Teaching Guide - assets.readingeggsassets.com · The Dragon Knight 94 Knights and Castles...

Teaching GuideTeaching Guide

Stories that grow with you

• Activities • Work Sheets • Assessment

Kara Munn

Storylands – Clinker Castle Teaching Guide

ISBN: 1-74164-221-3 ISBN: 978-1-74164-221-6 Copyright © 2007 Blake PublishingPublished by Blake Education Pty LtdACN 074 266 023108 Main RoadClayton South VIC 3169 Ph (03) 9558 4433Fax (03) 9558 5433 Email: [email protected]: www.blake.com.au Written by Kara MunnPictures by Andy and Inga @ www.elephantshoesink.comPublisher: Katy PikeEditor: Garda TurnerDesign and layout by Modern Art Production Group COPYING OF THIS BOOK FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSESThe purchasing educational institution may photocopy pages within this book inaccordance with The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act).

The Act does not permit the purchasing educational institution to store any part ofthis book in a retrieval system, or transmit any part of it in any form by any means,without the prior written approval of the publisher. All enquiries should be made tothe publisher at the address above.

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Contents Levels Page

Emergent Levels 1–5What’s in the Lake?* 1 8

A Royal Picnic 1 12

The Queen’s Big Quest 2 16

The Shining Knight 2 20

Royal Favourites 3 24

The Royal Message 3 28

The Naughty Prince 4 32

Shopping 4 36

The Forgetful Princess 5 40

Knight Training 5 44

Readers’ Theatre 1 Tricky Prince Axel 48

Castle Life Nonfiction 51

Early Levels 6–10The Red Knight 6 54

The Surprise Prince 6 58

Who is in the Tower? 7 62

The Hungry Hound 7 66

Catch a Dragon 8 70

The Queen’s Mirror 8 74

The Very Best Castle 9 78

Royal Trouble* 9 82

The Frog Princess 10 86

The King’s Challenge 10 90

Readers’ Theatre 2The Dragon Knight 94

Knights and Castles Nonfiction 97

Levels Page

Early-Fluent Levels 11–20Spike the Dragon 11 100

The Queen’s New Crown 12 104

The Brave Knight* 13 108

The Prince of Horrors 14 112

Perfectly Princess 15 116

The Royal Mix-up 16 120

Keys to the Castle 17 124

The Horse Prince 18 128

The Lost Prince 19 132

The Princess Won’t Laugh 20 136

Readers’ Theatre 3 The Finest Shoes in the Kingdom 140

Class Record Sheets 143

* Also available as Big Books.

Stories that grow with youSTORYLANDS is the heart of the reading experience with six exciting lands full of vibrant characters. STORYLANDS is about bringing the joy, the excitement and the fun back into reading with great stories, richly illustrated. The 30 titles of each land are brought to life by a single extraordinary artist. Each unique setting/land has 30 fiction titles ranging from reading level 1 up to reading level 20, 3 readers’ theatre books and 2 works of nonfiction. The vivid illustrations and wonderful stories work together to make reading an enthralling experience.

Get to know the characters and follow their exploits and adventures through stories that invite children to wonder, giggle, imagine and truly experience the rich worlds that make up STORYLANDS.

Why are stories so important?

Because stories bind us together

Across all cultures and peoples, the same basic story structures recur again and again. The questing hero, the journey, comedy, mystery and adventure are stories we have all seen, heard or read many times. They have been a fundamental teaching tool for millennia, passing down from one generation to the next, ideas, lessons, and goals that we value. Stories broaden a child’s experience of the world and what is possible.

Stories let you imagine

We know all about the lives and habits of fire-breathing dragons even if they only exist in stories. Stories let us experience other worlds – both real and fantastic – all within the realms of our imagination.

Stories make you laugh

We love to laugh because it's good for us, and stories add joy and humour to our lives.

Stories get you thinking

All of us have experienced situations where it is difficult to decide between two opposing viewpoints or options. Stories can provide children with new options and strategies that they can use to solve their own real-life problems.

Stories make you brave

After Gemma read a story with a character who stood up for herself in a difficult situation, Gemma felt brave enough to be herself.

Stories show us who we are and how to live

Stories reflect back to us problems and situations that we have experienced or that are familiar to us. In this role, stories show us that we are not alone, that others have experienced similar issues or problems. They build community and a sense of belonging.

Stories let you walk in someone else’s shoes

‘I know just how she feels.’ Well I do now that I have heard her story. Stories build empathy by showing how others live, learn and solve problems.

STorylandSSTorylandS

Copyright © Blake Publishing 20074

How does this help children learn to read?STORYLANDS begins with six distinct realms: vivid settings that give a true sense of place, places that we want to return to, to see what will happen next. Within each realm lives a cast of memorable characters who, in turn, inhabit stories that children will want to read again and again.

Reading is a complicated skill that involves bringing together many skills into a meaningful whole. Reward children with books and stories that make it worth their while. Reading shouldn’t be a chore, it should be a pleasure. Even if the task is difficult, it should be seen as well worth the effort. Enter the STORYLANDS world and meet friends, share journeys and watch as a child’s imagination opens to the world of possibilities. The six lands are Clinker Castle, Pirate Cove, Lost Island, Gumboot Farm, Fantastic Forest and Larkin Street.

5Copyright © Blake Publishing 2007

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STORYLANDS SERIES OVERVIEW – an Early Years Reading AdventureWithin each Land, there are books at every level from level 1 to level 20. This allows children to revisit favourite characters and settings as their reading levels improve. It also provides books on the same subject for all readers within a lower primary classroom. STORYLANDS has books for every student with stories that will inspire them to want to read more.

Clinker Castle’s first release includes 30 fiction titles, 3 big books, 3 readers’ theatre titles, 2 nonfiction titles, a Teaching Guide and Literacy Centres. The supporting website – www.storylands.com.au – has motivating activities with each book read aloud onsite.

Clinker Castle Series Elements

Clinker Castle Emergent and Early level books

Beautifully illustrated, levelled books with text that strongly supports the emergent and early reader. One portrait and one landscape book per level – 2 books at each level – levels 1 through 10.20 books, 16 pp + cover, 160 x 200 mm.

Clinker Castle Early-Fluent level books

Stunning books that can be read again and again to build confidence and reading fluency.Gorgeous books with spines – section sewn for strength and durability,1 book at each reading level – levels 11 through 20.10 books, 24 pp + cover, 170 x 210 mm.

STorylandS Series overviewSTorylandS Series overview


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Clinker Castle Big Books

Each land has 3 big books – these are large copies of one of the small books.Emergent – What’s in the Lake? Early – Royal Trouble Early-fluent – The Brave Knight Big Books are 468 mm high and 375 mm wide – always portrait.

Clinker Castle Readers’ Theatre

Each land also has 3 Readers’ Theatre books, one Emergent level book, one Early Level book and one book for Early-fluent readers. Each Readers’ Theatre script includes a variety of levelled parts so that all readers can be included in this motivating classroom activity. A STORYLANDS Readers' Theatre early-level script has parts that range from reading level 6 to reading level 10. The scripts allow students to be the characters from Clinker Castle in engaging, read-aloud classroom theatre. Character masks are provided in the Literacy Centres book.

Clinker Castle nonfiction

Each land has two 24-page nonfiction titles, Castle Life for emergent readers and Knights and Dragons for early level readers. These books are designed to: • enhance cross-curricular reading skills and • reinforce essential sight word vocabulary in a high-interest format.

Clinker Castle Literacy Centres

Full-colour, cut-and-laminate activities are ready-made for your classroom. This integrated set of activities uses the characters and setting of Clinker Castle to create motivating, full-colour literacy centres for students to practise essential reading and writing skills.

STORYLANDS Posters

Each land comes with a poster – a map of the Clinker Castle land with landmarks from each story.


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Book 1 • Level 1 • Word Count 31High frequency words and phrasesI can see ...a, an, can, I, see

What’s in the lake?What’s in the lake?

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What words can you recognise?Read the title.Who is the character on the cover?What is he sitting on?What could be in the lake?What is the bird thinking?Point to the question mark in the title.

Things to doWhat's below?Copy the red and yellow shape from page 9 onto a white board. Draw a blue line to represent the water. Tell students that this is a part of what is in the lake. Ask them to guess what could be below the water line and have students complete the drawing to show what could be there. Erase and ask other students to draw their ideas.

Squawk!Students work in small groups. One student is the parrot on the cover. The other students are the parrot's friends. They role-play what the parrot on the cover might say to its friends about the strange thing in the lake. Make cardboard beaks for students to hold to help them get into character. Later, have students draw parrots with speech bubbles to show what the birds are saying.

While you’re readingPrompts to rememberHave you seen this word before/ on another page/ in our classroom?Does it look like another word you know?Can you find a clue in the picture?What sounds do the letters make?Try reading the sentence/page again.

And afterwardsQuestions to askDo you think the dragon is friendly? Why or why not?How would you feel if you discovered a dragon in a lake?Have you read about dragons in other stories? What stories were they?Look back at the pictures of the boy. Who is he?

What does the P stand for on his belt? Find the word 'can'. If you chopped off the /c/ and replaced it with /f/, /p/, /b/, /d/ what new word would it make?Look at the word see. Do you think the two 'e's look like two eyes? That can help you to remember this word.

Things to doDraw your own dragon Show students work sheet 1. Explain that they will draw their own dragon in the box. Encourage students to be creative by talking about all the different ways they could draw a dragon. Discuss how the colours and sizes of the body parts could be different to those of the dragon in the book. Talk about how the spikes could be long and skinny or short and fat, and how the tail could be long and curly or short and stumpy. After students have drawn their dragons, help them to use the words to label their dragon. Challenge students to add extra labels.

Make a dragonProvide a range of boxes, egg cartons and other containers for students to create their own dragon. Try to get some really big boxes like the ones that hold fridges or stoves. Students will need masking tape and wood glue to attach some of the larger pieces. After students have attached the boxes together they use paints and coloured paper to decorate their dragon. They paint labels to paste on each body part.

What is it?Talk with students about some of the wonderful made-up creatures that can be characters in stories. Make a list of these on chart paper. Students might think about characters from books, movies or television programmes. Encourage them to use their imaginations to make up new characters. Show students work sheet 2. Ask them to choose one of the characters. They complete the sentence 'I can see_____' and draw one part of the character. Then they draw the whole character in the last box and complete the sentence.

Name

DateWork SheeT 1

Draw your own dragon.Use the words to label the dragon.Add more labels if you need to.

wings tail

spikes eye

claws fire

your dragon

Copyright © Blake Publishing 2007 9


Name

Date


What is it?

Work SheeT 2

I can see __________________

I can see __________________

I can see __________________

I can see __________________


reading record Sheetreading record Sheet


Page Errors Self Correction

Meaning/structure/visual clues

2 I can see wings.

4 I can see a tail.

6 I can see spikes.

8 I can see an eye.

10 I can see claws.

12 I can see fire.

14 I can see a dragon!

Comprehension Questions response

Head – factualWhat parts of the dragon did the Prince see?

Heart – personal interpretationWould you swim in a lake with a dragon?

Hidden – inferentialAre all dragons friendly?

analysis reading behaviours recommendationsReads with understanding easy / instructional / difficultSelf corrects always / mostly / sometimesSelf corrects using mostly meaning / structural / visual cuesReads fluently easy / instructional / difficult

date assessment completed:

Level 1 • Word Count 31

Name Age Date

Text What's in the lake? results

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Book 2 • Level 1 • Word Count 28High Frequency words and phrasesHere come the …come, day, goes, here, people, the, there

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What words can you recognise?Read the title.Have you been on a picnic?Who might go to the royal picnic?What would you take on a picnic?What is being taken to the royal picnic?What sounds would you hear at the royal picnic?

Things to doPicnic basketStudents sit in circle. Talk about places that you can go for a picnic. In the middle of the circle place a picnic basket with items that you might take on a picnic, eg a picnic blanket, food, drink, sun hat, plastic plate and cup. Ask students to talk about the items and why they are useful on a picnic. Discuss what extra items they would take. Show students work sheet 1. They fold the page in half so that it resembles a picnic basket that opens and closes. They draw items they would take on a picnic. Then they label the items.

What would you take?Students sit in a circle. The first student says ‘I am going on a picnic and I’m taking _______.’ The next student in the circle says ‘I am going on a picnic and I’m taking _______ and ______.’ Each student needs to remember what the previous students have said. The game continues until everyone around the circle has had a turn.


And afterwardsQuestions to askHow does the King feel after the picnic?Look on pages 12 and 13. How many people go to the royal picnic?Who would do all the washing up?What would be the best part about going to a royal picnic?Have a look at the letters in the word ‘here’. Now look at the letters in the word ‘there’. What do you notice? Can you see the word ‘here’ hidden inside the word ‘there’? Look at the word ‘come’. Can you sound it out? How can you remember what this word looks like?

Things to doDesign the invitationLook at the invitations on pages 12 and 13. Ask students what the invitations might say. Show students work sheet 2. Tell them that the words have been jumbled up. Students cut out the words and paste them on the invitation so they make the sentence ‘Please come to the Royal Picnic.’ More capable students can be encouraged to add further details such as the place, time and date of the picnic.

Find the turtleStudents find the turtle that is hidden in most of the illustrations throughout the book. They discuss what it would be feeling in each situation.

Shopping listTell students the King has asked them to help him plan the next picnic. Provide small groups of students with chart paper and markers. Ask them to write a shopping list to show all the items he would need to buy. Encourage students to spell by writing all the sounds they can hear when they say the word to themselves. Less capable students can draw items rather than writing them. Remind students to add the quantities for each item.

a royal Picnica royal Picnic

fold

Picnic basketFold the basket.Draw what you would take to a picnic.Label the things.

Work SheeT 1

foldfold

Name

Date


a royal Picnica royal Picnic

Name

Date


a royal Picnic

InvitationsWhat does the invitation say?Cut out the words.Paste them in order.Decorate the invitation.

a royal Picnic

Work SheeT 2

Picnic. come Please

to Royal the

Dear

Love from the King.



