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Unicorns
Talk for Writing Home-school booklet

Uncovered
by Jo Pearce

© Copyright of Jo Pearce and Talk for Writing 2020.

Permissions: Sharing the web link / URL to where this booklet sits on the Talk for Writing
website with colleagues and parents is encouraged, but no part of this publication should
be re-uploaded elsewhere online, reproduced or altered without permission.
www.talk4writing.com
Unicorns Uncovered
A workbook
By Jo Pearce

1
© Talk for Writing
 Welcome to this workbook.
Let me introduce you to your
virtual teacher, Jo. She will
guide you through the
activities.

Hello,
Please read my instructions carefully.
You will need something to write
with, or a computer to type on.
Are you ready to become a unicorn
expert? Have fun!

2
© Talk for Writing
 Let’s get started!

1.Sparky-start: mythical beast mix-ups!

In this booklet, you will learn all

about unicorns. Unicorns are one of
many mythical beasts that have been
written about and talked about over
time. Let’s have some fun with my
‘mythical beast mix-up’!

Legends and stories are full of mythical creatures and fantastic beasts
that are made up of parts of other animals mixed together. These are
called ‘hybrids’. They are fun to explore. For example:

Centaurs have the upper body of a

human and the lower body of a horse.

Griffins have the body, legs and tail of a lion and the
wings of an eagle.

The Minotaur has the head of a bull and the body of

a human.

3
© Talk for Writing
Invent your own mythical beast
To start our unit of work, spend some time making up your own mythical beast. It
could have different parts of interesting animals. Think
about its legs, body and head. It might have a tail,
wings or fins.
I had a go with some pencil crayons in my notebook. As
you can see, I am not brilliant at drawing, but I had a lot
of fun. My creature has the head and neck of a
flamingo, the body and wings of a penguin, the legs of
an elephant and a skunk’s tail. I have called it the
Flamenguin.
If you would like some help with your drawing, there
are lots of really helpful artists and guides online for
drawing animals. Google ‘how to draw an elephant’, for example, and you will be
able to find some help. Make sure you tell an adult what you are doing. Draw yours
here:

4
© Talk for Writing
 2. Model text

There was a time when the unicorn was

hated and hunted. During this time, all
books referencing the creature were
destroyed. Luckily, Professor Dame
Folklore owns a damaged copy of
‘Unicorns Uncovered’. Unfortunately, the
book is badly burnt, torn and water
stained so, as you can see, the page I
wanted to show you is impossible to read.
Don’t worry, I’ve typed it out for you on
the next page.

“You can also listen to this model text online here: https://soundcloud.com/talkforwriting/unicorns/s-
kpNjhGRD75A,

5
© Talk for Writing
 The River Unicorn (Fluvis unicornis)

The River Unicorn is a shy, solitary creature that has been seen only three
times in the wild.

It has a sandy-brown coat, a mane like sea foam, and a transparent horn
that seems to ripple and flow when the light catches it.
The River Unicorn is the same size as a Shetland pony.

Unsurprisingly, most River Unicorns live along the banks of rivers. But you
might be surprised to learn that these animals are reluctant swimmers.
Occasionally, they have been spotted sleeping in dens under the roots of
ancient willow trees. It is thought that the power of the water and the
willow flows through the River Unicorn and enhances its magic.

Much has been written about the River Unicorn’s magic. Typically, the
River Unicorn’s power lies in its horn. When ground into powder and mixed
with the correct ingredients, the horn can heal almost all human ailments.
In addition to this, legends tell us that one drop of the unicorn’s blood can
make a human immortal.

Another interesting feature of the River Unicorn is its ability to disap-

pear instantly. Just like water, it can slip through your fingers and seem
to be everywhere, and nowhere, at the same time. Therefore, it is often
viewed as the most extraordinary of all the unicorn species.

Glossary:
solitary: alone, being the only one

transparent: something is transparent if it lets light through. You can see through
transparent objects like windows and cling film.

enhances: to improve (make better) the quality, amount, or strength of something

ailments: illness or injury

immortal: to live forever

© Jo Pearce

6
© Talk for Writing
 3. Words! Words! Words!

