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.
If a word ends in ‘f’, ‘ff’, or ‘fe’ add ‘ves’ to make it plural. If a word ends in ‘o’ add ‘es’.
This work pack provides further examples of of how to change singular endings into plural words ending in ‘f’, ‘ff’ and ‘fe’, by adding ‘ves’. For example, calf - calves.
Words ending in an ‘o’ add ‘es’. For example, tomato - tomatoes.
The child will learn the exceptions to the rule. For example, some words take on a new word. For example, mouse - mice.
There are practice pages for the child/children to fill in - to practice adding the correct endings to the root words given. Fill in the comparative adjective pages. You are in for a few surprises. Some words are regular, but some words are irregular.
With ‘Learn Spelling Rules Packs’ spelling need not be dull. These work packs can be used at school or at home, to reinforce spelling rules in a fun way.
Our character, Zoggy, the friendly alien, is a genius when it comes to spelling. He encourages the children to join him in his spelling workout. In other words, they must train and learn the spelling rules.
These packs consist of challenges in spelling, focusing on words formed using spelling rules. For example, dropping ‘e’ in words like ‘take’ to make ‘taking’. Each pack focuses on a different rule and the packs may be used in any order.
These packs are essential to help correct common errors in spelling. They also help avoid bad habits forming in spelling.
Each pack contains lots of practice to help the children remember the rules.
7 pages
Learn Spelling Rules Challenge:
Root words never change when you add a prefix.
Learn Spelling Rules Challenge:
In most words the root word does not change when you add a suffix like ‘ly’.
With ‘Learn Spelling Rules Packs’ spelling need not be dull. These work packs can be used at school or at home, to reinforce spelling rules in a fun way.
Our character, Zoggy, the friendly alien, is a genius when it comes to spelling. He encourages the children to join him in his spelling workout. In other words, they must train and learn the spelling rules.
These packs consist of challenges in spelling, focusing on words formed using spelling rules. For example, dropping ‘e’ in words like ‘take’ to make ‘taking’. Each pack focuses on a different rule and the packs may be used in any order.
These packs are essential to help correct common errors in spelling. They also help avoid bad habits forming in spelling.
Each pack contains lots of practice to help the children remember the rules.
7 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
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
24 pages
Ten Steps You Need To Know To Pass GCSE English
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
The Space Age Trainers: Write A Story (SATS And 11+ Essential Writing Practice) (9-13 years)
Plan and write a story about a boy who is bullied at school. Try moving the story from one setting to another. Next, plan and write a story about a girl who gets a new pair of space age trainers. Write the story.
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.
9 pages
7 pages
Dinosaur Discovery: Practise Information Writing (SATS And 11+ Essential Writing Practice) (9-13 years)
Complete the dinosaur quiz and then use the planning sheets to write a leaflet for older children about a new type of dinosaur that has been discovered.
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.
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.
8 pages
This resource includes 2 work packs:
Challenge 3
‘Do I Like To Be Beside The Sea?’ Practise words beginning with ‘be’, words with long sounds (like the ‘a’ in ‘spade’) and words with long sounds, that end in magic ‘e’.
Challenge 4
‘In The Afternoon’. Practise spelling middle phonic sounds, for example, ‘ar’, ‘oo’ and ‘ai’.
Spelling need not be dull. Learn to spell tricky words with Zoggy, is a fun spelling aid to encourage children aged 7-11 years to enjoy learning to spell.
This series of work packs include 12 graded spelling challenges to work through, with spelling tests. They concentrate on those words or sound patterns that consistently cause problems.
To help cement these ‘tricky words’ into young minds, we meet again our quirky alien character, Zoggy - with his cartoons, his zany messages back to planet Zen and his ridiculous rhymes and mnemonics.
These packs use a multi sensory approach.
Say the word
Repeat the rhymes
Sound it out
Read it
Write it
Cover and spell again
Use the method that work for you.
9 pages
A series of spelling test workbooks to practice with your child/children.
These tests are based on the spelling tests given to 11 year olds in their S.A.T.S.