Name Age Date

Text a royal Picnic results




2 Here come the tables.

4 Here come the chairs.

6 Here come the plates.

8 Here comes the food.

10 Here comes the music.

12 Here come the people.

14 There goes the day!


Head – factualWhat parts of the dragon did the Prince see?

Heart – personal interpretationWould you swim in a lake with a dragon?

Hidden – inferentialAre all dragons friendly?



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Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see? What words can you recognise?What big things can you see?Turn the book over and read the back cover blurb.Read the title.Point to the apostrophe.Explain that when something belongs to something else we use an apostrophe before the s. Point to the capital Qs.What letter comes after the q? Explain how q is always followed by u. What is a quest?Use the dictionary to find the words beginning with q and then discuss the meaning of quest.

Things to doQAsk students to brainstorm words they know that begin with q such as queen, queue, quick, quiet. Record these on chart paper and underline the qu part of each word. Use a dictionary to find extra words. Draw small pictures to match each word and then display the page in the classroom.

Big, bigger, biggestShow students a range of objects and discuss which ones are small and which ones are big. Then introduce the terms bigger and biggest. Use examples such as Ms Bugden has a big car, Mr Murphy’s is bigger and Mrs Gender has the biggest car. Ask students to think of more examples. They draw three objects and label them big, bigger and biggest.


And afterwardsQuestions to askLook at the Queen’s ring on page 2. Talk about why it would be good or bad to have a ring like this. On pages 4 and 5, what else does the Queen have that is bigger than the King’s?What does the King think about the Queen’s big things?Follow the caterpillar’s journey through the book. What do you notice?Discuss the double g in the words bigger and biggest.

Things to doBig crownsCurl a strip of card around each student’s head to make a head band. Next, provide lots of sparkly, colourful bits and pieces and have students design their own big crown. Have a competition to see who can make the biggest.

Good, bad and interestingLook at the illustration of the Queen in her bed on pages 8 and 9. Have students discuss why it would be good / bad / interesting to have a bed this big. Show students work sheet 1 and have them record their thoughts in the spaces provided. Students might like to work in small groups and have a scribe to record their thoughts.

The King’s castleShow students work sheet 2. They cut out the words at the bottom of the page. Then they rearrange them so they are in the correct order. Students check the words by looking at page 14 of the text. They paste the words on the page and then they draw a picture of the castle.

Book 3 • Level 2 • Word Count 40High Frequency words and PhrasesShe had the….had, she, the, to

The Queen’s Big QuestThe Queen’s Big Quest

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

The biggestIf you had the biggest bed, what would be the:

good things? bad things? interesting things?

The Queen’s Big QuestThe Queen’s Big Quest

Name

Date


The King’s castleCut out the words.Paste them in order.Draw a picture.

The Queen’s Big Quest

Work SheeT 2

The Queen’s Big Quest

had build The castle.

a King to bigger



Name Age Date

Text The Queen’s Big Quest results




2 The Queen had to have the biggest.

4 She had the biggest throne.

6 She had the biggest crown.

8 She had the biggest bed.

10 She had the biggest ball gown.

12 She had the biggest horse.

14 The King had to build the biggest castle.


Head – factualWhat big things does the Queen have?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat biggest thing would you like to own?

Hidden – inferentialWhen is smallest better?



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The Shining KnightThe Shining KnightBook 4 • Level 2 • Word Count 60High frequency words and phrasescomes, for, he, his, is, it, the, they, too

Before you read Questions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What is the Knight doing?What words can you recognise?Read the title.Point to the word ‘Knight’. What do you notice about the first letter? Do you know any other words with silent k?Discuss the different meanings of knight and night. Have you read about knights in other stories?

Things to doShiny or not?Place a range of items in the middle of a circle of students. Include shiny things like spoons, jewellery, bells, foil, tinsel and keys, as well as a range of dull things. Ask students to put the items in two groups – ‘shiny’ and ‘not shiny’.

Make it shine!Find something that needs shining and show students how to polish it to make it shine again. Use an item of cutlery or jewellery.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhy can the bat see its reflection in the Knight’s head on page 9?Why are the horse and the rabbit wearing sunglasses on pages 14 and 15?What different tools does the Knight use to help him shine?What would it feel like to wear armour like the Knight?Would you like to have to spend a day at school in armour? What would be good and bad about wearing armour?

Things to doToo sparkly for battleTell students that because the Knight is too sparkly for battle he needs to think of something else to do. Tell students that they are going to help the Knight plan his day. They are going to work in small groups to discuss what the Knight could do, where he could do it and who he could do it with. They choose one scenario and they fill in the spaces provided on work sheet 1. Praise students who think of creative and interesting options. Later, choose one of the ideas and use it as a plan to write a jointly constructed narrative about the Knight.

Shining knightsIdeally, enlarge work sheet 2 to A3 size to make this activity easier. Provide pieces of foil for students to cut and paste onto the body shape of the Knight. They add labels to name each of the parts.

More shining knightsThis activity takes a while and leaves everyone and everything fairly messy. Give each student a piece of thick corrugated cardboard. They spread paste over the card and then cover this with a piece of foil. They fold the foil over so it is attached to the back of the card. Next, ask students to use a blunt pencil to draw a picture of a knight. They try to press hard enough to make an indentation but not so hard that the foil rips. Next, they cover the whole of the front of the card with black paint. Then comes the messy bit. Using scrunched up paper towel they carefully polish the black paint off so that only the indentations are left black.

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Too sparkly for battleWhat will he do?

Where will he do it?

Who will he do it with?

The Shining KnightThe Shining Knight

Name

Date


Shining knightsDraw the rest of the Knight. Use foil to make the Knight sparkle! Add labels.

The Shining KnightThe Shining Knight

Work SheeT 2

boots legs chest helmet shield sword




Name Age Date

Text The Shining Knight results

Page Errors Self Correction Meaning/structure/visual clues

2 The Knight shines his boots. Now they sparkle.

4 The Knight shines his legs. Now they sparkle.

6 The Knight shines his chest. Now it sparkles.

8 The Knight shines his helmet. Now it sparkles.

10 The Knight shines his shield. Now it sparkles.

12 The Knight shines his sword. Now it sparkles.

14 Here comes the shining Knight. He is far too sparkly for battle.


Head – factualWhat things did the Knight shine?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat shiny things do you like?

Hidden – inferentialWhy isn’t it good to sparkle in battle?



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royal Favourites

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What words can you recognise?Read the title.If something is your favourite, what does this mean?What is your favourite colour / food / game / animal?What characters might we meet in this book?What sound does royal start with/ end with?What sound does favourite start with/ end with?

Things to doMy favouritesShow students work sheet 1. They write or draw their favourites. In the last box they cross out the word him or her so the sentence makes sense. Then they read the sentences aloud. Encourage students to give reasons why each one is their favourite.

Out of the horse’s mouthHave pairs of students pretend they are the two horses on the cover. Students take turns to ask each other ‘What is your favourite ______?’ The other student answers in the character of the horse. They answer, ‘My favourite ______ is ______ because _________.’


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat is another word for hound?Revisit each page and ask why each character likes their favourite.Look at the word ‘likes’. Is the 'i' a short or a long sound? What letter would you chop off to make the word say ‘like’?

Discuss the use of his and her for male and female characters.Is the royal hound a male or female/ girl or boy?Look at the wallpaper in the Queen and the Prince's rooms. What do you notice?Look back at the cover of the book. Why is the lady looking a bit upset?

Things to doRoyal favouritesShow students work sheet 2. They look at the characters and they read the favourites. Then they draw a line to match the character with its favourite. Students draw pictures of the favourites.

Guess what?Students sit in a circle. Choose one of the following or make up another: favourite food/ colour/ pet/ book/ shop/ computer game/ television programme/ holiday destination. Students choose one of the characters and answer the question ‘What is your favourite ______?’ from their point of view. Students need to provide an answer and say why the character would choose it as their favourite.

Is it under?On individual pieces of card, write a selection of words from the text. Use large, clear letters. Next, have students sit in a circle and place the words, facing up, in the middle. Draw a bone on another piece of card. Choose one student to be the royal hound. They close their eyes while the bone is hidden underneath one of the words. When they open their eyes, they ask ‘Is it under ______?’ The remaining students answer yes or no until the bone is found. Then someone else is chosen to be the hound.

Book 5 • Level 3 • Word Count 71High frequency words and phrasesHe/She likes it very much.can, find, he, her, his, it, likes, she, the, them, very, when

royal Favourites

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

royal Favourites

My favouritesDraw your favourites.

This is my favourite animal.I like it very much.

This is my favourite food. I like it very much.

This is my favourite game. I like it very much.

This is my favourite friend. I like him / her very much.

royal Favourites

Name

Date


royal favouritesMatch the character to their favourite.Draw pictures to match.

royal Favourites

Work SheeT 2

royal Favourites

King

Queen

Prince

Princess

Knight

lady

hound

throne

sword

crown

horse

castle

bones

tiara



Name Age Date

Text royal Favourites results



2 The King likes his castle. He likes it very much.

4 The Queen likes her crown. She likes it very much.

6 The Prince likes his throne. He likes it very much.

8 The Princess likes her tiara. She likes it very much.

10 The Knight likes his sword. He likes it very much.

12 The lady likes her horse. She likes it very much.

14 The dog likes his bones. When he can find them!


Head – factualWhat are all their favourites?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat is your favourite thing?

Hidden – inferentialWhy is it hard for the dog to find his favourite?



28

The royal Message

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What words can you recognise?Read the title.These characters are part of the royal family. Who are they?Trace your finger along the dotted line. Why is there a dotted line?What do you think the message could be?Turn the book over and read the back cover blurb.

Things to doMimingTalk with students about the hand actions that people use when they are whispering messages. Have them cup one hand around their mouths and then discuss the reasons why this is necessary. Next, have them cup hands around their ears and talk about how this helps you to hear when others are whispering. Have students practise these actions in pairs. Then ask a pair to come to the front. They mime one whispering to the other. The remaining students say who is saying the message and who is listening to it.

Royal whispersAdapt the game of Chinese Whispers. Students sit in a circle. Whisper a message to one student. This student then whispers it to the next student and so on around the circle. The last student says the message aloud. Discuss with students how and why the message has changed.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat words describe how the royal family is feeling when they find out they have been invited to a party?Whose party is it?How does the falcon pass on the message to the King?Look back through the illustrations. Who was eavesdropping on each page?Look at the word ‘gave’. What sound does the ‘a’ make? Is this a long ‘a’ or a short ‘a’ sound? The ‘e’ on the end of the word helps you to remember that it is a long a sound.

Things to doShhhh!Ask students to discuss the type of voice each character uses to pass on the message. Prompt them to use the word ‘whisper.’ Next, ask students to think of other words that describe the way we say things such as shout, yell, ask and exclaim. Make a list of these on chart paper and display them in the classroom.

Who’s next?Show students work sheet 1. Explain that they need to think about all the characters in the book and the order that they heard the message. The King has been drawn in the first box. Ask, ‘Who did the King tell?’ Students draw the Queen in the second box. They draw all the characters in order. Then they use the words in the box to help them write the character’s name under each picture.

Party inviteShow students some party invitations. Talk about the information that invitations contain. Students use their imaginations to suggest a list of places that the party might be held. Then ask them to think about things they might be asked to take to a party. Show students work sheet 2 and help them to fill in the gaps. Remind them that everyone’s invitation will be different. Encourage them to be creative.

Book 6 • Level 3 • Word Count 60High frequency words and phrases… gave the message to the …a, gave, the, to, said, what

The royal Message

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Who’s next?

The royal MessageThe royal Message

King falcon Prince Knight Queen Princess

Draw the characters in the boxes to show the order they heard the message. Write their names.

Name

Date


Party invitationFill in the gaps on the party invitation.

The royal MessageThe royal Message

Work SheeT 2

Dear

You are invited to a party.

Where:

When:

What to wear:

What to bring:

RSVP:

Party Invite



Name Age Date

Text The royal Message results



2 The King gave the message to the Queen.

4 The Queen gave the message to the Prince.

6 The Prince gave the message to the Princess.

8 The Princess gave the message to the Knight.

10 The Knight gave the message to the falcon.

12 The falcon gave the message to the King.

14 “What excellent news!” said the King. “We’ve been invited to a party!”


Head – factualWho did the Prince give his message to?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat message would you like to give someone?

Hidden – inferentialWhy do people whisper?



32

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What words can you recognise?Read the title.What sound does the 'c' make in the word ‘prince’?What sort of things might a naughty Prince do?Where might the story be set?What other characters might we meet?What could the key unlock?Where do the stairs lead?

Things to doNaughty Prince, Good PrinceTalk about the difference between naughty and good. Talk about naughty things and good things that students might do. Then talk about naughty things and good things that a prince might do. Students sit in a circle. The first student says ‘A naughty prince would _________.’ The next student says ‘A good prince would ____________.’ They continue around the circle until everyone has had a turn.

Hide the sword / Hide the tiaraStudents vote on whether they want to play Hide the sword or Hide the tiara. Then, cut either a sword or a tiara out of cardboard. One student leaves the classroom. Everyone else watches as the sword or the tiara is hidden. When the student returns, they move around the room trying to find the hidden object. If they are far away from it, the remaining students clap softly. As the student gets closer to the hidden object they clap more loudly and more loudly until it is found.

While you’re readingPrompts to rememberHave you seen this word before/ on another page/ in our classroom?Does it look like another word you know?Can you find a clue in the picture?What sounds do the letters make?Read this page again.

And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat might the Princess be saying on page 3?Talk about what the spider is doing on each page.Look at the words ‘prince’ and ‘princess’. What smaller words can you find within ‘princess’?If you were the Princess, where would you hide the sword?Who was the naughtiest, the Prince or the Princess? Why?Look at the characters on pages 14 and 15. What is each one feeling?

