The Talking Train
Fantasy
The Talking Train is a free, NAPLAN-aligned fantasy writing resource for Australian primary students. It includes a story starter, complication, tiered vocabulary and scaffolds mapped to the Australian Curriculum (AC9).
Lila had always loved trains, but this one was unlike any she had ever seen. As she stood at the old platform, her eyes widened in surprise when a steam-powered train came into view—only this train wasn’t like the others. The windows were filled with animals dressed in tiny hats and suits, all waving at her as the train came to a stop. Lila couldn’t believe her eyes. What kind of adventure was waiting for her on this magical train?
The complication
- Lila is invited to board the train, but she realizes the doors are locked until she figures out a mysterious riddle given to her by the lion conductor.
- The animals on the train have a secret mission that Lila is now part of—can she help them without getting caught?
- The train starts moving, but the tracks ahead seem to lead to unknown, magical realms. Will Lila find her way home?
What's in the full resource
- Complications
- Brainstorming Prompts
- Vocabulary Support
- Sentence Starters
- Dialogue Prompts
- Writing Challenges
- Sentence Variety
- Creative Twists
- Writing Checklist
- Reflective Questions
- Collaborative Writing Ideas
- Printable teacher and student PDFs
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