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.
A lively series of reading progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual reading ability and how well they understand a passage of fiction or non-fiction text.
Children are required to read the texts carefully and then answer the comprehension questions.
Our English reading progress tests comprises of two components, sold separately.
Test 2A - This paper consists of a selection of short texts with questions interspersed. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 30 mins.
Test 2B - This paper consists of a selection of longer texts with separate questions. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 40 mins.
The content helps children practise: how to identify key details from text; how to work out answers by inferring, or predicting, using evidence from the text; and how to explain vocabulary. The papers mirror the work in actual examination texts and include suggested answers.
These tests are based on the KS1 SATs and include suggested answers.
A lively series of reading progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual reading ability and how well they understand a passage of fiction or non-fiction text.
Children are required to read the texts carefully and then answer the comprehension questions.
Our English reading progress tests comprises of two components, sold separately.
Test 2A - This paper consists of a selection of short texts with questions interspersed. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 30 mins.
Test 2B - This paper consists of a selection of longer texts with separate questions. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 40 mins.
The content helps children practise: how to identify key details from text; how to work out answers by inferring, or predicting, using evidence from the text; and how to explain vocabulary. The papers mirror the work in actual examination texts and include suggested answers.
These tests are based on the KS1 SATs and include suggested answers.
A series of spelling progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment in spelling.
Each test consists of 20 target words, presented within 20 distinct sentences, read by an adult to the children from a script. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 15 mins.
The words have been carefully chosen to suit the requirements of the English National Curriculum. These tests are based on the spelling tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
Spellings may include:
endings like ff, ll, ss, zz, ck, -tch,
consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th)
words ending in y
vowel digraphs and trigraphs
soft c (ce, ci, cy) and soft g (ge, gi, gy)
adding -s and -es at the end of words to form plurals
adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est to words
words ending in -ge, -dge, -tion, -ture, -le, -el, -al
days of the week
compound words
tricky sounds like -igh, -ough, -augh, -ch, -ph, -que, -gue, -ine
long u
i before e except after c
silent letters
suffixes
prefixes
homophones
common exception words
A series of spelling progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment in spelling.
Each test consists of 20 target words, presented within 20 distinct sentences, read by an adult to the children from a script. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 15 mins.
The words have been carefully chosen to suit the requirements of the English National Curriculum. These tests are based on the spelling tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
Spellings may include:
endings like ff, ll, ss, zz, ck, -tch,
consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th)
words ending in y
vowel digraphs and trigraphs
soft c (ce, ci, cy) and soft g (ge, gi, gy)
adding -s and -es at the end of words to form plurals
adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est to words
words ending in -ge, -dge, -tion, -ture, -le, -el, -al
days of the week
compound words
tricky sounds like -igh, -ough, -augh, -ch, -ph, -que, -gue, -ine
long u
i before e except after c
silent letters
suffixes
prefixes
homophones
common exception words
A series of spelling progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment in spelling.
Each test consists of 20 target words, presented within 20 distinct sentences, read by an adult to the children from a script. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 15 mins.
The words have been carefully chosen to suit the requirements of the English National Curriculum. These tests are based on the spelling tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
Spellings may include:
endings like ff, ll, ss, zz, ck, -tch,
consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th)
words ending in y
vowel digraphs and trigraphs
soft c (ce, ci, cy) and soft g (ge, gi, gy)
adding -s and -es at the end of words to form plurals
adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est to words
words ending in -ge, -dge, -tion, -ture, -le, -el, -al
days of the week
compound words
tricky sounds like -igh, -ough, -augh, -ch, -ph, -que, -gue, -ine
long u
i before e except after c
silent letters
suffixes
prefixes
homophones
common exception words
A series of spelling progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment in spelling.
Each test consists of 20 target words, presented within 20 distinct sentences, read by an adult to the children from a script. Although not strictly timed, it should take about 15 mins.
The words have been carefully chosen to suit the requirements of the English National Curriculum. These tests are based on the spelling tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
Spellings may include:
endings like ff, ll, ss, zz, ck, -tch,
consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th)
words ending in y
vowel digraphs and trigraphs
soft c (ce, ci, cy) and soft g (ge, gi, gy)
adding -s and -es at the end of words to form plurals
adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est to words
words ending in -ge, -dge, -tion, -ture, -le, -el, -al
days of the week
compound words
tricky sounds like -igh, -ough, -augh, -ch, -ph, -que, -gue, -ine
long u
i before e except after c
silent letters
suffixes
prefixes
homophones
common exception words
Create your own paper coronation scene to celebrate King Charles III’s new reign using our printable templates.