Things to doWrite your own storyShow students work sheet 1. They write their own shorter version of The Naughty Prince. They complete the sentences using their own ideas and then they draw pictures to match. They read their story aloud to a friend.

Big bookMake a big book using students’ ideas from the previous activity. Publish students’ text on the computer and enlarge pages to A3 size. Students paint pictures to match the text. Use cardboard to make a cover. Place the big book on display in the reading area.

What’s missing?Show students work sheet 2. Students read each sentence and work out the word that is missing. They copy the word from the box. Encourage students to read the completed sentences aloud.

The naughty PrinceBook 7 • Level 4 • Word count 90High Frequency Words and PhrasesThe … was not happy.a, and, had, happy, her, him, in, it, not, the, to, up, was

The naughty Prince

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

not happyMake up your own story.

Title:

The Prince was not happy.The Princess had

The Princess was not happy.The Prince had

The King was not happy.The Prince and Princess had

The naughty Prince The naughty Prince

Name

Date


What’s missing?Fill in the gaps.

The naughty Prince

Work SheeT 2

The naughty Prince

happy The sword was not Prince dungeonhidden had locked

The Princess was ________ happy.

The Prince had ________________ her in the tower.

The Prince was not ___________.

The Princess had locked him in the __________________.

The Princess ___________ not happy.

_________ Prince had ___________ her tiara.

The ___________ was not happy.

The Princess ________ hidden his ______________.



Name Age Date

Text The naughty Prince results



2 The Princess was not happy. The Prince had locked her in the tower.

4 The Prince was not happy. The Princess had locked him in the dungeon.

6 The Princess was not happy. The Prince had hidden her tiara.

8 The Prince was not happy. The Princess had hidden his sword.

10 The Princess was not happy. The Prince was riding her pony.

12 The Prince was not happy. The Princess was riding his dragon.

14 The King was not happy. The Prince and Princess had made such a mess. It was time to clean up!


Head – factualWhere did the Princess hide the sword?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat have you hidden from someone?

Hidden – inferentialHow did the Prince make the Princess unhappy?



36

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What does the title say?Read the title.What do the signs say?Why do all the characters have pegs on their noses?What things would be on a king’s shopping list?Put your hand over some of the letters in the word ‘shopping’ and make it just say ‘shop’.

Things to doOff to the shopsTalk about the shops students like to shop in and the things they like to buy. Then ask them to think about the King and what he might like to buy. Students brainstorm a list. Talk about the similarities and differences between the items on the brainstormed list and the items that the students’ families might buy.

Pass the purseStudents sit facing a partner. One holds a ‘purse’ which can be a bean bag, small ball or other object. The first student says the name of something you can buy and throws the purse to their partner. The partner responds by saying the type of shop you can buy it in and throws the purse back again. For example: icy pole — milk bar; carrot — fruit and vegie shop; fishing line — tackle shop. They keep going backwards and forwards until one student cannot think of a response. Then they swap roles.


And afterwardsQuestions to askList everything in the King’s shopping trolley on page 5.What would your friends think if they saw you pushing a trolley the size of the King’s? What sound does the 'y' make at the end of family?What will the royal family do with all their gold?Look at the word ‘bought’. Can you hear the 'g' and 'h' sounds? What makes this a tricky word to read?Look at all the clothes on the rack. Which character will wear each piece?Look through the book. Besides the fish on the cover, what else is so smelly that characters need to wear pegs on their noses?

Things to doWhat would you say?Students look at pages 2 and 3. Ask them to imagine what each of the characters is thinking or saying. Show students work sheet 1 and have them fill in the speech bubbles.

Royal shopping listTell students that the King has asked them to help him write his shopping list. Show them work sheet 2 and explain that they need to write the things that the King bought in the book and then add some more things that the King and his family might need.

What next?Reread the last page and ask students how the King could fix his hurting feet. Students form small groups and have them act out a solution to the King’s sore feet.

ShoppingShoppingBook 8 • Level 4 • Word Count 86High frequency words and phrasesThey bought lots of …and, come, family, his, lots, my, of, the, they, us, went

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

What would you say?Write what you would say.

ShoppingShopping

Name

Date


royal shopping listHelp the King.Fill in the gaps.Add some more things he could buy.

ShoppingShopping

Work SheeT 2



Name Age Date

Text Shopping results



2 The King and his family went shopping. They bought lots of animals.

4 The King and his family went shopping. They bought lots of food.

6 The King and his family went shopping. They bought lots of gold.

8 The King and his family went shopping. They bought lots of clothes.

10 The King and his family went shopping. They bought lots of arrows.

12 The King and his family went shopping. They bought lots of fish.

14 “My feet hurt!” said the King. “Next time the shops can come to us!”


Head – factualWhat did the royal family buy?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat shops do you like to visit?

Hidden – inferentialWhy did the King’s feet hurt?



40

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What words can you recognise?Read the title.Where is the Princess?What do you think she has forgotten?What little words do you recognise in ‘forgetful’? Say the word slowly like this, for-get-ful. Now, point to ‘for’ and ‘get’.

Things to doConsequences Ask students to think about the consequences of forgetting where their classroom is. Ask, What would happen? When students respond, ask, Then what would happen? Keep asking the question, Then what would happen? and praise students who think of creative and interesting suggestions. Change the scenario to, What would happen if the Princess forgot where she put her tiara? or another scenario of the class’ choice.

Mind mapShow students work sheet 1. Explain to them that they need to draw the Princess in the centre circle. Then students need to think of things that the Princess could have forgotten and write or draw these in the surrounding circles.


And afterwardsQuestions to askLook at the thrones on page 2. Which throne belongs to which character? How do you know?What does the dotted line on pages 4 and 5 show?What is the frog doing on page 6?What does the Princess do to help her remember?Explain syllables to students. Show them how to clap the parts of a word to show how many syllables there are.Clap the syllables in Princess, forgot, secret, riding, tiara, remembered.

Things to doDraw a map of the castleHave students make a list of all the rooms and places they might find in a castle. Then ask students to draw a map of the castle. They might choose to draw a bird’s-eye view like on pages 4 and 5, or they can come up with any other technique they choose. Encourage students to revisit the book and make sure that each place mentioned is included on their map.

Portrait galleryHave students look at pages 6 and 7. Discuss the large fancy frames and the portraits showing the royals. Tell students that they are going to be the royal artist and draw (or paint) portraits of four of the royal characters. Show them work sheet 2. They draw the character and then they write the character’s name.

Make a tiaraProvide each student with a strip of card. They curl this around their heads and then fasten it so it is the correct size. Next, provide sparkly, colourful, craft materials and allow students to design and make their own tiaras. Have a Wear a Tiara Day and remind students that their tiaras will help them to remember things, just like the Princess’s did.

The Forgetful PrincessThe Forgetful PrincessBook 9 • Level 5 • Word Count 68High Frequency words and, had, her, in, on, she, take, the, then, to, was, where, which

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Mind mapDraw the Princess in the middle.What could she have forgotten?

The Forgetful PrincessThe Forgetful Princess

Princess

Name

Date


Portrait galleryBe the artist of the castle. Choose a royal character.Draw their picture in a frame.

The Forgetful PrincessThe Forgetful Princess

Work SheeT 2




Name Age Date

Text The Forgetful Princess results


2 The Princess forgot where everyone had gone.

4 The Princess forgot which door led to the secret passage.

6 The Princess forgot which way led to the stable.

8 The Princess forgot which horse was hers.

10 The Princess forgot which path to take in the woods.

12 The Princess forgot where she was riding to. She stopped and put on her tiara.

14 Then she remembered. The Princess rode straight to her party!


Head – factualWhat did the Princess forget?

Heart – personal interpretationWhich horse would you choose?

Hidden – inferentialWhat important things do you always remember?



44

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover. What do you see?What words can you recognise?Read the title.Point to the 'K'. Can you hear a /k/ sound? Discuss silent letters. Cover the 'k' with your hand. Now what word do you see?What three letters make the 'ing' sound?If someone is in training what does that mean?Is the knight happy? How do you know?

Things to doMimingTalk with students about knights in other stories. Students discuss the types of things knights do. Then they take turns to mime one of these. Remaining students guess what the ‘knight’ is doing.

Knight awardsShow students a variety of awards and certificates. Talk about how different activities require training, such as swimming or reading, and how awards can be given to encourage people to keep trying. Tell students that when knights are in training they would need encouragement too. Students design an encouragement award for a knight.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat other words have silent 'k'?Why does the Knight need to be able to do each of the activities?Describe how the Young Knight feels on each page. How does the Knight feel?If you were Young Knight what would you do on Sunday?How does the rabbit feel towards Young Knight / Knight?

Things to doKnight trainingShow students work sheet 1. They read the days and write what the Knight did. Encourage students to experiment with their spelling rather than copying directly from the book.

“Do what I say” dayStudents pretend they are Young Knight. Ask them what they would do on Do what I say day. Show students work sheet 2. They use it to write a plan for their day.

Make a knightProvide students with a range of boxes, egg cartons, plastic containers and other items readily available in recycling bins. They work in small groups to make their own Young Knight. They use tape and strong glue to hold pieces together. Then students use foil or silver paint to colour their knights.

Knight TrainingKnight TrainingBook 10 • Level 5 • Word Count 59 High frequency words day, do, fun, I, is, say, the, what

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Knight trainingWhat did Young Knight do each day?

Knight TrainingKnight Training

day What did he do?

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Name

Date


‘do what I say’ dayYou are Young Knight.What would you do on Sunday?

8:00 am

10:00 am

12:00 noon

2:00 pm

4:00 pm

6:00 pm

Oh what fun, fun, fun!

Knight TrainingKnight Training

Work SheeT 2




Name Age Date

Text Knight Training results


2 Monday is wash day. Young Knight washed the horse. Oh what fun!

4 Tuesday is riding day. Oh what fun!

6 Wednesday is fighting day. Oh what fun!

8 Thursday is hunting day. Oh what fun!

10 Friday is music day. Oh what fun!

12 Saturday is games day. Oh what fun!

14 Sunday is ‘do what I say’ day. Oh what fun, fun, fun!


Head – factualWhat did the Young Knight do on each day?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat interesting things do you do each day?

Hidden – inferentialWhat would you tell the Knight to do on Sunday?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What does ‘readers’ theatre’ mean? How is a readers’ theatre the same and different to a narrative?What characters might we meet in this readers’ theatre?What tricky things might Prince Axel get up to?Read the blurb. What clues does this give you about the book?

Things to doMake some simple propsStudents turn to pages 22 and 23 of the book. They read the instructions and they collect the materials they need. Then they make the props (a pony; some armour; a carriage; a dragon box) either individually or in small groups.

While you’re readingPrompts to rememberDoes that word make sense?Can you find a clue in the picture?Have you seen the word before/ on another page/ in our classroom?Does it look like another word you know?Do you recognise any part of that word?Can you chunk some of the sounds together?Try reading the sentence / page again.If you lose your place, look at the pictures of the characters or follow the colours printed behind the spoken sections.

And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat tricks did Prince Axel play on the other characters?Which trick was the trickiest?Did Prince Axel deserve what he got at the end?How would you have paid him back?When Prince Axel stops being a mouse do you think he will play any more tricks?

Things to doWhat happened?Students complete the table on work sheet 1. They think of each of the characters in turn. They complete the spell that was put on them and write what happened as a result and how long the spell was supposed to last.

Put us in the pictureTake photographs of students’ faces. Students cut out the faces in oval shapes. Next, students draw or paint a scene from the readers’ theatre. They make sure the faces of the characters are about the same size as those of the photographs. They paste a photograph of the face of the child who played the character onto the face section of their painting. They paste photographic faces onto each character.

The little dragon said to the little Prince…Students consider the conversation the Prince would have with the dragon inside the box lined with straw. They write the conversation on work sheet 2 using the speech bubbles provided.

Readers’ Theatre 1

Tricky Prince axelTricky Prince axel

48

What happened?Fill in the gaps.

Tricky Prince axel readers’ TheatreTricky Prince axel readers’ Theatre

To whom?What spell?

What happened?

How long was it meant to last?

Princess Daisy Boo

colour spellher pony was bright green

a couple of days

Sir Eric the Knight

he got stuck in his throne

speeding spell

Prince Axel

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Name

Date


The little dragon saidto the little Prince…

The little dragon and the little Prince are in a box lined with straw. What would they say to each other?Fill in the speech bubbles.

Tricky Prince axel readers’ TheatreTricky Prince axel readers’ Theatre

Work SheeT 2

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Will this book be a narrative like the rest of the Clinker Castle books?What type of book will it be?How will it be the same and different to other books in the Clinker Castle set?Have you ever seen a castle like the one on the cover?What would it be like to live there?Who might live in this castle? Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doWhat a castle!Students use a range of boxes and other craft materials to design and make a castle. They work in small groups and make castles from the biggest boxes available.

My bedroomStudents imagine they live in the castle on the cover. They draw what they think their bedroom would look like.

While you’re readingPrompts to rememberDoes that word make sense?Can you find a clue in the picture?Have you seen the word before/ on another page/ in our classroom?Does it look like another word you know?Do you recognise any part of that word?Can you chunk some of the sounds together?Try reading the sentence / page again.

And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat was the most interesting thing you learnt about castles?Look at the castle on page 10. What would it be like to be the castle window cleaner?How is your bedroom the same and different to the one on page 11?Look at the ballroom on page 13. What sounds would you hear if you were in this room?Look at the gloves on page 15. Why are they made of lots of small overlapping pieces?

Things to doSnapStudents cut out the cards on work sheet 1. They play Snap with a partner. They hold half the cards and take it in turns to place a card on a central pile. If the picture and the word match, the first player to say Snap takes the pile. Less capable readers use page 24 for reference while they are playing. They laminate the cards and store them in an envelope for future use.

