When I first began developing Pobble 365, I didn’t just want to create another writing resource. I wanted to solve a problem I faced daily in my own classroom. How could I help children write more often, write better, and actually enjoy it, without piling more onto my already full to-do list?
I started by testing a simple idea: could one image spark meaningful writing? And could a consistent routine around that image help build a stronger writing culture?
The answer was yes. But only when I stopped treating the image as a one-off spark and started building a weekly structure around it.
Here’s the routine I settled into, and why it worked.
We started each week by looking at the image and discussing the Pobble “Question Time” prompts. These encouraged prediction, inference, and creativity. There was no writing on a Monday, just talk. That meant every student could contribute, regardless of ability or confidence.
It became a safe way to explore ideas and get everyone thinking like writers, without the pressure of putting pen to paper.
Next, we used the “Sentence Challenge” to improve simple sentences. The class added adjectives, conjunctions, or expanded noun phrases.
It was focused, purposeful grammar and much more fun than a worksheet. Students learned how to improve a sentence in context, linked to the prompt we’d already explored.
Midweek, we tackled Pobble’s “Sentence challenge.” These are ready-made sentences with missing punctuation, which my pupils edited and improved for clarity and structure.
This was our accuracy day. It gave students a chance to practise their skills in small doses and develop a sharper eye for sentence construction.
By Thursday, we used Pobble’s sentence starters and vocabulary suggestions to write our own sentences. The scaffold gave students the support to try new ideas without feeling overwhelmed.
This step built fluency, helped students take more risks with vocabulary, and reinforced everything they’d practised earlier in the week.
By Friday, we were ready to write. Using the Pobble “Story Starter,” the class produced a full piece of writing based on the image.
Because we’d already explored the prompt, rehearsed vocabulary, improved grammar and built ideas together, this longer piece didn’t feel daunting. Students approached it with confidence and purpose, and they were proud of what they produced.
Why Pobble 365 makes this routine easy to deliver
Back when I started, I was choosing an image and building activities around it from scratch. It worked, but it took time. Now, Pobble 365 does the hard work for you. Every image and activity has been created by teachers for teachers, so you know it’s classroom-ready.
A bank of 365 carefully selected images to choose from
Differentiated tasks at three levels of challenge
Editable resources that you can adapt for your students
Whether you follow a weekly routine or dip in and out, Pobble 365 gives you everything you need to make writing a daily habit.
Why this routine works
With the right structure in place, writing becomes less of a struggle and more of a habit. Here’s why this approach worked in my classroom:
We rehearsed ideas over time, not in a rush
Each day had a clear focus: talk, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, then writing
Writing became part of our classroom rhythm, not an occasional event
This routine laid the foundation for what Pobble 365 has become today. It’s not just a prompt of the day. It’s a way to make writing easier to teach and more enjoyable for students.
If you’re looking for a flexible, low-prep way to bring more writing into your week, try this approach. You’ll be surprised by how quickly students build momentum and how much less time you spend planning.
Pobble Education Ltd,
Rosehay,
Tremorvah Wood Lane,
Truro, TR1 1PZ,
Cornwall, UK