You Will Need
Texts
This is the House that Jack Built by Simms Taback
Websites
Dragon Dinosaur (Hamilton Storytelling Video) from https://player.hamilton-trust.org.uk
Essential Resources
Dragon Dinosaur Illustrations (see resources)
Fiction
English Year 1 Spring Traditional Tales and Fables
Sharing and Retelling
Explore traditional tales, Dragon Dinosaur, The House that Jack Built, Anancy and Mr Dry-Bone and Chicken Licken. Write and punctuate sentences with ‘and’ and ‘because’.
Start with the core unit to introduce key texts. Then select from comprehension, SPAG and composition units.
Unit 1 Core: Sequence and discuss an oral story and a picture book story
(suggested as 4 days)
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Introduce Dragon Dinosaur; a traditional tale from China. Listen to the story and enjoy the humour. Identify the characters and their role within the story. Discuss the plot and sequence the events correctly.
Activity
Children work in pairs and draw a set of pictures to correctly sequence the story. They use the pictures to retell the story, ensuring the sequence of events is correct.
Day 2 Teaching
Sequence Dragon Dinosaur. Identify the animal characters and generate descriptive vocabulary. Consider alternative characters and model writing correctly punctuated sentences to describe them. Provide reasons for opinions and ideas.
Activity
Children work independently to write a correctly punctuated sentence that describes a fearsome animal. Some children use because to provide a reason why the animal is intimidating.
Day 3 Teaching
Discuss the features of an effective oral performance. Read The House that Jack Built and compare and contrast written and oral stories. Convert a written story into an oral performance.
Activity
Children work in mixed ability groups to design and perform an oral retelling of The House that Jack Built which they perform to an audience.
Day 4 Teaching
Children compare and contrast two familiar traditional tales. They select their favourite story and use because to justify the choice. They write a correctly punctuated sentence to record their idea.
Activity
Children work in small groups to discuss their favourite traditional tale. They use because to justify each idea. Children then work independently to write a correctly punctuated sentence, to justify their choice.
Unit 2 SPAG: Write sentences and join clauses with and
(suggested as 3 days)
You Will Need
Text
This is the House that Jack Built by Simms Taback
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Introduce The House that Jack Built. Generate descriptive phrases to describe characters and model combining these into complete sentences which make sense. Model writing sentences, using correct punctuation and including finger spaces between words.
Activity
Children work collaboratively to compose descriptive phrases about characters from The House that Jack Built. Convert phrases into sentences and orally rehearse them. Select a favourite sentence and write it correctly.
Day 2 Teaching
Orally describe the characters from The House that Jack Built. Use ideas to prepare a range of independent clauses. Say that and can be used to add an additional independent clause to a sentence. Write correctly punctuated sentences that include two independent clauses.
Activity
Children work in pairs to compose and rehearse a sentence orally with two independent clauses, joined together using and. When children are confident, they write a sentence using correct punctuation.
Day 3 Teaching
Orally describe the actions of characters from The House that Jack Built. Use ideas to prepare sentences orally. Justify ideas and opinions using because. Write a correctly punctuated sentence which includes because.
Activity
Children work independently to prepare sentences orally to describe the actions of a character. Children use because to justify their ideas. Write a sentence using correct punctuation.
Unit 3 Comprehension: Read, listen to and discuss traditional tales
(suggested as 4 days)
You Will Need
Texts
This is the House that Jack Built by Simms Taback
Websites
Hamilton Animated Tale: Chicken Licken from https://player.hamilton-trust.org.uk
Group Readers
The Mouse, The Frog and The Little Red Hen
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Introduce The House that Jack Built. Consider the features of the story. Discuss and identify the pattern in the text: pronouns this and that adding more about the characters.
Activity
Children work in ability pairs to read a range of familiar pronouns. Some children read and write a range of familiar pronouns. Children orally compose sentences using pronouns.
Day 2 Teaching
Tell a traditional version of Chicken Licken. Compare and contrast it to The House that Jack Built. Make notes to sequence the story using pictures and words/phrases. Use notes to retell the story.
Activity
Children work in mixed ability pairs to sequence the story of Chicken Licken. They draw pictures and write a selection of significant words/phrases to make notes. Children use the notes to retell the story.
Day 3 Teaching
Read an alternative version of Chicken Licken. Compare and contrast the traditional and alternative version. Identify and discuss what is the same and what is different about each one.
