Fiona, the founder of Teachers Telling Tales, has taught in the UK and international schools, trained teachers and worked as environmental educator. She is currently studying graphic design.
Teachers Telling Tales is a means to share this experience through creating high quality and affordable resources. While most are targeted at the primary age range, the aim is to provide versatile and adaptable resources to suit a range of ages and abilities. Many are inspired by stories to engage learners.
Fiona, the founder of Teachers Telling Tales, has taught in the UK and international schools, trained teachers and worked as environmental educator. She is currently studying graphic design.
Teachers Telling Tales is a means to share this experience through creating high quality and affordable resources. While most are targeted at the primary age range, the aim is to provide versatile and adaptable resources to suit a range of ages and abilities. Many are inspired by stories to engage learners.
Turtles in Danger is an active chase and tag game suitable for primary / middle school children.
The game teaches children about sea turtle life cycles, natural and human threats, endangered animals and survival strategies.
The game can be played outdoors or indoors in a large space, a netball or basketball court is ideal.
There are two rounds, one where some children are hatchlings making their way to the sea while avoiding the other children who are threats. For the second round the remaining children are turtles trying to survive in the sea and return to the beach to lay eggs while avoiding threats. The game can be played again removing the human threats to see how this affects the survival rate.
This pack contains a guide to the game, a printable instruction sheet with pictures, labels and headbands to identify the children who are threats. There are 14 threats in total and they are colour-coded for dangers on the beach (sand colour) and for in the sea (blue). The labels and headbands have silhouette pictures for quick identification alongside the word and a short explanation of the threat.
Through playing the game students gain an understanding of why many reptiles and fish lay so many eggs in order to survive as a species. Through discussion they learn how the impact of extra pressure such as threats from humans can lead to a threat of extinction.
Related Resources:
An interactive story about turtle life cycles, turtles in Trouble, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/turtles-in-trouble-an-interactive-story-12240371
A Sea Turtle quiz can be downloaded for free from https://teacherstellingtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sea-Turtle-Quiz.pdf
Turtle book recommendations (fiction and non fiction) https://teacherstellingtales.com/turtle-tales-and-truths/
These writing frames are designed to inspire young children to engage in purposeful recording through mark-making or emergent writing during their role play.
Topics: Personal Social Health Education, People who help us, Keeping healthy, parts of the body, numbers 1-5.
Skills development: speaking and listening, beginning writing.
Depending on their developmental stage, children may enjoy mark-making as they see fit, or they may follow the invitation to write names, crosses, ticks and circles.
The pictures are designed to prompt discussion and introduce and consolidate vocabulary.
The frame introduces the concept of forms and tables and includes numbers 1-5.
The writing frames can act as a guide for children role playing a visit to the doctor, prompting questions and responses such as “Where is the problem?” and “Take medicine three times a day.” The first time the frames are introduced, it would be good for an adult to model using them.
Context and Linked Resources
This resource pack was inspired by A Visit From the Nurse https://teacherstellingtales.com/a-visit-from-the-nurse/ an activity to help students overcome anxiety about visiting the school nurse (or other health care professionals).
In that lesson students observe how a nurse cares for us by demonstrating with soft toys in a range of familiar scenarios, e.g. “I bumped my head, I feel sick, I feel itchy”.
These are free to download here https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-visit-from-the-nurse-12174039.
As a follow up, children then explore being a carer through role play. This could be with other children (as a patient or carer) or with toys and dolls. The role play area could be set up as a health centre, hospital, veterinary clinic etc.
Includes
Greyscale versions, as you may need to print lots if they are popular! These can be made into a notebook (perhaps a prescription pad) or attached to a clipboard.
Colour versions could be laminated and used as examples displayed in the role play area, or used by the children with dry wipe pens.
Some children can be anxious when they feel sick or are hurt and need to visit the school nurse. A classroom visit from the nurse to demonstrate what he/she does can help to overcome this. There are 8 editable common scenarios here to role play with class toys or teddies. For example, taking temperature, using a hot water bottle or ice pack, putting on a plaster.
If children are still anxious, especially about going to the ‘sick room’ they could take a teddy to visit the nurse with a scenario card for a further demonstration. A hospital or doctor role play area with the teddies is a good follow up to this lesson. For more information or ideas check out the post on teacherstellingtales.com https://teacherstellingtales.com/a-visit-from-the-nurse/
Update: new resources developed to encourage writing in the role play area, doctor’s consultation and prescription (simple pictorial sheet for early years).