Go back over the River Unicorn page and

underline or highlight any words that you
don’t know. Ask an adult to help you find
the meaning or look in a dictionary online.
You might also want to use google images to
see pictures of the word.
Can you see I have highlighted my words in
yellow? Let’s investigate those together:

1. My first word is ‘bank’.

I’m sure you know at least one meaning of this word but ‘bank’ has many
meanings. Can you match the definition to the picture? I’ve done the first one for
you.

Definition Picture
An organisation where
people can save, borrow,
and invest money.
Sloping, raised land.
Sometimes along the side of
a river.

A place where things are

stored and used for later e.g.
a blood bank

To fly with
one wing higher than the
other when turning
An amount of something to
be used later e.g. a word bank

7
© Talk for Writing
Write a short sentence to match each picture. Make sure you use the word ‘bank’,
‘banking ’or ‘banked’. I have done the first one for you.

Picture Sentence
I felt the plane bank as we circled the city
once more.

2. My second word is ‘reluctant’. Reluctant means ‘not wanting to do something, so

you are slow to do it’.
Squeeze the word: What are you reluctant to do at home or at school? Write several
different sentences with the word reluctant in I’ve started one sentence for you.

I am reluctant to …

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© Talk for Writing
Shades of meaning
3. My final word is ‘occasionally’.
Occasionally means ‘sometimes but not often’. Write some sentences with the word
occasionally in them.

Below is a bank of words and phrases in a cloud. You will also see a scale ranging from
never-to-always to show how often something happens.
Pick a word from the cloud. Decide what it means and place it where it belongs on
the never-to-always scale:
• Is it similar to ‘never’?
• Is it a lot like ‘always’?
• Does it mean something in the middle? If so, where will you place it?
• Can you think of any more words to add to the scale?

sometimes
rarely
often hardly

regularly frequently
constantly

9
© Talk for Writing
 4. Read and understand

Experts like Dame Folklore take notes

on their subject to gather important
information. Use this page to take
notes on The River Unicorn.

1. The River Unicorn has only been spotted ______________ times in

the wild.

2. Most River Unicorns live__________________________________

3. River Unicorns do not like swimming: TRUE or FALSE?

_______________

4. The River Unicorn’s horn is see-through: TRUE or FALSE?

____________

5. Which is the most powerful part of the unicorn’s

body?__________________

6. Why would a unicorn hunter think that the River Unicorn was special?

Give three reasons:

1. ______________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________

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 5. Spellings

Here is your spelling list.

Practise the words so that you know how to spell them and then copy them
correctly into the sentences.
There are some ideas for practising spellings below. You may need extra paper
and something to write with.

disappear thought spotted

through addition therefore

Ideas to practise spellings:

★ Write each word and underline or circle the tricky bit. How will you
remember it?

★ Speed write – how many times can you write the words in one minute?

★ Find a friend or a grown up and play hangman.

★ Say the word as it is spelt, not as it sounds. E.g., ‘dis-ap-pear’ for disappear.

Put the correct word in these sentences:

disappear
1. The River Unicorn can _________________ in an instant.

2. Occasionally, the unicorn has been ____________________ sleeping in its den.

3. In __________________to its powerful horn, the unicorn also has magic blood.

4. The River Unicorn is magical and unique. _______________ it is often hunted.

5. It is ____________________ that River Unicorns are reluctant swimmers.

6. Transparent means _____________________

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© Talk for Writing
 6. Grammar
Let’s work on our sentences! You will need a piece of paper or a note pad, and
something to write with, or a computer.

The Substitution Game

In this sentence from The River Unicorn text, the writer has picked three parts of the
unicorn to describe in detail.
It has a sandy-brown coat, a mane like sea foam, and a transparent horn that
seems to ripple and flow when the light catches it.

Extra detail has been added in three different ways:

1. two colours have been grouped together into a compound adjective (by using a
hyphen) to make a more accurate description: sandy-brown;
2. a simile with ‘like’ is used to describe the mane: like sea foam;
3. the phrase ‘that seems to’ is used to add a relative clause for extra detail.
1. Colour mixing with compound adjectives
Below you will find a word bank related to colours and texture. Try creating more
vivid colour descriptions by combining words on the left with words on the right and
joining them with a hyphen to make a compound adjective. Play around with
different combinations and see which ones sound good. I have done two examples
for you: burnt-orange; cloudy-white

rusty pink

sea black

dusty grey

creamy turquoise

misty blue

midnight green

smoky red

murky purple

12
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 2. Adding details with a simile
A ‘mane ’is the word used to
describe the long hair at the top
of an animal’s neck. Horses,
unicorns, giraffes and some
monkeys have manes.
Let’s think about other unicorns and what their manes could look like. Can you add
any more ideas? Add more arrows if you need to. You could make up your own
unicorn in the blue circle and add some ideas there too.

