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Talk for Writing
Please donate to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s
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Dear Teacher/Parent/Carer,
Welcome to the third batch of home-school unit booklets!
The first two batches of units have reached hundreds of thousands of
children and the positive feedback has been overwhelming.
The units are intended to be used with online support by class teachers and
by parents at home. They are produced by unpaid volunteers who are giving
their time to help teachers, families and children while the schools are closed
and we want to use the units to help an extremely good cause.
We are asking for voluntary contributions to Great Ormond Street Hospital of:

• £5 per year group unit

Schools using or sending the link to a unit to their pupils
• £2 per unit
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DONATE HERE
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I hope you enjoy using the unit. Thank you for your support.
With best wishes,

Pie Corbett
Talk for Writing

What is Talk for Writing?

Thousands of schools in the UK, and beyond, follow the Talk for Writing
approach to teaching and learning. Find more about it here.
Talk for Writing Home-school booklet

Mouse’s
Adventure
by Jane Ralphs

Hello!
I’m Mouse!
Let’s have a
learning
adventure.

© Copyright of Jane Ralphs and Talk for Writing 2020.

Permissions: Sharing the web link / URL to where this booklet sits on the Talk for Writing
website with colleagues and parents is encouraged, but no part of this publication should
be re-uploaded elsewhere online, reproduced or altered without permission.
www.talk4writing.com
Dear
DearParent/Carer
Parent/Carer
Thank
Thankyou
youforfortaking
takingthe
thetime
timetotosupport
supportyour
yourchild
childwith
withtheir
theirlearning.
learning.This
This
booklet
bookletisisdesigned
designedtotoinspire
inspireand
andsupport
supportyour
yourchild
childtotodevelop
developskills
skillsand
and
confidence in speaking, reading and writing.
confidence in speaking, reading and writing.

Through
Throughthetheworld
worldofofMouse’s adventures,
Mavis, the youryour
Magical Cat, childchild
will will
be invited to explore
be invited a
to explore
number
a numberof engaging, funfun
of engaging, andand
purposeful activities.
purposeful In this
activities. booklet,
In this youyou
booklet, willwill
seesee
8
different types
8 different of learning
types activities:
of learning activities:

• • Let’s
Read read together
Together
• • Let’s
Talktalk
Time
• • Rhyme
RhymetimeTime
• • Ladybird
LadybirdWords
Words
• • Let’s pretend
Let’s Pretend
• • Ready,
Ready,steady,
Steady,write
Write
• • Out and about
Out and About
• • Let’s
Let’sget creative
Get Creative
Each
Eachactivity
activityisisexplained
explainedbybyMouse
Mavisand
andhas
hasbeen
beendesigned
designedsosothat
thatyou
youcan
can
support
support your child. For example, there will be shared reading, discussionand
your child. For example, there will be shared reading, discussion and
writing. On some of the pages you will see a box like this:
writing. On some of the pages you will see a box like this:

This is an information box for the adult and will give you some tips on supporting
Information
the activity.boxes like this will give you some tips on supporting the activity.

AtAtthe
theend
endofofthe
thebooklet,
booklet,please
pleasesupport
supportyour
yourchild
childtotorate
rateand
andcomment
commentononhow
how
they got on with their learning and add your comments too.
they got on with their learning. Please also add your comments so that these can
be shared back in school with the teacher.
ENJOY!
ENJOY!

© Talk for Writing 2

 Let’s read
together

You can listen to an audio version of the story here.

https://soundcloud.com/talkforwriting/mouse/s-rV3emp306CV

Mouse’s Adventures
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Rafa who lived with his
Grandma in a big city. Every day, Rafa played football and built
Lego but, most of all, he played with Mouse.

Rafa’s Grandma gave Mouse to him on the day that he was born and
Rafa loved him. Whenever anyone asked Rafa why his friend was
just called Mouse, Rafa would smile and say, “Well, he’s just so …
mousey!”

On Monday, Rafa woke up, turned over in bed and reached for
Mouse, but Mouse wasn’t there. “Oh bother!” said Rafa. “He’s been
on an adventure again.” So, Rafa looked here, he looked there, he
looked everywhere and, finally, he found him on his bedroom shelf
in amongst the Lego models. “What have you been up to?” asked
Rafa, picking Mouse up and snuggling his soft ears.
“We-e-e-ll,” said Mouse, “I was having a lovely time playing in the
Lego until I got trapped by an evil robot!”

On Tuesday, Rafa woke up, turned over in bed and reached for
Mouse, but Mouse wasn’t there. “Oh bother!” said Rafa. “He’s been
on an adventure again.” So, Rafa looked here, he looked there, he
looked everywhere and, finally, he found him in the lounge, hanging
from the curtain rail. “What have you been up to?” asked Rafa,
picking Mouse up and stroking his fluffy tail.
“We-e-e-ll,” said Mouse, “I was having a lovely time climbing the
curtains until I slipped! Lucky I’ve got a super strong tail!”

