you can check yours. What’s going to be 

the problem to solve in my story? 


I’ve said that there’s a beast the gods have sent as a punishment, and 

it’s killing everyone, but I haven’t said what that means for my heroine, 

have I? So that’s something I need to alter on my plan, so I don’t forget 

to write it in my story. 

Scribe onto plan: ‘Heroine decides to try to kill the beast.’ 

Now I need to check that the problem – my heroine deciding to kill the 

beast – is dealt with later in my story. Let’s check on my plan. It says: 

‘tricks the beast ... people find her with dead beast.’ So, yes, I have 

planned to resolve the problem. Now check your plans. 

Children check plans. 

Let’s move on now to think about when we actually write our stories. 

Who can tell me which tense we’ll be writing in? 

Take feedback. 

Yes, in the past tense, because most stories are written in the past 

tense, and this all happened a long time ago. But if I look at my plan, I 

can see I’ve used the present tense, not the past. Can anyone find an 

example for me? (Examples: ‘rescues’; ‘punish’; ‘kills’; ‘gives’; ‘wears’, 

etc.) What would those verbs be if I changed them into the past tense? 

Take quick feedback. 

Check your plans, look at the verbs and make sure they are in the right 

tense for the story you are writing. 

Children check verbs in plans. 

What can we do to remind ourselves not to slip into writing in the 

present tense when we start writing our stories? 

Take feedback. If children do not suggest it themselves, suggest they 

write themselves a note on their plan, e.g. ‘Remember to use past 

tense.’ 

Think about all the work you’ve done this week, then look at the week’s 

target: ‘I am learning to use paragraphs to organise a story plot and 

move the action on.’ Decide if you think you have achieved that target. 

Resources 

● TA’s planning notes from Supported sessions 6:1 and 6:2 

● FLS Book page 41 Children’s Story Staircase plans 

19


Week7 

21




Focus for the week: Developing a story from a plan – 


The children focus on writing the opening of their stories. They identify the most important or exciting part 

of the plot – the confrontation between the hero or heroine and the beast – and then write paragraphs 

leading to that point and describing what happens. 





Text level 

If you are currently working on narrative, draw attention to key points in the plot. Look at the way that the 

author leads up to that point and then describes what happens. 

Draw attention to the use of direct and reported speech. Talk about how it is used to move the story on, 

or to give information about characters. 

If you are working on non-fiction, draw attention to the division of the text into paragraphs and the way 

that these are arranged. 


Draw attention to the punctuation and layout of direct and reported speech, emphasising the differences 

between the two. Involve children from the group in suggesting how speech should be punctuated. 

Word level 

Involve the group in recognising, reading and spelling the plurals of regular nouns. If possible, give them a 

chance to try out the rules they have proposed for words ending in ‘y’, ‘ch’, ‘s’ and ‘sh’. 

Sharing work 

On Friday children could be invited to perform a piece of dialogue, ‘in role’, as the hero and the beast 

from the story that one of them is writing. They could answer questions about the story so far, where the 

dialogue fits in, and what is going to happen next. 

Key points 

Hot-seating 

● ‘Hot-seating’ is a drama technique that can help children to think more deeply about characters by 

imagining what a character thinks and how they feel. 

● When an adult or child is in the ‘hot-seat’, they answer questions and talk about their actions and 

feelings as if they were a particular character. 

Connectives 

● ‘Connectives’ are words or phrases that link parts of sentences or whole sentences together. 

● Children need to learn that using connectives helps to make writing more interesting and more 

varied by using both long and short sentences. 

● Different connectives are used for different purposes. 

● Particular connectives can be chosen to show when things happened, or that time has passed, 

e.g. ‘just then’, ‘later’, ‘while’, ‘after a couple of days’, ‘at the same time’. 

22



Teacher’s comments on guided writing 








23




Focus for the week: Developing a story from a plan – 


Week 7 

Monday 


Guided writing 

(teacher) 


techniques to compose the 

opening two paragraphs of 

a myth, using the Story 

Staircase plan from 

Week 6. 



resources 

PCM 8 ‘Thespina and the 

Scorpidon’ 

TA’s Story Staircase plan 

for ‘Thespina and the 

Scorpidon’ from Week 6 



plans from Week 6 

Homework task 

Reading journal: comment 

on the effective opening of 

a story. 

Homework: Reading 

journal 

Tuesday 


Write first two paragraphs 

of own story. Use ideas 

from the guided session 

and own story plan. 



plans 

Wednesday 


Demonstrate writing 

introduction of the beast. 