Use the cards againStudents use the cards from the previous activity to play Memory. They place all the cards face down. They take it in turns to lift two cards. If the picture and the word match, they keep the cards. If not, the cards are returned face down. The winner is the player who has the most pairs at the end. …and againStudents place the cards in alphabetical order.

Castle lifeStudents use work sheet 2. They think of 5 things they have learnt about castles. They write a sentence in each space. Students are encouraged to use sentence starters such as ‘Castles have…’, ‘Castles are…’, ‘Some castles…’ Then they draw a small picture to match.

Castle lifeCastle lifeNonfiction

51

Name

Date


SnapShuffle the cards.Deal the cards so each player has the same number. Take turns to place a card in the middle. If the picture matches the word, say SNAP and keep the pile.The winner is the player with the most cards at the end.

Castle lifeCastle life

Work SheeT 1

you will need:one set of cards (cut them out and laminate them)two players

armour bridge castle gloves

helmet horse knight map

moat shield throne tower

Name

Date


What do you know about castles?

Write some sentences.Add some labels.

Castle lifeCastle life

Work SheeT 2

castle

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.List the parts of the Knight that are red.What else could be red?What other knights have you read about?What type of things do knights do?Talk about the spelling and the meanings of the words ’night’ and ’knight’.Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doA long, skinny, smelly, red …Students walk around the classroom and find things that are red. They sit in a circle and place the items they have collected in the middle. Talk about adjectives and how they describe things. Choose an item from the centre of the circle and say, I can see something that is heavy and red. Students guess the item and respond by asking, Is it the heavy, red block? Remind students that the describing words are called adjectives.

Make it redMake the reading session as ‘red’ as possible. Students drape strips of red crepe around their shoulders and tie a piece around their heads. They put the collection of red things from the previous activity on their desks. Students use red pencils to write with and, if possible, their work sheets are copied onto red paper.

While you’re readingPrompts to rememberDoes that word make sense?Can you find a clue in the picture?Have you seen the word before/ on another page/ in our classroom?Does it look like another word you know?What sounds do the letters make?Can you chunk some of the sounds together?Try reading the sentence / page again.

And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat adjectives describe the Knight’s suit/ horse/ sword/ jelly/ castle/ sunset/ pants?Who is the man with the camera? Look at the illustrations and talk about the feelings the other Knight is having on each page. Why is he particularly upset on pages 6 and 7?Do you think the red Knight wanted a photo taken of his bright, pink pants? Why or why not?Why is the other Knight laughing on page 14?

Things to doOn the washing lineStudents use paper, markers and scissors to design and make a pair of pants for the red Knight. They peg them on a ‘washing line’ made from string strung across the classroom. Add labels such as ‘Molly made the red Knight some frilly, yellow pants.’

Red and …Students discuss the adjectives used on each page. They look at work sheet 1 and use the words in the box to complete the sentences.

Same and different Demonstrate how to complete comparison circles by choosing two characters from the Clinker Castle series, for example the King and the Queen. On chart paper, draw two overlapping circles like the ones on work sheet 2. In the overlapping section, write all the things that are the same about the two characters. In the two outer sections write things specific to each character. Then students complete work sheet 2 by comparing the Knight and the red Knight.

The red KnightThe red KnightBook 11 • Level 6 • Word Count 98High frequency words and phrasesI am a …a, am, and, eat, had, he, I, is, liked, red, the, to, with

54

red and …Fill in the missing words. You will need to use red more than once.

The red KnightThe red Knight

red bright big pink shiny royal brave

The red Knight had a __________ , __________ suit.

The red Knight had a __________ , __________ horse.

The red Knight liked to eat __________ , __________ jelly.

The red Knight lived in a __________ , __________ castle.

He is the Knight with __________ , __________ pants!

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Name

Date


Same and differentLook at Knight and red Knight.How are they the same?How are they different?

The red KnightThe red Knight

Work SheeT 2

red Knight Knight

Same




Name Age Date

Text The red Knight results


2 The red Knight had a shiny, red suit. “I am a shiny, red Knight.”

4 The red knight had a brave, red horse. “I am a brave, red Knight.”

6 The red Knight had a bright, red sword and shield. “I am a bright, red Knight.”

8 The red Knight liked to eat royal, red jelly. “I am a royal, red Knight.”

10 The red Knight lived in a big, red castle. “I am a big, red Knight.”

12 The red Knight liked to watch fierce, red sunsets. “I am a fierce, red Knight.”

14 “He is the red Knight with bright, pink pants!”


Head – factualWhat things are red?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat red things do you like to eat?

Hidden – inferentialWhy are the cameras there?



58

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What is the Prince doing?Where is he?Who could the Prince be surprising?Talk about times when you might get a surprise.How do you react when you get a surprise?What noises do you make when you give a surprise/ when you get a surprise?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doPop the balloonExplain to students that you are going to give them a surprise. They sit with their eyes closed while you blow up a balloon. Students listen to the balloon being blown up so they can anticipate what is about to happen without getting too much of a shock. At an appropriate moment pop the balloon. Students talk about the feelings they had and the sounds they made when they got a surprise.

Ahhhhhh!On chart paper students brainstorm a list of words that describe how we respond when we get a surprise. Students include words such as yell, scream, jump, run and freeze.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhy has the Prince got a beard and moustache on page 9?What will happen when the Prince pops the balloon on pages 10 and 11?Who helped the King to surprise the Prince?Why didn’t the Prince see the net before he stepped on it?How long should the King leave the Prince all tied up?Did the Prince deserve what he got on page 15? Why or why not?Why are the capital letters used in the words ‘Ha! HA!’?What other words could have been used instead of ‘shouted’?

Things to doThe King’s planStudents pretend the King has asked them to help him plan the surprise attack on the Prince. They use work sheet 1 to record the plan. They use their imaginations as well as sections from the text.

Act it outStudents form pairs or small groups. Each group is told to act out one of the double-page spreads from the book. Students use simple props and simple costumes. Then, they perform to the remaining students.

I’m really sorryStudents pretend they are the Prince. They use work sheet 2 to write an apology letter to one of the characters they have surprised. Students remember to write what they are apologising for and how they can make it up to the character.

The Surprise PrinceBook 12 • Level 6 • Word Count 116High frequency words and phrasesa, but, for, got, had, he, in, said, shouted, the, to, you

The Surprise Prince

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

The King’s planHelp the King catch the Prince.

What we need:

What we will do:

Who will help:

How long we will leave the Prince there:

The Surprise PrinceThe Surprise Prince

Name

Date


Dear

Love from

I’m really sorryPretend you are the Prince.Choose a character from the book.Write a letter to let them know how sorry you are.

Work SheeT 2

The Surprise PrinceThe Surprise Prince



Name Age Date

Text The Surprise Prince results



2 Young Prince Axel liked to jump out. “Surprise!”

4 He wanted to surprise the Princess. He hid in a closet. “Ha! HA! Got you!” the Prince shouted.

6 He wanted to surprise the Queen. He hid behind the throne. “Ha! HA! Got you!” the Prince shouted.

8 He wanted to surprise the Knight. He hid in the hallway. “Ha! HA! Got you!” the Prince shouted.

10 He wanted to surprise the guests. He hid under the dining table. “Ha! HA! Got you!” the Prince shouted.

12 He wanted to surprise the King. He hid in the forest. “Ha! HA! Got you!” the Prince shouted.

14 But the King had a surprise for the Prince! “Ha! HA! Got you Prince Axel!” said the King.


Head – factualWho did the Prince surprise?

Heart – personal interpretationWhere would you hide?

Hidden – inferentialWhy did the King surprise the Prince?



62

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What character is on the cover?What other characters might we meet in this book?Who could be in the tower?What could they be doing there?Look at the word ‘in’. What new words could you make by adding a sound to the beginning? Examples: bin, fin, tin, thinRead the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doBuild it upStudents form small groups. They work together to make a castle using blocks and other manipulative materials. They remember to include a number of towers in their construction. They talk about the different parts of the castle and the characters who live there.

Who is it?One student thinks of a character from Clinker Castle. They give clues that have yes or no answers. The remaining students guess who it is they are thinking of.


And afterwardsQuestions to askDo you know anyone who has locked themselves inside or outside a car or their home?How would they feel?What would you do if you were locked inside the tower like the Prince?Think about all the activities the royals are doing. Which one would you prefer to be doing?

Things to doWho is in the tower?Students use work sheet 1. Students draw someone of their choice inside the tower. Whoever they choose is locked in the tower. Have students think of what the trapped person would say. Students write their character's words inside the speech bubble.

What are they doing?Discuss action words, or verbs, with students. Then follow the actions of the cat throughout the book. Students say what the cat is doing on each page. They say the verb. Then students think about what the royal characters are doing on each page. They match the character to the action on work sheet 2.

What to do if you get locked inAfter the Prince gets out of the tower he decides to write a list of instructions to help anyone else who might get locked in. As a class, students jointly construct the list of instructions to be placed on a poster inside the tower.

Who is in the Tower?Book 13 • Level 7 • Word Count 101High frequency words and phrasesCould it be the …be, could, from, had, he, in, it, no, she, the, was, who

Who is in the Tower?

Who is in the Tower?Draw someone inside the tower.Write what they say when they call for help.

Who is in the Tower?Who is in the Tower?Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Name

Date



What are they doing?Match the character to the action.

Work SheeT 2


The Queen was digging in the garden.

The King was shopping in the town.

The dog was riding in the woods.

The Cook was locked in the tower.

The Princess was swimming in the moat.

The Prince was sleeping in the kitchen.



Name Age Date

Text Who is in the Tower? results



2 A lot of noise was coming from the tower.

4 Could it be the Queen? No. The Knight found the Queen swimming in the moat.

6 Could it be the King? No. The Knight found the King riding in the woods.

8 Could it be the dog? No. The Knight found Fang digging in the garden.

10 Could it be the cook? No. The Knight found the cook sleeping in the kitchen.

12 Could it be the Princess? No. The Knight found the Princess shopping in the town. She knew who was making the noise.

14 It was the Prince. He had been locked in the tower!


Head – factualWho could be in the tower?

Heart – personal interpretationWould you like to swim in a moat?

Hidden – inferentialWhy do people lock doors?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What is another word for hound?What sound does the ‘y’ make at the end of hungry?Talk about times when your tummy has rumbled really loudly.Where is the hungry hound?What is the hungry hound thinking about?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doI’m hungryAdapt the game of Doggy, Doggy Where’s My Bone? Students sit in a circle. One student sits in the middle and closes their eyes. They are the royal hound. Behind them is placed the ‘bone’. The bone can be a small bell or anything else that makes a noise when moved. Another student is chosen to creep in and steal the bone. They put it behind their back and return to their place in the circle. Everyone then chants rumble, rumble. The hound stands up and students chant Hungry hound, hungry hound where’s your bone? The hound has three guesses then someone else is chosen to be the hound.

The royal houndStudents discuss the life of a royal hound at Clinker Castle. They talk about where Fang might sleep, what he could do for exercise and how he would be cared for.


And afterwardsQuestions to askBesides Fang, what would be some other good names for a royal hound?What adjectives describe the bone the King gave to Fang?Why doesn’t Fang look at the cook?Do you know any fat dogs? What do their owners feed them?Do you know any dogs that look at you with ‘hungry hound eyes’?How does it make you feel?

Things to doWhat comes next?Students use work sheet 1. They read the sentences. They cut them out and paste them in the correct order on another page.

Fang’s dinnerStudents design the perfect menu for a hungry, royal hound. They write the menu from the point of view of Fang. They divide the menu into entrée, main and dessert. Students write the menu on work sheet 2. They draw small pictures to match each course.

Royal dog bowlStudents design and make a royal dog bowl for Fang. They use craft materials such as clay, foil pie plates or paper plates for the basic shape. Then they decorate the royal dog bowl.

The Hungry HoundBook 14 • Level 7 • Word Count 139High frequency words and phrasesFang looked at the … a, any, at, get, her, his, if, in, into, is, look, make, name, said, still, the, was, with, you

The Hungry Hound

66

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

What comes next?Read the sentences.Cut them out.Paste them in the right order.

The Hungry HoundThe Hungry Hound

The Princess gave Fang her vegetables.

Fang’s tummy rumbled.

The King gave Fang a big, juicy bone.

Fang’s tummy was full.

The Queen gave Fang part of her cake.

Fang sat under the royal table.

The Prince said, ‘If you get any fatter the cook will make you into Fang pie.’

Name

Date


Menuentrée

main meal

dessert

Fang’s dinnerPretend you are Fang.What do you want for dinner?

The Hungry Hound

Work SheeT 2

The Hungry Hound

ßß




Name Age Date

Text The Hungry Hound results


2 This is the royal hound. His name is Fang. Fang is always hungry.

4 Fang sat under the royal table and waited. His tummy rumbled.

6 Fang looked at the King with his hungry hound eyes. The King gave him a big, juicy bone. Fang was still hungry.

8 Fang looked at the Queen with his hungry hound eyes. The Queen gave him part of her cake. Fang was still hungry.

10 Fang looked at the Princess with his hungry hound eyes. The Princess gave him her vegetables. Fang was still hungry.

12 Fang looked at the Prince with his hungry hound eyes. “If you get any fatter the cook will make you into Fang pie,” said the Prince.

14 The cook came in with dessert. Fang didn’t look at the cook with his hungry hound eyes. His tummy was full. Fang was not hungry!


Head – factualWhat did Fang eat?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy did Fang’s tummy rumble?

Hidden – inferentialWhat are ‘hungry hound eyes’?



70

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Which character is on the cover?Why might he want to catch a dragon?Look at the title page.What information will he find in the book?What chapter headings could he find on its contents page?What you like to help the Prince catch a dragon? Why or why not?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doDragonsOn chart paper draw a mind map with the heading ‘dragons’ in the middle. Around this, draw lines radiating out to smaller headings. These smaller headings are ‘look like’, ‘live’, ‘eat’ and ‘noises.’ Add extra headings that students suggest. Students talk about what they already know about dragons. Write their suggestions under the appropriate headings. Leave space to add extra ideas after students have read the book.

