Oxford Tree Oxford Level 3 Space Dad Author: Catherine Baker Teacher s Notes author: Liz Miles Text types: non-chronological report; narrative Curriculum link: Understanding the world Synopsis In this book, we follow a day in the life of a boy who lives in a house on Earth, and his dad who is an astronaut living and working in the International Space Station. Readers will find out some of the ways that life on a spaceship is different to life on Earth. Extended text This longer version of the book gives extra details and information to support children with comprehension. While the boy fixes his toy car with tools in the garden, his astronaut dad has to wear a spacesuit to fix the outside of the spaceship. At dinner time, both the boy and his dad have water to drink and chicken to eat. But while the boy uses a cup and a plate, his dad has to have his drink and chicken in packs in space, the drink and food can float! The boy has a wash in the shower and uses lots of hot water. On the spaceship there is not much water, so Dad has to wash with a bit of water and soap on a cloth. While the boy goes to bed, Dad has to strap himself in to go to sleep or he would float away. The boy says Goodnight to a picture of Dad, and Dad says Goodnight to a picture of his son. Group/Guided reading Introducing the book (Predicting) Read the title together. Ask: Can anyone guess what this book might be about? Then read the back cover blurb together. Look at the picture on the front cover. Ask: Can anyone guess what the picture shows? Support the children to understand that it is a photograph of the International Space Station, and that Dad is an astronaut. Turn to pp2 3 and read the label and speech bubble together. Say: I wonder which picture shows Dad s home. Draw out that Dad lives on the spaceship. Ask: Would you like to be on the spaceship with Dad? Why/Why not? On p4, encourage the children to read the first sentence. Draw out that me refers to the boy. Talk about any other books the children have read that are narrated using I, me and my.
Strategy check As they read, encourage the children to sound out and blend new words, e.g. f-l-oa-t. This book includes many decodable words, providing lots of opportunities for children to practise the skill of sounding out and blending new words. There are also some high-frequency tricky words in the book. Support the children with these words, explaining that they are tricky but also very common and useful. If a word is too difficult, simply read the word for them: me my he There are a number of topic words used in the book. These include common words that may not conform to the phonics teaching that children will have learned at this point, and subject-specific vocabulary that may be unfamiliar. They are listed and defined on the inside front cover. Explain to the children that these words may be challenging but they are important for the topic. Read these words for the children if necessary, to help build familiarity before they read the book independently: home space spaceship water During reading Ask the children to read the book aloud and help them where necessary. Praise and encourage them as they read. Look at the picture on p5 and ask: Why is Dad tied to the spaceship? Discuss how things float in space, perhaps also turning briefly to look at the picture and photo on p7. If appropriate, explain how it is the lack of gravity in space that makes things float. (Summarizing) After reading pp6 7 and looking at the pictures, ask: In what ways is Dad s dinner different from his son s? (Predicting) Turn to p8 and ask the children to read the heading and sentence. Before looking at the pictures on p9, ask them to predict how Dad cleans himself. Then support the children to read the sentences on p9, talking afterwards about whether their prediction was correct. Turn to pp10 11 and prompt the children to describe how the boy and his Dad might be feeling. Say: I wonder what they are thinking about. Returning to the book (Summarizing) On p12, encourage the children to recall the boy s day and Dad s day. Use the pictures as well as How? or Why? questions to prompt them. Flick back through the book, asking the children to point to the photographs. Ask: Which tells you the most about life in space the photographs or the pictures? Why? Ask: What else would you like to know about living in space? If one more page about Dad s day could be added to the book, what would you like it to be about? Encourage the children to share their ideas. (Questioning) Ask the children to pair up with someone else. Ask them to make up questions about living in space, taking it in turns to ask and answer the questions. Independent reading Introduce the book as in the Group/Guided reading section above. Encourage the children to read the book as independently as possible. Remember to give them lots of encouragement and praise. As they read, encourage the children to sound out and blend new words, e.g. c-ar, t-oo-l, sh-ow-er-s, g-oo-d-n-igh-t. This book also contains a number of topic words, which children may need more support with at this stage, but which enrich the book. They are listed and defined on the inside front cover. If a word is too difficult, simply read the word for them. Remind the children to use the pictures to support their comprehension when reading the text.
