English · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Telling Tales and Chanting Rhymes

Step into the world of storytellers and poets with this topic, designed to unleash your pupils' creativity and confidence with spoken language.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• National Curriculum for England: English - Spoken Language - speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English

• 15–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Morning Circle
• 30 min · Whole Class

Story Map Creations

After reading a familiar tale like 'The Three Little Pigs', the class works together to draw a large 'map' showing the key events in order. Pupils can then use the map as a visual aid to retell the story to a partner.

Explain the sequence of events in a familiar story.

Facilitation Tip

Use simple icons and arrows to clearly represent the sequence of events for non-writers.

What to look for

Observe pupils during paired retelling activities. Use a simple checklist to note if they include a clear beginning, middle, and end.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Morning Circle
• 15 min · Pairs

Rhyme Detectives

Provide pupils with picture cards of objects (e.g., cat, hat, dog, log, car, star). In pairs, they must find the pictures that represent rhyming words and match them up.

Identify the rhyming words in a poem you have learned.

Facilitation Tip

Start with a whole-class example to model how to listen for the similar sounds at the end of words.

What to look for

Pupils choose a favourite short poem learnt in class and recite it to the teacher or a small group. Assess for memory, clarity of speech, and use of expression.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Morning Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Puppet Theatre Retelling

In small groups, pupils use simple stick puppets or finger puppets to retell a well-known fairy tale. This encourages them to use different voices for characters and consider actions alongside words.

Compare telling a story with just your voice to telling it with actions.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage collaboration by assigning roles like 'director', 'narrator', and puppeteers for each character.

What to look for

After a storytelling performance, pupils use 'two stars and a wish' to say two things they did well and one thing they would like to improve next time.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Morning Circle
• 20 min · Whole Class

Poetry Performance Circle

Learn a short, simple poem as a whole class, agreeing on actions for key words or lines. Pupils then perform the poem together in a circle, focusing on speaking clearly and in unison.

Explain the sequence of events in a familiar story.

Facilitation Tip

Focus on rhythm and pace, using clapping or stamping to help pupils feel the beat of the poem.

What to look for

Observe pupils during paired retelling activities. Use a simple checklist to note if they include a clear beginning, middle, and end.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin with whole-class modelling of storytelling and poetry recitation, using lots of expression and actions. Use visual aids like story maps and picture cards to support pupils in sequencing events and identifying rhymes. Gradually move from whole-class and group work to paired and individual performances as their confidence grows.

By the end of this topic, your pupils will be able to retell familiar stories in sequence and recite simple poems with expression and enjoyment.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Rhyming words are words that start with the same letter.

  Explain that rhyming words are words that sound the same at the end, like 'cat' and 'hat'. Words that start with the same sound are called alliteration, like 'slimy snake'.

• A story can only be told by reading it from a book.

  Show examples of oral storytelling from different cultures and explain that stories were told long before they were written down. Emphasise that their own memories and imagination are powerful tools for storytelling.

• The order of events in a story does not matter.

  Use a familiar story and deliberately mix up the sequence of events. Ask pupils if it makes sense and discuss why the beginning, middle, and end need to be in the correct order for the story to work.

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Methods used in this brief

• Morning Circle