Hi,
We are Sally and Amanda from Guinea Pig Education. We present a range of complimentary teaching aids and workbooks to use in your classroom or as homework – in both print and digital format.
We aim to raise reading standards and to develop literacy skills, with our ‘fun for kids’ phonic reading resources.
We also offer support for pupils aged 4-16 years. We highly recommend our comprehension and creative writing resources - which build confidence and develop imagination.
Hi,
We are Sally and Amanda from Guinea Pig Education. We present a range of complimentary teaching aids and workbooks to use in your classroom or as homework – in both print and digital format.
We aim to raise reading standards and to develop literacy skills, with our ‘fun for kids’ phonic reading resources.
We also offer support for pupils aged 4-16 years. We highly recommend our comprehension and creative writing resources - which build confidence and develop imagination.
Persuasive Writing work packs are essential for all students, of 9-14 years, wanting to develop their literacy skills and improve their grades in English assignments and examinations.
Persuasive Writing work packs teach children how to write from different points of view and how opinions can be used to make articles biased. This series of work packs will enable the student to write convincingly in letters, leaflets, brochures and newspaper articles for example. The packs include a lively collection of writings, poems and a play to inspire the pupils. These are designed as starting points, ideal for the student who finds it difficult to think up ideas for writing, challenging them to recreate their own persuasive pieces.
In addition to this, the packs teach organisational and literary devices in persuasive writing, including, figurative language, emotive words, repetition, connectives and use of good vocabulary. The student will learn how to consider writing for the appropriate audience, how to vary sentence types in order to make writing more interesting, and the importance of using good spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Each work pack includes an exciting range of model answers and sample texts written by students and provides practice questions to test them. Common errors made by students are highlighted and corrected. They are packed with vital hints and tips to enable the pupil to be successful and gain good grades.
The work packs are ideal for home study and will reinforce the work done in school. They may be purchased in any order. There are a number of titles to choose from. By working through the packs, the student will grow in confidence and will learn to enjoy writing. The packs are also a useful resource for teachers and save hours of time when preparing lessons or homework tasks.
15 pages
Play Bingo And Snap To Reinforce The Phonic Sound ‘ck’ (3 years +)
Play the game over and over again until the child is familiar with the words.
How To Use The Pre Reader Work Packs
At Guinea Pig Education we believe children do not need to spend years learning reading skills; this innovative new scheme teaches children to read in just six months to a year.
A non reader should start with our pre reading material. The Pre reader work packs use phonics or the sounds in words. The child can learn a series of phonic sounds, which give him or her a ‘tool’ to work out nearly 80% of words in the English language. The other 20% of words will be learnt by looking and saying the words.
In these packs, the child (or group of children) will be taught to recognise initial sounds as in ‘b’, ‘d’ and vowel sounds as in ‘a’ - c…a…t. They will practise running sounds together to make words. The sentence maker will help him or her to organise the words into sentences.
The packs are easy to use with clear instructions, for the adult to use with a child (or group of children).
The structured material encourages the child to practise word building and sentence making using phonic sounds. To make learning a really fun experience, the material contains word games, like snap and bingo. The child (children) can move on when the adult is confident the sounds have been learnt.
Learn To Read With Phonics Pre Reader packs are designed to start children reading who have not done any reading before. They are a starting point for learning to read with phonics. Children can start at three or four, if they are ready to concentrate.
The Pre Reader packs introduce the 26 sounds of the alphabet, the skills of sounding out words with phonics and blending phonic sounds to make three and four letter words. The child (children) should practise the material each day and move on only when the child is familiar with the material. The course is structured. Each new sound builds on the one that went before.
Tell the child (children) to personalise the drawings, adding to them, using their own ideas. Play the games. Repeat the exercises many times until they know the words. They should have fun learning to read.
Download this free booklet, to find out more about our phonic scheme. Click here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/how-do-i-start-my-child-learning-to-read-with-phonics-12412206
Lots Of Activities To Help Kids Practise Reading Words with Initial and Final Consonant Blends (3 +)
Use the sentence maker to make more 3, 4 and 5 letter words
Check up on reading 2 and 3 letter words, 4 letter words with initial and final consonant blends. Plus, 4 letter words you can sound out
Read the short story about Tom
How To Use The Pre Reader Work Packs
At Guinea Pig Education we believe children do not need to spend years learning reading skills; this innovative new scheme teaches children to read in just six months to a year.
A non reader should start with our pre reading material. The Pre reader work packs use phonics or the sounds in words. The child can learn a series of phonic sounds, which give him or her a ‘tool’ to work out nearly 80% of words in the English language. The other 20% of words will be learnt by looking and saying the words.