sea foam A fish’s fin

A River Unicorn
could have a
mane like…
lightning thunder clouds

A Storm Unicorn
could have a
mane like…

smoke

A Fire Unicorn
could have a
mane like…

blue flames
A _____________
Unicorn could
have a mane
like…

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© Talk for Writing
3. Adding ‘that seems to’ – a relative clause

Using some of the ideas that we have been creating above, finish the sentences by
writing the relative clause in the gap provided. You could explain how the horn
moves, or what it seems to do when you look carefully.

The River Unicorn has a sandy-brown coat, a mane like sea foam, and a transparent
horn that seems to ripple and flow when the light catches it.

The Storm Unicorn has a cloudy-white coat, a mane like lightning, and an icy horn

that seems to ____________ ________________________________________________

The Fire Unicorn has a burnt-orange coat, a mane like smoke, and a flaming horn

that seems to __________ _________________________________________________

14
© Talk for Writing
7. Short-burst writing - poetry
Unicorns are thought to be kind and gentle creatures. They are usually described as being shy,
but when they do meet humans they are often helpful and generous. Sometimes they save lives.
Imagine if you had your very own unicorn to look after you and keep you happy. That would be
very special indeed. That is what this poem is about:

My Unicorn

My unicorn carries me to the corners of the world,

while I rest on its back in blankets,

dreaming.

My unicorn listens with a careful ear,

while my woes flow fast,

settling.

My unicorn reads me stories of other lands

while I paint with the words,

imagining.

My unicorn runs alongside me and shares its strength

while mine ebbs away,

slowly.

My unicorn protects and heals those who are close

while I watch,

thankful. © Jo Pearce 2020

Can you spot the pattern in the poem? You can follow the pattern to write your own, or you
can follow your own pattern. You could also write a ‘free verse ’poem and just let the ideas
flow, following no structure at all. Remember, a poem doesn’t have to rhyme.

My unicorn carries me to the corners of the world, – use a verb here to have the
unicorn do something
while I rest on its back in blankets, – use ‘while I ’to show what you are doing or
thinking
dreaming – use any word here to show a feeling, thought or to give a sense of the mood

Now have a go at writing your poem on a separate piece of paper.

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© Talk for Writing
8. Short-burst writing: potion instructions
In our page from Professor Dame Folklore’s book, it tells us that the River Unicorn’s horn
has healing powers: When ground into powder and mixed with the correct
ingredients, the horn can heal almost all human ailments.

Here is a recipe for a magic potion to heal a broken heart. One of the ingredients is the
River Unicorn’s horn.

After you have consumed the potion, return home and have a lovely long sleep. When you wake up
the next day, your heart will be fully restored and ready to love again.
© Jo Pearce 2020
16
© Talk for Writing
 Can you write a magic potion? What do
you want your potion to do? Make sure
you include the powerful unicorn horn!

When we write, we start by getting all our ideas out. We can then pick the best ones.
Follow these writing tips and you will soon have lots of wonderful ideas to write your
potion.
Writing tip 1.
When I was thinking about my
ingredients, I thought of all the words
related to ‘love ’that I could and jotted
them down. That might be a good place to
start. Write ideas about your potion.

Writing tip 2. Writing tip 3.

This potion recipe is a form of Recipes need all sorts of ‘quantities’ for
instructional writing. When we write the reader to measure the ingredients.
instructions, we use ‘imperative verbs’ To make your spell or potion more
to tell the reader what to do. It can be interesting, you could also gather some
helpful to write a list of these too. of these words before you start.

Would you like your potion to heal something such as a broken leg, heart or a help
cure a cold? Or you could think about something positive that you would like to be
able to do like fly, go invisible or speak to animals.

Now have a go at writing and decorating your potion.

