This Year 3 Real Writing unit uses the poem I Have… by published children’s author Joshua Seigal as its model text. Pupils will read the poem, structured around the present perfect tense, to develop their understanding of verb forms. At the same time, they'll explore rhythm, rhyme and creative expression.
The unit spans two to three weeks and follows a carefully mapped framework, providing teachers with detailed lesson planning to support vocabulary, grammar and composition skills.
Curriculum links and objectives
This unit addresses key Year 3 writing objectives and revisits prior learning. Pupils will:
- Use prepositions to express time, place or cause, incorporating prepositional phrases into their writing.
- Identify and practise verb forms and tenses, including simple past, present, present perfect, progressive and perfect progressive forms.
- Apply superlative adjectives, expanded noun phrases and commas for lists, including lists of adjectives.
- Extend sentences using conjunctions, adverbials and prepositions.
- Analyse texts to learn from structure, vocabulary and grammar.
Vocabulary focus
Pupils will encounter the following vocabulary:
- Tier 2 words: guitar, hike, strum, surf
- Common exception words: caught, famous
Introduce these words through cards, context clues and matching activities, helping pupils to incorporate them confidently into their own writing.
Key teaching activities
Start with a hook activity based on “Would I Lie to You?” Pupils share true or imagined experiences orally, rehearsing sentences before writing.
Pupils will then read the model poem, noting verb tenses, rhyme, syllable count and prepositional phrases. They'll highlight examples of grammar and vocabulary, and discuss how the present perfect tense expresses connections between past and present events.
Next, pupils will plan their own poem using a margin planner. They'll explore the poem’s structure, practising three lines of 12 syllables with rhyming endings and a fourth line to complete the stanza.
Pupils will draft their present perfect poems over several sessions, using the writing skills checklist to proofread and edit grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. Finally, they'll read their poems aloud, practising intonation and expression.
Resources included
- Model text in three versions: plain, illustrated, and annotated (PDF)
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations
- Teacher notes and full lesson plans
- Vocabulary cards and matching activities
- Poem margin planner and “How to write a present perfect poem” poster
- Visual aids
Learning outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will:
- Write a poem in the style of I Have…, using the present perfect tense
- Use prepositions, expanded noun phrases and superlative adjectives effectively
- Apply rhyming and rhythmic patterns accurately
- Demonstrate careful planning, drafting and editing
- Read their poems aloud with clear expression and intonation
This Real Writing unit helps Year 3 pupils master tense, enrich their vocabulary and express themselves creatively through poetry.