In these packs, the child (or group of children) will be taught to recognise initial sounds as in ‘b’, ‘d’ and vowel sounds as in ‘a’ - c…a…t. They will practise running sounds together to make words. The sentence maker will help him or her to organise the words into sentences.
The packs are easy to use with clear instructions, for the adult to use with a child (or group of children).
The structured material encourages the child to practise word building and sentence making using phonic sounds. To make learning a really fun experience, the material contains word games, like snap and bingo. The child (children) can move on when the adult is confident the sounds have been learnt.
Learn To Read With Phonics Pre Reader packs are designed to start children reading who have not done any reading before. They are a starting point for learning to read with phonics. Children can start at three or four, if they are ready to concentrate.
The Pre Reader packs introduce the 26 sounds of the alphabet, the skills of sounding out words with phonics and blending phonic sounds to make three and four letter words. The child (children) should practise the material each day and move on only when the child is familiar with the material. The course is structured. Each new sound builds on the one that went before.
Tell the child (children) to personalise the drawings, adding to them, using their own ideas. Play the games. Repeat the exercises many times until they know the words. They should have fun learning to read.
29 pages
This task practices writing with different purposes. The child should read the description of the rainforest, noting the good use of words - adjectives, verbs and adverbs. In the first task, the child uses the information to write an information leaflet, with or without subheadings. A series of questions and suggested answers are included to help.
The second task is a matching activity on the rainforest.
In the third task, the child is asked to write a persuasive leaflet, called ‘Rainforest World’. The prompts will help the child structure the information. Devising a map, gives the child scope to use their imagination and practice using more persuasive words.
As a follow up activity, the child can plan and write about an imaginary visit to ‘Rainforest World’ or empathise with an animal, using the prompts. Writing about ‘a day in his life’, write more diary entries about animals in the park.
This theme could be developed over several lessons. It would be excellent for homework handouts.
This resource is featured in the book ‘We Love Animals: Get Going With Creative Writing’ series.
This series provides prompts to encourage children to write. It provides starting points, to encourage even the most reluctant writers.
Written in a lively magazine style format, each pack provides a step by step guide to teach children how to plan and write an animal themed story.
The packs also provide starting points to write e-mails, letters, play scripts, diaries, reports and other non fiction texts.
The child will learn writing techniques; simple, compound and complex sentences, connectives and spelling, punctuation and grammar tips. There is an emphasis on improving vocabulary - looking at lots of better word choices: harder adjectives, more powerful verbs and adverbs.
This series is recommended for use with children between the ages of 7-11 and provides writing practice for those children preparing to take 11+ examinations or S.A.T.s. The packs will also benefit children with special needs, or where English is a second language.
Browse our website, to view our full range of educational resources.
A set of printable worksheets to practice handwriting.
Introducing you to our brand new ‘Zoggy Zero’ scheme. Help your child/ren to take their first steps in reading, writing and spelling, with this exciting structured scheme.
19 pages
Read our beautifully illustrated, shortened retelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s story, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.’ Then, answer the comprehension questions and write your own silly story.
A fun activity that will introduce kids, age 7-10, to this famous book and help inspire their imaginations too.
Our beach themed holiday book is filled with activities and stories, with fun questions to answer. Take it on the plane, or in the car, as you travel on your holiday, or enjoy filling it in on the beach, or save it for rainy days at home. It features our loveable characters, Pom Pom, Zoggy and Sam, as they share their magical holiday moments with us. It includes some pages where you can record your own seaside adventures.
For ages 3-9
Contents
Pom Pom on Holiday
There’s An Alien In Danger At The Sea
Activities (word search, spot the difference, dot to dot, puzzles, cross word)
Pom Pom at the Beach
The Sandcastle story and questions
My Trip to West Farm
What Can I Tell You About My Holiday?
94 pages
37 pages
This series of work packs provides prompts to encourage children to write. It provides starting points, to encourage even the most reluctant writers. Featuring a lively, ‘magazine style’ format to appeal to children of all abilities, these packs are particularly recommended as preparation for creative writing tasks at 11+ or S.A.T.S.
The writer herself often dips into the lively collection of imaginative stories and non fiction articles, to teach her students in tutorials. The packs feature detailed prompts on how to plan and write stories and letters, as well as help with non fiction tasks - writing diaries, reports and persuasive leaflets. There is also plenty of practice in writing techniques - variation of sentences, connectives and grammar and punctuation tips.