Children introduce the 

beast in their own stories. 

Homework task 

Creating new sentences 

using connectives. 



build-up to the 

confrontation. Children 

continue with own story. 

Homework task 

Reading journal: analyse 

the climax of a story. 

PCM 8 for reference, with 

paragraph 3 enlarged for 

shared reading. (PCM 10) 



Story scribed so far 

Children’s plans and stories 

PCM 9 ‘Questions to ask 

about characters’ cards 


Homework Activity 8: Two 

sentences for the price of 

one 

PCM 8 – for reference 

Story scribed so far 

TA’s planning notes from 

Week 6 

FLS Book pages 41 and 

44–46 

Children’s plan and stories 


journal 

Thursday 


Write the build-up to the 

confrontation in their own 

stories, based on plans and 


24 

Friday 


Work on connectives to 

link paragraphs of story. 

Review own stories so far. 

Stories scribed so far 

FLS Book page 47, 

PCM 11: ‘Connectives’ for 

TA’s reference 

Children’s plans and stories



Guided writing session 



Aims: To develop a story from planning notes 

To write an effective story opening 

Objectives: Y4 T2 Text 4 To understand how the use of expressive and descriptive language can, 

e.g. create moods, arouse expectations, build tension, describe attitudes or emotions 

Y4 T3 Text 13 Write own longer stories from story plans 

Y5 T2 Text 11 To write own versions of legends, myths and fables, using structures 

and themes identified in reading 

Example text: The planning notes and scribed story are based on ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ 

(PCM 8) but could be replaced by the teacher’s own story if wished. 

● 

● 

● 


learning to write a story that engages my readers and builds up to the most 

exciting part.’ 

Remind the group that last week they planned their own myth using the Story 

Staircase. This week they will be writing their myth. 

Remind the group that their readers will be other children in Year 5 and that this is 

the audience they should have in mind when thinking about how to interest a 

reader and persuade them to keep on reading. 


Introduction ● Show the children the Story Staircase plan for ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ 

that the TA completed in Week 6. Explain that you are going to use these 

notes to help you write the opening two paragraphs of the story, i.e. the first 

two ‘stairs’. 

Demonstration ● Using PCM 8, ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’, demonstrate writing the first two 

sentences, explaining your choice of sentence structure and vocabulary. 

● I need to use a suitable opening phrase for my myth that lets my readers 

know what kind of story to expect ... I want to make the island sound very 

appealing, almost like paradise, and to do that I need to choose words that 

create a vivid picture in my readers’ minds ... so I’ll say ‘smothered in wild 

flowers’ and ‘shimmering, sparkling waves’. 

Teacher ● Refer to the plan and tell the children that you want to hint at a problem, in 

scribing 

order to intrigue your readers and make them read on. Scribe: ‘It should have 

been a happy place,’ then pause and ask children to think of how you might 

give readers a clue about the problem on the island. Take brief feedback, then 

scribe the rest of the third sentence, or any improvement on it that the 

children suggest. 

● Referring to the plan, write the next paragraph, up to the last sentence. 

● Verbalise your decisions about word choice and sentence structure as you go, 

e.g. explain that the phrases ‘near to death’ and ‘powerless to help’ describe 

how the eaglet and its parent feel, using very few words. 

● Refer to the note on the plan, ‘Give reader clue this is important’. Ask the 

children to discuss in pairs and think of a sentence you could add at the end 

of the paragraph to achieve this. Take feedback, then scribe the final 

sentence, ‘Little did she know ... ’ or children’s suggestions if preferred. 

Conclusion ● Reread the two paragraphs, checking that they align with the plan. Remind 

the children that the story should be in the past tense, and ask them to check 

that it is. 

● If there is time, children can begin to write the opening to their own story, 

which they will continue in Tuesday’s independent session. 

25






Objectives ● Y4 T2 Text 4 To understand how the use of expressive and descriptive 

language can, e.g. create moods, arouse expectations, build tension, 

describe attitudes or emotions 

● Y5 T2 Text 11 To write own versions of legends, myths and fables, 

using structures and themes identified in reading 

Activity ● Children use their own Story Staircase plans from Week 6 to write the first 

two paragraphs of the story, i.e the setting and the introduction of the 

hero or heroine. 

Links to supported ● Children will continue with their story in all three supported sessions. 

sessions 

Success criteria ● First two paragraphs of story completed. 