© Talk for Writing 3

On Wednesday, Rafa woke up, turned over in bed and reached for
Mouse, but Mouse wasn’t there. “Oh bother!” said Rafa. “He’s been
on an adventure again.” So, Rafa looked here, he looked there, he
looked everywhere and, finally, he found him in the kitchen
cupboard, covered in flour. “What have you been up to?” asked
Rafa, picking Mouse up and dusting him down.
“We-e-e-ll,” said Mouse, “I was having a lovely time looking for
treats until a big, white cloud landed on me!”

On Thursday, Rafa woke up, turned over in bed and reached for
Mouse, but Mouse wasn’t there. “Oh bother!” said Rafa. “He’s been
on an adventure again.” So, Rafa looked here, he looked there, he
looked everywhere and, finally, he found him sitting in the bath.
“What have you been up to?” asked Rafa, picking Mouse up and
wrapping him in a warm towel.
“We-e-e-ll,” said Mouse, “I was having a lovely time sliding in the
bath until the shower rained on me!”

On Friday, Rafa woke up with something warm and fluffy and

orange cuddled up under his chin. “Good Morning,” said Rafa. “no
adventures last night?”
“We-e-e-ll,” said Mouse, “I was having a lovely time diving in the
duvet waves until … I fell fast asleep!”

© Talk for Writing 4

 Talk with your child about what
happened in the story. Help them to
talk about:
Let’s
• what they liked
talk • did anything surprise them?
• do they have any questions?
Jot down what they say so that you
can come back to it another day.

What parts
of the story
did you like
the most?

Did anything
about the
story surprise
you?

Do you
have any
questions?

© Talk for Writing 5

« Ladybird loves words! She has chosen some words from the story.
Can you say each word together and match it to the right picture?

city

fluffy

duvet

warm

strong

© Talk for Writing 6

 Read the story to your child,
stopping after each paragraph to
Let’s do the activities. Encourage your
child to understand the story
pretend better by entering into the story
world, using one of their own toys
as the character.

« Can you pretend that one of your toys is the character in the story?
Listen while a a little bit of the story is read to you. Can you remember
what Mouse said? What would your character say?

He found him on his bedroom shelf

in amongst the Lego models.

He found him in the lounge, hanging

from the curtain rail.

He found him in the kitchen

cupboard, covered in flour.

He found him sitting in the bath.

© Talk for Writing 7

 Rhymes are an important part of
early learning. Keep the learning
Rhyme
fun – chant together, sing
time together, do the actions
together, clap the rhythm
together.

Hickory, dickory, dock,

The mouse ran up the
clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.

© Talk for Writing 8

 Out
and
about

« I have been having some more adventures in my house and outside. Can
you see where I have been and what I have been doing?
« Can you take one of your toys on an adventure like mine? Ask your helper
to take some photographs for you just like I did.

© Talk for Writing 9

 Sequencing things in the right
order is an important skill. Help
your child to retell Mouse’s
Ready adventure in order using the
steady time words on the story path.
Support them to write in the
write correct words.

First, he Then, he hid

One morning, had a in the
Mouse went yummy _______.
on another
______.
adventure.

After that,
Next, he did he played a
some
________ on the
in the garden. recorder.

Then he did
some
__________. Finally, he
made himself a
jam

to enjoy. Yum!

© Talk for Writing 10

 Let’s get
creative

« Time to stick the photographs of your toy’s adventure on the story

path and tell their adventure story. If you haven’t got photographs,
you can draw the pictures instead.

© Talk for Writing 11

 Read
together

« This is one of my favourite poems. It’s called Ice Lolly and was written
by Pie Corbett. Read it together a couple of times. See if you can clap
along with the rhythm too.

Ice Lolly

Red rocket
on a stick.
If it shines,
lick it quick.

Round the edges,

on the top,
round the bottom,
do not stop.

Suck the lolly.

Lick your lips.
Lick the sides
as it drips

off the stick –

quick, quick,
lick, lick –
Red rocket
on a stick.
© Pie Corbett

© Talk for Writing 12

 Ready
steady
write

« Rainbows are special, aren’t they?

Guess what I used to paint my rainbow
rocket ice lolly picture? There’s a clue
in this drawing!

© Talk for Writing 13

 Let’s get
creative

« Have a go at a fingerprint painting. Here is a

picture frame for your rainbow ice lolly painting.

© Talk for Writing 14

 Making your feely tray
The best things to use in
the tray are sand or flour
as these leave a clear
pathway of the letter as
your child forms it.

« Ladybird picked three action words from our story. Can you
write these words with your finger in a feely tray?

looking

climbing

stroking

© Talk for Writing 15

 Read
together

« Today I had a letter from my friend Bee. He’s always looking

for adventures too! Read the letter with your helper.

Dear Mouse
What an adventure I had at the weekend! I had been flying for a very
long time and I was exhausted. So, I had to make an emergency landing.
Look what I landed on … a hedgehog made of FRUIT! Lucky me!
I think it would be fun for you to make one.
What you need:
• a large potato • a banana
• some tin foil • some grapes or blueberries
• some cocktail sticks • some tomatoes
• an apple • a plate

What you do:

1. Cover the potato with the tin foil.
2. Chop the fruit into small pieces (ask your helper to help).
3. Push each piece of fruit onto a cocktail stick.
4. Push the cocktail sticks into the potato until it looks like a
hedgehog.
5. Serve it on a plate.
Now you can enjoy a healthy treat! Yum!

