Fiona, of Teachers Telling Tales, has taught in the UK and international schools, trained teachers, worked as environmental educator, in a range of learning support roles and she is currently a tutor.
Through Teachers Telling Tales she aspires 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.
Fiona, of Teachers Telling Tales, has taught in the UK and international schools, trained teachers, worked as environmental educator, in a range of learning support roles and she is currently a tutor.
Through Teachers Telling Tales she aspires 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.
Celebrate #WorldBeeDay with some bee-themed handwriting patterns and cutting skills!
For more minibeast-themed resources including card and board games, mazes, sudoku and book making check out https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/minibeasts-big-bug-bundle-12340248
Teachers Telling Tales also have a free bee-themed maths activity here which can be adapted for different ages and abilities:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/buzz-off-square-numbers-multistep-game-12521661
A picture story book and linked activities for children who have to stay at home during school closures as a result of the corona virus pandemic.
The story is based on the familiar tale of the three little pigs and uses humour while reinforcing important messages about keeping safe and healthy. Activities include matching, colouring, creating signs and writing ideas.
All the resources including the story are free to download and share.
Please take the time to add a review if you find them helpful and share your children’s work related to the story on the Teachers Telling Tales page.
A fun fairy tale quiz in a presentation format. There are 3 rounds each with six questions.
Who said it? Given a famous quote, guess the character and story.
Complete the quote.
Riddles - guess who, Fairytale Folk in their own words.
This presentation can be used as a ‘knowledge harvest’ to assess prior knowledge at the start of a Fairy Tales topic and/or learning at the end of a unit of study. It can be a stimulus for discussion and a springboard for learning about characters, drama and speech in any kind of story. Of course, it can also be just for fun!
Notes with suggested tiebreaker/advanced questions and discussion points are included.
This presentation perfectly complements other Teachers Telling Tales ‘Once said in a Fairytale’ resources. It is useful as an introduction to the other games and activities in the series and can be purchased as part of a bundle.
The classic tale of Sam’s Sandwich is fantastic for engaging students as they eagerly await to discover which creature will be added with each sandwich ingredient. This pack contains resources to accompany the book, including word and picture cards for participation in read-alouds and retellings, a fill the gaps activity focussed on rhyming words (with two levels) and reading comprehension questions.
Good for food and minibeasts topics.
You may also like the Teachers Telling Tales minibeasts resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/minibeasts-big-bug-bundle-12340248
This pack contains two formats, PowerPoint and PDF.
A simple sheet for students to complete to introduce themselves. Pictures and words guide and prompt through the sections and there is an open-ended space at the end for learners to choose something about themselves to share.
No-prep PDF and editable PowerPoint versions.
Perfect for first day / sessions with new students.
These games are great for consolidating the four operations, calculation skills such as doubling, times tables, power of 10. Encourages accuracy as each step leads to the next and can be a paired or individual activity. Print, display or complete the game digitally. Includes blank sheets featuring the attractive designs to adapt to students’ needs or for them to complete as an extension activity.
The bundle contains 10 completed game sheets and 4 blanks in colour and ink saving versions. Instructions and answers also included.
Using all four operations, these multi step maths games are excellent for consolidating calculation skills.
This pack contains three variations with different times tables, doubling and halving and multiples of 100. There are two games with 2 digit numbers and one with 4 digit numbers.
The cute caterpillars and branch design also features on blank sheets to add your own numbers and questions, or for students to create their own as an extension activity. There is a colour and ink saving version, (that students can colour themselves). If working with a partner students can pick a caterpillar each, see who gets the highest answer and check each other’s answers. It also works well as an individual activity. Answers and guide included.
The game can be printed, projected on a screen or completed digitally. as students record their answers on paper or a whiteboard, the game can be used over and over.
There are similar packs available from Teachers Telling Tales with different designs and skills and the option to bundle and save.
This multi step maths game is excellent for consolidating square numbers knowledge. It features square numbers and square roots and familiarises students with the mathematical symbols.
The cute bees, flowers and hive design also features on blank sheets to add your own numbers and questions, or for students to create their own as an extension activity. There are colour and ink saving versions, (that students can colour themselves). If working with a partner students can pick a bee each, see who gets the highest answer and check each other’s answers. It also works well as an individual activity. Answers and guide included.
The game can be printed, projected on a screen or completed digitally. as students record their answers on paper or a whiteboard, the game can be used over and over.
There are similar packs available from Teachers Telling Tales with different designs and skills and the option to bundle and save.
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/climb-the-trees-multistep-maths-games-12521644
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/cross-the-pond-multistep-maths-games-12521614
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/climb-the-branch-multistep-maths-games-12521653
Have fun learning the ‘ar’ and long ‘o’ sounds with these games. Includes, board games, Bingo and card games.
Perfect for ‘Talk like a Pirate Day’, phonics lessons, Pirates topics and vocabulary work with English language learners.
Games keep students engaged and help them to develop social skills.
Develop phonics and reading skills with this Bingo game. Featuring 28 ‘ar’ words, there is a clue for each, for example, “The opposite of blunt”. There are 6 colour coded game boards, each with 16 words. Players must try to get 4 in a row.
Good for listening skills and consolidating vocabulary with English learners.
For more fun with the ‘ar’ sound, check out the board game:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ar-talk-like-a-pirate-phonics-board-game-12403169
Teachers Telling Tales also have Pirate phonics packs with the long ‘o’ sound. Pirate fans, check out the pack with position activities, mazes, anagrams and sudoku.
A compilation of thirty dice games, presented in an easy to follow document with suggestions for adaptations to meet learners’ needs. The document can be trimmed to produce cards featuring simple instructions, perfect for support staff working with small groups.