17
© Talk for Writing
 9. Fun with dens
In our text, it says that the River Unicorn sleeps in a den under the roots of ancient
willow trees.
A den is a secret place where you can hide, rest, read a book or play a game. Have
you ever made a den? Why not have a go? Here are some ideas that might be useful
for you to build one:
• unused boxes and packaging
• blankets and sheets
• bits of cardboard
• battery powered fairy lights (ask an adult)
• old party decorations
• cushions and pillows
• large suitcases
• sofa cushions
You can build dens around larger pieces of furniture like tables and sofas.

Make sure you tell a grown up where and how you are planning to build your den.
They have probably made a den before and will have lots of ideas for you.

18
© Talk for Writing
10. Gathering ideas – innovation
You have done some fantastic unicorn research so far. Well done. I think you are
ready to help Professor Dame Folklore write another page for her book ‘Unicorns
Uncovered’. The ‘Introduction’ is also intact, and it lists the following chapters:
10.Storm Unicorn 14.*Unreadable entry*
11.Frost Unicorn 15.Mountain Unicorn
12.Rainbow Unicorn 16.*Unreadable entry*
13.Fire Unicorn
You could write about one of the unicorns from the missing chapters or make up your
own unicorn.
What is your unicorn called? Think about its body, mane, horn and tail. You could
also think about its special features and magical powers. Draw and label your unicorn
below. Unicorns can be hard to draw unicorns so there is an outline provided to help
you. If you don’t want to use this, draw it on separate paper.

19
© Talk for Writing
 11. Boxing up

Let’s look at the underlying pattern of the

River Unicorn page in our boxing up grid.
Later, we can use this to help us plan the
new unicorn page.

The ‘River Unicorn ’page is an example of an information text. Information texts

about animals often follow a similar pattern. This boxed-up pattern could be used to
write about any sort of animal except that most animals, unlike unicorns, are not
magical!

INTRODUCTION

What is it?
APPEARANCE

What does it look like?

HABITAT

Where does it live?

SPECIAL FEATURE

What magical powers does it have?

INTERESTING FACT

Extra, fascinating information

I am going to choose the ‘Fire Unicorn’ to show you how to plan your new page.

What is your Unicorn going to be called?

20
© Talk for Writing
12. Boxing up the plan

I have planned a new page. It hugs very

closely to the ‘River Unicorn ’model.
Have a read through the Fire Unicorn plan.
Then, on the next page, there is a blank
boxing up grid for you to plan your new
unicorn page.

The River Unicorn Underlying pattern Plan for The Fire Unicorn
• shy, solitary INTRODUCTION • rare, hot tempered
• seen 3x • seen once
What is it?
• sandy-brown coat APPEARANCE • burnt-orange coat
• mane like sea foam • mane like smoke
• transparent horn like What does it look like? • flame horn
water • small like a pony
• small like a pony
• river banks HABITAT • volcanoes
• dens in willow tree • likes the cool
roots Where does it live? • dens under burnt trees
• not swimmers
• power in horn SPECIAL FEATURE • power in horn
• healing • poison
• blood makes humans What magical powers • hair from its tail makes
immortal does it have? humans immortal
• can disappear in an INTERESTING FACT • can set something alight
instant Extra, fascinating by pointing its horn at it.
information

21
© Talk for Writing
 13. Plan your unicorn information page

The River Unicorn Underlying Pattern My type of unicorn is called the

__________ ________________
• Shy, solitary INTRODUCTION
• Seen 3x
What is it?

• Sandy-brown coat APPEARANCE

• Mane like sea foam
• Transparent horn like What does it look
water like?
• Small like pony

• River banks HABITAT

• Dens in willow tree
roots Where does it live?
• not swimmers

• Power in horn SPECIAL FEATURE

• Healing
• Blood makes humans What magical powers
immortal does it have?

• Can disappear in an INTERESTING FACT

instant
Extra, fascinating
information

22
© Talk for Writing
14 Write your unicorn information page (hugging the model)

Now it is time to write about your unicorn! You will need a computer, tablet or paper and
something to write with. I’ll give you a bit of help on each section as I write my own.
We can write it together, bit by bit. I will show you how to hug closely but you can read a
text later that has moved away from the model – we call this ‘shaking hands with the
model’. You just take the idea and run with it in your own way.