The words have been carefully chosen to suit the requirements of the National Curriculum.
Spellings included in each workbook consist of typical words used in S.A.T.S at 10/11 years. These include:
Prefixes
Endings
Homophones
Silent letters
Soft g as in ge,gi and gy (gym)
Endings with …able and …ible
Endings with …ure
Words with ei,eigh,ey
Suffixes as in ous and silent o
Endings with …ion
Words with ch sounds as in parachute
Word endings including:
ant
ence
ancy
ent
ably
ibly
tion
sion
ssion
cian
11 pages
Describe Someone I Know (All About Me Writing Prompts) (7-11 years)
Tune into Guinea Pig FM radio and read a lively radio script. Listen to DJ George and co presenter Christabelle describe themselves. Read the listeners texts and emails describing the people they know. The child can then write their own description of someone they know to send to the radio show.
Play Guess Who? Get someone to guess who the child has written about. Ask them to organise or structure their description into short paragraphs: appearance, character, what they do, how I feel about them.
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.
7 pages
This resource includes 2 work packs:
Challenge 1
‘Is there anybody out there?’ This pack reinforces tricky words with ‘any’ and ‘every’.
Challenge 2
‘Don’t Complain About The Rain.’ This pack uses phonics to reinforce tricky words with middle ‘ai’ sounds.
Spelling need not be dull. Learn to spell tricky words with Zoggy. A fun spelling aid to encourage children aged 7-11 years to enjoy learning to spell.
This series of work packs include 12 graded spelling challenges to work through, with spelling tests. They concentrate on those words or sound patterns that consistently cause problems.
To help cement these ‘tricky words’ into young minds, we meet again our quirky alien character, Zoggy - with his cartoons, his zany messages back to planet Zen and his ridiculous rhymes and mnemonics.
These packs use a multi sensory approach.
Say the word
Repeat the rhymes
Sound it out
Read it
Write it
Cover and spell again
Use the method that work for you.
Play a game of Rainbows And Clouds. Play this game, like snakes and ladders to familiarise your child with three letter phonic words.
Part of the ‘Zoggy Zero’ Series.
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.
A set of printable worksheets. The child is asked to identify words that rhyme.
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.
7 pages
22 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.
What would you do if you saw a fox in the supermarket?
Read this delightful Christmas story, for children age 6-9, then, answer the comprehension questions.
25 pages
Do you enjoy walking round the shops at Christmas?
In this Christmas themed pack, you will read a description of what you see in the shops at Christmas that will inspire young children, age 6-9, to write about their own Christmas shopping experiences. It includes a series of comprehension questions and an example story that will encourage kids to write their own.
20 pages
This is the first set in this fantastic new series.
This resource includes:
Mission Spelling Zero: Bridging Book 1
Mission Spelling Zero: I Spy A Cat
Writing And Comprehension Practice: I Spy A Cat
Introducing you to our brand new ‘Mission Spelling Zero’ scheme. Help your child/ren to take their first steps in reading and spelling, with this exciting structured course.
Mission Spelling Zero is a series of books in 7 levels, one for each colour of the rainbow, aimed to help young learners gain first reading and spelling skills.
First, let me introduce you to a new character that your child/ren will love learning with. He is an innovation – an alien from a distant planet – but a wizard when it comes to his computer skills. There is no problem he cannot solve.
Zoggy will introduce your child/ren to the initial sounds - in his own stories and then build on that base, teaching double consonant blends and vowel digraphs.
When your child moves up the levels of the rainbow his phonic skills will be a tool that will accelerate future learning
‘Mission Spelling Zero’ also offers a new, exciting series of writing.
booklets – so your little learners can practice their hand writing skills, write first sentences and play the games which will consolidate their learning.
Let’s start reading and spelling with Mission Spelling Zero.
Included in this resource is a work book, accompanying the Mission Spelling Zero story book. The work book provides follow up activities, that build on the phonic sound work taught in the book e.g. reinforcement of letter sounds, tracing and writing letters and words and a simple comprehension, based on the story.