Magical Story Writing

Overview

This 30-minute creative writing session is designed to inspire Year 2 pupils to craft their own short, imaginative story. It aligns with the UK National Curriculum for English, focusing on developing pupils' ability to compose simple narratives with sequence and detail, using vocabulary and grammar appropriate for their age.

Curriculum Links

• English Programmes of Study – Key Stage 1
  • Writing: Pupils should be taught to develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional).
  • Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation: Use sentences with different forms and connectives (and, but, because, so).
  • Composition: Sequence sentences to form short narratives.
• Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (relevant for lower Year 2 transition): Develop communication, language, and literacy skills through storytelling and writing activities.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Use their imagination to create a simple story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• Write 3-5 sentences with appropriate use of connectives (“and”, “because”, “but”).
• Use descriptive language to add detail to their story.
• Sequence sentences logically to tell a story.

Resources

• Visual stimuli: Magical picture prompt (a colourful illustration of a mysterious enchanted forest)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Lined exercise books or writing paper
• Word bank cards with age-appropriate adjectives, nouns, and conjunctions
• Story planning template (simple 3-box storyboard for beginning, middle, end)
• Colouring pencils

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet pupils and introduce the session: "Today we’re going to create our very own magical stories, using our imaginations and a special picture to help us."
• Show the magical forest picture and ask guided questions:
  • What do you see?
  • What might live in this forest?
  • What could happen there?
• Discuss briefly as a class to generate ideas and activate imagination.

2. Story Planning (7 minutes)

• Explain the importance of planning a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Display the story planning template with three sections on the board: Beginning (setting), Middle (problem/adventure), End (solution/outcome).
• Model an example quickly:
  • Beginning: “In a dark forest, a lost kitten was looking for her family.”
  • Middle: “She met a wise owl who helped her find the way.”
  • End: “The kitten was happy to be home again.”
• Pupils sketch or write short phrases for each box to outline their own story using the prompt picture.

3. Writing the Story (12 minutes)

• Encourage pupils to write their own story in their exercise books, using their plan as a guide.
• Circulate the room, offering support with spelling, sentence structure, and use of conjunctions.
• Encourage use of descriptive words from the word bank cards and remind pupils to connect their ideas using “and”, “because”, or “but”.
• Pupils should write at least 3 sentences.

4. Sharing and Reflection (6 minutes)

• Invite 3-4 pupils to read their stories aloud to the class.
• Ask the class to give one positive comment about each story (e.g., “I liked how you described the forest!”).
• Briefly discuss what makes a story interesting (clear sequence, descriptive language, connectives).

5. Plenary (End) (Include transition to next activity - 30 minutes total)

• Recap the success criteria together on the board one last time:
  • I used my imagination.
  • I wrote a beginning, middle, and end.
  • I used “and,” “because,” or “but.”
  • I added some describing words.
• Praise all pupils and encourage them to continue thinking creatively in their next writing activities.

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Differentiation

• For pupils needing support: Provide a sentence starter or partially completed story template. Allow oral story planning with a partner before writing.
• For more able pupils: Challenge them to include an extra sentence with a new connective or describe a character’s feelings.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe pupils during planning and writing for engagement and understanding.
• Collect written stories to check for use of connectives, sequencing, and descriptive language.
• Informal assessment through listening to shared stories and pupil explanations.

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By carefully scaffolding the writing process and using imaginative visual prompts, this lesson fosters creativity, language structure understanding, and confidence in young writers, meeting core objectives of the UK curriculum for Year 2 English.