On Sudden Hill by Linda Sarah and Benji Davies (Simon and Schuster 2014)
Birt and Etho are best friends. They spend hours together playing on Sudden Hill, making marvellous contraptions out of
cardboard boxes. Then one day a new boy, Shu, arrives. He wants to join them. Can two become three? Birt isn’t sure.
Eaten up with jealousy, he goes home and refuses to come out to play. Until Etho and Shu come to his house with the
most marvellous cardboard contraption so far...
A compelling story about friendship and accepting someone new.
Overall learning aims of this teaching sequence.
 To engage children with a story with which they will empathise;
 To explore, develop and sustain ideas through talk;
 To explore and interpret stories through creative activity including play, art, drama and drawing;
 To write for meaning and purpose in a variety of narrative and non-narrative forms.
This teaching sequence is designed for a Nursery or Reception class.
Overview of this teaching sequence.
This teaching sequence is approximately 2-3 weeks long if spread out over a series of sessions.
The book supports teachers to teach about emotional response to narrative fiction. The narrative structure is carefully
crafted to be thought-provoking and the characters and settings are well drawn, offering young readers a good model for
their own role play, experimentation and to structure writing to record and enhance their play.
Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework 2012:
Prime Area: Communication and Language
Specific Area: Literacy
Listening and attention:
Reading:
Listen attentively in a range of situations;
Read and understand simple sentences;
Listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to
Use phonic knowledge to decode regular words
what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions;
and read them aloud accurately;
Give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately,
Read some common irregular words;
while engaged in another activity.
Demonstrate understanding when talking with
Understanding:
others about what they have read.
Follow instructions involving several ideas or actions;
Writing:
Answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in
Use phonic knowledge to write words in ways
response to stories or events;
which match their spoken sounds;
Speaking:
Write some irregular common words.
Express themselves effectively, showing awareness of
Write simple sentences which can be read by
listeners’ needs;
themselves and others.
Use past, present and future forms accurately when
Spell some words correctly and make
talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the
phonetically plausible attempts at others.
future;
Develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or
events.
Cross Curricular Links:
Understanding the World:
 Children can learn an immense amount about the world by being supported to carry out their own ideas, such as:
building dens and shelters, creating moving vehicles using wheels, elastic bands and balloons, shooting ‘rockets’
into the air, enabling creatures to move their jaws or limbs, recreate familiar settings such as kitchens, bedrooms
and front rooms.
Expressive Arts and Design:
 Children will have lots of opportunity to realise the box of their imagination using artwork and creativity. They will
benefit from the provision to explore a range of resources and techniques to transform boxes into something
else, modifying their work and collaborating over a sustained period of time.
Physical Development:
 Children can create obstacle courses using a range of large boxes alongside complementary equipment.
 Children will have opportunity to employ a range of grand and fine motor movements when creating and playing
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
with boxes.
Mathematics:
 Children will have lots of opportunity to measure length, estimate number, group equipment into sensible
amounts and count things like pieces of tape whilst transforming boxes.
 Children can double the number of resources when creating something with two boxes.
 Children can practice sharing out sweets and refreshments between two, three or more friends.
 Children can count in twos, sing songs like ‘The Animals went in Two-by-two’ and explore pairs of things around
them.
Ideas for Continuous Provision:
Mark making/ writing
 Provide ample opportunity for the children to make marks, draw and write on the boxes themselves when
transforming them into something new.
 Children can write notes, messages, labels and captions for their boxes or as part of box play.
 Children can be supported to write instructions for creating, e.g. a piano, a racing car, a kitchen from boxes.
Small world play:
 Small world play can be created within or from the boxes themselves, e.g. a car track drawn inside a large shallow
tray, or miniature furniture built with tiny boxes, housed inside a larger ‘home’ box
 Storyboxes could be created housing key elements of the story setting and characters with which the children can
explore and storymake.
Create box play resource boxes, one kit for the adults and one for the children.