Just colour-in the three black and white outlined figures of King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and the Archbishop of Canterbury holding the crown. Cut them out and stick a stand on the back.
A series of grammar, punctuation and vocabulary progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment.
Although not strictly timed, the test should take about 20 mins.
Each test includes questions that may cover:
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
sentences, statements, questions, commands and exclamations
conjunctions (and, or, but, when, if, that, because)
past and present tense
prefixes and suffixes
full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
capital letters to start a sentence, for names of people, places, days of the week and for the personal pronoun.
commas to separate items in a list
apostrophes
These tests are based on the grammar, punctuation and vocabulary tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
A series of grammar, punctuation and vocabulary progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment.
Although not strictly timed, the test should take about 20 mins.
Each test includes questions that may cover:
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
sentences, statements, questions, commands and exclamations
conjunctions (and, or, but, when, if, that, because)
past and present tense
prefixes and suffixes
full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
capital letters to start a sentence, for names of people, places, days of the week and for the personal pronoun.
commas to separate items in a list
apostrophes
These tests are based on the grammar, punctuation and vocabulary tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
A series of grammar, punctuation and vocabulary progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment.
Although not strictly timed, the test should take about 20 mins.
Each test includes questions that may cover:
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
sentences, statements, questions, commands and exclamations
conjunctions (and, or, but, when, if, that, because)
past and present tense
prefixes and suffixes
full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
capital letters to start a sentence, for names of people, places, days of the week and for the personal pronoun.
commas to separate items in a list
apostrophes
These tests are based on the grammar, punctuation and vocabulary tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
A series of grammar, punctuation and vocabulary progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment.
Although not strictly timed, the test should take about 20 mins.
Each test includes questions that may cover:
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
sentences, statements, questions, commands and exclamations
conjunctions (and, or, but, when, if, that, because)
past and present tense
prefixes and suffixes
full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
capital letters to start a sentence, for names of people, places, days of the week and for the personal pronoun.
commas to separate items in a list
apostrophes
These tests are based on the grammar, punctuation and vocabulary tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
A series of grammar, punctuation and vocabulary progress tests for children aged 6-7 years. These tests can be used to assess a child’s individual attainment.
Although not strictly timed, the test should take about 20 mins.
Each test includes questions that may cover:
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
sentences, statements, questions, commands and exclamations
conjunctions (and, or, but, when, if, that, because)
past and present tense
prefixes and suffixes
full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
capital letters to start a sentence, for names of people, places, days of the week and for the personal pronoun.
commas to separate items in a list
apostrophes
These tests are based on the grammar, punctuation and vocabulary tests given to 7 year olds in the Year 2 SATs.
Our autumn themed special is filled with activities, crafts and stories, with fun questions to answer. It features our loveable characters, Zoggy and Sam, as they share their magical autumn moments with us. It includes some pages where you can record your own autumn adventures.
For ages 3-9
Contents
Chloe and the Hedgehogs
Sam’s Trip to Beech Wood
Autumn Scavenger Hunt
Autumn Crafts (Origami fox head, handprint autumn tree, feather owl, squirrel, butterfly and bird stained glass tissue paper shapes)
There’s A Lost Alien in the Wood
Games (maze, word search, puzzle)
Muddy Shoes
Complete the Autumn story
Uncle Paul and the Haunted House
Bonfire Night
Spooky Crossword
Word Wheel Challenge
Scary Crafts (cotton bud skeleton, cotton bud hand, hanging black spider on web, pumpkin and black cat Trick or Treat paper bags, firework pictures)
94 pages
Learn The Phonic Sounds ar, or, ir, ur and er
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.
This is a 3 set pack including:
Plan And Write A Story Called ‘The White Fox’
Plan And Write A Story Called ‘The Creepy Tale’
Plan And Write A Story Called ‘Trapped: The Rescue’
Creative Story Writing work packs cut down preparation time when planning creative writing tasks. Easy to follow, each pack includes an example of how you can build on a title, to first plan a story for 9-12 year olds and then write it.
How To Use Your Work Pack:
Make sure the child/children know that stories must be planned
Read the model story in the pack
Ask the child/children to write down the names of the characters in the story
Ask the child/children to write down where the setting takes place
Ask the child/children to write down what the plot is
Identify the most exciting part of the story (the climax of the story or suspense)
Ask the child/children to plan a similar story - with a beginning, a middle and an end
Ask the child/children to rewrite their own version of the story
Ask the child/children to read their version of the story aloud
Creative Story Writing work packs are essential for all students wanting to develop their literacy skills and improve their grades in English assignments and examinations. The work packs will guide students through the story writing process, as if they had a tutor by their side. Each pack is designed to help the child with thinking up ideas, providing starting points for writing, structuring and organizing their writing into paragraphs. It features writing a good introduction with characters, setting and plot, building up suspense and winding up the plot with a suitable resolution.
