Notes for shared reading session
Before reading
- This story is based on the traditional tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Look at the first picture together. Can the children guess what the story is going to be about?
- If they already know the story, ask them to be ready to join in when the bears return to the cottage.
During reading
- Why do the three bears leave their cottage?
- Why is Goldilocks walking in the wood and why does she go up to the cottage? Do they agree that Goldilocks was very, very silly to go in the cottage?
- At key moments in the story ask the children to predict what they think is going to happen next.
- Invite the children to join in with the refrain, modulating their voices for each bear.
Responding to the text
- Have the children eaten porridge? What do they like to eat for breakfast?
- Can the children remember the sequence of events? What happened first?
- Why do the three bears have different sized bowls, chairs and beds?
- Why does Goldilocks fall asleep?
- Do they think it is a good ending to the story? What else might have happened?
Revisiting the 'big book' with different age groups
- Years 1 & 2 (England & Wales) / Years P2 & P3 (Scotland) / Years 2 & 3 (Northern Ireland): What do the children notice about the way the text is displayed, for example, change in size of font and the inclusion of speech marks? What do they notice about the way the story opens? Can they spot some other examples of story telling language?
- All ages: How do they think Goldilocks got her name? How do they know what is going to happen next in the story? Talk also about the importance of eating a healthy breakfast.