Resources ● Children’s Story Staircase plans from Week 6 FLS Book page 41 

● FLS Book pages 44–46 Writing pages 






Objectives ● Y5 T2 Text 11 To write own versions of legends, myths and fables, 

using structures and themes identified in reading 

● Y5 T1 Sentence 6 To understand the need for punctuation as an aid 

to the reader, e.g. commas to mark grammatical boundaries … 

Activity ● Children use their own Story Staircase plans from Week 6 to continue 

their story. They are encouraged to think about sentence construction 

and punctuation as they compose, so that their readers can follow the 

story easily. 

Links to supported ● Children will continue with their story in all three supported sessions. 

sessions 

Success criteria ● Stories continued. 

Resources ● FLS Book pages 41 and 44–46 Children’s Story Staircase plans and 

stories 

26




On your marks 

Refer to target 

Get set 

Hot-seating to 

extend knowledge 

of character 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

We’re going to continue writing our myths this week, using the plans we 

did last week, trying all the time to make the story really interesting for 

our readers. Remember this week’s target is all about writing ‘a story 

that engages my readers’. 

Earlier, you wrote a paragraph describing your hero or heroine. We’re 

going to imagine that we could meet one of those characters and ask 

them some questions. 

Ask a child to volunteer to be in the hot-seat. Use the question cards 

(PCM 9) to ask about the character, encouraging the children to respond 

in role. Invite children to think up other questions, and encourage the 

child in the hot-seat to make up extra details. 

If that gave you some more ideas for your own story, you’ll be able to 

add them in when you revise it and improve it later on. 


Go 

Demonstration 

writing 


Independent 

composition 

Review own work 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Now I’m going to continue with ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’. Yesterday 

in your guided session, your teacher wrote the first two paragraphs, and 

this is the third one. 

Display enlarged paragraph three (PCM 10, FLS Book page 43) and 

read it aloud. 

It was written to explain what the challenge was for the heroine. Let’s 

read the note on the plan, and check that this paragraph explains it. 

The next note on the plan is to describe the beast, and that’s what I’m 

going to write now. 

Demonstrate composing and writing paragraph 4 of the story, explaining 

the choice of words and sentence construction from time to time, e.g. 

I’m going to write: ‘His body was covered in scales and spines’; then, 

instead of starting a new sentence to describe his tail and what it can 

do, I’m going to put a comma and use the word ‘finishing’ to link the 

parts of the sentence together: ‘finishing in a long tail that curled like a 

scorpion’s and lashed out, firing deadly stings in all directions.’ 

I’m using ‘lashed out’ because it sounds as if it happened really quickly, 

faster than you could see. And the word ‘deadly’ tells my readers how 

dangerous the stings are, without me having to write another sentence 

about them. 

When you get to the last sentence of the paragraph, explain that you are 

going to end it with a short, simple sentence, to emphasise to your 

readers that the heroine has no choice. 

Ask the children to read their plan for the third and fourth paragraphs (or 

stairs) and then to begin writing. 

Support individuals as they write, encouraging them to use descriptive 

language, powerful verbs, etc. 

Read back through what you’ve written so far to see if you think you’ve 

managed to create a really clear picture in your reader’s mind of what 

your monster looks, sounds and smells like. If you think of more 

descriptive words or phrases, jot them on your plan and you can add 

them in later. 

Resources 

● TA’s Story Staircase plan for ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ from Week 6 

● PCM 8 ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ for reference 

● PCM 10, FLS Book page 43 

● FLS Book page 42, PCM 9: ‘Questions to ask about characters’ 

27





On your marks 

Recap learning 

Get set 

Cooperative 

learning 

Talk through 

writing 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

We’re still working on turning our planning notes into a good story. Who 

can remind us of what we need to remember when we’re writing, in 

order to create a vivid picture for our reader? 

Take brief feedback, mentioning (if children do not suggest these): strong 

descriptions, choosing words carefully, having a mixture of longer and 

shorter sentences. 

Let’s see how well you described your beast in your fourth paragraph. I 

wonder if your partner can imagine it clearly when you describe it? Turn 

to your partner and read them your description of your beast. If you 

haven’t finished the description, don’t worry, this is good preparation for 

you, thinking up the sentences you’ll use when you do write it. Partners, 

I want you to tell them if you can see their beast in your imagination as 

they’re describing it. 

Allow both children in the pair to do this, then take very brief feedback of 

any particularly effective words or phrases. 

Go 

Demonstration 

writing 


Independent 

writing 

Reflecting 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Last session I wrote about the beast, and today I want to get on to how 

my heroine finds it otherwise there can’t be a conflict between them! 

