Hi! My name is Stefan Kucharczyk. I am a primary school teacher, writer and independent literacy consultant based in Leeds, UK.
I design and teach creative writing and art workshops for children using art, drama, discussion and writing as a way to explore interesting and unusual books.
My resources are full of tried and tested ideas to make your literacy lessons sparkle.
Thanks for taking a look at my shop!
Hi! My name is Stefan Kucharczyk. I am a primary school teacher, writer and independent literacy consultant based in Leeds, UK.
I design and teach creative writing and art workshops for children using art, drama, discussion and writing as a way to explore interesting and unusual books.
My resources are full of tried and tested ideas to make your literacy lessons sparkle.
Thanks for taking a look at my shop!
This resource contains ideas for planning a creative literacy unit based on ‘The Nowhere Emporium’, an excellent novel by Ross MacKenzie.
Suitable for Upper Key Stage 2.
Plan a fantastic unit of work that includes a visit to a museum to marvel at treasures, creating your own Book of Wonders through writing and designing and building a snow globe!
Story synopsis
When Daniel Holmes hides from the local bully in the doorway of a newly appeared shop, he has no idea that he has stepped over a magical threshold. The Nowhere Emporium is the invention of magician Lucien Silver: part shop, part theme park, a place where wonders - amazing sights and experiences - appear at the stroke of a magician’s pen. Fascinated by the wonders of the Emporium, Daniel begins to discover his own magical potential and the places his imagination can take him to. But as Daniel quickly discovers, the world of magic can be a dangerous place.
How to use this resource
This resource is structured into five parts.
Inspiration - sharing the book with your class.
Incubation - exploring the ideas in the book through reading, drama and discussion.
Connection - making cross-curricular links with this book.
Application - getting the children writing creatively.
Illumination - bringing the work to life through art and design.
Each part is designed to help you deliver a structured literacy unit that offers children room for creativity, develops opportunities for meaningful learning and is plugged in to different areas of the curriculum.
This ‘Have you Tried?’ resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work. For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
As of August 2019, this resource is now free for you to use and share. But if you’d like to sponsor me for the resource you’ve downloaded, please watch the following video: https://youtu.be/1SVp9RRqAeE
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for the spine-tingling film ‘Francis’ by Dave Eggars. This film is available on the Literacy Shed.
Suitable for Key Stage 2.
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
engaging your class in vibrant discussion
applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing
illuminating their work with innovative artwork
This ‘Have you Tried?’ resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work.
Story synopsis: Teenager Francis Brandywine, on a camping trip with her parents, seeks solitude with a night-time jaunt on the lake. Under the stars, she’s perfectly alone. Or is she…? The film’s final twist is the perfect inspiration for creative writing.
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
As of August 2019, this resource is now free for you to use and share. But if you’d like to sponsor me for the resource you’ve downloaded, please watch the following video: https://youtu.be/1SVp9RRqAeE
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for Anthony Browne’s classic picture book, The Shape Game.
Ideal for Key Stage 1 and 2.
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
engaging your class in vibrant discussion
applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing
illuminating their work with innovative artwork
This ‘Have you Tried?’ resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work.
Story synopsis: On a family outing to the gallery, a young Anthony Browne is introduced to world of art - a moment that would change his life forever. He also learned a new game that would make him into the illustrator he is today!
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
As of August 2019, this resource is now free for you to use and share. But if you’d like to sponsor me for the resource you’ve downloaded, please watch the following video: https://youtu.be/1SVp9RRqAeE
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for the charming picture book ‘The Willow Pattern Story’, by Allan Drummond.
Suitable for Key Stage 1.
Story synopsis: Koong-Shee is the daughter of a powerful Chinese mandarin. The greedy mandarin has plans to marry his daughter to a rich merchant but his plans are thrown into chaos when Koong-Shee falls in love with the lowly Chang. What follows is a tale of love, tragedy and crockery.
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
using the book to encourage oral storytelling
developing story writing and performance
making cross-curricular links with art
This ‘Have you Tried?’ resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work. For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This resource contains a Medium Term Planning document outlining a 4 week unit of work for literacy and art based on Shaun Tan’s picture book The Arrival . The MTP covers week by week activities to support the children through the writing process. It contains an editable model text to use with the children.
All the ideas are tried and tested in the classroom.
The unit outcomes are as follows:
a piece of extended emotive writing (with suggestions for differentiation)
a comic strip based on the story
a decorated suitcase for an art display
a cityscape collage based on Shaun Tan’s illustrations
The MTP also covers objectives from the English and Art programmes of study from the NC2014.
