Collected Resources

1. Display and read Grass for Tea! (resources). Identify animals and discuss what they eat. Next, discuss the plants that other animals eat, e.g. hen = corn, cow = grass, duck = pondweed.
2. Share Oliver’s Vegetables. Identify and enjoy the humour. Discuss why Oliver didn’t spot the potatoes instantly. Find each vegetable and recognise which part Oliver ate, e.g. cabbage = leaf.
3. Read Oliver’s Vegetables. Notice how Oliver eats a different vegetable each day for a week. Order the days of the week and identify what Oliver eats on each day. Write ideas as a list.
4. Enjoy Oliver’s Fruit Salad. Discuss why Oliver thought Grandpa’s fruit is better. Identify fruit children have picked and eaten; share favourites. Briefly consider why fresh fruit is seasonal.
5. Read Oliver’s Fruit Salad. Notice that at the start Oliver didn’t want to eat the fruit. Discuss why he changed his mind. Finally, list lots of different fruits and describe them, e.g. red cherry.

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: One Tomato, Tomato Two
Share the poem and rehearse at suitable times throughout the week, e.g. start/end of the day. Help children vary the pitch and tone of their voice as they rehearse to stress the counting words. Hold up fingers to correspond to each number and generate an action, e.g. munch = snap mouth shut.

Group Reader: Grass for Tea
This beautifully illustrated non-fiction book is a perfect introduction to the genre for beginning readers. Children will be able to find out information about native British animals, presented in a clear, accessible way. This phonologically decodable text is a superb accompaniment to a block of work on factual texts.

1. The Very Helpful Hedgehog
2. Sound words
3. Thank you cards
4. Apology letter

1. Describing homes
2. Delicious apples
3. Thank you cards
4. helping out around the home

1. Small world farm
2. Apple art
3. Make a 3-D thank you card
4. Farm helpers

1. Share The Very Helpful Hedgehog. What helpful and kind things do Donkey and Isaac do for each other? What kind things do people at home do for you? How do we show people that we are grateful to them? Gather ideas: give a hug, say thank you, do something helpful in return (like Isaac does).
2. Read and enjoy Dog Eat Dog. Shared read the repeated refrains. I tell my cat to be good…. etc.
3. Read Dog Eat Dog. How do you think the mum would have felt about her kitchen being messed up? What about the dad when he realises his lettuces have been eaten?! What do you do if someone messes your stuff up? Discuss hurt feelings and being upset, and how we cope with these emotions: forgiveness, making up, saying you still love someone.
4. Reread Dog Eat Dog. What other animals could have been in the story? And what chaos could they have caused? Have you ever done something wrong at home? What do we need to do if we do something wrong? Gather ideas from across the class: own up, say sorry, help tidy up, be extra nice…not do it again–“—
5. Reread Dog Eat Dog. Which animal was the first to do something bad? Discuss ideas with a partner. And can you say what that animal did wrong? Repeat for next animal and their misdemeanour. Share sequence ideas.

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: Three Little Kittens or one of Apply Dapply’s Nursery Rhymes
Choose which poem works best for your class (perhaps just ask children to learn the first verse of Three Little Kittens if you choose that one). Introduce on Monday by reading and discussing it.

Group Reader: Dog Eat Dog
Ruth Mertten’s lovely story of naughty pets will delight beginning readers. Will the animals behave when their owner pops out for the day? Read along to find out!

1. Vets and Dentists
2. Describing sounds
3. Quality questions
4. Letter of thanks