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.
Learn To Write Different Genres Of Story
In this pack, the child will learn about different genres or types of story and about the techniques writers use to make their reader want to read on. For example, flash backs or dialogue to move a story on.
The child is asked to read the rescue story and to write their own version. A helpful prompt is included, showing the child how to introduce character, setting and plot in paragraph one, develop plot (actions and complications) in paragraph two and build up suspense in paragraph three, ending the story on a happy, sad or cliff hanger ending.
Next, the child should read the ghost story and write their own version. After this, they should make their own thesaurus, by collecting a number of difficult words and find words that mean the same (synonyms).
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.
30 pages
23 pages
It’s Fun To Write A Diary About My Daily Life
This pack includes a real child’s diary, written by seven year old Ellie Mae. The child should read the examples and then fill in the pages. They should use the prompts to record details from their daily life, (from the school day or weekend events). The child can zoom in on anything that inspires them - giving facts and opinions and saying how they felt and why.
This series of lively work packs encourages children of 6-9 years to record their personal experiences in a diary. This will enable the child to practice their writing skills independently and to express their ideas freely. It will encourage them to write in more detail.
A diary is usually written in present tense. It is an informal piece of writing and may contain some colloquial English.
Diaries are fun to write and to re-read later. Older children will enjoy re-reading their old ‘news’ books, years and years later.
Encourage the child to write a diary everyday, once a week or just at special times, such as, Christmas or in the summer holidays, in the form of a journal.
Between the ages of 9 and 12, children have to complete Standardised.Assessment.Tests (Sats). To help them practise for these tests, Guinea Pig Education have produced a new series of grammar, punctuation and spelling booklets.
The Standards and Testing Agency states that the child has 45 minutes to complete the test, answering the questions in the answer booklet. There are different types of questions for them to answer in different ways. The space for their answer shows them what type of answer is needed. The child should read the instructions carefully. Some questions are multiple choice and only need them to tick, draw lines to, or circle their answer. For others, they will need to write their answer in the space provided. Numbers at the side of the page indicate the number of marks they can get for each question.
The tests in this booklet are based on the KS2 English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Assessment sample papers. It is important to try and complete them in 45 minutes, but it is their choice. The more tests they practise the quicker they will get.
38 pages
Cut Out And Write A Story Of Robin Hood
How To Use
Cut out the pages along the dotted lines and muddle them up. Now, ask the child to sort them back into the right order, so the story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Get the child to read the story. Then, cover it and ask them to re-write their own version, putting in more detail.
This series provides starting points to get young children, of 6-9 years, writing their own imaginative stories.
Traditional tales like ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ are used as examples to look at the characters, the setting and the plot and to show how to structure a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Children will learn how to brainstorm their ideas, how to put them in a plan and then set out their story.
Each pack provides writing challenges, asking the child to continue writing the story, developing their own ideas and to cut up stories to put in order.
15 pages
This resource shows the child how to plan and write the story of The Three Little Pigs. The child is asked to try to imagine what happens next and to write the story.
This series provides starting points to get young children, of 6-9 years, writing their own imaginative stories.
Traditional tales like ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ are used as examples to look at the characters, the setting and the plot and to show how to structure a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Children will learn how to brainstorm their ideas, how to put them in a plan and then set out their story.
Each pack provides writing challenges, asking the child to continue writing the story, developing their own ideas and to cut up stories to put in order.
Charming silhouette pictures illustrate each work pack.
17 pages
Summer Sales: Learn The Phonic Sound ough (as in tough, rough and bought) and augh (as in laugh).
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
The child is asked to read two articles on working dogs and to answer some questions. The last question focuses on the meaning of words used in the text and the child then writes his or her own non fiction piece. The child also works through punctuation exercises - putting in capital letters, full stops and question marks.
Let’s Practise Our Reading Comprehension Packs are a valuable resource to help the child practise essential reading comprehension skills. Each pack includes an article for the child to read and then a series of questions. They are ideal for use with 6-9 year olds, who have reached some degree of reading fluency.
The articles ask the child to retrieve facts, explain information and develop their own ideas as to what the writer is implying. Each pack contains vocabulary exercises, encouraging the child to search for words or phrases with the same meaning.
Each pack takes the form of a mini topic or project.
17 pages
This DIGITAL resource will be added directly to your Google Drive. It can be shared with your children and their parents via Google Classroom or similar platform. It can be used with the interactive white board.
Learn Words Ending in le and el: Read the story 'Walking The Dogs’.
Learn To Read With Phonics Digital 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 drag and drop 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.
The child is asked to read the text and to answer some questions. The last question focuses on the meaning of words used in the text and the child then writes his or her own non fiction piece. The child also works through punctuation exercises - putting in capital letters, full stops and question marks.