Adults’ Kit may include….
 knives and sharp scissors
 junior hacksaw
 borer
 rubber coated garden wire
 cable ties
 basic first aid kit (just in case)
Children’s Kit may include….
 scissors
 balls of string
 raffia, ropes, string, wool, elastic bands
 double sided sticky tape
 masking tape
 glue
 pegs
 ribbons, play silks and scarves
 fabric of varying sizes including a scrap bag
 old sheets
 picnic blanket
 carpet squares
 cushions
 garden mesh
 paper
 junk – transparent containers, cartons, yoghurt pots, bottles, cardboard tubes, smaller boxes and containers
 chunky playground chalk, markers, pencils, charcoal
 paints, inks, stamps and brushes
 sticks or leafy branches
Teaching Approaches:
Reading aloud and re-reading
Role Play and Drama - Freeze Frame
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
Writing Outcomes:
Shared Journal
Call and Response Poetry
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
Visualising
Poetry
Speech/Thought Bubbles
Caption writing
Notes in role
Diary entries
Weblinks:
 The Booksniffer Blog (for insights into the making of the book from the author and illustrator):
http://booksniffingpug.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/on-sudden-hill-interview-with-its.html
 ‘This is not a Box’ by Antoinette Portis book trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KXuBcdmktY
 Rainy scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoSridCnqN8 (from 0.55)
All weblinks last accessed September 2014
Resources
Images of the characters for the Line of Emotion
Teaching Sessions
Before beginning this book:
 Collect together a selection of cardboard boxes in a variety of shapes, sizes. Try to get hold of oversized ‘white
goods’ boxes as they are perfect for constructing dens and for larger projects, as well as being similar to those
in the book. If possible involve the children in the collection of their boxes so that their box constructions can
start from the very beginning.
 Prepare a large class journal and working wall in which to record the children’s responses to the story.
 Prepare ‘Birt’s diary’ including a few early entries in which to add further entries as his story unfolds.
 Display a range of texts in the reading areas, inside and out, that pertain to box play, open ended play, or deal
with friendship or emotional issues, such as:
- ‘The Cardboard Box’ by Roger Priddy
- ‘Not a Box’ by Antoinette Portis
- ‘The Nowhere Box’ by Sam Zupardi, ‘Press Here’ by Herve Tullet
- ‘Cheer up your Teddy Bear Emily Brown’ by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton
- ‘Not Now Bernard’ or any of the ‘Elmer’ series by David McKee
- ‘My Best BEST Friend’ by Lauren Child
- ‘Friends’ by Eric Carle, ‘Croc and Bird’ by Alexis Deacon
- ‘Sylvia and Bird’ or ‘Iris and Isaac’ by Catherine Rayner.
Introducing the book: Explore an Illustration
 Children can use talk to connect ideas, explain what is happening and anticipate what might happen next.
 Without sharing the front cover of the book, introduce Birt and Etho through the illustration on the title
page as they climb over the gate. Cover the text so that children respond only to the picture. Allow children
time to look and respond to what they can see and what they think they know about them. Scribe ideas in
the shared journal around a copy of the picture.
 Discuss why they have two boxes. What do you think they might do with them? Collate ideas to scribe in
the class journal.
Exploring Vocabulary
 Children build up vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experiences
 Children develop their own explanations by connecting ideas
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Read aloud or watch the trailer to ‘This is not a Box’ by Antoinette Portis:
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KXuBcdmktY
Talk about the children’s own experiences of boxes.
Provide the children with ample time and flexible resources to have sustained experience playing with boxes,
creating things from boxes, as individuals and collaboratively. Encourage the children to explore and play with
their boxes, finding out what they could do with them.
Make plans for more complex projects using drawings, notes and photographs that can be shared with the class
and continued over a sustained period of time.
Encourage children to look carefully at their boxes and think about how to describe them at various points in
the play/creative project. Model new and extended vocabulary through natural conversation and shared
endeavour.