I need to check my plan for this section of the story. 

Read planning note for paragraph 5 to group. 

Demonstrate composing and writing paragraph 5 of the story, explaining 

the choice of words and sentence construction from time to time, e.g. 

I’ll start by saying, ‘The following morning,’ to show my readers that it’s 

the next day. I’m going to add in ‘a heavy bag over her shoulder’ as a 

hint that she’s thought of a plan, but I’m not letting my readers know 

what’s in the bag yet, to keep them guessing. I need to check where the 

commas go in that sentence, otherwise it will be hard to read ... I’m not 

going to make the journey to the beast very long, because I need to 

write about the mysterious bird that gives her a cape with special 

powers, so I’ll just say, ‘A smell of burning hung in the air as she made 

her way across the scorched fields, past the ruin of her neighbours’ 

house.’ That will remind my readers of how terrible the Scorpidon is, and 

what he can do ... Now, the mysterious bird ... I need it to come from 

nowhere, so I’ll write: ‘Suddenly, she heard a rushing of wings above 

her,’ … that might make some readers think the Scorpidon’s appeared, 

which helps make it a bit scary … Again, I must be sure the commas 

are there to help my readers read the sentence so that it makes sense 

… I must show how she finds out what the cape can do … I want to 

hint to my readers that the eagle is maybe not just a bird, and I’m going 

to do that by bringing in stories that Thespina’s been told of how the 

gods often visited people disguised as animals … I can put: ‘how Zeus, 

king of the gods, often took the form of an eagle.’ 

Ask children to read through their planning notes, then begin writing, 

carrying on from wherever they got to last time. Support individuals as 

they write. 

Just think for a moment about what you’ve learned today – have you put 

some clues in for your reader about how your hero or heroine might 

resolve the problem, to keep them wondering? 

Resources 

● FLS Book pages 41 and 44–46 Children’s planning notes and stories 

● TA’s planning notes from Week 6 

● Scribed story so far 

● PCM 8 ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ for reference 

28




On your marks 

Clarify purpose of 

connectives 

Get set 

Recap learning 

Recall 

connectives 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Today we’re going to find how well our stories ‘flow’ so far, and see if we 

can improve the links between the different paragraphs to make them 

connect together better. 

I’m going to start by making sure we all know what a connective is, so 

turn to your partner and quickly suggest some connectives – they can 

be single words or phrases. Write them on your whiteboards. 

Take quick feedback. 

When we write stories, we often need to let our readers know when 

things happened. Let’s think of all the connectives we can use which 

show that time is passing – I’ll start us off with ‘A few days later’. What 

others can you think of? 

Scribe children’s suggestions. Refer to PCM 11 ‘Connectives’ for 

examples of time connectives if required – FLS Book page 47. 

Sometimes, though, we want to use different connectives, not to show 

that time is passing, but to join ideas or sentences together. So instead 

of writing, ‘Thespina was frightened. She still went on,’ as two separate 

sentences, I might say: ‘Thespina was frightened but she still went on,’ 

or ‘Although Thespina was frightened, she still went on,’ using either 

‘but’ or ‘although’. 

Can you think of any more like that? 

Scribe suggestions, referring to PCM 11 for other connectives if 

required. 


Go 

Identify 

connectives 

linking 

paragraphs 

Reviewing own 

use of 

connectives 


Use a 

jogger 

Resources 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

I’m going to read my story so far, and we’re going to look at the beginning 

of each of my paragraphs to see whether I’ve used any connecting words 

or phrases, and if so, whether I could improve on them. 

Read aloud the paragraphs of ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ that have 

been scribed so far (paragraphs 1-5), asking children to identify the 

connectives used (‘once’, ‘when’, ‘the following morning’). 

Briefly discuss the effect of adding a connective word or phrase to the 

beginning of paragraphs 2 and 4. 

Ask children to do the same activity with their own stories, checking on 

connectives that link the paragraphs. Support individuals to improve their 

work if necessary. 

When you carry on with your story next week, try to remember to use 

different connectives so that your story moves forward. You might want 

to write yourself a note on your plan, e.g. ‘Remember to use 

connectives.’ 

Think about all the work we’ve done this week, then look at this week’s 

target: ‘I am learning to write a story that engages my reader and builds 

up to the most exciting part.’ Decide if you think you’ve achieved that 

target. 


