Optus the Octopus
Set 3
(99 words)
Text written by Angela Weeks and illustrated by Dick Weigall
Special words
the, he, long, sitting, for, no
In the words, tentacle, tangle, gobble, scuttle,
<le> says /l/.
Optus is an octopus. An octopus has a skull and 8 long tentacles.
It has no skeleton and is soft. Optus has spots on his skin.
Optus is on the hunt for crabs and clams. He spots a crab sitting
still in the sand. He attacks the crab and grabs it in his tentacles.
But his tentacles get in a tangle.
The crab scuttles off. Optus is glum.
Optus sulks until he spots a clam. He sets off on the hunt.
He grabs the clam, and gobbles up the soft bits.
A clam is top grub for an octopus.
Questions/Activities
After reading the text ask students one or more of the following questions. If students are
working in pairs, alternate Partner 1, then Partner 2.
 Find 3 facts about an octopus in the text.
 Find 2 facts about a crab or a clam in a book or on the internet.
 What do these words mean: tentacle, scuttle, tangle, gobble
 What is a skeleton?
 What does the last sentence mean? What is your favourite food?