Shared Writing
 Children can use simple sentences and begin to use more complex sentences to link thoughts
 Children can attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
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Put some of the photographs of children playing with their boxes up on the interactive whiteboard. Choose one
to focus on. Can the children remember what the box was? Discuss and explain that that you want to write
some captions for the photographs so that you can put them up on display in the classroom. Explain that a
caption describes what is happening in the picture so that people looking at it will understand what is going on.
Write a caption together to describe the photograph. Show another photo and ask the children to work in pairs
to write their own caption on a whiteboard. Share ideas together.
 Children can then in a guided/group writing activity write a caption to fit their own photograph. For less
experienced writers you could scribe their ideas and use talking tins or include a talking photo album to record
their voices.
 Encourage the children to write captions or labels for their boxes and collate in a class anthology, ‘This is not a
Box’, alongside photographs, plans and drawings. Display the anthology in the reading area or a suitable
outdoor area, perhaps close to the collection of boxes as inspiration.
 Children might be creating narratives and shaping stories in their box play. These can be observed and recorded
in the anthology or their oral storytelling encouraged and supported, to be scribed by an adult.
Storytelling and technology
 Children can use talk to recall and relive past experiences
 Children can attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
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Make a book about the children’s own box play or creations, photos could be imported into MovieMaker and
children could narrate their ‘box activity’, or photos or drawings could be made into a class book with children
writing their own captions and thought bubbles.
More experienced writers can go on to draw and write their own accounts of their stick play using small homemade books.
Mind-mapping and instruction writing
 Children can use talk to recall and relive past experiences
 Children can attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
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Discuss what else the children have done with the boxes?
Make a mind-map together of all the things that the children have created and how they did it, e.g. making a
den, building a rocket or making a box creature.
Children go on to write instructions that can be displayed around the setting to give ideas to others for
independent learning through play. This can be scribed by an adult or written independently by more
experienced writers.
Reading aloud, circle time and book talk
 Children are able to listen to stories with increasing attention and recall
 Children are able to respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
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Read up to ‘Birt loves their two by two rhythm’ finishing with the illustration of Birt and Etho are sitting on top
of the shed:
- What makes the boys such good, ‘Big’ friends? How do you know?
- What do they like to do together?
- What makes a ‘Big friend’?
- Do you have a good friend? Why are you good friends?
- Would you like a good friend? *
It will be worth re-reading this part of the book and might be appropriate in small groups. Some children will
respond entirely to the pictorial evidence of the boys’ friendship, others may be encouraged to find words or
phrases that tell them different things about the friends.
Record the children’s talk and ideas in a class reading journal or an IWB file by scribing around the picture.
Children can draw pictures of themselves or have photogrpahs taken with their special friends doing things that
they enjoy together.* They can include a caption that they write themselves of have scribed about what makes
a good friend, e.g. ‘A Big friend…………..’. This can be made into a class display.
*You may need to be sensitive to the children in your class, depending on their experiences of friendship and the
class dynamics. It may well be upsetting for some children if they are struggling with their own friendship groups
or if they are yet to settle socially in the setting. Children may rely on you for support in responding to the
themes in the book and in enabling them to explore difficult feelings of their own through the characters’
feelings and experiences.
Re-reading and Role on the Wall.
 Children are able to listen to stories with increasing attention and recall
 Children are able to respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions
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Prior to this session, prepare a large ‘diary’ that belongs to Birt with one or two extracts from the start of the
story, describing in brief a few of his happy days playing with Etho on Sudden Hill, for instance: ‘ Today I caught
a frog at the pond and Etho put it in his jar.’ ‘Today was fun! We raced around the valley flying our paper
planes.’ ‘Today Etho and I climbed on top of the shed and watched the clouds. We felt as big as Giant Kings.’
Re-read the story so far and allow the children time to reflect on what they can see and what they think they
know or think they know about Birt and his friendship with Etho.
- Where does he live? Who with? Where is Sudden Hill?
- What does he like to do? How does it make him feel?
- What does his friendship with Etho mean to him? Why?