How to catch a dragonStudents imagine the Prince has turned to the section in the book called ‘How to catch a dragon.’ Enlarge work sheet 1 to A3 size. Students form small groups and come up with a plan to catch a dragon. They record it in the spaces provided on the work sheet.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWere you expecting this ending?What could happen next?Look at pages 10 and 11. Is Prince Axel enjoying being a dragon catcher?Did you see the dragon before Prince Axel did? Where was he hiding?

Things to doDragon catcherStudents use work sheet 2. They draw pictures or they write about five different things that Prince Axel did to help him catch a dragon.

Map of the dragon hills Students draw their own map of the dragon hills. They include tracks, rivers, mountains, hiding places, caves and other places they think relevant. Students include a key.

What will happen next?Either as a class, or in small groups, students write, or act out, the next chapter of the book. Prompt students with questions such as: How does the Prince get down from the dragon’s claws?, Does the little dragon help the Prince?, Is the dragon a friendly dragon?

Catch a dragonBook 15 • Level 8 • Word Count 144High frequency wordsa, about, all, am, and, be, but, for, he, him, how, I, in, like, live, of, out, read, said, so, than, the, then, to, where

Catch a dragon

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

How to catch a dragon

Catch a dragonCatch a dragon

What you need:

What you do:

What you do if that doesn’t work:

What you do with the dragon when you catch it:

Name

Date


Catch a dragon

dragon catcherWhat did Prince Axel do to help him catch a dragon?Draw or write your answers.

Catch a dragon

Work SheeT 2




Name Age Date

Text Catch a dragon results


2 Prince Axel wanted to catch a dragon.

4 He borrowed a book about catching dragons. “I am going to be a dragon catcher,” said the Prince.

6 He read all about how dragons speak. Prince Axel tried to hiss and huff like a dragon. “I am a dragon catcher,” said the Prince.

8 He read all about how dragons climb. Prince Axel climbed higher than he had ever climbed before. “I am a dragon catcher,” said the Prince.

10 He read all about where dragons live. Prince Axel camped out in a dark cave. “I am a dragon catcher,” said the Prince.

12 Prince Axel bought a map of the dragon hills. He painted himself so he looked like a dragon. Then he went searching for the dragons. “I am a dragon catcher,” said the Prince.

14 But the dragon caught him! “I am a Prince catcher,” said the dragon.


Head – factualHow does the Prince try to catch a dragon?

Heart – personal interpretationHow would you feel in a dark cave?

Hidden – inferentialWhy does the Prince want to catch a dragon?



74

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What can you see in the mirror on the cover?Point to the frame of the mirror. Do you have any mirrors at home? What do the frames look like?Do you know any other stories about mirrors?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doIn the mirrorStudents look in a mirror. They talk about what they see. Ask, If the mirror could talk, what might it say? Students talk about different places where there are mirrors such as cars, shops, homes. They imagine what each of these mirrors would see everyday.

Hello QueenOn paper, students draw a large oval shape. Around the edge they draw a fancy frame. Then in the mirror section they draw one of the faces the mirror might see as the Queen looks into it. They make comments like, This is the Queen’s grumpy/ happy/ scowling face.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat would you ask the mirror to find?What words rhyme with could?Find some of the apostrophes used in the book. Why is each one used?What double letters can you find?

Things to doWhere is it?Students refer to work sheet 1. They talk about the different places where the items were found. Praise students who use words like behind, on top of, under. Students fill in the missing words. Then they draw arrows that point to where each item was found.

Build a castleStudents work in pairs. They take a pile of building blocks or other construction materials. They place a barrier, such as a hard-cover book, between them. One student builds a castle using the blocks. As they place each block they give the direction to the other student. For example, Get a yellow block, put a blue block on top of the yellow block, put a green block next to the red block. The other student builds the castle by following directions but not looking at their friend’s castle. At the end, the barrier is removed and students see if their castles are identical.

Speech bubblesStudents use work sheet 2. They choose one of the characters. They draw them next to the mirror. Then they write the words to show what the character asked the mirror. Next, students draw a picture inside the mirror and they write the mirror’s reply.

The Queen’s MirrorBook 16 • Level 8 • Word Count 142High frequency words at, be, could, good, had, he, her, him, his, in, it, look, not, of, said, the, want, was, when, where, with

The Queen’s Mirror

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Where is it?Fill in the missing words.Draw an arrow to show where each thing was.

The Queen’s MirrorThe Queen’s Mirror

The Princess found her tiara ______________ her bed.

The Prince found the dragon _______________of the tower.

The Knight found his sword __________ the moat.

The cook found his mixing spoon ____________ the big barrels.

But, the Queen could not find the King.And the Queen could not find the mirror.

They were _____________________________________________Write your own answer.

in behind at the top under

Name

Date


Speech bubblesChoose a character. What did they ask the mirror?What did the mirror say?Write the words in the speech bubbles.

The Queen’s MirrorThe Queen’s Mirror

Work SheeT 2




Name Age Date

Text The Queen’s Mirror results


2 The Queen’s mirror knew where everything was. It was very good at finding things.

4 The Princess could not find her tiara. But the mirror knew exactly where it was. “Look under your bed,” said the mirror.

6 The Prince could not find his dragon. But the mirror knew exactly where it was. “Look at the top of the tower,” said the mirror.

8 The Knight could not find his sword. But the mirror knew exactly where it was. “Look in the moat,” said the mirror

10 The cook could not find his mixing spoon. But the mirror knew exactly where it was. “Look behind the big barrels,” said the mirror.

12 The Queen could not find the King. And the Queen could not find the mirror either!

14 The King had the Queen’s mirror. He always took it with him when he didn’t want to be found.


Head – factualWhat things did the mirror find?

Heart – personal interpretationHow do you feel when you lose something?

Hidden – inferentialWhy did the King want to stay hidden?



78

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Have you met this character in the Clinker Castle books?Who could he be?What do you think his personality will be like?Who do you think owns the castle on the cover?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doMy very best castleStudents draw or construct their ideal castle. They compare their castle to others in the classroom. They make comments like, This is the very best castle because it has the biggest tower/ widest door/ longest driveway.

VisualisingTurn off the lights. Students lie on their backs with their eyes closed. They imagine they are walking across the drawbridge and into the castle on the cover. Look around you, what do you see? Think about the sounds you might hear. Walk into another room and look and listen. Are there any smells you can smell? Imagine you see some stairs. Go and climb them. Look around, look up high and down low. Students continue on their journey through the castle. Afterwards, students discuss what they saw, heard and smelt in the castle.


And afterwardsQuestions to askHow does the Queen feel towards the guest?Should the Queen have changed everything to suit the guest?What are some words that describe the guest?How would you feel if someone criticised your home?Will the guest be invited back to stay at Clinker Castle?

Things to doThe Queen’s shopping listStudents write the Queen’s shopping list. They record it on work sheet 1. They start by writing the items listed in the story. Then they add extra items that will help the castle be the very best. Say: If the Queen orders bigger beds, will she need new sheets and covers too? She might need extra floating toys if the moat is wider.

Square or round?On chart paper, copy the table. Students record all the good and bad reasons for having differently-shaped plates.

good bad

round plates

square plates

.. and don’t come backStudents help the Queen write a letter to the guest. They use the sentence starters provided on work sheet 2 and they add more information of their choice.

The Very Best CastleBook 17 • Level 9 • Word Count 141High Frequency words a, about, at, came, come, from, had, have, he, I, is, just, my, no, now, one, other, said, the, to, very, was, what

The Very Best Castle

The Queen’s shopping listThe Queen wants her castle to be the best.Help her to write a shopping list.

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

The Very Best CastleThe Very Best Castle

Name

Date


… and don’t come back Help the Queen write a letter to the guest. Make sure she tells him not to come back!

Dear Guest,


Work SheeT 2


When you visited you told me

You made me feel

Please

Fromthe Queen of Clinker Castle.

Queen Belva



Name Age Date

Text The Very Best Castle results

Level 9 • Extract 112 Words


2 A guest came to stay at Clinker Castle. “I have just come from the very best castle,” he said. “I thought my castle was the best!” said the Queen.

4 “What was better about that castle?” asked the Queen. “The other castle had much bigger beds,” said the guest. The Queen ordered bigger beds.

6 “What else was better?” asked the Queen. “The other castle had square plates,” said the guest. The Queen ordered square plates.

8 “What else was better?” asked the Queen. “The other castle had taller towers,” said the guest. The Queen ordered taller towers.

10 “What else was better?” asked the Queen. “The other castle had a wider moat,” said the guest.


Head – factualWhat changes did the Queen make to her castle?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat do you like best about where you live?

Hidden – inferentialWas the guest polite?



82

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What sort of trouble could there be?What does the look on the King’s face tell us?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doTalk about things that cause trouble in the classroom or at home. Ask the students if they have ever been left out of adult activities. How did they feel?In small groups students discuss the types of activities they like to have at a party.


And afterwardsQuestions to askName four things that happened at the royal ball.How will the King and Queen calm the Prince down?On a scale of 1 to 10, how angry is the Prince?What would the other guests be saying?Why wasn’t the Prince invited?

Things to doDifferent wordsStudents use work sheet 1. They read the sentences aloud. Then they think of another word that could replace the underlined word. The word means the same and makes sense in the sentence. They write the new word in the space provided. Students use dictionaries to check their spelling.

Trouble at Clinker CastleStudents pretend to be newspaper reporters. They write a front page account of what has happened at the castle. They use work sheet 2. In the blank boxes, students draw ‘photographs’ and they add captions for each photograph. Students include eye-witness accounts.

The next ballStudents make a general invitation for everyone to attend another ball at Clinker Castle. They design it like a poster to be placed around the castle surrounds so that no one can say they were not invited.

royal TroubleBook 18 • Level 9 • Word Count 136High frequency words all, asked, begin, hands, his, I, in, let, said, the, to, why

royal Trouble

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

different wordsRead the sentence.Write another word to replace the one that is underlined.

All the guests gathered in the ballroom.

All the guests _____________ in the ballroom.

The King entered wearing his finest crown.

The King entered wearing his _____________ crown.

“Let the dancing begin,” said the Queen.

“Let the dancing _____________ ,” said the Queen.

“Let the games begin,” said the Princess.

“Let the games begin,” _____________ the Princess.

Angry footsteps thumped down the hall.

Angry footsteps _______________ down the hall.

royal Troubleroyal Trouble

Name

Date


Trouble at Clinker CastleYou are a news reporter who has been asked to write about the royal trouble. What would you write?

royal Trouble

Work SheeT 2

royal Trouble

Trouble aT The CasTle!DaTe: afTer The ball

Clinker Castle news




Name Age Date

Text royal Trouble results


2 All the guests gathered in the ballroom.

4 The King entered wearing his finest crown. “Let the music begin,” said the King. The King clapped his hands. Music filled the room.

6 The Queen entered wearing her finest gown. “Let the dancing begin,” said the Queen. The Queen clapped her hands. Dancing filled the room.

8 The Princess entered wearing her finest tiara. “Let the games begin,” said the Princess. The Princess clapped her hands. Games filled the room.

10 The Knight entered wearing his finest armour. “Let the fireworks being,” said the Knight. The Knight clapped his hands. Fireworks filled the sky.


Head – factualWhat special things happen at the party?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat would you wear to a party?

Hidden – inferentialWhy wasn’t the Prince invited?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Do you know any other stories about a frog and a princess, or another character?What is the frog sitting on?Why are there hearts in the clouds?What could the frog be thinking about?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doFrog squatCut out a circle of card and paint it red with white spots. Place this on the floor. Students take it in turns to squat on the ‘toadstool’ like the frog on the cover. They pretend they are the frog and they say “I’m feeling _________ because __________.”

Magic toadstoolsStudents imagine the toadstools are magic. Ask, ‘If you could make one wish, what would it be?’


And afterwardsQuestions to askWill the Princess stay a frog forever?What will she have to do to turn back into a Princess?Will the King and Queen recognise her as a frog?Did the Princess deserve to be turned into a frog?

Things to doHow to turn a Princess into a FrogStudents talk about a variety of ways that a frog could turn a Princess into a frog Princess. They record three of their ideas on work sheet 1.

The great and the horribleStudents imagine that after the frog Princess has calmed down, she starts to realise there are some benefits to being a frog princess rather than a regular princess. Students record on the table on work sheet 2 the great parts and the horrible parts of the two situations.

Turn back the timeStudents imagine the Princess has turned back the time and the Prince has asked her to choose the type of pet she would like to play with. Students role play the conversation between the Prince and the Princess.

The Frog PrincessBook 19 • Level 10 • Word Count 177High Frequency words a, and, are, around, as, can, do, he, her, his, I, into, is, more, new, not, over, said, see, she, than, the, to, too, want, what, who, with, you

The Frog Princess

86

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

How to turn a Princess into a frog

The frog has a book that tells him three ways to turn a Princess into a frog Princess.

The Frog PrincessThe Frog Princess

How to turn a princess into a frogonE WayWhat you need:

What you do:

anoTHEr WayWhat you need:

What you do:

and anoTHEr Way IF THE oTHEr TWo don’T WorKWhat you need:

What you do:

Name

Date


The great andthe horrible

Fill in the table.

The Frog Princess

Work SheeT 2

The Frog Princess

What’s great about being a …

What’s horrible about being a …

Princess

Frog Princess



Name Age Date

Text The Frog Princess results



2 The Princess wanted a pet to play with. The Prince gave her a frog.

4 “Frogs are not fun,” said the Princess. “This frog is different,” said the Prince.

6 “Let’s see who can swim the fastest,” said the frog to the Princess. “Too easy,” said the Princess. She raced the frog around the moat and won.