Version of ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ that has been scribed so far 

FLS Book page 47, PCM 11: ‘Connectives’ for reference 

29


Week8 

31




Focus for the week: Completing and reviewing a story 

The children write an ending for their stories and then look at ways to improve their writing. They will edit 

and proofread. They review their learning throughout the module and set a target for further improvement. 





Text level 

If you are reading narrative this week, draw attention to the end of the story. Involve the group in 

considering whether the ending is satisfying – is the problem resolved? 

When doing shared writing, involve the group in suggesting revisions that could be made. Encourage 

them to think about the needs of the reader and talk about what can be added, clarified, removed or 

corrected. 


Review work on sentence structure, talking about ways to join ideas within sentences using connectives 

and commas. Involve the group in identifying and suggesting examples of adjectives that help create an 

image. 

Word level 

Expect the group to be increasingly independent in recognising misspelt words in their own writing and in 

making corrections. Give time for them to do this in their writing across the curriculum. Reinforce a range 

of strategies for remembering spellings. 

Sharing work 

At the end of the week children will have completed their ‘Fantastic tales’. Provide an opportunity for 

these to be shared with the class, for the children to find out what the reader thought of the story. 

Self-assessment and target setting 

The group are reviewing the progress they have made and setting themselves a writing target for the end 

of the week. You might want to allocate a moment when their progress is praised in front of the whole 

class. The teaching assistant could explain what each child has achieved. 

Key points 

Ending the story 

● The resolution, or ending, of a story is the part that many children have problems in writing. 

● They need practice in thinking through what will happen in the last part of their story, how it will 

happen, and how they want their readers to feel when they’ve finished reading. 

● Myths and legends usually end on a positive note, with good overcoming evil. 

Re-drafting and editing 

● Children often have difficulties with re-drafting and editing their own work because they know what 

they meant to write. 

● It helps to look at one aspect at a time, e.g. writing in paragraphs, or spelling correctly words they 

tend to have trouble with, rather than asking them simply to ‘check through your work for any 

mistakes’. 

● Reading aloud in a low voice helps some children to hear the need for sentence punctuation. 

32



Teacher’s comments on guided writing 








33




Focus for the week: Completing and reviewing a story 

Week 8 

Monday 


Guided writing 

(teacher) 


strategies to compose the 

climax of the shared story 

– the confrontation. 



resources 



Scorpidon’ 

Shared story as scribed 

so far 

PCM 12: enlarged 

paragraph 6 of ‘Thespina 

and the Scorpidon’ FLS 

Book page 48 

Homework task 

Reading journal: analyse 

the ending of a story. 


journal 

Tuesday 


Children complete own 

‘confrontation’ scene. 

Reread own story so far. 

Children’s own plans and 

stories. 

Wednesday 



resolution of the shared 

story. Children begin 

writing their own 

resolutions. 

Homework task 

Spelling: self-checking 

routines; identifying spelling 

strategies. 


Children write own 

resolution and begin to 

edit story. 

Homework task 

Writing journal: prepare a 

book blurb for a story they 

have written. 

Shared story as scribed 

so far 



Scorpidon’ 

PCM 8 for reference 


Homework Activity 7: 

‘Useful but tricky words’ 

Pupil’s plans and stories 


journal 

Thursday 


Use ‘Checklist for revising 

and improving a story’ to 

review their own work. 

PCM 13 ‘Checklist for 

revising and improving a 

story’ FLS Book page 49 

Children’s own plans and 

stories 

Friday 


Children consider which 

activities have helped 

them most, then review 

learning and select a 

personal target. 

Copy PCM 14 ‘Activities 

in Module 2’ FLS Book 

page 50 

34



Guided writing session 



Aims: 

Objective: 

To write the climax of the story – the confrontation with the beast 

Y5 T2 Text 11 To write own versions of legends, myths and fables, using structures 

and themes identified in reading 

Example text: The planning notes and scribed story are based on ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ 

(PCM 8) but could be replaced by teacher’s own story 

● 

● 


learning to resolve the problem in my story with a satisfying ending, and improving 

it to make it more interesting for a reader.’ 

Remind children that last week they wrote their own myths up to the point where 

their hero or heroine confronts the beast. This week they will be completing their 

story, and editing it to see if they can improve it in any way before they publish it 

or make it available to their audience. 


Preparation ● Remind the children of the point in the story reached in Week 7’s sessions 

for writing (Thespina on her way to palace; mysterious bird drops bundle; cape of invisibility; 

was the bird sent by the gods?). Display enlarged copy of paragraph 6 –‘Thespina 

soon reached the palace’ (PCM 12 and FLS Book page 48) – and refer to the notes 

for this paragraph on the TA’s Story Staircase plan. Read the paragraph to the group, 

briefly discussing word choices and use of complex sentences after reading. 