Let’s Practise Our Reading Comprehension Packs are a valuable resource to help the child practise essential reading comprehension skills. Each pack includes an article for the child to read and then a series of questions. They are ideal for use with 6-9 year olds, who have reached some degree of reading fluency.
The articles ask the child to retrieve facts, explain information and develop their own ideas as to what the writer is implying. Each pack contains vocabulary exercises, encouraging the child to search for words or phrases with the same meaning.
Each pack takes the form of a mini topic or project.
15 pages
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
This DIGITAL resource will be added directly to your Google Drive. It can be shared with your children and their parents via Google Classroom or similar platform. It can be used with the interactive white board.
Revise soft c, soft g & words ending in …ing. Read the story ‘Feather World.’
Learn To Read With Phonics Digital 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 drag and drop 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.
Read the story ‘The Fun Fair’ to revise the phonic sounds igh, ea, ear
Read the story and then answer the reading comprehension questions. Younger children might wish to work alongside an adult and answer the comprehension questions orally.
This resource is part of our ‘Learn To Read With Phonics’ reading scheme.
This DIGITAL resource contains a link to access and make a copy into your google drive. It is fully editable and can be shared with your students via Google Classroom or similar platform. Pdf version included.
This resource provides a writing skeleton, so the child can write their own autumn story They should complete the sentences and choose the best words from the multiple choice options or make up their own endings to the sentences. Look at how the story is structured into three paragraphs - a beginning, a middle paragraph building up suspense and an ending. The child can then read and write their own Autumn poem.
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.
Play Bingo And Snap To Reinforce The Phonic Sound ‘ck’ (3 years +)
Play the game over and over again until the child is familiar with the words.
How To Use The Pre Reader Work Packs
At Guinea Pig Education we believe children do not need to spend years learning reading skills; this innovative new scheme teaches children to read in just six months to a year.
A non reader should start with our pre reading material. The Pre reader work packs use phonics or the sounds in words. The child can learn a series of phonic sounds, which give him or her a ‘tool’ to work out nearly 80% of words in the English language. The other 20% of words will be learnt by looking and saying the words.
In these packs, the child (or group of children) will be taught to recognise initial sounds as in ‘b’, ‘d’ and vowel sounds as in ‘a’ - c…a…t. They will practise running sounds together to make words. The sentence maker will help him or her to organise the words into sentences.
The packs are easy to use with clear instructions, for the adult to use with a child (or group of children).
The structured material encourages the child to practise word building and sentence making using phonic sounds. To make learning a really fun experience, the material contains word games, like snap and bingo. The child (children) can move on when the adult is confident the sounds have been learnt.
Learn To Read With Phonics Pre Reader packs are designed to start children reading who have not done any reading before. They are a starting point for learning to read with phonics. Children can start at three or four, if they are ready to concentrate.
The Pre Reader packs introduce the 26 sounds of the alphabet, the skills of sounding out words with phonics and blending phonic sounds to make three and four letter words. The child (children) should practise the material each day and move on only when the child is familiar with the material. The course is structured. Each new sound builds on the one that went before.
Tell the child (children) to personalise the drawings, adding to them, using their own ideas. Play the games. Repeat the exercises many times until they know the words. They should have fun learning to read.
Download this free booklet, to find out more about our phonic scheme. Click here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/how-do-i-start-my-child-learning-to-read-with-phonics-12412206
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
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
Do you know who is coming to watch Dan’s Christmas school play? It is Zoggy. He is landing his space craft and stepping out into the deep snow. He slides and slithers along the path to Dan’s school. When he arrives it is late - very late and there is not a chair to spare anywhere…
Guinea Pig Education presents the Zoggy the Alien series about a cute little alien who lands on Earth. Will he be accepted? What will he feel as he tries to fit in with life on Earth? This series introduces inclusiveness as Zoggy finds out that he is loved and accepted. He is given help with all those things he meets like fear and anxiousness. Yes, these books are bang up-to-date, full of lessons to be learned and will be loved by children of 3 to 7 years.
A fun writing and drawing activity, to keep children busy. To be completed at the level your child is at.
More in this series:
Meet Pom Pom
Pom Pom On A Walk
guineapigeducationshop.com
Some children are feeling a bit worried about the coming of Coronavirus. They have overheard adults conversations and seen scary news reports on television. Is it, Therefore, not important that we discuss coronavirus and the issues around it with our children? We have written these pages to help them to understand how they can keep safe. Our cute character Pom Pom the Pomeranian gives them some instructions on hygiene and vigilence, which can be printed out and laminated for your classroom or washroom wall. Also included are some printable pages for children to fill in, using what they have learnt about hygiene.