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.
4 pages
Write To Explain
GCSE English Writing Work Packs save time when preparing lessons at GCSE. The specimen lesson plans and examples contained within each work pack, will give your students ideas to build on and provide practice to develop their writing skills. The examples contained in each pack, show the student the standard of work they need to reach to do well in exams like GCSE. They will learn how to tackle a question to get those higher marks.
GCSE English Writing Work Packs include:
Practice in writing for different purposes and to reach different audiences
Practice in writing from different points of view, including articles, blogs, brochures and leaflets
Practice in different ways to set out an argument (PEE or PEA).
They will also examine language techniques
Read the estate agents description of 44 Acacia Road, Rushford. Then write a description of your house, as if you were an estate agent who is selling it. Next, the child is asked to answer the questions prompts to write about their house.
Describe A Room In My House
Show someone round your house. The child reads the sentences and decide what the buyer likes and what they dislike. The child is asked to think about the rooms in their house and to write about their favourite one. They can use the word prompts to help the , but also add their own ideas.
Write About My Bedroom
The child is asked to make a plan, listing the details he or she wants to include, using the prompts to help them, but also adding their own ideas. Then the child reads the example and writes at least three paragraphs to describe their own bedroom.
Write About My Ideal House
The new headteacher of the school wants to buy a house. The estate agent asks what they are looking for. Read the word choices and fill in the writing prompt - ‘My ideal house is a…’
This series provides prompts to get the child to write. It provides starting points to encourage children of all abilities to write - even the most reluctant writers. With this series they will be inspired to write stories, poems, play scripts, diaries, reports, persuasive leaflets and more.
More than this, 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.
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.
19 pages
A series of work packs called ‘Read, Write And Play’, for children of 3-7 years.
For young children of 3-5 years, read the stories 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.
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.
A Quick Look At The Basics Of English Grammar
‘Improve Your English As A Foreign Language’ Work Packs save hours of time when preparing lessons for students where English is a second language . The packs are suitable for intermediary speakers of English, who want to improve their written English.
Each work pack uses our humorous comic character ‘the alien Zoggy’ to guide the student. They provide a fun light hearted approach to learning English (suitable for young learners of 8 years plus through to adult).
The work packs help the student:
To learn idioms and colloquial phrases used by fluent English speakers (which often catch the foreign speaker out)
To use the right preposition after the verb
To set out and write formal letters in English
To expand their vocabulary for speaking and writing, by replacing boring words with more interesting words
To improve their skills in English grammar
Each pack includes tuition pages and follow up exercises to practice the skills learnt.
By the time the student has worked through each pack, their command of English will be at a much higher standard.
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 Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) and answer the comprehension questions.
In this pack, your kids will learn about a truly inspirational British woman, who challenged the thinking of her day that a woman’s only role was to marry and have children, and subsequently, turned nursing into a respectable profession.
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.
16 pages
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
If you have enjoyed reading our adapted version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, why not have a go at answering the questions to see how much you have remembered. There are some pictures to colour too.
It is never too early to practise comprehension skills to see if your children have understood what they have read and to develop their skills of analysis. So, we have put together a series of questions to help your children do just that.
In fact, there are three types of questions, those that require the child to retrieve, or find facts that are hiding in the texts; those that ask the child to give a logical explanation of what they have observed. This means the child will need to form his or her own opinion, deduce, or infer, what is implied in the text. Some questions require the child to understand phrases or vocabulary used.
Younger children can just call out the answers, while older children can work through the pages to test their comprehension skills.
Includes answers.
90 pages.
Age 6-10