Shared ● Explain that you will be continuing to write the part of the story which, on the 

writing – Story Staircase, is supposed to be ‘The most exciting part of the story’. This is 

(demo) 

where you have to describe what happened and how the beast was killed, so you 

will be trying to make it very dramatic and gripping for the reader, who hasn’t seen 

the plan and doesn’t know what’s going to happen. 

● Demonstrate writing the first sentence in the paragraph, explaining that you will now 

reveal to your readers what was in that heavy bag you mentioned earlier in the story. 

● Move on through the paragraph, talking about word choices and sentence 

construction as you go, e.g. 

● ‘The smell of the chicken is going to wake the Scorpidon up, but I’m not just going 

to write that, I’m going to show how it wakes up, by saying its ‘lip quivered and its 

eyes slid open greedily,’ because those details will make my readers picture what it 

looks like close up … I’m starting this sentence with the connective ‘although’ 

because I want the readers to realise that the monster can hear Thespina even if it 

can’t see her, so she’s still in danger … I think I’ll use a question here –’Surely one 

of them was bound to hit her?’ – to show what she’s thinking … I’m ending this 

sentence with the phrase, ‘her knife raised’ to add tension and make my readers 

want to find out what happened next … I’m going to start a new paragraph 

because something dramatic is about to happen … I want the bird to come to 

help her, but I need to make it exciting, so I’ll choose a really powerful verb, 

‘plunged’, to get the idea of it diving down and add ‘with the speed of an arrow’ 

for emphasis … The eagle’s going to use its talons – do you remember they’ve 

been mentioned earlier in the story, when she untangled the baby eagle’s talons 

from the fishing net? Well these are ‘razor-sharp’ … I want my readers to be able 

to picture the fight between the Scorpidon and the eagle, so I’m choosing very 

strong verbs like ‘seized’, ‘bellowed’ and ‘thrashed’ … When it dies, it’s going to 

make a grisly noise … ‘a terrible gurgling sound’ … I’ll finish off this confrontation 

with a very short sentence, to add impact, ‘The Scorpidon was slain.’ 

I think the word ‘slain’ is suitable because it’s old-fashioned storybook language.’ 

Supported ● To help you to write a really dramatic, exciting confrontation in your story, I want 

composition us to rehearse some phrases and sentences that you could use. Think of the 

moment your hero or heroine first sees the beast in your story – how will they feel? 

Talk to your partner about how you feel when you’re very scared, then write a 

couple of phrases on your notepads, or on your plans. 

● Take a couple of ideas, emphasising the effect of describing reactions, e.g. her hands 

began to sweat and her mouth became dry’ rather than ‘she was scared stiff’. 

● Use the same technique to help pairs try out a variety of ideas, e.g. for how their 

beast moved, or sounded, or some detail of its appearance. 

Conclusion ● Tell the group that tomorrow in independent time they will be writing their own 

confrontation. Remind them to continue to write in the past tense, and to use 

some of the tips they have learned today about how to make the story exciting and 

keep the reader gripped. 

35






Objective ● Y5 T2 Text 11 To write own versions of legends, myths and fables, 

using structures and themes identified in reading. 

Activity ● Children use their Story Staircase plans from Week 6 and the story they 

started in Week 7 to write the episode where the hero or heroine 

confronts the beast. 

Links to supported ● Children will finalise their stories and edit them in the remaining supported 

sessions 

sessions. 

Success criteria ● Episode of story where hero or heroine confronts beast completed. 

Resources ● FLS Book pages 41 and 44–46 Children’s plans and stories from 

Weeks 6 and 7 






Objective ● Y5 T2 Text 13 To review and edit own writing to produce a final form, 

matched to the needs of an identified reader. 

Activity ● Children use a checklist to review their own work. 

Links to supported ● Children began this process in Supported session 8:2. 

sessions 

Success criteria ● Story reviewed against checklist.. 

Resources ● FLS Book page 49, PCM 13: ‘Checklist for revising and improving a 

story’ 

● FLS Book pages 41 and 44–46 Children’s own plans and stories 

36




On your marks 


Get set 

Establish purpose 

of story resolution 

Use talk to 

prepare for writing 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

This week we need to finish our stories and then spend a bit of time 

improving them. This week’s target is: ‘I am learning to resolve the 

problem in my story with a satisfying ending, and improving it to make it 

more interesting to a reader.’ 

