Talk for Writing
Talk for writing genres and book suggestions. Year 2 to Year 14
| Year 2 | |
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts |
| A selection of tales traditional and modern | The Gingerbread Man – Goldilocks and the Three Bears |
| A selection of tales traditional and modern | Mog and Meg – Helen Nichol |
| A selection of tales traditional and modern | Jack and the Flumflum tree – Julia Donaldson |
| Instructions | The Little Red Hen – The Very Greedy Bee – Steve Smallman |
| Letters | Dear Tooth fairy – Alan Durant Dear Zoo – Rod Campbell |
| Verbal recounts | The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson – We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen |
| Weeks 7+ poetry: Read, learn, enjoy and collaboratively write different forms of poetry. | |
| Year 3 | |||
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts | ||
| Stories from different cultures | Gregory Cool – Caroline BinchHanda’s Surprise – Eileen Browne | ||
| Fables (verbal)and simple written recounts (Following on from verbal introduction to recounts in Year 1) | Aesop’s fablesPoles apart – Jeanne Willis | ||
| Instructions | Something from Nothing – Phoebe GilmanHow to look after your dinosaur – Jason Cockcroft | ||
| Formal and explanation writing, including letters | Meerkat Mail – Emily Gravett The Jolly Postman – Allan Ahlberg | ||
| Descriptive writing | Scarlette Beane – Karen Wallace What makes you a Super Hero? – Danika Gorden | ||
| Non-chronological reports(Information texts) | Tyrannosaurus Drip – Julia Donaldson Oliver’s vegetables – Vivien French | ||
| Weeks 7+ poetry | |||
| Acrostic – Certain letters in each line spell out a word or phrase. | Calligram – Arranged in a way that creates a visual image. | Narrative poems – A poem which tells a story. Stick Man The Gruffalo | |
| Year 4 | |||
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts | ||
| Play | School of Rock – Mike White – Tiddler (As a play) – Julia Donaldson | ||
| Traditional tales | Jack and the Beanstalk – Rapunzel – The Elves and the Shoemaker | ||
| Adventure stories | Pirates of Scurvy Sands – Jonny Duddle – Marli’s Tangled Tale – Ellie Jackson | ||
| Persuasive texts including adverts and posters | George’s Marvellous Medicine – Roald Dhal | ||
| Balanced arguments | The Enormous Turnip | ||
| Diary entries | Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wombat/Diary of a baby Wombat – Jackie French | ||
| Weeks 7+ poetry | |||
| Acrostic Certain letters in each line spell out a word or phrase. | Calligram Arranged in a way that creates a visual image. | Narrative A poem which tells a story. Room on the Broom The Snail and the Whale | |
| Year 5 | |||
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts | ||
| Myths and Legends | The Orchard book of Greek Myths – Usborne Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths | ||
| Stories set in imaginary worlds | Beyond the Pond – Joseph Kuefler | ||
| Mystery stories | The Crooked Sixpence – Jennifer BellThe Detective Dog – Julia Donaldson | ||
| Non-chronological reports(Information texts) Non-chronological reports(Information texts) | RHS The Magic and Mystery of Trees – Claire McElfactrick & Jen GreenTummy Rumble Quake: An Earthquake safety book – Heather L Beal | ||
| Newspaper reports | The True Story of the Three Little Pigs – Jon Scieszka | ||
| Biography and autobiography | Who was Rosa Parks? – Yona Zeldis McDonoughOdd Boy Out -Young Albert Einstien – Don Brown | ||
| Weeks 7+ poetry | |||
| Free verse Does not follow regular poetry rules. Free from limitations of regular meter, rhythm, and does not have to rhyme. | Limerick A humorous poem consisting of five lines.The first, second, and fifth lines must have seven to ten syllables while rhyming and having the same verbal rhythm. The third and fourth lines should only have five to seven syllables; they too must rhyme with each other and have the same rhythm. | Haiku Follow a strict form: three lines, with a 5-7-5 syllable structure. That means the first line will have five syllables, the second line will have seven syllables, and the last line will have five syllables. | |
| Year 6 | |||
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts | ||
| Stories with a historical setting | In search of the Boy King – Anthony Masters(plus Literacy Shed video Tadeo Jones) | ||
| Stories from different cultures | Malaika’s Costume – Nadia. L.Horn | ||
| Stories in the style of a significant author (Anthony Browne) | Into the Forest – Anthony Browne | ||
| Formal and explanation writing, including letters | Magic Bus – Inside the Human Body – Joanna Cole | ||
| Balanced arguments | Charlotte’s Web – E.B.White | ||
| Recounts | Rose blanche – Roberto InnocentiLion & the Unicorn – Shirley Hughes | ||
| Weeks 7+ poetry | |||
| Free verse Does not follow regular poetry rules. Free from limitations of regular meter, rhythm, and does not have to rhyme. | Limerick A humorous poem consisting of five lines.The first, second, and fifth lines must have seven to ten syllables while rhyming and having the same verbal rhythm. The third and fourth lines should only have five to seven syllables; they too must rhyme with each other and have the same rhythm. | Haiku Follow a strict form: three lines, with a 5-7-5 syllable structure. That means the first line will have five syllables, the second line will have seven syllables, and the last line will have five syllables. | |
