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Download the teaching resources we have created for BBC 500 Words 2024.

BBC 500 Words

Download the teaching resources we have created for BBC 500 Words 2024.

We're excited to be working with BBC 500 Words as their official language partner. BBC 500 words is the UK’s most successful children’s writing competition, supported by Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, and offers children aged 5-11 the opportunity to get involved.

We have worked closely on the competition ever since BBC 500 words was first launched by Chris Evans for Radio 2 Breakfast Show over ten years ago. See our previous language reports here and here. This year, we'll once again conduct in-depth analysis of the stories submitted and create a detailed children’s language report featuring the latest trends and insights into children’s writing.

The analysis will also feed into our Oxford Children’s Corpus, one of the biggest living children’s English language databases, with writing for and by children, at more than half a billion words. The Oxford Children’s Corpus enables the team of experts here at Oxford University Press to track the development of new vocabulary, the ways in which children’s language evolves and develop new insight driven publishing and resources.

We are also working with the BBC and the National Literacy Trust on a BBC 500 Words school tour, with some of our celebrated children's authors taking part. In addition, we've created a tailored learning resource for teachers to use in schools to help inspire children to write their stories. You can find this resource on BBC Teach here.

The BBC 500 Words writing competition opens for entries on Tuesday 24 September, and closes Friday 8 November at 9pm.



Oxford Corpus Children’s Language Report 2023

Oxford Corpus Children’s Language Report 2023

The department of Children’s Dictionaries & Children’s Language Data at Oxford University Press has analysed children’s creative writing submitted to the BBC 500 WORDS story competition in 2023. The report reveals the latest trends in children's language, offering invaluable insights into the evolving linguistic landscape of young minds.

Books About Creative Writing

How To Be A Young #Writer

How to Be a Young #Writer

The go-to guide to becoming a #writer, for age 11+

How to Write Your Best Story Ever!

How to Write Your Best Story Ever!

Awaken the author in every child with this inspiring book, for age 7+

Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins

A fun and informative dictionary on the origins of words