Speaking and listening Ask the children to work in pairs and to read the book aloud together. They should take it in turns to read a page, so that one child reads the pages about the boy and the other reads the pages about Dad. Ask: Which was your favourite page of the book? Which page did you find the most interesting? Why? Encourage the children to tell each other which was their favourite page and why. activity Ask the children to imagine that they live on the space station and to draw a picture of themselves in space. Help them to think of suitable labels (e.g. me, tool, pack) and to say the words out loud before attempting to write them down. Encourage them to write the labels, using initial letters as prompts if necessary. They could then compare their labels with other children s and check each other s spellings. Cross-curricular activity Understanding the world Ask the children if they know anything about Tim Peake, a British astronaut who travelled into space and spent six months on the International Space Station. Make a short list of things the class would like to find out about Tim Peake and support the children to use books or the Internet to find out the answers.
Space Dad Curriculum links and assessment Links to Oxford Criterion Scale Can read words with consonant digraphs: ch, sh, th, ng. (READ) (Standard 1, 15) Without prompting, uses words and illustrations together to gain meaning from a text. (R/D) (Standard 1, 17) Can read words with some vowel digraphs e.g. /ai/ /ee/ /igh/ /oa/ /oo/. (READ) (Standard 1, 19) Can talk about main points or key events in a simple text. (R) (Standard 1, 20) Is beginning to make predictions based on titles, text, blurb and/or illustrations. (D) (Standard 1, 21) Letters and Sounds: Phase 3 infact Level 3 books are designed to support children with the transition from phonic readers to richer reading with highly decodable non-fiction. These books cover non-fiction topics using natural language, with a high proportion of phonically decodable words and a selection of high-frequency words. Each book also has a limited number of non-decodable or unfamiliar topic words to enrich the language and ensure that children learn something new. ENGLAND The National Curriculum in England: Reception EYFS Early Learning Goals ELG 03 Speaking ELG 01 Listening and attention ELG 02 Understanding ELG 09 ELG 10 Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners needs. (ELG03.1) Children develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events. (ELG03.3) Children answer how and why questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events. (ELG02.2) Children demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read. (ELG09.3) Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. (ELG10.1) Check the children can read the book aloud with a partner, and can ask and answer questions clearly. Check the children understand the main differences between life for the boy and his dad. SCOTLAND Curriculum for Excellence: Literacy experiences and outcomes, Early Level Listening and talking Experiences and outcomes Within real and imaginary situations, I share experiences and feelings, ideas and information in a way that communicates my message. (LIT 0-09a) As I listen and take part in conversations and discussions, I discover new words and phrases which I use to help me express my ideas, thoughts and feelings. (LIT 0-10a) To help me understand stories and other texts, I ask questions and link what I am learning with what I already know. (LIT 0-07a / LIT 0-16a / ENG 0-17a) I use signs, books or other texts to find useful or interesting information and I use this to plan, make choices or learn new things. (LIT 0-14a) Check the children can answer questions and explain why they like their Check the children use new vocabulary appropriately in their answers. and suggest what else they would like to know about life in space. Check the children refer to the text and pictures when answering questions. I explore sounds, letters and words, discovering how they work together, and I can use what I learn to help me as I read or write. (ENG 0-12a / LIT 0-13a / LIT 0-21a)
WALES Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework, Reception Oracy Framework objectives express what they like and dislike (YR_OracSpea.1) show that they have listened to others, e.g. by drawing a picture (YR_OracList.1) answer Who?, What?, Where? and open-ended questions relating to own experiences, stories or events (YR_OracList.8) use pictures to aid understanding of text (YR_ReadStrat.12) copy and write letters, words and phrases, e.g. from the environment of those modelled by the practitioner (YR_WritMean.6) Check the children can follow instructions and listen to each other during discussions. Check the children correctly identify the photographs and refer to the pictures when reading and answering questions. NORTHERN IRELAND Levels of Progression in Communication across the curriculum: Level 1 Talking and listening Levels of Progression use vocabulary from within their experience to describe thoughts and feelings (L1_com_talk.3) make eye contact and take turns whilst engaging in conversation (L1_com_talk.6) ask and answer questions for specific information (L1_com_talk.2) show understanding of the meaning carried by print, pictures and images (L1_com_read.1) write words using sound-symbol correspondence (L1_com_writ.4i) Check the children communicate effectively with their partners in discussion. Check the children correctly identify the photographs.