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.
The Bouncy Castle: Learn The Phonic Sound ou (as in bounce, loud and shout)
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 Bouncy 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.
17 pages
Assessment Test 2
Improve Your English Work Packs teach the child good English. They help improve the child’s punctuation, spelling and grammar skills. There are a wide range of packs to choose from, providing practice in sentence writing, use of connectives and parts of speech. The child will also be introduced to literary techniques - similes, metaphors and other stylistic devices.
The format of each pack is so simple. The pages are quick and easy to work through, so the child will learn fast and remember skills taught easily. Each pack includes a lesson plan, with structured exercises, including answer pages. Improve Your English Work Packs save hours of time when preparing lessons or homework tasks.
Included in this series, there are eight structured assessment tests, to test vocabulary, capital letters, punctuation, spelling and use of English language with answers.
9 pages
The child is encouraged to use his or her imagination to plan a story on a theme ‘The Computer Game’, to further develop creative writing for SATs or 11+ entry examinations.
The pack provides starting points for writing, planning sheets and short stories as examples. There is emphasis on the use of challenging verbs, adverbs and and adjectives to stretch the able writer.
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.
12 pages
The child is asked to read the final part of the story 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 continuing the story. 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.
14 pages
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 about flowers. 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
The child is asked to read the story about baby elephant Mogul and to answer some questions. The last question focuses on the meaning of words used in the text. 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.
11 pages
Zoggy goes to a masked ball’ to learn to spell words with ‘er’, ‘ur’ and ‘ir’
Read the rhymes and play the matching game. Then, record words for ‘ar’, ‘or’, ‘ur’, ‘ir’ and ‘er’. Complete the spelling test.
A series of work packs to teach and reinforce phonic sounds. If the child knows phonics - the initial blends, ending blends and the 44 middle sounds, he or she will be able to use them as a tool to break down words to spell them. In this series, there are 22 challenges or work packs to collect, each one featuring a different phonic sound.
Our cute, quirky character, Zoggy, a spelling genius from Zen, helps present the challenges. The pages are a fun way to learn to spell, including: cute cartoons, ridiculous phonic rhymes and practise phonic spelling tests. The child can work through the packs with a teacher or parent. The packs comply with the National Curriculum.
9 pages
A fun Christmas writing and drawing activity pack. To be completed at the level your child is at. Includes a story to read and fun activities, such as puzzles, games and drawing activities.
38 pages
13 pages
The New Headteacher: Write A Letter (SATS And 11+ Essential Writing Practice) (9-13 years)
Use the planning sheets to write non fiction letters (to argue). Read the letter from the headteacher about the new timetable and then write an email to reply. Use the prompts to help you form an opinion. Next, help form a radical new school timetable. Write your own formal letter from the headteacher, explaining the changes. After this, write a formal reply from a parent, giving different points of view.
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.
The “Looking Back: Victorian Social Class” resource is an informative and interactive teaching tool for children aged 8-13. This pack is perfect for reinforcing key historical skills and helping children acquire important knowledge about the three main classes in Victorian Britain: the upper class, the middle class, and the working class.
Content:
This resource contains a total of 22 pages and will teach children how to tell the difference between the upper, middle and lower class. Children will get to read two fascinating imaginary interviews that are based on stories and accounts written at the time. These will help explain how the class divide affected Victorian life. They will study census records and decide which class the highlighted people belong to; and learn how the social class system can be illustrated as a pyramid. Finally, children will be asked to explain and interpret an illustration drawn in the nineteenth century by studying the picture and answering the questions. This pack is rich in detail and all the information is presented in a fun and engaging manner, surrounded by colourful illustrations.
In Conclusion
This workbook is designed to help support your children as they explore the Victorian era, deepen their understanding of this historical time period, and ignite their interest in history.
This is a digital download and PDF file.
Book four of four books to practise skills required to have success in verbal reasoning.
Working through these tests will help increase reasoning ability. Although our tests target children of ten or eleven, they can be used at any stage.
Our verbal reasoning tests are in line with National Curriculum targets and can be used to practise for 11+ selection tests for entry to grammar schools.
A parent or teacher can work through the tests with their children and practise any skills that need reinforcement. Some of the skills included are alphabet reasoning, anagrams, letter grouping, rhyming words, word patterns and logical reasoning.
Instructions for Children Taking the Test
There are 100 questions in each tests. Start at question 1 and work your way to question 100, filling in your answers on the worksheet. Leave blank questions you cannot do and go on to the next one.
A parent or teacher can choose to set a time limit, say 50 minutes, for you to complete the test. When you have finished the test, ask an adult to mark it for you, and explain questions you do not understand.
