Cinderella Around the World Unit of Work
Three-week Cinderella Around the World English unit for Year 2 and Year 3, including reading, SPaG, story mapping, blurb writing, retelling, and differentiated SEN support.
This comprehensive three-week English unit is based on the theme of Cinderella Around the World and develops reading, comprehension, grammar, speaking and listening, planning, and writing skills through a carefully sequenced series of lessons. Pupils explore different versions of the Cinderella story, including Yeh-Shen and Little Burnt Face, before creating their own blurbs and retelling a traditional tale with a twist.
The unit places a strong emphasis on oral rehearsal, story mapping, actions, shared writing, and gradual release towards independent writing. Lessons are designed to build confidence and support children in understanding story structure, language choices, and the writing process.
Included within the unit are differentiated activities and resources to support a range of learners. Additional SEN materials provide scaffolded access to key learning through structured fill-in-the-blank activities that gradually reduce support as pupils gain confidence.
Unit Overview:
Week 1
• Features of a blurb – exploring blurbs from familiar books
• Whole-class story mapping with visual symbols and punctuation
• Oral storytelling with actions
• SPaG focus: Sentence Types
• Reading and comprehension based on Little Burnt Face
Week 2
• Shared planning for a blurb
• Shared writing of a blurb
• Independent planning
• Independent blurb writing
• Publishing and presentation of final blurbs with illustrations
Week 3
• Reading and story mapping of Yeh-Shen
• Identifying word classes and language features
• Planning a retelling with a twist
• Shared writing of the opening and build-up
• Independent completion of the retelling using a shared plan
What’s included:
• Three weeks of sequenced lesson materials
• Reading, comprehension, grammar, and writing activities
• Story mapping and oral storytelling opportunities
• Shared and independent planning resources
• Shared writing and independent writing tasks
• Publishing opportunities
• Differentiated activities for a range of abilities
• SEN scaffold sheets with graduated support
• Resources suitable for Year 2 and Year 3 pupils
Perfect for teachers looking for a complete traditional tales unit that develops speaking, listening, reading, grammar, and writing skills while engaging children with stories from different cultures and versions of the classic Cinderella tale.


