Words and Pictures Plus
Words and Pictures Plus is a BBC Schools TV series from the 1990s & 2000s, covering English for Primary pupils.
Programmes about reading and sounding-out letter clusters, spelling and forming words.
This spin-off series uses the successful formula of the 1990s Words and Pictures series with an engaging presenter reading books and looking at key words in a studio. There are animations in different styles, words to read from the screen, and a 'magic pencil' showing how to draw letters. But where the original focussed on single letter sounds, Words and Pictures Plus looks at digraphs and word morphology.
The autumn and spring term programmes are designed to extend work for 5 and 6 year olds (Year 1 in classrooms in England) and the summer term unit looks at spellings for 6 and 7 year olds (Year 2).
A unique feature of this series is Jim's Word Workout, a 3D computer animated sequence in which a boy called Jim stretches out words, breaks them down into individual sounds and works out how to say them.
The presenter Paul Ewing doesn't just talk to viewers but also sings to them, like his contemporary Sophie Aldred on the original Words and Pictures series, and adds an additional element of dance and movement around the studio.
The Phonics Year 2 unit of the original Words and Pictures likewise looked at sounds not just individual letters, was sometimes billed under the title Words and Pictures Plus.
Titles & Theme Music
Episode List
| # | Title | Story by | Phonics | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVC Words | ||||
| 1. | The Dancing Hen | Richard Edwards & Elisabeth Moseng | n |
20 Sep 1999 |
| 2. | This is the Bear and the Picnic Lunch | Sarah Hayes & Helen Craig | g | 27 Sep 1999 |
| 3. | Who's in the Shed? | Branda Parkes & Ester Ksaepuu | d | 4 Oct 1999 |
| 4. | Need a Trim, Jim? | Kaye Umansky & Margaret Chamberlain | m | 11 Oct 1999 |
| 5. | Ridiculous! | Michael Coleman & Gwyneth Williamson | p | 18 Oct 1999 |
| 6. | Who's at the Door? | Jonathan Allen | a | 1 Nov 1999 |
| 7. | I Don't Want to Go to Bed! | Julie Sykes & Tim Warnes | e | 8 Nov 1999 |
| 8. | The Fish Who Could Wish | John Bush & Korky Paul | i | 15 Nov 1999 |
| 9. | Rumble in the Jungle | Giles Andrade & David Wojlowycz | o | 22 Nov 1999 |
| 10. | The Snow Lambs | Debi Gliori | u | 29 Nov 1999 |
| Consonant Clusters | ||||
| 11. | One Duck Stuck | Phyllis Root & Jane Chapman | -ck | 17 Jan 2000 |
| 12. | Blooming Cats | David Morgan & David Parkins | -ll |
24 Jan 2000 |
| 13. | Boo! | Colin McNaughton | sc- |
31 Jan 2000 |
| 14. | The Fox and the Stork | Aesop | -l- | 7 Feb 2000 |
| 15. | The Grumpalump | Sarah Hayes & Barbara Firth | -r- | 14 Feb 2000 |
| 16. | Three Billy Goats Gruff | (traditional) | thr- |
28 Feb 2000 |
| 17. | Whistling Thorn | Helen Cowcher | s-- | 6 Mar 2000 |
| 18. | Lucy's Quarrel | Jennifer Northway | sk |
13 Mar 2000 |
| 19. | The Old Woman and the Red Pumpkin | Betsy Bang & Rachel Merriman | -ld |
20 Mar 2000 |
| 20. | Give Me My Yam! | Jan Blake & Peter Melnyczuk | -nd |
27 Mar 2000 |
| Spelling Strategies - Long Vowels | ||||
| 21. | Katie Morag Delivers the Mail | Mairi Hedderwick | ai |
23 Apr 2001 |
| 22. | Mr McGee Goes to Sea | Pamela Allen | ee |
30 Apr 2001 |
| 23. | The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch | Ronda Armitage & David Armitage | igh |
11 May 2001 |
| 24. | Bubble and Float | Chris D'Lacey & Nick Sharratt | oa |
14 May 2001 |
| 25. | Little Rabbit Foo Foo | Michael Rosen & Arthur Robins | oo |
22 May 2001 |
| Spelling Strategies - Word Endings | ||||
| 26. | "Only Joking" Laughed the Lobster | Colin West | -ing | 5 Jun 2001 |
| 27. | Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp | Carol Diggory Shields & Scott Nash | -ed | 11 Jun 2001 |
| 28. | The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog | Ana Martin Larrañaga | -s |
18 Jun 2001 |
In all cases the title of the episode is also the title of the main book read and illustrated or animated during the episode.
