What and Why?
Stories provide an ideal focus and context for English and, at the same time serve to broaden the children's view of the world and their place in it. Firstly, the language of the story is presented in a recognisable situation and allows for the natural recycling of language. Secondly, stories provide an excellent opportunity for extensive listening. Thirdly, stories also allow children to identify with the place - or setting - through visual clues which combine fantasy and reality.
Practical ideas
- Before listening to the story ask the children to look closely at the pictures so they can have a rough idea of what happens. They can then close their books and listen to the story without reading the text.
- When they have heard the story once, ask a few questions in MT to check that they have understood. These can be more 'open' rather than 'closed' questions to allow children the opportunity to think of individual responses, for example, Would you like to have a Time Travel Clock? Would you like to see Zenna's planet?
- There are thirteen episodes of the story in Primary Colours 4 (one in the Welcome! unit and two in each of the following six units). Try to plan some different ways for the pupils to approach the pictures and text. You could ask pupils to listen to the story sometimes with their books open and sometimes with their books closed; read the text sometimes before hearing the story and sometimes afterwards; read the story out loud to each other in pairs before or after listening to the recording. Alternatively, you could read the story to them yourself before playing the recording.
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