When Sam accepts that yummy toffee from his friend, Tom, his wibbly wobbly tooth comes right out. To keep it safe, he carefully places it in one of his school books, ready to put under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy. After all, she will exchange if for money. On the way home from school, in the car, Sam rummages in his bag to find his spellings. Then, the tooth disappears and Sam undertakes a frantic search. Will it turn up? Will the Tooth Fairy still come?
45 pages
Read our beautifully illustrated version of the classic fairy tale The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen, and answer the comprehension questions.
This activity will encourage kids, age 6-9, to think about what it means to be different and to not fit in; and how we should treat everyone kindly and not judge by appearance, because everyone is unique.
55 pages
Learn Initial Consonant Blends (as in sn, sp, dr, gr) and read the sentences.
Learn To Read With Phonics Reading Packs are a quick and easy way to teach children to read in just six months.
They are ideal for all ages (from 4 years plus), especially reluctant older readers of 7, 8, 9+, children with learning difficulties and children where English is a foreign language.
The packs are designed to be used one to one or in small groups with a teacher and child or parent/guardian and child learning together.
The packs consist of a structured course that build 44 phonic sounds into the text. As the children read the adventures of a loveable boy called Sam, they can have fun searching for hidden sounds. They will build up 44 sounds in total. This will enable them to read 80% of words in the English language, by breaking them down into sounds or syllables - pl ay ing. Children using phonics in this way progress fast.
A series of stories, The Bouncing Castle and The Famous Cousin From The Country reinforce the complex middle sounds being learnt. By the end of the scheme, the child will be ready to progress to ‘solo’ reading books, such as Roald Dahl’s ‘Georges Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
Many of the packs have cut out practice pages for matching words to pictures and phrases to pictures, to fix the sound words in the child’s memory. The simple text and fun colour sketches, appeal to young readers and have helped the authors to teach many, many children to read.
The reading packs may be used in any order, just pick the pack for the sound you require. However, when using the packs for a complete non reader we suggest you start with packs teaching initial sounds (word building with three or four letter words).
Then move on to learning phonic sounds in this order: ch, sh, wh, th, oo, ee, ar, or, ur, ir, er, magic e, ea, oa, ai, ay, oi, oy, oa, short y (as in happy), long y (as in sky), soft c (as in mice), soft g (as in engine), ou, ow, au and aw.
Next, move onto more complex sounds as in, tion, le, el, ough, gue, que, ine, ue, ie, ei, prefixes and suffixes.
How To Use
Each pack introduces a sound.
Learn the sound with the child/children
Read the sentences or stories several times, encouraging the child/children to talk about the pictures.
At the end of the sentences or story, there is a list of words and phrases, which the child can match to the pictures.
Practise each sound several times, until the child is familiar with it.
23 pages
Learn The Phonic Sounds ee and ea (as in Frank can see the sea)
Learn To Read With Phonics Reading Packs are a quick and easy way to teach children to read in just six months.
They are ideal for all ages (from 4 years plus), especially reluctant older readers of 7, 8, 9+, children with learning difficulties and children where English is a foreign language.
The packs are designed to be used one to one or in small groups with a teacher and child or parent/guardian and child learning together.
The packs consist of a structured course that build 44 phonic sounds into the text. As the children read the adventures of a loveable boy called Sam, they can have fun searching for hidden sounds. They will build up 44 sounds in total. This will enable them to read 80% of words in the English language, by breaking them down into sounds or syllables - pl ay ing. Children using phonics in this way progress fast.
A series of stories, The Bouncing Castle and The Famous Cousin From The Country reinforce the complex middle sounds being learnt. By the end of the scheme, the child will be ready to progress to ‘solo’ reading books, such as Roald Dahl’s ‘Georges Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
Many of the packs have cut out practice pages for matching words to pictures and phrases to pictures, to fix the sound words in the child’s memory. The simple text and fun colour sketches, appeal to young readers and have helped the authors to teach many, many children to read.
The reading packs may be used in any order, just pick the pack for the sound you require. However, when using the packs for a complete non reader we suggest you start with packs teaching initial sounds (word building with three or four letter words).
Then move on to learning phonic sounds in this order: ch, sh, wh, th, oo, ee, ar, or, ur, ir, er, magic e, ea, oa, ai, ay, oi, oy, oa, short y (as in happy), long y (as in sky), soft c (as in mice), soft g (as in engine), ou, ow, au and aw.
Next, move onto more complex sounds as in, tion, le, el, ough, gue, que, ine, ue, ie, ei, prefixes and suffixes.
How To Use
Each pack introduces a sound.
Learn the sound with the child/children
Read the sentences or stories several times, encouraging the child/children to talk about the pictures.
At the end of the sentences or story, there is a list of words and phrases, which the child can match to the pictures.
Practise each sound several times, until the child is familiar with it.