8 “Let’s see who can jump the highest,” said the frog. “Too easy,” said the Princess. She jumped twice as high as the frog and won.

10 “Let’s see who can catch the most flies,” said the frog. “Too easy,” said the Princess. She grabbed her brother’s flycatcher. She caught more flies than the frog and won.


Head – factualWhen did the Princess win?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat would be good about being a frog?

Hidden – inferentialTalk about other stories where people or things change.



90

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What is a challenge?What challenges might a King have?Point to the apostrophe. Why is it used?Have you met the characters on the cover in another Clinker Castle book?Where is this story set?What could happen in the forest?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doChallenge yourselfStudents challenge themselves to a series of tasks. Tasks might include: find ten words in the classroom that start with ‘ch’; jumble up the letters from ‘The King’s Challenge’ and see how many new words you can make; think of ten words that rhyme with king.

ChallengesStudents list characters from the Clinker Castle series. They discuss the challenges the King could give each of them.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat makes the beautiful Princess more special that the unicorn, the goblet and the falcon?What adjectives are used to describe the unicorn/ the goblet/ the falcon?Did the King want the Prince to find the Princess? What might happen next?

Things to doRoyal character studyStudents make a list of all the characters in the story. They write these in the space provided on work sheet 1. Then they answer the questions.

Nouns and adjectivesStudents use work sheet 2. They discuss nouns and adjectives. They think of examples and they find examples in the book. Then they fill in the spaces on the work sheet.

CongratulationsStudents design a special Clinker Castle award for the Prince. It states that the Prince has found the special treasure and is entitled to half the kingdom. Students sprinkle glitter on the award to make it sparkle.

The King’s ChallengeBook 20 • Level 10 • Word Count 162High Frequency words a, an, and, back, came, first, he, here, in, into, is, not, on, said, special, the, this, to, went, who, with

The King’s Challenge

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

royal character studyMake a list of all the characters in the book.

The King’s ChallengeThe King’s Challenge

Who:

• found a silver unicorn? ___________________________

• said“Butit’snotthespecialtreasure.”?___________________

• found a golden goblet? ___________________________

• found an emerald falcon? ___________________________

• found the special treasure? ___________________________

• madeaheartshapewiththeirtail?______________________

• waslyingonabedof flowers? __________________________

• said“Hereisthespecialtreasure.”?______________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

nouns and adjectivesFill in the gaps.Use the words in the boxes.

The King’s ChallengeThe King’s Challenge

Work SheeT 2

beautiful silver golden emerald special

thing naming describing

A noun is a ________________ word. It can be a person,

place or ______________.

An adjective is a ______________ word.

A ______________ treasure was hidden in the forest.

This ______________ unicorn is really rare.

This ______________ goblet is big and beautiful.

He came back with an ______________ falcon.

On a bed of flowers, he found a __________________ Princess.

Put a star next to the adjectives.Circle the nouns.

Name

Date





Name Age Date

Text The King’s Challenge results


2 A special treasure was hidden in the forest. “Half my kingdom to the one who can find the special treasure,” said the King.

4 The first knight rode into the forest. He came back with a silver unicorn. “This silver unicorn is really rare,” said the King. “But it’s not the special treasure.”

6 The second knight rode into the forest. He came back with a golden goblet. “This golden goblet is big and beautiful,” said the King. “But it’s not the special treasure.”

8 The third knight rode off into the woods. He came back with an emerald falcon. “This emerald falcon is wild and wonderful,” said the King. “But it’s not the special treasure.”

10 The Prince went into the forest to find the special treasure.


Head – factualWhat treasures did the knights find?

Heart – personal interpretationWhat is your special treasure?

Hidden – inferentialWhy are people more important than things?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What does ‘readers’ theatre’ mean? How is a readers’ theatre the same and different to a narrative?What do you know about knights?What do you know about dragons?What do you think the title means?Read the blurb. What clues does this give you about the book?

Things to doMake some simple propsStudents turn to pages 22 and 23 of the book. They read the instructions and they collect the materials they need. Then they make the horse, the crown, the sword and some knights and dragons.


And afterwardsQuestions to askShould Master Max tell anyone the truth about what happened when he found the dragon?How does Max say ‘I wish I was’ on page 9?Why doesn’t Max answer Sir Eric when he asks what he said?How are the dragon and the knight similar? How are they different?Does Max tell the truth on page 19? Why is his choice of words clever?

Things to doFeelingsStudents put themselves in Max’s position. They consider the feelings that he goes through. They write a response in each space on work sheet 1.

Knight certificateStudents look at a range of school certificates given for good behaviour or work. Then they design a certificate for the King to give to Max when he becomes a Knight of Clinker Castle. They do this on work sheet 2.

Knights and DragonsStudents make up their own game called Knights and Dragons. It can be a board game, a card game, a tag game or any type of game they think of. They write a list of rules and then explain their game to the remainder of the class.

The dragon KnightReaders’ Theatre 2

The dragon Knight

94

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Feelings

How does Master Max feel when:

• theKingtellsMaxhemustbattleadragon?

• Sir Eric tells Max that the finest horse is very brave?

• Max says, “I do wish I was brave”?

• Max sees the dragon and raises his sword?

• the dragon says, “I can’t stand swords”?

• the dragon suggests they play a game of Knights and Dragons?

• the King makes Max a Knight of Clinker Castle?

The dragon Knight readers’ TheatreThe dragon Knight readers’ Theatre

Name

Date


Knight certificateThe King wants to give Max a certificate to show that he is a Knight of Clinker Castle. Design one he can use.

The dragon Knight readers’ TheatreThe dragon Knight readers’ Theatre

Work SheeT 2

Congratulations

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Will this book be a narrative like many of the other Clinker Castle books?What type of book will it be?How will it be the same and different to other books you have read in the Clinker Castle set?What information might you find in this book?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doCastles, dragons and knightsStudents use work sheet 1. They use the library or Internet. They find out about five real castles. They write the name and they record the country where the castle is located. Next, they find as many words as possible that contain the word dragon. Examples include: dragonfly, dragon fish, dragon fruit, dragon tree, sea dragon. Finally they make a list of all the words they can think of that have a silent ‘k’.

SandcastlesStudents make sandcastles at the beach, in a sandpit or sand trough. They take photographs of their castles and they display these in the classroom.

While you're readingPrompts to rememberDoes that word make sense?Can you find a clue in the picture?Have you seen the word before/ on another page/ in our classroom?Does it look like another word you know?Do you recognise any part of that word?Can you chunk some of the sounds together?Try reading the sentence / page again.

And afterwards Questions to askLook at the castle on page 4. If the stones from its walls could talk, what stories might they tell?Will buildings built today last for 1 000 years? Why or why not?How long might the playground castle last?Have you ever played chess, or watched someone else play chess? What are some of the other pieces called?Talk about a sandcastle that you have made or would like to make.Would you like to be a knight in a jousting competition?Find two words on page 19 that have silent ‘k’s. What other words do you know have a silent letter?Why is a dragonfly called a dragonfly? Why is a dragon tree called a dragon tree?

Things to doCastles, castles, castlesStudents look at each picture on work sheet 2. They complete the sentence so it matches the picture.

Acrostic poemsStudents choose to write an acrostic poem about castles, knights or dragons. They use fancy letters to write the word down the left-hand side of the page. Then they use each letter to begin a word or a phrase about their topic.

Knights and CastlesKnights and CastlesNonfiction

97

Name

DateWork SheeT 1


Knights and Castles nonfictionKnights and Castles nonfiction

Castles, dragonsand knights

Use the library or the Internet.

1 Find the names of five real castles. Write the country they are in.

castle name country

2 Find some longer words or phrases that contain the word dragon. For example: dragon boat

3 Make a list of words that have silent ‘k’. For example: knight

Name

Date


Knights and Castles nonfictionKnights and Castles nonfiction

Work SheeT 2

Castles, castles, castlesFinish each sentence. Use these endings. Remember to include a full stop.

1 This castle ___________________________

_____________________________________

2 This castle ___________________________

_____________________________________

3 This castle ___________________________

_____________________________________

4 This castle ___________________________

_____________________________________

5 This castle ___________________________

_____________________________________

is not very old is more than 130 years oldcomes and goes was built last year

is almost 1 000 years old

Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Have you read about dragons in other stories?What do you know about dragons?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doDragon namesStudents brainstorm a list of names for a pet dragon.

My turn, your turnStudents sit opposite a partner. They take turns to say something they know about dragons. Students have three seconds to think of their response. They continue to take turns until one person cannot think of anything more to say. The other student is the winner.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWould you like to be friends with a dragon like Spike?If you were a dragon, what type of dragon would you be?Turn to page 16. What is Eric feeling on each of the pages from page 16 to the end of the book?How does Spike benefit from being a friendly dragon?

Things to doLet’s be friendly Students help Spike write a letter to the other dragons telling them how to be friendly. They use work sheet 1 to plan the letter. Students cross out the unnecessary words and then write an introduction and a final paragraph.

Same and differentStudents form small groups. They draw a same and different table.

Same Different

They write all the reasons why Spike is the same as other dragons. Then they write how he is different.

ApostrophesStudents discuss when apostrophes are used. They give examples of apostrophes used in contractions and of apostrophes used to show possession. Then they read work sheet 2. They mark in each apostrophe. They talk about why each apostrophe is necessary. Students check their work by referring to the book.

Spike the dragonBook 21 • Level 11 • Word Count 198

Spike the dragon

100

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

let’s be friendly Spike is writing a letter to tell the other dragons how to be friendly.Help Spike by crossing out some of the words. Then write the beginning and the ending of the letter for him.

Dear Dragons,

Spike the dragonSpike the dragon

Remember these things.Your cave should be dark and spooky / full of candles. Your cave should be clean and tidy /dusty and dirty. You should guard your treasure / polish and stack your treasure. You should eat knights / eat dinner with knights and then let them go. Be friendly / unfriendly.

Love from Spike.

Name

Date


apostrophesAdd apostrophes to these sentences. Trick — Some of the sentences do not need an apostrophe.

Spike the dragon was not like other dragons.

Other dragons caves were dark and spooky.

The blue dragons cave was very dark and very spooky.

Not Spikes cave!

Spikes cave was full of candles.

Other dragons caves were dusty and dirty.

The green dragons cave was very dusty and full of dirt.

Not Spikes cave!

Spikes cave was clean and tidy.

“I cant stand mess,” said Spike.

Spike the dragonSpike the dragon

Work SheeT 2



Name Age Date

Text Spike the dragon results

level 11 • Extract 115 Words


2 Spike the dragon was not like other dragons.

4 Other dragons’ caves were dark and spooky. The Blue dragon’s cave was very dark and very spooky.

6 Not Spike’s cave! Spike’s cave was full of candles. “The more light the better,” said Spike.

8 Other dragon’s caves were dusty and dirty. The green dragon’s cave was very dusty and full of dirt.

10 Not Spike’s cave! Spike’s cave was clean and tidy. “I can’t stand mess,” said Spike.

12 Other dragons guarded their treasure all day. The yellow dragon counted his treasure every day.

14 Spike did not lie around on his treasure all day. Spike polished his treasure and stacked it neatly into boxes. “I can’t stand mess,” said Spike.


Head – factualHow was Spike different from other dragons?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy would you like to live in Spike’s cave?

Hidden – inferentialHow would you describe Spike if he was a person?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Why might the Queen need a new crown?Where would a Queen get a new crown?If you were the Queen and you could choose a new crown, what type of crown would it be?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doIf I was the crown makerStudents sit in pairs. They pretend they are the royal crown makers. They discuss what they would use to make the Queen’s new crown. They discuss what the crown would look like and why they would use a particular design and materials. They sketch the crown on chart paper and add labels to show what each part would be made from.

My crownStudents use a selection of craft materials to make a crown. They wear their crown during reading activities, or for the day.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhy does the Queen call her crown ‘a crown of the kingdom’?Where do pearl divers find pearls?What sound does the ‘g’ make in the word ‘gem’?What sound does the ‘ph’ make in the word ‘sapphires’?How do you pan for gold?Which crown did you like best and why?

Things to doIt was just rightStudents use work sheet 1. They fill in the missing words from the text. They use the words from the box at the bottom of the page. Then they draw a picture to match each line of text.

Crown summariesStudents summarise the information about each crown. They record this on work sheet 2. Firstly, they refer to the example at the top of the page. Then, for each crown they ask, What was used to make it? Where did the materials come from? Who helped to get the materials? Why wasn’t the crown good enough? For the last crown they ask, Why was this crown the best?

Class voteDraw pictures of all the crowns on chart paper. Provide students with two different colours of sticky notes, eg red and purple. Students place their red sticky note next to the crown they like the best and they place their purple sticky note next to the crown they like the least. They discuss the results.

The Queen’s new CrownBook 22 • Level 12 • Word Count 279

The Queen’s new Crown

104

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

It was just rightFill in the gaps.Draw pictures to match.

The Queen’s new CrownThe Queen’s new Crown

gems plains feathers sea goldmountains pearls forest

The crown had ________________

from the ________________ ,

________________ from the

___________________ ,

_____________________ from the

forest and

__________________ from the

_________________.

Crown summariesFill in the details.

The Queen’s new CrownThe Queen’s new Crown

Work SheeT 2

What was used? pearls Where did they come from? the sea Who helped to get them? pearl diversWhy wasn’t the crown good enough? too round and too white

What WhereWhoWhy

What WhereWhoWhy

What WhereWhoWhy

What WhereWhoWhy

Name

Date




Name Age Date

Text The Queen’s new Crown results



2 The Queen’s old crown was broken. She needed a new one. The King asked the people to make the Queen a new crown.

4 The people who lived by the sea, talked to the pearl divers. The pearl divers found the best pearls in the sea.

6 The Queen tried on the round crown with lots of white pearls. “No, no, no,” said the Prince. “It is too round and too white.”

8 The people who lived on the mountain talked to the gem miners. The gem miners dug the best sapphires out of the mountain.

