Please could you send in any cardboard egg boxes for our

 Easter crafts.          

Thank you, Upper Foundation Phase Staff



Talk Homework
Monday 19th March

Book Review

Over the last couple of weeks we have been reading many Julia Donaldson books. On Friday the children will be writing a book review about their favourite Julia Donaldson book.

Please talk about, for example:

• What the story is about?
• Where the story is set?
• Are there any new WOW words they have learnt from the story?
• How the story makes them feel e.g. excited, curious, concerned, frightened etc. (Use WOW words)
• their favourite character and why
• their least favourite character and why
• If they were a character in the story, which one would they like to be and why?
• their favourite part of the story and why
• their least favourite part of the story and why
• Does the story have a moral? e.g. Gruffalo - brain over brawn, Tiddler - telling fibs!,
• Who do they feel would enjoy the story e.g. adults, children, toddlers?
• Would they recommend the story to someone else?  

If your child finds it difficult to talk about their chosen story as they do not have that particular book at home, or you are not familiar with the story to help them, then please feel free to choose any familiar story they have at home. The most important thing is to encourage them to reflect on their favourite story and begin to give simple reasons for their choices.

Encourage your child to use their TREASURY to make notes if they wish.

I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU for all your support with introducing TREASURY books to the children. There was a fantastic response. Last Friday the children took turns to show and talk about their TREASURY book including some of their Talk Homework notes, they were so proud and excited to use them!

If you have access to the internet the following web site is great fun for the children to use!
http://www.gruffalo.com/

Big Talk Homework

Monday 12th March

Hogalo, Hawkalo, Badgalo?

Changing a Character

The children were so enthralled with Julia Donaldson's story 'The Gruffalo' that we have decided to continue with the story this week.

The children are to create a new character to replace the Gruffalo. Encourage your child to be as imaginative as possible! The character could be based on a real woodland creature, for example:

• badger
• hedgehog
• deer
• wild boar
• buzzard
• kestrel
• goshawk
• raccoon
• weasel
• stoat
• lynx
• toad
• rabbit
• ground beetle
• spider

  Please talk about the following:

• describe the extraordinary features the character has e.g. poisonous tongue
• What does the creature use it's extraordinary features for?
• How does it move?
• What sound does it make?
• a name for their creature, but it must end with 'alo'

On Friday the children will be writing a character description for their creature.

Have fun creating!



Julia Donaldson



Talk Homework

Monday 5th March

Over the next few weeks we will be learning about the children's author Julia Donaldson and our language work will be based on some of the different captivating stories that she has written.

I have included a list of some of her picture books, as many of the children in the class have already expressed that they have some of them at home. Her stories are full of rhythm and rhyme, and, if you haven't already read one, after you do you'll soon be able to re-tell them without reading the book! 

This week we will start with 'The Gruffalo'. Throughout the week we will be reading the story and watching the film. Our focus for writing on Friday is to create a comic strip of the story with speech bubbles.

The children will be taking home pictures of the main characters from the story. These can be cut out and used to re-tell the story in their own words. Focus on the character's spoken words when doing this.

Have fun, get the whole family involved, you could each be a different character!!!