Magpie and the Sparkling Words Week 1 Resources

This is Week 1 of a six-week Year 2 English unit built around Magpie and the Sparkling Words by Lucy Rowland. Children notice, collect and learn ambitious vocabulary from the story. They then use it in expanded noun phrases to describe the wood before the storm.

Every lesson is planned so that a class teacher, cover teacher or teaching assistant can pick it up and teach with confidence.

What’s included

Teaching slides (49, editable PowerPoint): five lessons, each with a learning objective, teaching input, a “Your turn” slide with three levels of task, and a plenary. A teacher script, key questions, and SEND and EAL notes are in the speaker notes on every slide.
Differentiated worksheets (12 A4 pages, editable Word):
a pre-unit word check to repeat in Week 6, so you can show vocabulary growth
favourite word treasures
a labelling activity with cut-out word cards
a writing frame
a Week 1 word mat
Word Nest display set (15 A4 pages, editable PowerPoint):
a centrepiece nest
treasure cards for all 17 bold words in the book, plus 6 bonus challenge words
blank treasures for words children find themselves
a “Words we’ve shared” banner

The five lessons

Who took our words? A mystery hook, predictions and the pre-unit word check.
Story time. A first read and choosing a favourite word.
Into the wood. Learning bustling, blooming and radiant through freeze-frame drama.
Enchanting and delicate. Building expanded noun phrases.
Describe the wood. A shared write, then independent sentences.

Please note
You will need your own copy of Magpie and the Sparkling Words; the book is not included. All illustrations, definitions and example sentences are original. Optional spaces on the slides let you add your own photos of the book if your school’s copyright licence allows it.