In addition,
- episode 7 (I Don't Want to Go to Bed!) also includes What's Under the Bed? by Mick Manning & Brita Granström
- episode 17 (Whistling Thorn) also includes Splish Splash Splosh! also by Mick Manning & Brita Granström
Broadcasts
| Year | Term | Day | Time | Channel | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | Autumn 1999 & Spring 2000 | Mon | 09:30 | BBC2 | |
| Fri | 09:30 | BBC2 | Repeat | ||
| 2000-01 | Autumn 2000, Spring & Summer 2001 | Mon | 09:15 | BBC2 | |
| Fri | 09:15 | BBC2 | Repeat | ||
| 2001-02 | Autumn 2001, Spring & Summer 2002 | Wed | 11:20 | BBC2 | |
| 2002-03 | Autumn 2002 & Summer 2003 | Wed | 10:30 | BBC2 | Spring term broadcasts cancelled for coverage of Prime Minister's Questions |
| 2003-04 | Autumn 2003, Spring & Summer 2004 | Tue | 13:15 | BBC2 | |
| 2004-05 | Autumn 2004 | Tue | 13:15 | BBC2 | |
| Spring 2005 | Tue | 10:50 | BBC2 | ||
| Thu | 11:00 | BBC2 | |||
| Summer 2005 | Fri | 11:05 | BBC2 | ||
| 2005-06 | Spring 2006 | Thu | 11:30 & 11:45 | BBC2 | |
| Summer 2006 | Mon | 10:45 & 11:00 | BBC2 |
The series was also broadcast on the 'Class TV' service of schools progammes on the CBBC Channel
- Summer 2003
- Autumn 2003, Spring 2004 & Summer 2004
- Spring 2005 & Summer 2005
- Spring 2006
- Autumn 2006, Spring 2007 & Summer 2007
Credits
| Presenter | Paul Ewing |
| Music | Liz Kitchen Philip Pope |
| Animation | Alan Rogers & Peter Lang Hedley Griffin |
| 'Jim' Animation | Mark Ford |
| Graphics | Lucy Mackenzie Joanna Cheese (episode 19) |
| Design | Kathy Atty |
| Consultant | Judith Puddock |
| Education Officer | Jenny Towers (episodes 1-10) Shelagh Scarborough (episodes 11-28) |
| Insert director | Steve Cannon Sally Ainsworth |
| Studio director | Helen Sheppard |
| Executive producer for BBC | Alan Lambert |
| Series producer | Sheila Fraser |
Resources
Teacher's Notes
Teaching suggestions and follow-up work from each programme.
A separate booklet was issued for each term.
Resource pack
A pack containing large posters and a book with photocopy masters and teaching suggestions related to the posters and worksheets.
Video
The three terms were all released on VHS videos.
These were later re-released as Video Plus Packs and later still as DVD Plus Packs, bundling the video or DVD with the teacher's resource book and posters.
Games
A set of three educational games was released, one for each term of the series:
- CVC Word Spin
- Consonant Cluster Dominoes
- Long Vowel Lotto
Links
- BBC - Schools - Words and Pictures (archived 2004)A pupils' website with activities related to the autumn and spring term programmes in Words and Pictures Plus, as well as some of the original Words and Pictures programmes.
- BBC Programmes page for Words and Pictures Plus
- Words and Pictures Plus on the Internet Movie Database
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