| Year 7 | ||||
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts | |||
| Fables | The Quiltmaker’s Gift – Jeff BrumbeauThe fate of Fausto – Oliver Jeffers | |||
| Stories from different cultures | The Shaman’s Apprentice – Lynn CherryThe Name Jar – Yangsook Choi | |||
| Adventure stories | To the Edge of the World – Julia GreenBarney Goose: A Wild Atlantic Way Adventure – Carol Ann Treacy | |||
| Persuasive texts including adverts and posters | One Plastic Bag – Miranda PaulDear Greenpeace – Simon James | |||
| Instructions | How to Twist a Dragon’s Tail – Cressida CowellHow to Trap a Dragon – Adam Wallace | |||
| Non-chronological reports(Information texts) | The Water Horse – Dick King-SmithThe Dragon Snatcher – M. P. Robertson | |||
| Weeks 7+ poetry | ||||
| Blank verse An un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter.10 syllables in each line (pentameter); where, unstressed syllables are followed by stressed ones, five of which are stressed but do not rhyme. | Cinquain A five-line poem that are particularly vivid in their imagery and are meant to convey a certain mood or emotion. | Clerihew A four line comic verse of two rhyming couplets.The lines can be any length but the first contains the name of the well-known person who is being written about and the second line should rhyme with the person’s name. | Tanka A Japanese 31-syllable poem, traditionally written as a single, unbroken line.The word “tanka” translates to “short song.” | |
| Year 8 | ||||
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts | |||
| Plays | A Stage Full of Shakespeare – Angela McAllisterMr William Shakespeare’s Plays – Marcia Williams | |||
| Stories with a historical setting | Street Child – Berlie DohertyDaisy Saves the Day – Shirley Hughs | |||
| Mystery stories | Clockwork (Or All Wound Up) – Philip PullmanKrindlekrax – Philip Ridley | |||
| Formal and explanation writing, including letters | Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry – Mildred D. TaylorThe Stone Thrower – Jael Ealay Richardson | |||
| Current affairs/Newspaper reports/Magazines | FirstNational Geographic Kids | |||
| Diary entries | The Diary of a young girl. (Abridged edition) – Anne FrankThe story of Anne Frank – Brenda Ralph Lewis (DK readers) | |||
| Weeks 7+ poetry | ||||
| Blank verse An un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter.10 syllables in each line (pentameter); where, unstressed syllables are followed by stressed ones, five of which are stressed but do not rhyme. | Cinquain A five-line poem that are particularly vivid in their imagery and are meant to convey a certain mood or emotion. | Clerihew A four line comic verse of two rhyming couplets.The lines can be any length but the first contains the name of the well-known person who is being written about and the second line should rhyme with the person’s name. | Tanka A Japanese 31-syllable poem, traditionally written as a single, unbroken line.The word “tanka” translates to “short song.” | |
| Year 9 | ||||
| Directed genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts | |||
| Myths and Legends | Outlaw – Michael Morpurgo – The Adventures of Robin Hood – Adrian Mitchell | |||
| Stories set in imaginary worlds | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe/The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – C. S. Lewis The journey – Aaron Becker | |||
| Stories in the style of a significant author(Michael Morpurgo) | A medal for Leroy – Michael Morpurgo Michael Morpurgo – Billy the Kid | |||
| Balanced arguments | The Story of the Blue Planet – Andri Snaer Magnason This Morning I Met a Whale – Michael Morpurgo | |||
| Recounts | Oranges in No Man’s Land – Elizabeth Laird The boy at the back of the class – Onjali Q. Rauf | |||
| Biography and autobiography | Respect: The Walter Tull story – Michaela Morgan Walter Tull’s scrapbook – Michaela Morgan | |||
| Weeks 7+ poetry | ||||
| Blank verse An un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter.10 syllables in each line (pentameter); where, unstressed syllables are followed by stressed ones, five of which are stressed but do not rhyme. | Cinquain A five-line poem that are particularly vivid in their imagery and are meant to convey a certain mood or emotion. | Clerihew A four line comic verse of two rhyming couplets.The lines can be any length but the first contains the name of the well-known person who is being written about and the second line should rhyme with the person’s name. | Tanka A Japanese 31-syllable poem, traditionally written as a single, unbroken line.The word “tanka” translates to “short song.” | |
| Year 10 | |
| GenreDirected genre for Talk for Writing | Suggested/chosen texts |
| Recounts | Holes –Louis Sachar |
| Stories set in imaginary worlds | Northern Lights-Philip Pullman |
| Historical fiction: morality | The Book thief-Markus Zusak |
| Functional English | Understanding and producing transactional texts |
| Year 11 | |
| Stories set in imaginary worlds | Hunger Games : Suzanne Collins |
| Biography and autobiography | My family and other animals: Gerald Durell |
| Functional English | Understanding and producing transactional texts |
| Year 12-14 | |
| Stories set in imaginary worlds | Twilight Series –Stephanie Meyer |
| Historical fiction: morality | To kill a mockingbird-Harper Lee |
| Functional English | Understanding and producing transactional texts |