Attention is given to making writing more interesting by varying sentence types, using punctuation and good grammar. The student will investigate different narrative structures for writing stories, exploring various viewpoints so they can decide if they write in first or third person. They will learn to evoke mood and atmosphere by using good vocabulary. Each pack includes an exciting range of model answers and sample texts written by children and provides practice questions to test them. Common errors made by students are highlighted and corrected. Each pack contains vital hints and tips on gaining those top grades.
71 pages
23 pages
These pages practice writing for different purposes, using animal themes.
In the first task, the child is asked to read an interview with a cat and a dog. They then write their own interview with a chosen animal, imagining what the animal would say if it could talk like a human.
In the second task, the child reads some letters written to Raj, the local vet. They should use their imagination to complete the replies. He or she then writes their own letter to Raj about a problem that a chosen pet has.
The third task highlights how instructions use imperatives like ‘use’ to start sentences. The child adds further sentences starting with ‘bossy’ verbs.
In the fourth and fifth task, the child must use his or her imagination to make a persuasive advert for a yummy dog treat, using persuasive words. Then, they should write a more detailed paragraph about a ‘wacky’ invention for a pet product they have invented, explaining how to use it. A series of questions helps the child structure his or her work.
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.
5 pages
Imagine You Can Travel Through Space: Write A Story (SATS And 11+ Essential Writing Practice) (9-13 years)
Enter the genre of fantasy and imagine your space age bag is able to transport you through space. Use the notes to consider what it would be like in space. Write a story or diary entry.
An essential series of themed prompts to help children aged 9-12 years to practise their creative writing skills for 11 plus entry exams or S.A.T.S. The packs include an outline to help the child plan his or her own story, article, letter or play script and examples to build on, using harder more challenging vocabulary to stretch more able pupils.
25 pages in length
Creative Story Writing work packs cut down preparation time when planning creative writing tasks. Easy to follow, each pack includes an example of how you can build on a title, to first plan a story for 9-12 year olds and then write it.
How To Use Your Work Pack:
Make sure the child/children know that stories must be planned
Read the model story in the pack
Ask the child/children to write down the names of the characters in the story
Ask the child/children to write down where the setting takes place
Ask the child/children to write down what the plot is
Identify the most exciting part of the story (the climax of the story or suspense)
Ask the child/children to plan a similar story - with a beginning, a middle and an end
Ask the child/children to rewrite their own version of the story
Ask the child/children to read their version of the story aloud
Creative Story Writing work packs are essential for all students wanting to develop their literacy skills and improve their grades in English assignments and examinations. The work packs will guide students through the story writing process, as if they had a tutor by their side. Each pack is designed to help the child with thinking up ideas, providing starting points for writing, structuring and organizing their writing into paragraphs. It features writing a good introduction with characters, setting and plot, building up suspense and winding up the plot with a suitable resolution.
Attention is given to making writing more interesting by varying sentence types, using punctuation and good grammar. The student will investigate different narrative structures for writing stories, exploring various viewpoints so they can decide if they write in first or third person. They will learn to evoke mood and atmosphere by using good vocabulary. Each pack includes an exciting range of model answers and sample texts written by children and provides practice questions to test them. Common errors made by students are highlighted and corrected. Each pack contains vital hints and tips on gaining those top grades.
A true and touching story about some children, who befriend a family of swans, on the River Thames. They watch an adorable cygnet hatch and grow, calling him Skedadally, because he waddles over and eats crumbs from their hand. As the months pass, they come to realise that life on the river is no picnic. There are many dangers facing young birds. It is not long before they have to save their feathered friend from terrible danger. They are more than thankful for the work of the nearby Swan Sanctuary.
Includes questions to answer to see how much you have remembered.
A topical chapter reading book that will encourage kids to consider and discuss important environmental issues.
107 pages
Read our beautifully illustrated retelling of the much-loved Charles Dickens novella, A Christmas Carol, to discover how a stingy, old miser comes to help a poor, sick child. Then, answer the comprehension questions.
A thought-provoking activity that will introduce kids, age 6-9, to this classic Christmas story and encourage them to think about the true meaning of Christmas.