Our back to school book is filled with activities and stories, with fun questions to answer. It features our loveable characters, Pom Pom, Zoggy and Sam, as they share memorable moments from their school day with us. It includes some pages where you can record your own back to school adventures.
Contents
The Day Before School
There’s A Smart Alien At School
Sam and Kim’s Week
Pom Pom and the School Day
Activities (wordsearch, word wheel challenge, puzzle)
Sam Writes About School
Sam Talks About His Teacher
91 pages
Using Nouns And Adjectives
Improve Your English Work Packs teach the child good English. They help improve the child’s punctuation, spelling and grammar skills. There are a wide range of packs to choose from, providing practice in sentence writing, use of connectives and parts of speech. The child will also be introduced to literary techniques - similes, metaphors and other stylistic devices.
The format of each pack is so simple. The pages are quick and easy to work through, so the child will learn fast and remember skills taught easily. Each pack includes a lesson plan, with structured exercises, including answer pages. Improve Your English Work Packs save hours of time when preparing lessons or homework tasks.
Included in this series, there are eight structured assessment tests, to test vocabulary, capital letters, punctuation, spelling and use of English language with answers.
Learn Magic e (as in fine, cake, pine and game)
Learn To Read With Phonics Reading Packs are a quick and easy way to teach children to read in just six months.
They are ideal for all ages (from 4 years plus), especially reluctant older readers of 7, 8, 9+, children with learning difficulties and children where English is a foreign language.
The packs are designed to be used one to one or in small groups with a teacher and child or parent/guardian and child learning together.
The packs consist of a structured course that build 44 phonic sounds into the text. As the children read the adventures of a loveable boy called Sam, they can have fun searching for hidden sounds. They will build up 44 sounds in total. This will enable them to read 80% of words in the English language, by breaking them down into sounds or syllables - pl ay ing. Children using phonics in this way progress fast.
A series of stories, The Bouncing Castle and The Famous Cousin From The Country reinforce the complex middle sounds being learnt. By the end of the scheme, the child will be ready to progress to ‘solo’ reading books, such as Roald Dahl’s ‘Georges Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
Many of the packs have cut out practice pages for matching words to pictures and phrases to pictures, to fix the sound words in the child’s memory. The simple text and fun colour sketches, appeal to young readers and have helped the authors to teach many, many children to read.
The reading packs may be used in any order, just pick the pack for the sound you require. However, when using the packs for a complete non reader we suggest you start with packs teaching initial sounds (word building with three or four letter words).
Then move on to learning phonic sounds in this order: ch, sh, wh, th, oo, ee, ar, or, ur, ir, er, magic e, ea, oa, ai, ay, oi, oy, oa, short y (as in happy), long y (as in sky), soft c (as in mice), soft g (as in engine), ou, ow, au and aw.
Next, move onto more complex sounds as in, tion, le, el, ough, gue, que, ine, ue, ie, ei, prefixes and suffixes.
How To Use
Each pack introduces a sound.
Learn the sound with the child/children
Read the sentences or stories several times, encouraging the child/children to talk about the pictures.
At the end of the sentences or story, there is a list of words and phrases, which the child can match to the pictures.
Practise each sound several times, until the child is familiar with it.
21 pages
Learn the ending ck (Learn To Read With Phonics Pack)
Learn To Read With Phonics Reading Packs are a quick and easy way to teach children to read in just six months.
They are ideal for all ages (from 4 years plus), especially reluctant older readers of 7, 8, 9+, children with learning difficulties and children where English is a foreign language.
The packs are designed to be used one to one or in small groups with a teacher and child or parent/guardian and child learning together.
The packs consist of a structured course that build 44 phonic sounds into the text. As the children read the adventures of a loveable boy called Sam, they can have fun searching for hidden sounds. They will build up 44 sounds in total. This will enable them to read 80% of words in the English language, by breaking them down into sounds or syllables - pl ay ing. Children using phonics in this way progress fast.
A series of stories, The Bouncing Castle and The Famous Cousin From The Country reinforce the complex middle sounds being learnt. By the end of the scheme, the child will be ready to progress to ‘solo’ reading books, such as Roald Dahl’s ‘Georges Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
Many of the packs have cut out practice pages for matching words to pictures and phrases to pictures, to fix the sound words in the child’s memory. The simple text and fun colour sketches, appeal to young readers and have helped the authors to teach many, many children to read.
The reading packs may be used in any order, just pick the pack for the sound you require. However, when using the packs for a complete non reader we suggest you start with packs teaching initial sounds (word building with three or four letter words).
