Traditional Stories - Medium Term Plan

The 'Traditional Stories' medium-term plan, tailored for Key Stage 1 (KS1) Reading, is an educational resource designed to immerse children in the enchanting world of traditional stories and fairy tales. The unit integrates well into the KS1 Literacy framework, encouraging students to read, recount, and engage with a variety of classic narratives, including both popular and less familiar tales. By exploring these stories, children will learn to identify key story elements, understand plot outlines, and discuss story events. The curriculum also focuses on making comparisons between different stories, recognising typical features such as opening and closing conventions, story language, and character archetypes. Through activities such as re-enacting stories using pictures and retelling them in their own words, children will develop a deeper understanding of narrative structure and characterisation.

Throughout the unit, teaching is divided into phases, each with specific content and objectives. In the initial phase, children apply their reading skills to decode unfamiliar words using phonics and expand their vocabulary by focusing on words and phrases typical of traditional stories. They learn to summarise plots and sequence events correctly. Subsequent phases involve comparing stories, identifying characters, and using role-play to delve into character motivations and behaviours. Children are encouraged to retell stories, create character profiles, and compare different versions of tales, including those in audio or video formats. By the final phase, students are guided to write their own versions of the stories, using picture cards and story plans to ensure narrative coherence. This comprehensive approach not only enhances reading and comprehension skills but also fosters creativity and critical thinking.