DIFFERENTIATION, LEARNING OBJECTIVES, SEASONALITY, & AGE RANGE FAQs

DIFFERENTIATION

What is a Differentiated Resource?

A differentiated resource is one that provides the same exercise in two distinct versions. Each version has its own format and separate instructions.

Why Differentiate?

The material is differentiated to accommodate children and students with a range of abilities and strengths. The differentiation also means that the exercise can be used more than once - with Version 2 providing an extra (or subsequent) challenge.

How is this Resource Differentiated?

Version 1 provides children and students with guided practice. They are given a list of suggested adjectives that are appropriate for assembling alliterative phrases with the listed animals.

Version 2 gives children and students the opportunity to practise independently. They are asked to come up with their own adjectives to use in their construction of alliterative animal phrases.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES

These activities help children and students focus on crafting multiple instances of a specific figure of speech (alliteration) without becoming distracted or overwhelmed.

By strengthening their ability to form imaginative alliterative phrases, children and students become more confident about using their imaginations, leading to more assured creative writing and self-expression.

SEASONALITY

You can use this resource at any point during the year. It may be particularly useful to children and students when they are engaged in creative writing projects or studying poetry.

AGE RANGE & SUITABILITY

Kindly note that the years and ages listed above are intended as recommendations only. Feel free to use this resource in any educational context that is appropriate to your needs.

ALLITERATION - FAQs

When we talk about making writing engaging, we often focus on vivid descriptions, but sound can be just as important. One of the principal ways that children can add sound effects to their writing is through alliteration.

WHAT IS ALLITERATION?

Alliteration is a tool that writers use (a literary device or figure of speech) where words that are close together in a sentence or phrase start with the same consonant sound. For example:

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

The repeated p sound creates the alliteration here.

• Big bristly bears

The repeated b sound creates the alliteration here.

There are two important things to remember here:

(a) Alliteration applies to consonants – not vowels.

• The alarming alligator

Is not alliterative because the initial repeated sound is a vowel sound

The repetition of vowel sounds is a different literary device called assonance.

(b) Alliteration is about the repetition of sounds, not letters.

• The chaotic kangaroo

Is alliterative because of the repetition of the k sound in chaotic and kangaroo. It doesn’t matter that the k sound is created by a ch and a k.

• The cheeky chameleon

Is not alliterative because the ch sound in cheeky is NOT THE SAME as the k sound in chameleon. It doesn’t matter that, on paper, the two ch look the same; they don’t sound the same, so they are not alliterative.

Notes:

(a) While alliteration is most commonly used (and identified) at the beginnings of words, alliteration can also be used in the middle of words, e.g. The name appears in the report.

(b) Your child may encounter the term sibilance. This is a special type of alliteration (and a distinct literary device). Most strictly, it is limited to the repetition of s sounds anywhere in a series of words:

• Sidney the snake was cross that he’d gone round in circles on his bicycle.

Be aware, though, that while many people include more than just the strict s sound within sibilance, opinions vary on which other sounds count as sibilant.

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WHY DO WE USE ALLITERATION? AND WHY DO WRITERS AND POETS USE IT SO OFTEN?

Writers and poets use alliteration for several reasons:

• To create a musical effect: repeating sounds gives writing a rhythm or a "beat," making it more pleasing to read or hear.
• To make phrases memorable: advertising slogans and famous quotes often use alliteration to make them catchy and easy to remember.
• To emphasise words: by repeating a sound, writers can draw attention to certain words or ideas in a sentence.
• To set a mood or atmosphere: in the second version of the sentence below, the repeated d sound emphasises the drama of the storm:
• Version 1:
• The sky turned grey as the heavy rain began, falling like the sword of Damocles on the helpless village, threatening to wash it away.
• Version 2:
• The sky darkened as the downpour began, falling like the sword of Damocles on the small village, threatening to sweep it away.

So, alliteration allows writers to add layers of sound and meaning to their words, enhancing the impact of their writing and its emotional resonance.

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5 EXAMPLES OF ALLITERATION IN POEMS

Here are some classic examples of alliteration from well-known poets that your child may have already encountered:

I. From ‘The Spider and the Fly’, Mary Howitt

"Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly,

"'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;”

II. From ‘The Garden Year’, Sara Coleridge

January brings the snow,

makes our feet and fingers glow.

III. From ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’, Robert Browning

And ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered,

You heard as if an army muttered;

And the muttering grew to a grumbling;

And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;

And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.

IV. From ‘The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb’, Heinrich Hoffman

But mind now, Conrad, what I say,

Don't suck your thumb while I'm away.

The great tall tailor always comes

To little boys that suck their thumbs.

V. From ‘The Eagle’, Alfred Tennyson

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;

Close to the sun in lonely lands,

Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.

(Please note: the above lines of poetry contain more instances of alliteration than we have highlighted. Specifically, we have not emphasised alliteration that is found in the middle of words. We have done this to make the most obvious examples easy to see.)

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HOW TO CREATE AND USE ALLITERATION IN WRITING

There are no strict rules for creating alliteration, but you can approach it in different ways.

One way that your child might find helpful is to think about the mood they want to create before they come up with any words or phrases.

If they want to write a scary scene, they should think of adjectives, nouns, verbs or adverbs that start with heavy, unsettling sounds like d or g.

• Dark, dreadful dungeons
• Green glaring goblins

In contrast, if they want to write a peaceful scene, they should try thinking about soft, calming sounds like r or l.

• The relaxing sound of the running river
• The lovely lilacs seemed to laugh at us

Alternatively, if your child already has a sentence written or a phrase in mind, then they might find it helpful to proceed in the following manner:

• Decide which word they most want to emphasise (it might also help them decide why they are choosing this word)
• Identify the word’s initial sound
• Think of other words that share the same starting sound and that will make sense in light of what they have already written

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IS THERE SUCH A THING AS BAD OR WRONG ALLITERATION?

Yes, there can be. While alliteration is a great tool, it can be "bad" or "wrong" if it is

• Overused: too much alliteration can sound silly, forced, or like a tongue-twister rather than a thoughtful literary device.
• Mismatched: if the repeated sounds distract from the message or create an inappropriate mood.
• Awkward: when words are chosen for sound, rather than meaning, making the sentence forced.

Encourage your child to use alliteration sparingly and purposefully to enhance their writing.

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RELATED WORKSHEETS & QUICK GUIDES

Everyday Similes Worksheets Set 1 & Quick Guide for Parents

Everyday Similes Worksheets Set 2 & Quick Guide for Parents