Critter of the Day – Fact Finders Follow Up Activities

Description

This pack is for Years 4 to 6 students reading the Fact Finders decodable text “Critter of the Day”. The focus is ai and ay representing the long /ā/ sound. Critter of the Day introduces three New Zealand critters (the springtail, the gecko and the praying mantis – an insect) and invites readers to learn about their traits before voting for their favourite.

What’s included

Two-page activity sheet

• Word Reading: ten ai and ay words from the book, with a Quick Draw.
• Comprehension Questions: the four question types recommended in the Fact Finders Teacher Support Materials, for oral or written answers.
• Comprehension Activity: a true or false task using focus words.
• Vocabulary: the word “decaying” broken down by sounds, syllables, spelling and meaning.
• Literacy Skills: a punctuation and capital letters check using sentences from the text.
• Fun Fact: geckos can’t blink, so they lick their eyes clean!
• Creative Task: invent your own critter and label its traits.
• Apply Your Knowledge: QR code links to a screened video and a related School Journal article.

Full lesson plan: phonics focus words, key vocabulary and guided reading questions for every double page.

Answer key

Phonological awareness slide deck (PowerPoint or Google Slides)

• Take away, add, change and count sounds, plus rhyming words, all built around ai and ay words from the book.

A note on the design:
We made these sheets look like our Year 3+ reading resources, so older students reading at a lower level don’t get something that looks junior/babyish. Each page has a name space and a photo of the book cover so they can get started on their own.

Great for: small group follow-up, reading rotations, buddy reading, literacy contracts and relief teaching.