Mathematics skills covered include: calculation using all four operations, comparing numbers, place value, doubling, odd and even numbers, times tables, square numbers, number bonds, probability, rounding, power of 10, negative numbers, fractions, sequences, area and perimeter.
Robot, Monster and Ogre get confused with tens and ones, can you help them?
Great starter activities for online and classroom sessions.
Count and create 2 digit numbers. Say which is most / least, double numbers, add one more and correct common mistakes.
A presentation with six problems to solve using tens and ones blocks and candles on cakes… Use the templates to create many more based on your students’ needs.
For more early counting activities check out
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/count-the-coins-treasure-chest-challenges-12563480
An animated presentation, perfect for starter activities. Students pick which treasure chest they think will have the most money, then, as each is revealed they count the coins to see if they were correct.
As it’s a game of luck, everyone has an equal chance of winning. All get to practise the calculation, which could be addition or counting in multiples of 2, 5 or 10. The more challenging quests have mixed coins. This is a good way to demonstrate how different values of coins can make the same amount, e.g. 10 ones and 1 ten.
There are 5 sections, each with 3 games; however, variations can easily be created by duplicating slides and rearranging the coins.
Sections:
Count in 5s
Count in 10s
10s and 1s
1s and 2s
10, 5, 2 and 1
The coins are inspired by UK money, however, as they are a simple design with a large number, no familiarity with UK money is required for the games so they are suitable for use in any location.
Answers and extension ideas are included in the notes.
The pack includes 2 versions: use ppsx to avoid changes in layout/formatting or pptx if you want to change or adapt the presentations. My students loved this and I ended up creating many variations by simply changing the coins.
You may also like the pirate-themed resources in the Teachers Telling Tales shop, including positional language, sudoku and phonics, for example, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/pirates-pack-12183976.
More maths packs will be added shortly.
Complete Literacy Lesson
PowerPoint / PDF with 14 pages. Guidance, answers and ideas in notes.
Spot the Difference (three activities)
Descriptive language: draw out vocabulary for body parts, colours etc.
Monster Names (Three levels of difficulty.)
Phonics: Roll a die to select beginning, middle and end sounds, combine to make a monster name. Can be completed as class / individual activity.
Record sheets are provided with 8 monsters.
The ink-saving version can be coloured by students.
Make a Monster
Roll a die to select colour, pattern/texture, body parts, home and food for a monster.
Annotate on screen or print, place in plastic envelope and use a dry wipe pen.
Say sentences about the monster created – the second version has sentence starters to support.
My Monster Writing Frame
Write sentences about the monster created using the ‘make a monster’ activity or your imagination. Draw the monster.
Follow up ideas: Create a class book of all the monsters. Create large paintings, collages or models of monsters for a class display.
You may also like the Teachers Telling Tales Little Monster Balloon Party numeracy games. Buy both together as a bundle with a discount.
Inspired by the magic mirror from Snow White that tells the truth about characters, these templates can be used as frames for portraits.
Heroes and villains are key feature of fairy tales. Characters tend to be represented in black and white terms, purely good or evil. This makes fairy tales a great vehicle for exploring character traits and discussing good and bad deeds. Children can decide who they think is the meanest (or kindest) fairy tale character and draw them. Depending on their age/developmental stage they can ‘show and tell’ their thoughts, perhaps scribed by an adult or write a few sentences to explain their choice. Some children may prefer to write in the frame instead of drawing.
The pack contains two colour images (useful for discussion/display/modelling) and six black and white versions for drawings of the ‘kindest’ and ‘meanest’ of them all. There are variations on the wording, for example, the ‘biggest villain’ and ‘most heroic’.
Did you know in the Disney film the evil queen says “Magic mirror” not “Mirror, mirror”? There is a magic mirror version too, in case you prefer this!
This resource is part of a ‘Once upon a crime’ series by Teachers Telling Tales. The activity is one of 12 in a Fairy Tale Forensics unit of study presentation which includes a police line-up of characters that could be used as a stimulus for mirror portraits. The Mug Shots resource would also complement this activity. You can ‘bundle and save’ on this series.
Writing and drawing frames for evidence collecting at the scene of a crime! Great for role play or building a case in a crime scenario.
Contains a model for students to use as inspiration / guidance, label and two sizes of bags.
You can, of course, use real bags and add the printed labels, especially if using real objects as evidence.
This resource is part of the ‘Once upon a crime’ series by Teachers Telling Tales. It is designed for one of twelve activities featured in a Fairy Tale Forensics presentation. It can be a one-off lesson or an introduction to the Special Agent Investigation Board project. The police and Fairytale Bureau of Investigation (FBI) badges and ID cards complement this resource. You can also ‘bundle and save’ on this series.
These badge and photo ID card templates will help students get in role as a police officer of the Fairy Tale Police Department (FTPD), or a special agent of Fairytale Investigation Bureau (FBI)! Great for role play and drama activities.
The ID cards have frames for drawing a self portrait (photo) and writing names / job titles. Colour and greyscale versions included.
This resource is part of the ‘Once upon a Crime’ series by Teachers Telling Tales. It is designed for Collecting Evidence and Special Agent Investigation Board activities, two of twelve lessons featured in a Fairy Tale Forensics unit of study. You can bundle and save on these resources.
This engaging presentation features interesting facts about chameleons with colourful photographs and links to short videos as illustration. (All photos are free to use and share, links provided in the notes).
It aims to answer common questions and stimulate new ones. A link at the end to a children’s website enables further research.
Aimed at younger children, text is simple and minimal.
Great as a follow-up to reading The Mixed-up Chameleon by Eric Carle or as part of topics on animals, patterns and colours.
(This resource is included free with other chameleon resources from Teachers Telling Tales.)