10 The Queen tried on the square crown with lots of gems. “No, no, no,” said the Princess. “Square is the wrong shape for a crown.”


Head – factualWhat was each crown made from?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy was the final crown a crown of the kingdom?

Hidden – inferentialWhy is square the wrong shape for a crown?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What does it mean to be brave?What brave things might knights do?Have you read other stories about brave knights? Would you like to be a brave knight? Why/ Why not?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doMimesStudents discuss the things that brave knights do. They sit in a circle. They take turns to mime something that a brave knight might do. The remaining students guess what they are doing.

Write your own adventure Students work independently or with a partner. They look at the cover of The Brave Knight. They imagine this is the cover for their own adventure. They plan a story called The Brave Knight. They think of a beginning, middle and an ending for a story. Later, they compare their idea to what happened in Lisa Thompson’s story.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat brave things did the Knight do?What was the bravest thing the Knight did?If 1 is ‘not very brave’ and 10 is ‘very brave’, how brave would you rank the Knight?What do you think the white horse thought/ did while the Knight was away?Look at the illustrations on pages 16 and 17. What makes the Knight so fast?Retell the adventure from the cat’s point of view.

Things to doThe Knight’s diary Students form groups of seven. (If seven is not possible, one student writes about more than one day.) Each student within the group is allocated one of the days from the Knight’s adventure. They are responsible for writing about this day in the diary. Students use work sheet 1. They make up days of the week or call each day ‘day 1’, ‘day 2’ etc. They remember to write from the Knight’s point of view. Later, the seven days are stapled together to make the complete Knight’s diary.

How brave was that?Students use work sheet 2. They read each sentence and they cut out the boxes. Students put the tasks into order from the bravest to the least brave. Then they compare their order to a friend’s. They discuss their differences.

Story mapOn a large piece of paper, students create a story map to show all the places the brave Knight went. They draw pictures of each place and they draw small footprints to show the direction the Knight travelled.

The Brave KnightBook 23 • Level 13 • Word Count 287

The Brave Knight

108

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

The Knight’s diary

The Brave KnightThe Brave Knight

Day:

Who I met:

What I did:

The day in detail:

How brave was that?Cut out each box.Put them in order from most brave to least brave.Talk about why you put them in this order.

Work SheeT 2

Rode through a thick forest and fought the black knight.

Played chess with a giant ogre.

Climbed along a crumbling cliff.

Paddled down raging rapids and out to sea.

Gave a sea monster singing lessons.

Swung on vines and chatted with monkeys.

Raced a lion through the valley.

Followed a map to find the X.

Name

Date


The Brave KnightThe Brave Knight



Name Age Date

Text The Brave Knight results



2 Eric the Knight was looking for adventure. He rode out of the castle on his white horse.

4 On the first day, he rode through a thick forest. He saw a black knight. The black knight charged at him. Eric fought the black knight and won.

6 On the second day, Eric met a giant ogre. The ogre challenged him to a game of chess. Eric played a clever game of chess.

8 On the third day, Eric came to the end of the road. He left his horse. Eric climbed along a crumbling cliff. Eric was very brave. He did not look down.

10 On the fourth day, Eric came to a river. He made a raft and paddled down the raging rapids. Eric sailed all the way out to sea.


Head – factualWhat did Eric do on each day of his adventure?

Heart – personal interpretationHow could you show that you are brave?

Hidden – inferentialHow did Eric show that he was brave?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What sort of person do you think the Prince of Horrors will be?Have you ever heard anyone described as a ‘little horror’? Who said it and why did they say it?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doPlaying princeStudents imagine they are the Prince and that they live at Clinker Castle. They talk about what they would do when they invited friends over to play. They discuss what they would eat, what they would play with and who they would invite over.

SimilesDiscuss the use of similes. Explain that similes use the words like or as to compare two things. Students sit in a circle. Provide simile starters such as ‘as tall as ____’ or ‘as noisy as _______’. Students take turns to provide appropriate endings. Students think of similes to describe a child having a tantrum or someone sitting at a table and gobbling up their food. They use the word like. How would you finish this simile, ‘He looks like a _______.’? Tell students to watch out for similes while they read Prince of Horrors.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWould you get along with Prince Wilson? Why/ Why not?Do you know anyone like Prince Wilson? On page 6, why is ‘he looked like a gorilla’, such a good way to describe Prince Wilson?Discuss the use of similes. Find some more similes in the book. On page 16, why is each apostrophe used?If Prince Wilson is asked to play at the castle again, how do you think he will behave?

Things to doAll in orderStudents use work sheet 1. They read each sentence and they focus on the order in which events happened in the book. They think of something that happened between each sentence and they write it in the space provided.

The King’s ordersPrince Axel wants to ask Prince Wilson to play at the castle again. The King makes a list of rules that Prince Wilson must agree to obey. Students help him to write them. They use work sheet 2.

Well, Queen Belva, it was like this…Students work in groups of three or four. They role-play Queen Belva coming to collect Prince Wilson from the King’s castle. One student plays the King who tells Queen Belva all about her son’s behaviour.

Book 24 • Level 14 • Word Count 326

The Prince of HorrorsThe Prince of Horrors

112

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

all in orderThe Prince of Horrors

Queen Belva waves goodbye to Prince Wilson.

Prince Wilson slouches around the games room like a gorilla.

Prince Wilson eats everything in the kitchen.

Prince Wilson goes into the garden.

Prince Axel cries, ‘Stop!’

Prince Wilson yells, ‘Heeeeeeelllllllllllpppppppp!’

Prince Wilson falls to the ground.


Prince Wilson must obey these rules:

1 No saying ‘Humph!’

2

3

4

5

6

Signed:

I promise to obey these rules:

Witness:

The King’s ordersPrince Axel wants Prince Wilson to come and play again. Help the King to write some rules that Prince Wilson must obey.

Work SheeT 2


Prince Wilson

Prince Axel

The King

The King’s Orders

Name

Date




Name Age Date

Text The Prince of Horrors results

Level 14 • Extract 122 words


2 Prince Wilson came to play. “Be good my little treasure,” said his mother, as she waved goodbye. “I’ll do what I like,” said Prince Wilson.

4 “What do you want to do?” asked Prince Axel. “I’d like to ride your dragon,” said Prince Wilson. “No-one can ride my dragon but me,” said Prince Axel. “The King has said so.” “Humph!” said Prince Wilson.

6 Prince Wilson slouched around the games room. He looked like a gorilla. Prince Axel giggled.

8 “I need to ride your dragon,” said Prince Wilson. “No-one can ride my dragon but me,” said Prince Axel. “That’s the King’s order.” “Humph!” said Prince Wilson.

10 Prince Wilson ate everything in the kitchen. He looked like a pig at a trough. Prince Axel chuckled.


Head – factualWhat does Prince Wilson complain about?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy do we need to follow rules?

Hidden – inferentialWhat makes Prince Wilson look like a gorilla?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doCatalogueImagine a catalogue made for the Clinker Castle household – The Royal Catalogue.What special things would be in the catalogue.What sorts of clothes might be in the catalogue?


And afterwardsQuestions to askDoes the pink and purple outfit suit the Princess?If you were the Princess, which outfit would you have chosen?What job does a tailor do?How is a tailor’s job different to a Fairy Godmother of Wardrobes’ job?If a Fairy Godmother of Wardrobes flew out of your wardrobe, what would you ask her?

Things to doFairy Godmother of Wardrobes wandStudents start with a straw. They cut a star shape from card and then they decorate it to make a wand. They attach the star to the straw and make up spells around the classroom.

What am I wearing?Students use work sheet 1. They cut out the labels and stick them on the page. Add arrows to link each label to each garment. Students then draw an extra piece of clothing onto each character. Label these too.

New ending Students turn to page 15. They discuss what they originally thought was going to happen when they turned the page. They write a new ending for the story on work sheet 2.

Perfectly PrincessBook 25 • Level 15 • Word Count 322

Perfectly Princess

116

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

What am I wearing?Cut out the labels. Use the words to label the clothes. Give each character one more piece of clothing. Label it too.

Perfectly PrincessPerfectly Princess

dress tiara shoes belt

pants shirt bracelet shoes

Name

Date


new ending Write another ending for the story.

“It’s hopeless,” said the Princess.“I can’t go to the ball.”There was a knock from inside her wardrobe.“Let me out!” said a voice from inside.

What happened next?

And then what happened?

What happened at the end?

Perfectly Princess

Work SheeT 2

Perfectly Princess



Name Age Date

Text Perfectly Princess results



2 Princess Daisy was growing fast. She had grown too tall for her ball gown. Her feet were now too big for her shoes. Her tiara was now too small for her head.

4 “I have nothing to wear to the ball!” cried Princess Daisy Boo. “Nothing fits me anymore.” “I could lend you one of my suits of armour,” said the Knight.

6 The Princess tried on the Knight’s suit of armour. “I don’t think this is quite me,” she said.

8 “You can wear one of my dresses,” said the Queen. The Princess looked through the Queen’s wardrobe. There were hundreds of dresses. “I don’t think anything here is quite me,” she said.

10 “My tailors can make you something,” said the King. He ordered his tailors to make something for the Princess to wear. The Princess frowned.


Head – factualWhy does the Princess have nothing to wear to the ball?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy do people dress up for special occasions?

Hidden – inferentialWhat does the Princess mean when she says, “I don’t think this is quite me”.



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What is a mix-up?What happens when you mix up cake ingredients?What could a royal mix-up involve?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doRoyal mix-upStudents use work sheet 1. They start by rearranging the letters to make the names of characters from Clinker Castle: princess, queen, prince, knight, king, cook, Fang, dragon. Then they rearrange the letters in the next lot of words to make new words. They start by making three letter words and then they try to make longer words.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhat far-off land could the guests have come from?What feelings would the King and Queen have when they realised what had happened?On page 14, who would be part of the ‘royal staff’? What does the donkey think about the situation?

Things to doZoodipStudents retell the story from the guests’ point of view.

Role playStudents form groups of four. Each student is one of the following characters: King, Queen, King from the far-off land, Queen from the far-off land. They pretend that they are having dinner and the King and Queen are talking about the mix-up. The King and Queen from the far-off land ask questions. Each group is timed. They try to maintain the conversation for three minutes.

Post card Students imagine that the guests are home and they decide to write to the King and Queen. Students design the front of the post card. They remember that post cards usually show a view from where they are sent. Then, on the back, they write a letter that the guests might write to the King and Queen.

The royal Mix-upBook 26 • Level 16 • Word Count 311

The royal Mix-up

120

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

royal mix-upThe letters in these words have been mixed up.Rearrange them to make the names of characters from Clinker Castle. sspinrceneeuqrncpeigtiknhgiknkocogfnaodgnar

Mix-up the letters in these words to make more words.Example: trumpet – met, pet, put, rut

Clinker Castle

Spike the Dragon

Royal family

The royal Mix-upThe royal Mix-up

Name

Date


PostcardWhen the guests get home they write a postcard to the King and Queen. Draw the front of the postcard.What would they write on the back?

The royal Mix-up

Work SheeT 2

The royal Mix-up

Clinker Castle

ZZ




Name Age Date

Text The royal Mix-up results


2 Clinker Castle was expecting guests. A King and Queen from a far-off land were coming to stay. The trumpets sounded. “This must be them,” said the Queen.

4 “Welcome,” said the King to the guests. “Make yourselves at home. Our castle is your home while you are here.” “Zoodip,” said the guests. “Zoodip,” said the Queen and King.

6 The royal butler led the guests to the dining hall for lunch. The guests sat under the table and painted themselves with food.

8 “That must be how they eat in their far-off land,” said the King. “We should try it too, in case they invite us for a visit,” said the Queen.

10 The King, Queen and Knight took the guests riding in the forest. The guests sat on their horses backwards pointing to the sky.


Head – factualWhat strange habits did the special guests have?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy do the King and Queen change their behaviour?

Hidden – inferentialHow should you behave when you are a guest?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What is the King doing?Is the King happy? Why might he be worried?What do people do with keys?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doKey rubbingsStudents look at a variety of keys. They discuss which ones could be keys to a castle. They place the keys under a piece of paper and they rub different coloured crayons across the top of them. They move the keys around so that each rubbing slightly overlaps the others.

Royal keyStudents use clay or plasticine to make a key. They imagine they have the job of making the front-door key to Clinker Castle. Later they decorate the key by painting or adding small sequins or other items.


And afterwardsQuestions to askLook at page 3. How does the King tell the time?If you were the King and lost your keys, how would you get into the castle?What does the light globe mean on page 6?

Things to doStory mapStudents construct a story map to show each step of the text. They use work sheet 1. They read the captions and draw a picture to match.

Punctuate itStudents revise the names and purposes of punctuation marks. On work sheet 2 they match each punctuation mark to its name. Then they fill in the missing punctuation marks in the passages. At the end of each passage, students find brackets showing the punctuation marks that are missing. They check their answers with the text in the book.

A wild beast!Students draw an outline of the King on paper. They use collage techniques to cover the King with leaves and mud (brown paint splodges). Then, they stick on real leaves or cut and paste coloured paper.

Keys to the CastleBook 27 • Level 17 • Word Count 372

Keys to the Castle

124

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Story mapDraw pictures to match each step of the story.

Keys to the CastleKeys to the Castle

at the castle doorover the tower

through the pigpen

across the garden

short cut through

the henhousein the dining room

Name

Date


Punctuate itDraw a line from each punctuation mark to its name.

full stopcommaspeech marksquestion markexclamation mark

Add in the missing punctuation marks.

How will I get in said the KingI can’t be late for dinner

Oink Oink Oink squeaked the pigsThey wanted him to stay and play

Not now Fang said the King I can’t belate for dinner

Help Help the Princess criedIt’s a wild beast yelled the PrinceI shall catch it and throw it in the dungeon

Keys to the CastleKeys to the Castle

Work SheeT 2

“ ” “ ” “ ” ! ! ! . . .

