Bring wonder into your classroom with The Magic Pebble, a Year 1 writing unit from our Real Writing collection. Written by published children’s author Lucy Strange, this two-week sequence introduces pupils to the features of a simple portal story, also known as a home-away-home story, while developing key English skills and sparking imaginative writing.
Pupils will explore the world the character enters using a magical object and create their own version of the story, changing the magical world to fit their own ideas. The unit can link to any topic, such as dinosaurs, pirates or the seaside to add cross-curricular depth.
What’s included?
This unit follows a carefully mapped framework and provides detailed lesson planning, teacher notes, teaching slides, activity sheets and differentiated resources. You’ll find:
- three versions of the model text (plain, illustrated and annotated PDFs)
- annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations
- vocabulary cards for Tier 2 and common exception words
- CEW flashcards, story maps, planning sheets and writing sheets
- teacher guidance for every stage from familiarisation to independent writing
Key curriculum links
The unit links directly to Year 1 English objectives, supporting progression in vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Pupils will:
1: spell words with the sounds /f/, /l/, /s/, /z/ and /k/, spelt ff, ll, ss, zz, ck
2: compose sentences orally using adjectives to describe nouns
3: use a capital letter for the pronoun I
Teachers can also reinforce other aspects of the curriculum, such as leaving spaces between words, using full stops, question marks and exclamation marks, joining sentences with and, and reading aloud their own writing.
Featured vocabulary
Common exception words: once, a, was, there, he, love, his, she, you, the, I, to, of, they, said
Tier 2 words: adventure, journey, magic, magical, polish
Use the vocabulary cards and matching activities to introduce and revisit these words throughout reading and writing lessons.
Teaching sequence and activities
Across three phases, pupils will explore the story and develop their own writing:
- Phase 1 – Familiarisation: introduce the unit with a real pebble and discuss where it might have come from and what powers it could hold. Read the model text and explore portal story features using story maps and retelling cards. Pupils will identify what happens at home and away and practise orally retelling the story.
- Phase 2 – Teaching and rehearsing: practise spelling words with ff, ll, ss, zz, ck, compose sentences orally using adjectives, and use capital I in writing. Pupils will create their own story maps and draw their magical world. They'll generate ideas for their own portal story using the Magical Adventure ideas sheet.
- Phase 3 – Application: pupils will write their own portal story, applying adjectives, capital I, conjunctions and punctuation. They'll use the writer’s checklist to review their writing, with support and challenge strategies to ensure all pupils succeed. Confident writers can include question marks and exclamation marks to add excitement.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will:
- understand the structure and features of a portal story
- describe characters and settings using adjectives
- spell words with specific graphemes accurately
- use capital letters for the pronoun I
- join sentences using and to form compound sentences
- read and spell common exception words
- write a short first-person story set in a magical world
This practical and engaging unit equips teachers with all the resources needed to teach narrative writing confidently, combining imaginative storytelling with clear curriculum links and opportunities for cross-curricular learning.