You’ve worked really hard on them, so you want them to be as good as 

you can make them. 

Let’s check where we’ve got to on the Story Staircase. 

Refer to planning for ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’. 

We’ve built up the story to the most exciting part, where the hero or 

heroine met the beast. What do we still need to do? 


That’s right, we’ve got to work out the resolution of the story: that is, 

what was the outcome of the confrontation – was the beast killed, or did 

it run away, or did the hero or heroine befriend it? – and tie up all the 

loose ends. If we don’t, our readers will feel fed up and dissatisfied, 

because they’ll be left wondering what happened. 

If we look at my plan for this bit of the story, it says: ‘People find her with 

dead beast. Bird turns into god – helped her because she helped injured 

creature.’ So what I’ve got to do is decide which people find Thespina and 

explain exactly who the bird is. Also I need to make it clear that Thespina 

has sorted out a problem that was affecting everyone, not just her. 

Think about the things you will have to explain and sort out as you get 

near the end of your own story. Turn to your partner and tell them two 

things you know you’ve got to do. 

Children discuss in pairs. 


Go 

Demonstration 

writing 


Independent 

composition 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Demonstrate composing and writing the last two paragraphs of the 

story, explaining the choice of words and sentence construction from 

time to time, e.g. 

I want lots of people on the island to find out what’s happened, so I’m 

going to suggest that they heard the fighting, all that bellowing and 

shrieking that was in the last paragraph. So I’ll put: ‘The noise of the 

fight brought the king and many others running to the scene.’ Let’s 

imagine how they’d react when they got there … they’d be amazed, 

wouldn’t they? I’m going to say, ‘Not only was the Scorpidon dead, but 

a gigantic eagle stood next to a young girl, its talons covered in blood’ 

… That’s so they all know that the eagle did the killing … Now I’m going 

to make the eagle change into a god, not just any god, but the king of 

the gods, Zeus … I can explain here why Zeus decided to help 

Thespina, and also get Zeus to tell the king how he should behave in 

future … I’m going to finish by suggesting that Thespina lived happily 

ever after, without saying it … I’ll write: ‘They were no longer poor, but 

she still liked to live in the countryside amongst the animals and birds.’ 

That shows she’s still the same sort of person she was at the beginning. 

But I want to show that the king learned his lesson, so I’ll say how he 

gave away lots of his treasure. 

Let’s re-read it to make sure I’ve explained everything I needed to. 

I want you to make a start on writing your resolution now. You can carry 

on tomorrow, so there’ll be plenty of time. 

Children write independently. 

Think about what you’ve learned about story resolutions and how to 

write them. Can anyone think how this skill might be useful at other 

times? 

Resources 

● TA’s planning notes for ‘Thespina and the Scorpidon’ from Weeks 6 and 7 

● PCM 8 for reference 

● Story as scribed so far 

● FLS Book pages 41 and 44–46 Children’s plans and stories 

37


Week 8: Thursday Supported session 8:2 



On your marks 


Get set 

Reread to ensure 

continuity 

Go 

Independent 

composition 

Using response 

partners 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Today we’ll start to do some editing and improving of our stories, 

because that’s an important part of this week’s target. 

First of all, though, I’m going to give you some time, say 10 minutes or 

so, to carry on with your story while I’m here to help you if you need it. 

Read through the last complete paragraph you wrote, and up the point 

you’ve reached, then check your planning notes before you carry on 

writing, so that you know what you’re going to do next. 

Support children as they write independently, encouraging them to try 

out sentences in their heads, or to you, before they write. 

Just finish the sentence you’re writing, please, then I’ll tell you what 

we’re doing next. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t finished, you can carry 

on tomorrow. 

When I say we’re going to edit and improve our stories, what sort of 

things could we do? (Use PCM 13 and FLS Book page 49.) 

Scribe feedback. If children do not suggest the following, include them in 

the list: 

– check the plot makes sense; 

– choose effective words that create pictures in the reader’s mind; 

– write in paragraphs; 

– punctuate all sentences properly; 

– use a mixture of short and long sentences; 

– use connectives to link ideas and paragraphs; 

– check spellings of any words that I know I tend to misspell; 

– check spellings of words if I’m not sure. 

It’s not easy to check your own work, because you know what you 

meant to say, and it’s difficult to imagine you’re reading it for the first 

time. But that’s what we’re aiming at. 