Scribe ideas around the outside of an enlarged image of Birt on the wall.
Show the children Birt’s diary, reading the early extracts describing his happy days playing out with Etho.
Re-reading and empathising with a character
 Children can show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings
 Children can use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences in play situations
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Re-read and read on to the next page where Shu is introduced, up to ‘…and courage to ask if he can play too.’
Children can talk to a partner about what they think is going to happen next, what Shu might say to them and
what Birt and Etho might do.
In threes, children can act out the scene then ‘freeze frame’ it. Though track the characters by tapping children
on shoulder so that they voice their character’s thoughts and feelings, or what they might actually be saying at
that point in the scene. This could be modelled for the children with adult support if appropriate.
Scribe ideas in prepared thought or speech bubbles, for instance.
The children could make suggestions for Shu’s opening line, to help him find the courage he needs.
Reading aloud, response to illustration and empathising with character
 Children can show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings
 Children are able to answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or
events.
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
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Read to ‘And so the three sit in their boxes, watch one kestrel and two lost clouds.’
Ask the children to talk about what they notice in the illustration or from what they have just heard read aloud.
Record these ideas around the image in the class journal.
Ask the children to think about why Birt is sitting on his own away from Shu and Etho:
- Was Etho right to say “Sure!” to Shu?
- Why didn’t Birt say “Sure!” to Shu?
- What is Birt thinking? What does Birt want? How does he feel?
Record ideas in prepared thought bubbles around Birt in his box in the rain.
What do you think or know about Birt and Etho now? Revisit Birt’s Role on the Wall and scribe ideas around it in
a different colour from before.
Visualising, artwork and shared writing – free verse and diary entry.
 Children can show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings
 Children can use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences in play situations
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Ask the children to look at the illustration of the three boys in their boxes in the rain and to reflect on how Birt
is feeling. Talk about the wet weather and how they think it matches Birt’s mood. It would be helpful to have
read ‘Cheer up your Teddy Bear, Emily Brown’ by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton as the link to a downpour of
rain, tears and sadness is shown perfectly at the end of this story.
Show the children footage of a rainy vista accompanied by a melancholic piece of piano music, asking them to
imagine they are Birt, looking out of his box:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoSridCnqN8 (from 0.55)
Show the footage again, or play the sound of rain. As they listen, the children can paint rainy scenes with
watercolours or water based ink, exploring techniques and the effects of water on the paper or paint using
pipettes, brushes, sponges etc.
You could also:
- Sing rainy day songs and create rain music using body percussion - fingertips and hands on laps increasing in volume as the storm comes closer then passes away;
- pause, lie down and engage in the pleasures of cloud gazing, observing the shifting shapes and patterns
of the sky and the flight of the birds;
- explore different sounds in the water areas, recreating rain dripping on cardboard. Do raindrops sound
different when you are inside the box? How?
Collect and extend vocabulary throughout these experiences.
Shared write a new diary entry in role as Birt, describing his feelings and his experience of being in his box in the
rain away from Etho.
Reading aloud, drama, freeze frame and poetry
 Children can show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings
 Children can attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
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Read aloud the next double page up to ‘But Birt feels strange.’
In threes, ask the children to play out a similar scene thinking about all the different kinds of fun Shu and Etho
get up to – using the text as encouraging the children to think of their own ideas based on their own box play –
with Birt keeping himself away ‘feeling strange’.
Help the children to freeze frame the scene. This time focus on what Etho might be saying to Shu in their
chosen scenario, e.g. “Climb aboard the high-speed train!” or “We’ve slain the dragon, Sir Shu!”
The children could be supported in contributing to a shared piece of call and response poetry writing,
alternating between Etho’s enthusiasm and Birt’s confusion and sadness, e.g.
Strike the monster’s heart!
I feel strange.
Jump across the rooftops!
I feel strange.
Good morning, neighbour!
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
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I feel strange...
Support the children in performing the poem as call and response with contrasting intonation and expression.