“ ”

?

.!

,

. . ? “ ” “ ”

“ ” ! ! ! . .

“ ” “ ” , . .



Name Age Date

Text Keys to the Castle results



2 It was late when the King came home from hunting. The castle doors were closed. He was locked out. The King had promised he would not be late for dinner. The Queen liked the family to all be on time for dinner.

4 “Oh dear,” said the King. “I must have left my keys in my other cloak.” The King knocked on the door. No-one answered. He yelled out. No-one came.

6 “How I will get in?” said the King. “I can’t be late for dinner.” The King built a tower out of old boxes. He began to climb.

8 The King was afraid but he climbed higher and higher. The King climbed to the top of the castle wall. “I can’t be late for dinner,” said the King.

10 The only way down was to jump. The King jumped down from the castle wall. He landed in the muddy pigpen. “Oink! Oink! Oink!” squeaked the pigs.


Head – factualWhich animals did the King meet and what do the animals do?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy does the Queen want everyone to be home for dinner?

Hidden – inferentialWhy do they think the King is a wild beast?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What smaller word can you see in ‘horse’?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doAct it outTalk about what characters students have pretended to be. Students might have dress-ups or costumes of their favourites. Do they act differently when they are 'in character'? What are some of the ways they act differently? Divide students into groups and have each group become an animal, for example groups of horses, dogs, cats, mice. Fantastic changesAsk students if they know of other stories where a character changes from one thing to another. Make a list of characters and how they changed. Some examples include frog into prince, Sleeping Beauty, characters in the Wizard of Oz, Shrek and Beauty and the Beast.


And afterwardsQuestions to askHow does each character try to help Prince Axel?What ingredients would Princess Daisy put in her grass milkshake potion?What eventually broke the spell?If you were the best doctor in the land, what would you have suggested?

Things to doGrass milkshake potionStudents devise a grass milkshake potion for Princess Daisy Boo to give to Prince Axel. They use the outline on work sheet 1 to help them.

Special medical bookStudents discuss the role of the best doctor in the land. They talk about a special medical book that he might consult when he comes across interesting situations like a Prince who thinks he’s a horse. They use work sheet 2. They find the definitions for the words ‘remedies’ and ‘symptoms’. Then, they fill in the spaces using information from the book as well as their imaginations.

SpellsStudents reread the spell on page 8. They make up some more rhyming spells of their own.

The Horse PrinceBook 28 • Level 18 • Word Count 371

The Horse Prince

128

Name

DateWork SheeT 1

Grass milkshake potionHelp Princess Daisy Boo write her grass milkshake potion.

What you need:

What you do:1

2

3

4

What will happen to anyone who drinks it:

What it looks like:

The Horse PrinceThe Horse Prince

Copyright © Blake Publishing 2007 129

Name

Date


Special medical bookPrince Axel thinks he is a horse.The best doctor in the land consults his medical book to solve the problem.What would it say?

The Horse PrinceThe Horse Prince

Work SheeT 2

Problem: Prince who thinks he is a horseSymptoms: trots on hands and kneesremedies tried by family:

How to fix it:



Name Age Date

Text The Horse Prince results



2 When Prince Axel woke up, he didn’t feel at all normal. He trotted outside on his hands and knees. He ate some grass. Prince Axel didn’t talk. He neighed like a horse.

4 The King and Queen were upset. They sent for the best doctor in the land. “Prince Axel is under a horse spell,” said the doctor. “I need to find a way to break the spell.”

6 Princess Daisy Boo made a grass milkshake potion. The Prince drank it down. “That should break the spell,” said the Princess. It did not. Prince Axel ate more grass.

8 The Princess got her wishing brush. She brushed her brother’s hair while saying a wish. “Horse be gone Brother back. Make it quick With this brush tap.” “That should break the spell,” she said

10 The Queen bought four lucky horseshoes. She put them on Prince Axel’s hands and feet.


Head – factualHow did they try to cure Prince Axel?

Heart – personal interpretationWhy did his family go to so much trouble?

Hidden – inferentialWhat broke the spell?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What sound does the c make in the word ‘prince’?Where would you look for a lost prince?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doWake up!Students work in small groups. One is the Prince who is fast asleep. The others think of novel ways that they can wake him up. Each group acts out their methods to the rest of the class.

X marks the spotStudents discuss the places that surround Clinker Castle. They refer to this as the kingdom. Then they draw a map of the kingdom. They put an X where the lost Prince might be.


And afterwardsQuestions to askWhere could the strange mist on page 2 have come from?

Things to doLOST!Students use work sheet 1 to make a lost poster. They include information such as what Prince Axel looks like, where he was last seen, what he was last wearing and who to contact when he is found. Students remember to include a large, clear picture of Prince Axel.

Tell it againStudents sit with a partner and retell, in their own words, as much of the story as possible. They take work sheet 2, cut out the sentences and place them on another sheet of paper. Between each sentence they write what happened in the story. They use their own words rather than copying the text. Then, they paste the sentences in place and read their retelling aloud.

Grammar at Clinker CastleStudents revise nouns, verbs and adjectives. They work in small groups. On a large sheet of chart paper they write three headings: nouns, verbs, adjectives. They reread the book. They write a list of each type of word under the headings. They compare their results with other groups.

The lost PrinceBook 29 • Level 19 • Word Count 471

The lost Prince

132

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

loST!Design a lost poster to help find Prince Axel.

The lost PrinceThe lost Prince

looks like:

last seen:

Please contact:

Name

Date


Tell it againRetell the story of The Lost Prince in your own words.Use the sentences to help you.

1 Cut out the sentences. 2 Place them onto a larger sheet of paper leaving space

between each one. 3 Write your own words between each sentence. 4 Paste the sentences onto the page.

The lost PrinceThe lost Prince

Work SheeT 2

One day …

One poor fishing girl thought of looking in the sea …

The mermaid woke the Prince three more times …

The Prince’s bed suddenly rose up and the girl hopped on.The bed raced out of the cave and across the sea …

When they reached land the storm stopped …

The Prince and the fishing girl were friends_______ _______ _______ .



Name Age Date

Text The lost Prince results



2 One day the Prince was in the forest. A strange mist blew on him and he disappeared. The King and Queen were very sad. “We will give half our kingdom to whoever finds our Prince Axel.”

4 People searched for the Prince up mountains, down valleys, across the wilderness and through forests.

6 One poor fishing girl thought of looking in the sea. She asked all her sea friends for help. “I have seen him,” said the whale. “I know where he is.” “Can you take me there?” asked the girl. “I can,” said the whale. The girl hopped on the whale’s back. He took her to an underwater cave.

8 Inside the cave, the Prince was asleep on a bed of seaweed. There was strange writing on the wall. The girl shook the Prince. She called out his name. She pinched him and she even kissed him. The Prince did not wake up.

10 The girl heard someone coming. She hid behind a rock. A mermaid came in and whistled loudly. Two singing crabs flew in and woke the Prince.


Head – factualWhat did the fisher girl do to try to wake the Prince?

Heart – personal interpretationHow does the mermaid feel?

Hidden – inferentialWhat special power do the crabs have?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What would stop a princess from laughing?What would make her laugh again?What letters make the /f/ sound in laugh?Read the blurb.What clues does this give you about the story?

Things to doMake me laughStudents sit opposite a partner. One student is the Princess/ Prince. They must sit and try not to laugh. Their partner does whatever they can to make them smile and then laugh. Students remember not to touch each other.

What’s funny?Students brainstorm all the things that make them laugh. They think of things they see, smell, feel and hear.


And afterwardsQuestions to askHas anyone ever imitated you when you were angry? How did it make you feel?When did you last laugh out loud?What happens to the different parts of your body when you have a really good laugh?What simile is used on page 16?What happened in the introduction of this story?What was the problem/ the climax?How did it end?

Things to doSomething’s missingStudents use work sheet 1. They revise what they know about verbs. Then, they complete the passage by filling in the missing verbs.

Joke bookEach student makes one page in a class joke book by writing their favourite joke and illustrating it. The pages are stapled together and a cover is made. The book is placed in the reading area of the classroom.

Thanks a lotStudents imagine they are the King. They write a thankyou letter to the boy. They use work sheet 2 to help them plan their letter.

The Princess Won’t laughBook 30 • Level 20 • Word Count 440

The Princess Won’t laugh

136

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

Something’s missingFill in the missing verbs.

The Princess Won’t laugh The Princess Won’t laughThe Princess Won’t laugh The Princess Won’t laugh

sat screwed folded sighed yawned giggledsighed frowned rolled

The young boy ________________ at the Princess.

He ________________ next to her and did everything she did.

He ________________ his eyes, ________________ his arms

and looked bored.

He ________________ up his face and ________________

so much his face got new creases.

He ________________ so widely his mouth looked like a tunnel.

He ________________ so loudly the ghosts in the hall

_______________ back!

Thanks a lotHelp the King write a thankyou letter to the boy.

Work SheeT 2

Address: _________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

Date: _______________

Dear _______________ ,

As a reward, _______________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

_________________________________

________________________________

Thanks a lot.

From

___________________________

Name

Date


The Princess Won’t laughThe Princess Won’t laugh



Name Age Date

Text The Princess Won’t laugh results



2 The King and Queen were worried. The Princess had not laughed in months. The King asked for help.

4 The funniest people in the kingdom lined up at the castle gates. One by one they came into the royal hall. Each one tried to make the Princess laugh.

6 The Princess liked animals, so the first man told animal jokes. “What do you call a sheep with no legs?” he asked the Princess. The Princess shrugged. “A cloud!” All the people in the hall laughed, but not the Princess. She just rolled her eyes.

8 The man tried again. “What do cows like to dance to?” The Princess shrugged. “Any kind of mooosic you like!” All the people in the hall laughed, but not the Princess. She folded her arms and looked bored.

10 The Princess liked mermaids, so a woman came in and told mermaid jokes. “Why was the mermaid embarrassed?” The princess shrugged. “Because she saw the big ship’s bottom!”


Head – factualHow did the Princess respond to the funny people?

Heart – personal interpretationHow do you stop yourself from feeling grumpy?

Hidden – inferentialWhy is it good to be able to laugh at yourself?



Before you readQuestions to askLook at the cover.What can you see?What words do you recognise?Read the title.What does ‘readers’ theatre’ mean? How is a readers’ theatre the same and different to a narrative?If something is your finest, what does this mean?How would you judge the finest shoes in the kingdom?Read the blurb. What clues does this give you about the book?

Things to doMake some simple propsStudents turn to pages 22 and 23 of the book. They read the instructions and they collect the materials they need. Then they make the shoe, the crown and the mask.


And afterwardsQuestions to askHow do you think the frog came to lose her shoe near the moat in the first place?What simile does the Queen use to describe how her foot feels in the shoe?What lesson does the Queen learn?If the Queen could ‘turn back the clock’, how would she change things?What would the King feel about having a frog for a Queen?

Things to doMessage to the kingdomStudents help Sir Eric design a poster that lets everyone in the kingdom know the Queen’s wishes. They use work sheet 1.

Shoes Fit for a Queen The royal shoe shop is called ‘Shoes Fit for a Queen’. Students imagine other fine shoes that the Queen might like. They discuss what these shoes might be made of, what they would look like and any fancy features the shoes might have. Then they draw and label the shoes on the Shoes Fit for a Queen shelves on work sheet 2.

Finest shoesStudents decorate their shoes using a variety of craft materials. They use stickers, sequins, pipe cleaners, bows and any other materials that allow them to continue to walk safely and that will not damage their shoes when they are removed.

The Finest Shoes in the KingdomReaders’ Theatre 3

The Finest Shoes in the Kingdom

140

Name

Date


Work SheeT 1

The Finest Shoes in the Kingdom The Finest Shoes in the Kingdom readers’ TheatreThe Finest Shoes in the Kingdom The Finest Shoes in the Kingdom readers’ Theatre

Message to the kingdomThe Queen tells Sir Eric to send a message to everyone in the kingdom. She wants anyone who has lost a shoe to take the other one to the palace. Help Sir Eric to design some posters to spread the message.

Name

Date


‘Shoes Fit for a Queen’Draw some more shoes that would be fit for the Queen. Label any special parts of the shoes.

Work SheeT 2

The Finest Shoes in the Kingdom readers’ TheatreThe Finest Shoes in the Kingdom readers’ Theatre

The Finest Shoes in the Kingdom readers’ TheatreThe Finest Shoes in the Kingdom readers’ Theatre


Class

STorYLANDS Clinker Castle

Wha

t’s in

the

Lak

e?

A R

oyal

Pic

nic

The

Que

en’s

Big

Que

st

The

Shin

ing

Knig

ht

Roya

l Fav

ourit

es

The

Roya

l Mes

sage

The

Nau

ghty

Prin

ce

Shop

ping

The

Forg

etfu

l Prin

cess

Knig

ht T

rain

ing

Cast

le L

ife

The

Red

Knig

ht

The

Surp

rise

Prin

ce

Who

is in

the

Tow

er?

The

Hun

gry

Hou

nd

Catc

h a

Dra

gon

name

Class record Sheet


Class

STorYLANDS Clinker Castle

The

Que

en’s

Mirr

or

The

Very

Bes

t Ca

stle

Roya

l Tro

uble

The

Frog

Prin

cess

The

King

’s Ch

alle

nge

Knig

hts

and

Cast

les

Spik

e th

e D

rago

n

The

Que

en’s

New

Cro

wn

The

Brav

e Kn

ight

The

Prin

ce o

f Hor

rors

Perfe

ctly

Prin

cess

The

Roya

l Mix

-up

Keys

to

the

Cast

le

The

Hor

se P

rince

The

Lost

Prin

ce

The

Prin

cess

Won

’t La

ugh

name

Class record Sheet

Teaching Guide - assets.readingeggsassets.com · The Dragon Knight 94 Knights and Castles...

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