I’m going to choose one thing on this list, then I’ll give you a few 

minutes to check your story for that one thing, all the way through, and 

make any changes that you spot. Then we’ll swap stories with a partner 

and check their story for the same thing, to see if they can spot anything 

you missed. Try not to let them! The thing I’ve chosen is, ‘Are all your 

sentences correctly punctuated?’ Off you go, three minutes. 

Children edit own story for sentence punctuation. 

After a few minutes, ask children to swap and check their partner’s story 

for sentence punctuation. 


Preparation for 

independent 

work 

Application of 

skills 

Resources 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Did anyone manage to correct all their own mistakes before their partner 

got to see them? 

In tomorrow’s independent time, you’ll have a checklist to help you with 

editing. Work through one thing at a time, on your own first, then swap 

with someone else if you want. 

Can you think of times when you could use the skills of editing, other 

than when you’re writing stories? 

Which aspect of editing do you find hardest? 

FLS Book pages 41 and 44–46 Children’s plans and stories 

38




On your marks 

Get set 

Children consider 

learning styles 

and assess 

themselves 

Session notes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Today is our final session on story writing and we shall be doing two 

things: 

1) we’re going to think about all the different ways we’ve worked over 

the past four weeks so you can reflect on which activities helped you 

the most; 

2) we’ll then review all that you’ve learned, and record what you can do. 

It’s important for all of us to find out what kind of learners we are, and 

what sort of things we each find helpful, because everyone learns in a 

slightly different way. For instance, some people find having the radio on 

while they do their homework helps them to concentrate, and others find 

that it stops them concentrating. Some people like to use pictures and 

diagrams to help them remember things, and others prefer a written list. 

If you know how you learn best, you can use that knowledge to help 

yourself. 

Display enlarged copy of PCM 14 ‘Activities in Module 2’ FLS Book 

page 50 and ask children to write ‘more’ on one side of a slip of paper 

and ‘less’ on the other. 

This is a list of some of the different activities we’ve done, and as we go 

through each item, I’d like you to decide whether that activity was one 

that you found helpful (or not) in your efforts to get better at planning 

and writing stories. You can hold up either the ‘more’ or the ‘less’ side, 

and maybe say a little bit about why you found some activities more 

useful than others. 

Work through the list, encouraging the children to identify (if they can) 

why some activities helped them more than others. 


Go 

Children review 

learning and 

assess 

themselves 


Children set own 

targets 

Children share 

targets 

Resources 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Now we’re going to think of all the skills and the knowledge you gained 

doing this module. 

Open your target sheet for this module, and at the bottom you’ll find a 

list of statements, all starting with ‘I can’. As I read them to you, I want 

you to decide whether you think, ‘Yes, I can do that now,’ ‘I can 

sometimes do that,’ or ‘I need more practice to be able to get better at 

this.’ 

If it’s a straight ‘yes’, will you please put a tick in the box; if it’s 

‘sometimes’, please mark it with a little diagonal line; and if it’s ‘need 

more practice,’ please put a cross. Be honest, because you’ll only be 

cheating yourself if you’re not. 

Read through the statements, allowing children time to decide which 

mark to make for each. 

Now look at your list and choose one of the statements that you haven’t 

ticked because you don’t feel very confident about it yet. That statement 

will become your personal target for when you write stories, just by 

changing the ‘I can’ at the beginning to ‘I am learning to’. You can make 

notes on the target bank in your FLS Book. 

Children give feedback on their individual targets. 

FLS Book page 50, PCM 14 ‘Activities in Module 2’, enlarged if 

necessary 

FLS Book pages 41 and 44–46 Children’s plans and stories 

39

MODULE 2 END OF MODULE REVIEW SHEET FOR TEACHER AND 

TEACHING ASSISTANT 

MODULE 2 END OF MODULE REVIEW SHEET FOR TEACHER AND TEACHING ASSISTANT 

Teaching assistant’s comments on the group at the end 

of Module 2 

Examples 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Evidence of learning 

Completion of independent tasks 

Issues arising 

Questions for teacher 

Comments by teacher and teaching assistant on progress in Module 2 

Note the target that each child has set for themselves at the end of the module. 

Name 

Progress 

Target 

Name 

Progress 

Target 

40

Name 

Progress 

Target 

Name 

Progress 

Target 

Name 

Progress 

Target 

MODULE 2 END OF MODULE REVIEW SHEET FOR TEACHER AND TEACHING ASSISTANT 

Name 

Progress 

Target 

41

FLS Module 2 - PGCE

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?