Then move on to learning phonic sounds in this order: ch, sh, wh, th, oo, ee, ar, or, ur, ir, er, magic e, ea, oa, ai, ay, oi, oy, oa, short y (as in happy), long y (as in sky), soft c (as in mice), soft g (as in engine), ou, ow, au and aw.
Next, move onto more complex sounds as in, tion, le, el, ough, gue, que, ine, ue, ie, ei, prefixes and suffixes.
How To Use
Each pack introduces a sound.
Learn the sound with the child/children
Read the sentences or stories several times, encouraging the child/children to talk about the pictures.
At the end of the sentences or story, there is a list of words and phrases, which the child can match to the pictures.
Practise each sound several times, until the child is familiar with it.
Learn consonant digraphs ch, sh, th and vowel digraphs oo, ee. Read the sentences and match the words/phrases to the pictures.
Learn To Read With Phonics Reading Packs are a quick and easy way to teach children to read in just six months.
They are ideal for all ages (from 4 years plus), especially reluctant older readers of 7, 8, 9+, children with learning difficulties and children where English is a foreign language.
The packs are designed to be used one to one or in small groups with a teacher and child or parent/guardian and child learning together.
The packs consist of a structured course that build 44 phonic sounds into the text. As the children read the adventures of a loveable boy called Sam, they can have fun searching for hidden sounds. They will build up 44 sounds in total. This will enable them to read 80% of words in the English language, by breaking them down into sounds or syllables - pl ay ing. Children using phonics in this way progress fast.
A series of stories, The Bouncing Castle and The Famous Cousin From The Country reinforce the complex middle sounds being learnt. By the end of the scheme, the child will be ready to progress to ‘solo’ reading books, such as Roald Dahl’s ‘Georges Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
Many of the packs have cut out practice pages for matching words to pictures and phrases to pictures, to fix the sound words in the child’s memory. The simple text and fun colour in sketches, appeal to young readers and have helped the authors to teach many, many children to read.
The reading packs may be used in any order, just pick the pack for the sound you require. However, when using the packs for a complete non reader we suggest you start with packs teaching initial sounds (word building with three or four letter words).
Then move on to learning phonic sounds in this order: ch, sh, wh, th, oo, ee, ar, or, ur, ir, er, magic e, ea, oa, ai, ay, oi, oy, oa, short y (as in happy), long y (as in sky), soft c (as in mice), soft g (as in engine), ou, ow, au and aw.
Next, move onto more complex sounds as in, tion, le, el, ough, gue, que, ine, ue, ie, ei, prefixes and suffixes.
How To Use
Each pack introduces a sound.
Learn the sound with the child/children
Read the sentences or stories several times, encouraging the child/children to talk about the pictures.
At the end of the sentences or story, there is a list of words and phrases, which the child can match to the pictures.
Get the child/children to colour in the pictures.
Practise each sound several times, until the child is familiar with it.
Read the charming story, set in days gone by, about the Clever Cat; colour the pictures; answer the questions to see how much you can remember; and make a puppet.
For young children of 3-5 years, read the story aloud and discuss the content of the story with the child, answering the questions. Get the child to draw a picture from the story. Help him or her write a sentence about it, so they can trace or copy over the letters. Make the puppet and act out the story.
For older children, aged 5-7 (who have some reading skills), get the child to read the story and answer the questions in sentences. The questions cover comprehension skills, retrieving information, using language and inference. Colour the pictures and then draw your own picture and write your own version of the story. Make the puppet and then act out the story with your child.
Part of the Read, Write and Play series, for children age 3-7
Read the delightful story “Chloe and the Hedgehogs”; colour the pictures; answer the questions to see how much you can remember; and make a puppet.
For young children of 3-5 years, read the story aloud and discuss the content of the story with the child, answering the questions. Get the child to draw a picture from the story. Help him or her write a sentence about it, so they can trace or copy over the letters. Make the puppet and act out the story.
For older children, aged 5-7 (who have some reading skills), get the child to read the story and answer the questions in sentences. The questions cover comprehension skills, retrieving information, using language and inference. Colour the pictures and then draw your own picture and write your own version of the story. Make the puppet and then act out the story with your child.
Part of the Read, Write and Play series, for children age 3-7.
Read the biography about Edith Cavell (1865-1915) and answer the comprehension questions.
In this pack, your kids will learn about a truly inspirational British woman, who selflessly put her own life at risk and used her position as a nurse to bravely help Allied soldiers escape German rule in Belgium.
The comprehension questions will help children practise: how to identify key details from the text; how to work out answers by inferring, or predicting, using evidence from the text; and how to explain vocabulary. Answers are included.
Ideal for kids age 9-12 and a great resource to use for International Women’s Day.
21 pages