Activity
Children work in ability pairs to read and respond to a range of questions that compare and contrast the traditional version of Chicken Licken, with an alternative version.
Day 4 Teaching
Introduce The Mouse, The Frog and The Little Red Hen (see resources). Discuss strategies for reading difficult words. Apply reading strategies to read an unfamiliar text. Discuss the characters and compare them to other traditional tales.
Activity
Children work independently to select an animal they consider to be cunning or scary. They draw the animal and describe their appearance and personality.
Group Readers
The Mouse, The Frog and The Little Red Hen
This is a rhyming version of the traditional tale with quirky illustrations guaranteed to make you smile. The ending will please children who may be reading this simple text for the first time.
You can purchase printed copies of this Group Reader from Hamilton Education.
Unit 4 SPAG: Writing punctuated statements and questions
(suggested as 3 days)
You Will Need
Texts
Anancy and Mr Dry-Bone by Fiona French
Websites
Hamilton Animated Tale: Chicken Licken from http://player.hamilton-trust.org.uk
Group Readers
The Mouse, The Frog and The Little Red Hen
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Share Anancy and Mr Dry-Bone. Discuss the characters and sequence the plot. Prepare statements to retell the sequence of the story, which are written using correct punctuation. Re-read writing to check it makes sense and edit, if necessary.
Activity
Children work in pairs to prepare orally and then write four correctly punctuated statements that will sequence the story of Anancy and Mr Dry-Bone.
Day 2 Teaching
Introduce The Mouse, The Frog and The Little Red Hen. Consider different words that begin question sentences. Orally compose a range of different questions, appropriate for the story. Write correctly punctuated question sentences.
Activity
Children work in small mixed ability teams to discuss a range of questions, suitable for The Mouse, The Frog and The Little Red Hen. They write a range of questions, using correct punctuation.
Day 3 Teaching
Watch, read and enjoy Chicken Licken. Discuss the characters and sequence the plot. Orally prepare and rehearse a range of questions, suitable for the story. Write questions, using correct punctuation. Discuss potential answers to each question. Write answer as statements or exclamations, using correct punctuation.
Activity
Children work independently to prepare orally a question and answer about the story. They write their ideas using correct punctuation. Children ensure the question and answer make sense when read together.
Group Readers
The Mouse, The Frog and The Little Red Hen
This is a rhyming version of the traditional tale with quirky illustrations guaranteed to make you smile. The ending will please children who may be reading this simple text for the first time.
You can purchase printed copies of this Group Reader from Hamilton Education.
Unit 5 Composition: Retell a familiar story
(suggested as 4 days)
You Will Need
Essential Resources
Chicken Licken resources (see resources)
Zig-zag book instructions and invitation (see resources)
Reading Aloud resource (see resources)
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Share the traditional tale of Chicken Licken. Identify the characters. Know that the names of each character rhyme and that when written all names begin with a capital letter. Consider new characters Chicken Licken may meet and model writing their name.
Activity
Children work in small teams to consider additional characters that Chicken Licken will meet on the journey to see the King. They ensure the name of each new character rhymes and is written with initial capital letters.
Day 2 Teaching
Discuss the story of Chicken Licken. Generate ideas for an alternative version of this familiar traditional tale. Make notes to record ideas. Rehearse telling the new story, using the notes for support.
Activity
Children work in pairs to plan an alternative version of Chicken Licken. They consider what features of the story to change and record their ideas as notes. Together the children use the notes to prepare an oral retelling of the story.
Day 3 Teaching
Use notes from Day 2 to prepare an alternative version of Chicken Licken orally. Model writing the start of the story, using a neat and fluent style of handwriting. Remind children to punctuate sentences correctly and to include finger spaces between words.
Activity
Children work in pairs and use the story-plan from Day 2 to rehearse an alternative version of Chicken Licken orally. They then work independently to write the beginning of their story, using neat handwriting.
Day 4 Teaching
Write the remainder of the story, begun on Day 3. Re-read the story and model editing it to include additional words, phrases or missing punctuation. Read the completed story aloud. Discuss how to read a story aloud effectively.
Activity
Children finish writing their version of Chicken Licken. They re-read and edit their writing. Finally, the children practise reading the book aloud in preparation for sharing it with a familiar adult or their peers.