Re-reading, reading aloud and empathy for character
 Children can show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings
 Children can use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences in play situations
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Have the children come into the classroom to find a large cardbox with Birt’s name on it, squashed and mangled
on the carpet. Lying beside it, have the diary open at an entry: ‘I don’t want to go up Sudden Hill anymore.’
Invite the children to predict what has happened and record ideas in the class journal.
Read aloud to ‘He misses their cardboard castles on Sudden Hill.’
Freeze frame Shu and Etho on the porch with Birt hiding in his room, asking the children to track their thoughts
as you tap them and recording these on thought bubbles.
Show the children a line on a display board upon which they can track Birt’s emotional journey throughout the
story so far, e.g.
upset __________________________________________________________________________________happy
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The same line of emotion can be used to track all three of the characters at various points in the sequence. Place
pictures of all three boys individually to change viewpoints, e.g. whilst Birt is upset, Shu could be feeling proud of
himself and happy. At other times, all three boys may be upset or indeed happy. Sometimes, ‘upset’ or ‘happy’
won’t be effective enough descriptions. It is useful to engage the children in extending their understanding of
emotions, behaviour and associated language, e.g. frustrated, angry, sulky, confused.
Re-reading and shared writing a note in role
 Children can show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings
 Children can use simple sentences and begin to use more complex sentences to link thoughts
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Look again at the scene with Birt hiding from the other boys in his room.
- What do you think Etho is thinking?
- How many times do you think he has he called on his friend Birt?
- Will this be the last time? Why? Why not?
- How can he communicate with Birt if he’s hiding and won’t come to the door?
Shared write a note from Etho to Birt.
The children can go on to write their own notes appealing to Birt. Provide real note paper or that would be
easily available to Etho, such as torn off pieces cardboard and pen.
Visualising and describing
 Children can use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences in play situations
 Children use talk in pretending that objects stand for something else in play
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Children walk around a large box in the circle and say in turn something that the box could become. Remind the
children of their own box play – showing them photographs - or revisit ‘This is not a Box’ if they need further
ideas and inspiration.
To challenge the children further when this game is repeated they could freeze frame what they are doing with
their box for the others to guess.
If necessary, children could give clues to help the others to guess e.g. You could use my box to fly to the moon…
You could cook tea on my box….
Draw ‘two boxes side-by-side’ like Birt. What could they become? Work with a partner to plan to create
something amazing with two boxes.
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
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Provide the children with a range of fresh and exciting resources they might use to execute their ideas such as,
ribbons, fabric, sticks, wood, mark making and art materials, tape and other joining equipment. Allow the
children time and support to complete their box creations.
Reading aloud, word collections, extending vocabulary and writing descriptions
 Children build up vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experiences
 Children use talk in pretending that objects stand for something else in play
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Read aloud to ‘It’s even got boxes inside, one with biscuits, one with lemonade pausing briefly for the children
to predict what Shu and Etho might have made for Birt before revealing ‘Mr Climbfierce’.
Re-read the description of Mr Climbfierce, and ask the children to talk to each other about how it is described in
the book. Pick out favourite words and phrases, thinking about those that add detail or drama:
- ‘...bright, waving things, attached to it like huge kites.’
- ‘Incredible, Monster Creature Box Thing!’
How would you describe Mr Climbfierce? Note ideas in the class journal around one or more image of the boys’
box creation. Provide box partners with images of Mr Climbfierce to examine more closely together:
- How have the boys made it? What have they used?
- How does it look? What might it smell or feel like?
- What can it do? How can it change?
- How is it similar or different to your contraption?
Elicit descriptions of both Mr Climbfierce, scribing and extending vocabulary in the journal.
Children may wish to make further modifications to their own box contraptions, using ideas seen on Mr
Climbfierce to really add ‘wow factor’.
Poetry – shared writing of an object poem
 Children build up vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experiences
 Children use talk in pretending that objects stand for something else in play
 Children can attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
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With box partners, children can orally compose then write a phrase or sentence to describe their amazing box
creation, using ideas from the book’s description of Mr Climbfierce and those shared by the children.