Section 1 – Introduction
Use your boxed-up planner to help you. Look back at the model text to help you too.
In this section I want to:

★ Introduce the unicorn to the reader by saying a little bit about it.
The Fire Unicorn

The Fire Unicorn is a rare, hot-tempered creature that has only been
spotted once in its natural habitat.
Read it through and check it makes sense and flows.Then check your punctation and spelling. Have you
remembered your full stops? Have you remembered the comma after your first adjective if you’ve used two
together?

Section 2 – Appearance
Use your boxed-up planner to help you. Look back at the model text to help you too.
In this section I want to:

★ Describe the parts of the unicorn’s body in detail

★ Use a simile to describe the unicorn’s size

The Fire Unicorn has a burnt-orange coat, a mane like smoke, and a
flaming horn that seems to dance when the wind catches it. This unicorn is a
similar in size to a pony.

Read it through and check it makes sense and flows. Then check your punctation and spelling. Have you
remembered your full stops? Are there capital letters after the full stops? Have you remembered the
comma after your list items?
?

23
© Talk for Writing
 Section 3 – Habitat
Use your boxed-up planner to help you. Look back at the model text to help you too.
In this section I want to:

★ Tell the reader where my unicorn lives

★ Describe where my unicorn sleeps

★ Add a bit of detail about how the habitat gives the unicorn power
Unsurprisingly, most Fire Unicorns live on volcanoes. But you might be surprised to learn that
these unicorns prefer the cool of the shade. Occasionally, they have been spotted sleeping in dens
under the branches of burnt, blackened trees. It is thought that eating the soot and embers
around the volcano enhances the Fire Unicorn’s magic.

Read it through and check it makes sense and flows. Then check your punctation and spelling. Have you
remembered your full stops? Have you remembered the comma after your fronted adverbials?

Section 4 – Special Feature

Use your boxed-up planner to help you. Look back at the model text to help you too.
In this section I want to:

★ Describe the magic properties of the unicorn’s horn

★ Add information about one additional magical power

Much has been written about the Fire Unicorn’s magic. Typically, the Fire Unicorn’s power lies in
its horn. When grated and mixed with special ingredients, the horn can be a powerful poison. In
addition to this, legends tell us that one hair from the unicorn’s tail can make a human immortal.

Read it through and check it makes sense and flows. Then check your punctation and spelling. Have you
remembered your full stops? Have you remembered the apostrophe if you have written unicorn’s horn?

Section 5 – Interesting information

Use your boxing up planner to help you. Look back at the model text to help you too.
In this section I want to:

★ Add a really interesting fact about the unicorn

★ End with a statement about how popular / sought after the unicorn is.
Another interesting feature of the Fire Unicorn is its ability to set things on fire. Just like striking
a match, all it has to do is point its horn towards the target and that object will burst into
flames. Therefore, it is often viewed as the most dangerous of all the unicorn species.

Read it through and check it makes sense. Then check your punctation and spelling. Have you remembered
your full stops? Are there capital letters after the full stops? Have you remembered the comma after your
24
fronted adverbials?
© Talk for Writing
14a. Write your unicorn information page (shake hands with the model)

The River Unicorn Underlying Pattern My new Fire Unicorn

• shy, solitary INTRODUCTION • question
• seen 3x • rare, hot tempered –
What is it? afraid of most
creatures
• seen once
• sandy-brown coat APPEARANCE • burnt-orange coat,
• mane like sea foam smoke, Flame horn
• transparent horn like What does it look like? • only when close to
water water
• small like pony • smaller than average
• river banks HABITAT • volcanoes – good
• dens in willow tree climber on rocky
roots Where does it live? ground
• not swimmers • like the cool shade
• dens in burnt tree
roots – eats soot
• power in horn SPECIAL FEATURE • power in horn
• healing • poison
• blood makes humans What magical powers • hair from its tail makes
immortal does it have? humans immortal and
is used in wands
• can disappear in an INTERESTING FACT • can set something
instant alight by pointing its
Extra, fascinating horn at it.
information • maybe more have
spotted it?

25
© Talk for Writing
 The Fire Unicorn (example of shaking hands with the text)

Did you know there is a rare type unicorn with fire in its belly and flames
in its horn? You probably have not heard of it because there has only ever
been one sighting of this beast in its natural habitat. But, after reading
this page, you will know all about this rare, combustible creature, The Fire
Unicorn.