Your busy friend

Bee

© Talk for Writing 16

Let’s get
creative

« Can you make a fruit

hedgehog just like the one
Bee landed on?

© Talk for Writing 17

 Get hunting with your child,
both inside and outside if
Out possible. Support your child to
and tick off anything they spot
and add any others they find
about
to the checklist.

« My favourite colours are green, brown and orange. I love to go on

an adventure to spot things that are these colours.
I wonder how many you will find …

I found …

I also found …

© Talk for Writing 18

 Read
together

« I love writing riddles about my favourite animals.

Can you guess what they are?

My body is red and shiny.

Look closely – I’m tiny.
On my back I have spots.
Little black dots.
You may see me flutter by
but I’m not a butterfly!

What am I?

© Talk for Writing 19

 Read
together

I am very tall.
I have a long neck.
I am usually yellow and brown.
I eat leaves from tall trees.
My tongue is blue!

What am I?

© Talk for Writing 20

 Ready
steady
write

« Have a go at making up your own animal riddle. If you need

some help to write it down, ask your helper. Have a go at a
few words yourself though!

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

What am I?

© Talk for Writing 21

« Ladybird has been thinking about the different parts of a plant.
Can you label this one with the right words? She has written all
the words at the bottom of the page to help you.

petals stem

leaf roots

© Talk for Writing 22

 Rhyme
time

I Had a Little Nut Tree

I had a little nut tree;

Nothing would it bear
But a silver nutmeg
And a golden pear.
The King of Spain’s daughter
Came to visit me,
And all for the sake of
My little nut tree.
I skipped over water,
I danced over sea,
And all the birds in the air
Couldn’t catch me.

© Talk for Writing 23

 Read
together

Dear Mouse,

I’ve been out on another flying adventure. I

landed on lots of interesting things.

Some of them were lovely to land on and some

were not! I liked the things that were dry,
smooth or soft but I did not like the ones that
were wet, prickly or hard.

Have a look at the things I landed on. Can you

write the correct word beside each one?

Have fun!

From your friend

Bee

© Talk for Writing 24

 Ready
steady
write

wet dry soft hard prickly smooth

© Talk for Writing 25

 Provide your child with
Let’s the two colours shown
each time and let them
get combine to make the
creative new colour.

« I love mixing colours together to make a new colour. Can you

mix each of these two colours together, paint a splodge in the
box and write the name of the new colour underneath it?

_____________

_____________

_____________

© Talk for Writing 26

 Let’s
get
creative
e

« Which colour did you make that you could use to paint me?
Have a go!

© Talk for Writing 27

 Get active and
have some fun
with this poem.
Rhyme It’s a great one
time for encouraging
rhythm!

I Had a Little Monkey

I had a little monkey,

I called him Little Jim,
I put him in a bathtub,
To see if he could swim.

He drank up all the water,

He ate up all the soap,
He lay down on the bathmat,
Blowing bubbles from his throat.

“Mummy, mummy, I feel ill,

Call the doctor down the hill.”
In came the doctor, in came the nurse,
In came the lady with the alligator purse.

“He’s naughty,” said the doctor.

“He’s wicked,” said the nurse.
“Hiccups!” said the lady with the alligator purse.

Out went the doctor,

Out went the nurse,
Out went the lady with the alligator purse.

© Talk for Writing 28

I hope you had a
great time
learning with me.
Don’t forget to
write a message
on the next page.

© Talk for Writing 29

 So, how did
you get on?
Draw a circle
round one of
the faces.

The activities I liked best were

My helper thinks:

© Talk for Writing 30

© Jane Ralphs for Talk for Writing

Jane Ralphs works with Talk for Writing to help schools develop the approach.

Edited by Julia Strong

Prepared for online distribution by Nick Batty
Thanks to Jon Ralphs for the cartoons: jonralphs.com

To find out more about Talk for Writing, visit www.talk4writing.com.

Sharing this resource and copyright information

This resource is subject to copyright. All materials herein, texts and supporting
resources are copyright to Jane Ralphs & Talk for Writing. They are to be used to
support children/staff/parents in home and school learning only and are not for
commercial gain. Sharing the web link/URL to where this booklet sits on the Talk
for Writing website with colleagues and parents is encouraged, but no part of this
publication should be re-uploaded elsewhere online, reproduced or altered
without permission.

‘Ice Lolly’ poem used with kind permission of Pie Corbett:

© Pie Corbett. First appeared in A Very First Poetry Book (1985) published by
Oxford University Press.

Photography credits:

Pedro Lastra; Tiki Giorgadze; Ben White; Alex; Jenna Christina; Nine Kopfer; Roya
Ann Miller; Marta Markes at Unsplash.

© Talk for Writing 31