The model text can be edited to suit the needs of the children. Please only copy for teaching purposes.
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for the puzzling enigma of 'The Mysteries of Harris Burdick' by Chris Van Allsburg.
Suitable for Key Stage 2.
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
- engaging your class in vibrant discussion
- applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing
- illuminating their work with innovative artwork
This 'Have you Tried?' resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work.
Story synopsis: This book is a collection of illustrations and captions - a snapshot of the work of author Harris Burdick who disappeared 30 years ago. Or did he? In fact, is any of this real? Forming the perfect starting point for creative writing, these spooky, funny and just plain weird stories will definitely get your class talking.
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for I Am Thomas by Libby Gleeson and Armin Greder.
Suitable for Key Stage 2.
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
- engaging your class in vibrant discussion
- applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing
- illuminating their work with innovative artwork
This 'Have you Tried?' resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work.
Story synopsis: Thomas is a young boy on the cusp of adulthood. As he moves through the city, he is bombarded by influences asking him to conform. But Thomas has his own idea about where his future lies.
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for Emily Gravett's Wolves.
Suitable for upper Key Stage 1.
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
- engaging your class in vibrant discussion
- applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing
- illuminating their work with innovative artwork
This 'Have you Tried?' resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work.
Story synopsis: As rabbit goes to the library to find himself a good book about Wolves, we follow him on an unexpected journey where he discovers something with a long, bushy tail and sharp teeth... But is it in his imagination?
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for Miranda the Explorer by James Mayhew (fiction).
Suitable for Key Stage 1 and lower Key stage 2
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
- engaging your class in vibrant discussion
- applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing
- illuminating their work with innovative artwork
This 'Have you Tried?' resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work.
Story synopsis: After winning a competition, young Miranda wins a ride in a hot air balloon. Accidentally whisked away by the wind, she embarks on a round the world adventure and begins a cultural voyage of discovery.
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for the Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting & David Wiesner (fiction).
Suitable for Key Stage 2.
It contains tried and tested ideas for:
- engaging your class in vibrant discussion
- applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing
- illuminating their work with innovative artwork
This 'Have you Tried?' resource can form the basis for an outstanding, cross-curricular unit of literacy work.
Story synopsis: This spooky mischievous tale brings to life the stone gargoyles that perch unnoticed above our towns and cities and follows them on their night of adventure.
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
As of August 2019, this resource is now free for you to use and share. But if you’d like to sponsor me for the resource you’ve downloaded, please watch the following video: https://youtu.be/1SVp9RRqAeE
Oddball, bottle-top collector Shaun finds something on the beach. Why has no one else spotted it? And what the heck is it!? As he decides what to do with his new companion, he finds things – and people – that are unusual can find somewhere to belong. This beautifully designed book is a great opportunity for descriptive writing and creative and imaginative thinking.
This resource contains ideas for using discussion, art and writing to respond to this beautiful book.
Suitable for KS1.
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
As of August 2019, this resource is now free for you to use and share. But if you’d like to sponsor me for the resource you’ve downloaded, please watch the following video: https://youtu.be/1SVp9RRqAeE
This PDF document outlines some great ideas for how you can bring Black Dog by Levi Pinfold to life in your primary classroom. Suitable for KS2.
This resource is free! If you download it, I would really appreciate feedback. Just a few words will do and it makes all the difference to the work I offer!
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This PDF document outlines some great ideas for how you can bring In the Attic by Hiawyn Oram & Satoshi Kitamura to life in your primary classroom. Mainly suitable for KS1 but the basis of interesting work for children across primary education.
This resource is free! If you download it, I would really appreciate feedback. Just a few words will do and it makes all the difference to the work I offer!
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This PDF document outlines some great ideas for how you can bring A Child's Garden by Michael Foreman to life in your primary classroom. Suitable for KS1 & lower KS2.
This resource is free! If you download it, I would really appreciate feedback. Just a few words will do and it makes all the difference to the work I offer!
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk
This PDF document outlines some great ideas for how you can bring the dreamy, ethereal picture book The Whales' Song to life in your primary classroom. Suitable for KS1&2.
There are ideas for:
- getting the children talking and thinking.
- how to approach your writing tasks.
- using art to inspire their writing.
This resource is free! If you download it, please leave feedback.
For more ideas like this, visit articulateeducation.co.uk