Book three of four books to practise skills required to have success in verbal reasoning.
Working through these tests will help increase reasoning ability. Although our tests target children of ten or eleven, they can be used at any stage.
Our verbal reasoning tests are in line with National Curriculum targets and can be used to practise for 11+ selection tests for entry to grammar schools.
A parent or teacher can work through the tests with their children and practise any skills that need reinforcement. Some of the skills included are alphabet reasoning, anagrams, letter grouping, rhyming words, word patterns and logical reasoning.
Instructions for Children Taking the Test:
There are 100 questions in each tests. Start at question 1 and work your way to question 100, filling in your answers on the worksheet. Leave blank questions you cannot do and go on to the next one.
A parent or teacher can choose to set a time limit, say 50 minutes, for you to complete the test. When you have finished the test, ask an adult to mark it for you, and explain questions you do not understand.
Book two of four books to practise skills required to have success in verbal reasoning.
Working through these tests will help increase reasoning ability. Although our tests target children of ten or eleven, they can be used at any stage.
Our verbal reasoning tests are in line with National Curriculum targets and can be used to practise for 11+ selection tests for entry to grammar schools.
A parent or teacher can work through the tests with their children and practise any skills that need reinforcement. Some of the skills included are alphabet reasoning, anagrams, letter grouping, rhyming words, word patterns and logical reasoning.
Instructions for Children Taking the Test
There are 100 questions in each tests. Start at question 1 and work your way to question 100, filling in your answers on the worksheet. Leave blank questions you cannot do and go on to the next one.
A parent or teacher can choose to set a time limit, say 50 minutes, for you to complete the test. When you have finished the test, ask an adult to mark it for you, and explain questions you do not understand.
Book one of four books to practise skills required to have success in verbal reasoning.
Working through these tests will help increase reasoning ability. Although our tests target children of ten or eleven, they can be used at any stage.
Our verbal reasoning tests are in line with National Curriculum targets and can be used to practise for 11+ selection tests for entry to grammar schools.
A parent or teacher can work through the tests with their children and practise any skills that need reinforcement. Some of the skills included are alphabet reasoning, anagrams, letter grouping, rhyming words, word patterns and logical reasoning.
Instructions for Children Taking the Test
There are 100 questions in each tests. Start at question 1 and work your way to question 100, filling in your answers on the worksheet. Leave blank questions you cannot do and go on to the next one.
A parent or teacher can choose to set a time limit, say 50 minutes, for you to complete the test. When you have finished the test, ask an adult to mark it for you, and explain questions you do not understand.
Ask the child to read the travel information from The Rushford Gazette’s special holiday feature. They will learn about using good adjectives, verbs, adverbs and rhetorical and other persuasive devices. The child is then asked to write their own travel information on the Norfolk Broads. After this, they are asked to make a holiday brochure for a holiday in Europe. Lots of prompts are given to choose from, as well as lists of suitable words and phrases to use.
Next, George and Christabelle of Guinea Pig Radio ask their listeners what they would do if they could take off and go anywhere in the world. In this pack, the child is asked to write about their dream holiday destination. Then, they are asked to read the listeners texts and emails and to imagine these dreams came true and to write the listeners stories. Lastly, ask the child to use the question prompts to write about a holiday that they have enjoyed.
This series provides prompts to encourage children to write. It provides starting points, to encourage even the most reluctant writers. In fact, the writer regularly dips into these packs for her own tutorial classes. With their lively ‘magazine style’ format, they are an ideal study aid to consolidate work on planning and writing stories and non fiction articles, expanding vocabulary and include many examples of children’s work. As well as this, the packs contain some very useful tips on writing techniques (as in writing simple, compound and complex sentences). The work in these packs will inspire children, who are practicing for exams, to write, and provide starting points for even the most reluctant writer, including those children with special educational needs and where English is a second language.
19 pages
Read our beautifully illustrated, shortened retelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s story, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.’ Then, answer the comprehension questions and write your own silly story.
A fun activity that will introduce kids, age 7-10, to this famous book and help inspire their imaginations too.
A delightful short story about a real puppy, as he explores the world around him. Children can read and discuss the follow up questions. Then, colour in the black and white line drawings.
Ages 5-7
A delightful short story about a real puppy, as he explores the world around him. Children can read and discuss the follow up questions. Then, colour in the black and white line drawings.
Ages 5-7
A delightful short story about a real puppy, as he explores the world around him. Children can read and discuss the follow up questions. Then, colour in the black and white line drawings.
Ages 5-7
A delightful short story about a real puppy, as he explores the world around him. Children can read and discuss the follow up questions. Then, colour in the black and white line drawings.
Ages 5-7