Encourage them to look closely and say what they see. Use their senses, what does it feel like, smell like?
Encourage the children to employ some of the effusive and superlative descriptions used in the book to create a
sense of awe and wonder – the wow factor Birt experienced seeing Mr Climbfierce for the first time.
Scribe their words and record in a class journal
Using the children’s words write a group poem, for instance:
It’s a supersonic speed boat
A basket floating high
A sparkling house of mermaids
A munching dinosaur...
Child can add their own line to the poem. Children could write their line during group/guided writing activity or
as an independent writing activity and these could be added to a display, perhaps on a cardboard backdrop.
Reading aloud, empathy for character and shared writing –diary entry
 Children can respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions
 Children can use simple sentences and begin to use more complex sentences to link thoughts
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Read from the beginning of the story right to the end.
How does Birt feel now? How do all the boys feel?
Map their various positions on the line of emotion.
Shared write a final entry in Birt’s diary.
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
Shared reading, responding and oral storytelling
 Children can use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events
 Children can answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions in response to stories or events
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Re-read the whole story, allowing children to join in with favourite parts, ask questions and consolidate
meaning.
Provide visual props or puppets for the children to be able to orally retell the story.
Make storyboxes for the children to explore and story tell, as well as linking small world play to the characters
in the story.
Book Talk
 Children can respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions
 Children are able to answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or
events
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Read the book again. Talk with children about what they like or don’t like about the story, about any questions
that they have or anything that the story makes them think about.
Ask them to say which part of the book stays in their minds most vividly. What will they tell their friends about
this book?
Capture responses in speech bubbles to add to the shared journal or class display. Talk about any questions
raised. How can we answer them?
Other ideas and Activities:
Phonological Awareness:
1) Word collections:
 Children can explore adjectives and adverbial phrases when describing their box contraptions, e.g.
sparkly, incredible, amazing, squashed
 Children can explore a range of emotional responses throughout the story and associated vocabulary,
e.g. content, happy, exhilarated, sad, upset, tearful, frustrated, confused, cross, angry, sulky, lonely
 Children can explore the sounds of water and rain and make a collection of onomatopoeic words.
2) Instrumental Sounds:
 Children can create a soundscape to represent the distinct emotional journey that Birt undergoes
3) Singing:
 Children can chant or sing a range of songs that link to their role play with boxes, e.g. Zoom Zoom Zoom
or The Grand Old Duke of York as well as those that link to key events in the story, e.g. Rain Rain Go
Away
 Learn the song, Friend of Mine , eliciting different things that friends like to do together:
Friend of Mine (can be sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Will you be a friend of mine, a friend of mine, a friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine and (insert an action) around with me?
(name) is a friend of mine, friend of mine, friend of mine,
(name) is a friend of mine, who (insert same action) around with me.
4) Use and Application of Phonics at Phases 2-4:
Phase 2 words:
On, big, sit, in, and, up, but, run, him, feel/ing, a, can, his, bits, rips, it, dad, got, jet
Phase 3 words:
Hill, box, them, king, sail/ing, meet, join, this, too, night, shouts, room, avoids, miss, see, peeks, thing, with,
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.
Phase 4 words:
Cramping, found, three, lost, clouds, dragon, dwellers, smash, stamps, flat, from, stops, bright, Monster,
blaster, transformer, sparkling, glitter,
Family Learning:
‘It is not a Box’
 Send home a box with a tag saying ‘This is not a box’ on it along with home-made cardboard book for
recording the weekend’s activities.
 Transform the box into something new and exciting and encourage children to record the adventures they
have with the ‘not a box’ in any way they like, using a combination of photographs, drawings, writing or
annotation.
 Encourage parents to also join in, perhaps adding comment or scribing a story or instructions or description
for their child. On the box’s return to school, children should share the weekend’s events with the class,
using the book to help them talk about what they did together.
©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes
without the express permission of CLPE.