Smaller than most unicorns, the Fire Unicorn has a burnt-orange coat, an
ashy mane of smoke and a horn that looks like a thousand flames dancing
in the wind. When it gets too close to water, a hissing sound begins and
the unicorn’s hoofs sizzle and smoke.

Unsurprisingly, the Fire Unicorn lives on the sides of rocky volcanoes,

close to falling ash and pouring lava. But you might be surprised to learn
that they prefer the cool of the shade, especially for sleeping. In fact,
the Fire Unicorn’s favourite spot to fall asleep is under the branches of a
burnt tree. These spots are cool enough to groom themselves carefully,
and maintain their delicate hooves which have been adapted for the rocky
habitat. The Fire Unicorn is as sprightly on an incline as a mountain goat!

Typically, the Fire Unicorn’s power lies mainly in its horn. It is thought
that, due to the toxic atmosphere, the horn is full of deadly poison. For
centuries, this has been highly sought after by prince and poor man alike,
for the purposes of enemy eradication. In addition to the horn’s power,
the Fire Unicorn’s hair can grant humans immortality. For this reason, it is
often used to make wands for powerful witches and wizards.

The most fascinating thing about the fire unicorn is its ability to set
things alight. It need only point its horn at something – or someone – for
that thing to spontaneously combust. Many believe that more than one
person has spotted a Fire Unicorn in the wild, but only one survived.

That one lucky survivor is the author of this page. How did I survive?
Well, that’s a story for another time.

I hope you have enjoyed finding out about this wonderful, deadly, animal.

26
© Talk for Writing
Well done!

Thank you for working with me. Have you enjoyed writing
your unicorn page? You could make your very own ‘Unicorns
Uncovered’ book. Or you could add it to your troll writing
and begin your own mythical creature anthology!

Now that you have a new page, why not publish it? Below are
some simple instructions for making a mini book from a
piece of A4 paper.
If you have access to the Internet, type this into Google:

https://cutt.ly/QtvAkwq

Here, you can watch a mini-book being made and follow the
instructions.

Or try the instructions on the next page:

27
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 28
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 Answers
3. Words! Words! Words!

Definition Picture
An organisation where people
can save, borrow, and invest
money.
Sloping, raised land. Sometimes
along the side of a river.

A place where things are stored

and used for later e.g. a blood
bank
To fly with one wing higher than
the other when turning
An amount of something to be
used later e.g. a word bank

29
© Talk for Writing
4. Read and understand

1. The River Unicorn has only been spotted three times in the wild.
2. Most River Unicorns live along the banks of rivers.
3. River Unicorns do not like swimming: TRUE
4. The River Unicorn’s horn is see-through: TRUE
5. Which is the most powerful part of the unicorn’s body? Its horn.
6. Why would a unicorn hunter think that the River Unicorn was special?
Give three reasons from a possible 5:

1. Its horn has healing powers

2. It can disappear
3. Its blood can make humans immortal
4.It gets its power from the water and the willow tree
5. It has a horn that looks as though it flows / like water

5. Spellings
Put the correct word in these sentences:
1. The River Unicorn can disappear in an instant.
2. Occasionally, the unicorn has been spotted sleeping in its den.
3. In addition to its powerful horn, the unicorn also has magic blood.
4. The River Unicorn is magical and unique. Therefore, it is often hunted.
5. It is thought that River Unicorns are reluctant swimmers.
6. Transparent means ‘see through’.

30
© Talk for Writing
© Jo Pearce for Talk for Writing

Jo Pearce, is a former headteacher who now works with Talk for Writing to help
schools develop the approach.

Edited and designed by Julia Strong

Prepared for online distribution by Nick Batty

To find out more about Talk for Writing, visit www.talk4writing.com

Sharing this resource and copyright information

This resource is subject to copyright. All materials herein, texts and supporting
resources are copyright to Jo Pearce & Talk for Writing. They are to be used to
support children/staff/parents in home and school learning only and are not for
commercial gain. Sharing the web link/URL to where this booklet sits on the Talk for
Writing website with colleagues and parents is encouraged, but no part of this
publication should be re-uploaded elsewhere online, reproduced or altered without
permission.

Thanks to Jon Ralphs for the cartoons: jonralphs.com

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