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/doctor-s-orders-role-play-writing-frames-12248191
A mini story and quiz presentation with pattern colouring and treasure hunt activities.
Good for
Follow up to reading The Mixed-up Chameleon by Eric Carle.
Topics : Animals, Colour, Pattern, Camouflage.
Observation Skills: looking carefully at pattern and colour.
Contents and Ideas: (a resource guide is also included)
The Content Chameleon presentation. A mini story and quiz about the no-longer-Mixed-up Chameleon returning to the zoo. He has lots of fun trying out animal patterns. The children guess the animal from the chameleon’s pattern.
(All background photos are free to use and links are provided in the notes.)
Pattern Colouring Sheets. An outline of the chameleon filled with an animal pattern. Children continue the pattern to hide the chameleon. Nine animal patterns and a blank outline are provided.
Blank chameleon outlines. A portrait and landscape version. These can be used as colouring sheets or traced onto plastic pockets to explore inserting different colours and patterns. The traced chameleons can be placed around the classroom or playground for a chameleon treasure hunt. A few photos of ideas are included in the resource guide.
Free Chameleons presentation with interesting facts, free images with links, YouTube and child-friendly website links for further exploration.
A fun way to familiarise children with favourite fairy tale characters and well known quotes.
Contains 4 colour-coded Bingo boards featuring characters from well-known fairy tales and cards with quotes.
Fairy tales are a wonderful means to learn about speech in stories. Children love to join in with repeated phrases using different voices. This game is a great way to introduce or consolidate this. The quote cards can also be used for other guessing games.
Further ‘Once said in a Fairytale’ resources are available in the Teachers Telling Tales tes shop and this game can also be purchased as part of a bundle.
Creative activities based on the story book Flyaway Katie by Polly Dunbar.
Good for:
Exploring colours, shapes and patterns
Templates with patterns for mindful colouring. Outline-only templates for children to create their own patterns. Can be enlarged for painting or collage. Great for a colourful display.
A collection of resources for a unit on Flyaway Katie by Polly Dunbar. Packed with ideas, templates, and activities.
The Follow-along cards engage children with the story, develop listening skills and introduce vocabulary.
The Feelings activities include sheets to record feelings and self portraits inspired by the story to develop children’s self awareness, speaking skills and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.
Creative colouring templates (blank and patterned) of Katie and the birds are provided with display ideas.
These card games are a fantastic way for children to become familiar with classic stories, characters and speech. 16 colourful fairy tale / traditional tale character cards and 16 corresponding quote cards to print and play. Games ideas and instructions are included.
Through playing games students learn in a fun way and also practise their social skills.
A giant collection of quizzes, games and activities on favourite fairy tales, characters and quotes. Perfect to use to introduce a fairytale topic, during the study and to and conclude / assess. The fun speech activities are a great stimulus for drama and discussion. Includes speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
Activities to accompany the storybook ‘Flyaway Katie’ by Polly Dunbar.
Good for:
Actively involving children during story time, developing listening skills, vocabulary, following instructions.
Students learning English as an additional language.
Topics: colours, clothes, body parts, feelings.
Contents and Ideas:
Story Elements cards with colours (8), body parts (4) and clothes (4) from the story.
Give out to children individually or in pairs and ask to hold up their card when they hear it mentioned in the story.
Follow-along Sheet.
Children colour the picture of Katie, then look at the checklist with an adult.
20 favourite fairy tale character frames with speech bubbles and 6 dialogue frames with two characters. Single character frames can of course be linked with others to create conversation between different characters.
Great for students to demonstrate their knowledge of well-known stories by retelling famous quotes. Also useful as creative writing activity through encouraging children to use their imagination to make up speech of their own.
Completed frames can be coloured and used to create a class book or display.
Differentiation:
for younger/less able students an adult can scribe
older/more able students can create dialogue, conversation or follow up with converting to text using speech marks.
Further ‘Once said in a Fairytale’ resources are available in the Teachers Telling Tales tes shop and this item can also be purchased as part of a bundle.
A fun resource to familiarise children with fairytale characters and favourite quotes through a range of games using the dominoes (ideas and instructions included in the pack). 16 dominoes with a colourful character on one side and a quote on the other.
Great for fairy tales or traditional tales units of study and learning about speech.
Activities to accompany ‘Flyaway Katie’ by Polly Dunbar
Good for:
Getting to know each other.
Talking about feelings.
Students learning English as an additional language.
Topics: feelings, colours, clothes, shapes, patterns.
Contents
Lesson plan with ideas for children to talk about what makes them happy.
Read and Record Sharing Sheet
Blank to enlarge for teacher to record children’s responses. Editable version for students to record with words or pictures.
Flyaway Self Portraits
Templates, blanks and with simple outline drawings to choose from. Display ideas.
Fairy tales and traditional tales are a great way to learn about speech in stories. Children love to join in with repeated phrases using different voices developing their language and drama skills.
This Bingo game is a fun way to familiarise children with fairy tale characters and favourite quotes. Contains 4 colour-coded Bingo boards featuring characters from well-known fairy tales and sets of cards for different ways to play including character names, story titles and quotes. A resource guide with instructions is included in the pack.
Ideal for younger children as boards have nine squares, including one ‘free’ space in the centre.
Great for learning about fairy tales, traditional tales, speech, game playing and social skills.
There are further ‘Once said in a fairytale’ resources available in the Teachers Telling Tales shop and this game pack can be purchased as part of a bundle.
A selection of fun fairytale activities to apply speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Start off with a Quotes Quiz to see how well you know your traditional tales. Move on to a read, match and colour activity and finish with filling in the speech bubbles with familiar sayings or imaginative writing.
A great pack to stimulate discussion about characters and learn about speech in stories.
A fun, creative activity that is adaptable to different ages and abilities. Can be used as speaking and listening or to encourage writing on the theme of conversation and dialogue. The phone format motivates students and keeps them engaged.
The activity begins with reading examples and using inference to deduct who the phone belongs to then builds to completing the speech bubbles before inviting students to create their own dialogue using a blank template.
A guide is included for the adult and there is also a student guide to support step by step with inspiration for further exploration. Although this resources is based on fairy tales it can be used for any fictional characters or real people. It can be used to assess recall of speech or imaginatively to create speech.
The activity is presented in Word format with PNG images so it can be adapted. Students can work on the document on a computer or it can be printed out. (Instructions provided for both).
Pirate anagrams are a great way to introduce or reinforce topic vocabulary. This worksheet has picture clues alongside the mixed up letters and a space to write the word correctly. It can be kept to refer to when completing writing tasks to assist with spelling. Also useful as an activity for early finishers. A greyscale version is included for ink saving or for those who like to colour in their work.
The worksheet can be downloaded on its own or as part of a pirates pack, check out the other pirate themed resources by Teachers Telling Tales.
Puzzles inspired by Little Fish’s quest to find his mum in the story Hooray For Fish! by Lucy Cousins.
A colourful maze in the shape of a heart can be used to demonstrate how to solve a maze by projecting the image on an interactive whiteboard. It can also be printed and laminated for completing with dry wipe pens.
The slightly more challenging circle maze encourages problem solving and pencil control skills. There’s lots of detail in the fish and background for colouring.
A dot-to-dot picture for children to discover who Little Fish found also reinforces pencil control with the additional skill of following the numbers from 1-10. This resource is also good for colouring when complete.
This resource can also be bought as part of a Hooray For Fish bundle.
Featuring the beloved little fish and his mum from the story by Lucy Cousins, these activities explore the rhyming words: tiny and spiny, hairy and scary, carrot and parrot, lime and time, heart and dart. This pack contains sets of picture, silhouette and word cards, Bingo cards and simple worksheets with three levels of challenge.
There are greyscale versions of resources for those who want to save ink or include colouring as part of the activity.
Themes: rhyming words, fish, under the sea
Skills: shape recognition, cut and sticking, colouring, beginning reading and writing skills.
A guide is enclosed with the pack which includes ideas for card games.
These activities are a great springboard for creative work, inventing new rhyming fish.
This resource is part of a Teachers Telling Tales series inspired by the Hooray for Fish story and can also be purchased as part of a bundle.
These sheets inspired by Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins feature little fish and some new fishy friends created by Teachers Telling Tales. They are great for developing fine motor skills, awareness of shape and pattern and early writing skills.
The fishy characters feature in a range of resources by Teachers Telling Tales on opposites, rhyming words and puzzles. They can be bought individually or you can bundle and save.
