Display Contents from Seed to Sunflower and model using the book to answer questions about the life cycle of a sunflower. Write a response to each question.

Read Oliver’s Fruit Salad. Notice that at the start Oliver didn’t want to eat the fruit. Discuss why he changed his mind. Finally, list lots of different fruits and describe them, e.g. red cherry. Share the poem and rehearse at suitable times throughout the week, e.g. start/end of the day. Help children vary the pitch and tone of their voice as they rehearse to stress the counting words. Hold up fingers to correspond to each number and generate an action, e.g. munch = snap mouth shut.Enjoy Jasper’s Beanstalk. Appreciate humour. Reread the story together, modelling how to use different strategies to read unfamiliar words ( resources). Identify what Jasper did on each day. Discuss the consequences of Jasper mowing the bean. List equipment used/ what he did with it to care for the bean.

Jasper's beanstalk probably has around 100 words in it, but manages to cover lots with them - days of the week, growth cycle of a plant, gardening vocabulary and techniques (some incorrectly used!) and the virtue of patience! The illustrations are charming and simple, but with enough going on to draw interest and support questioning of the book. Language and Literacy - recall and sequence the story with the children. You could provide the children with story props and then encourage them to act out the story individually or with others. Share Oliver’s Vegetables. Identify and enjoy the humour. Discuss why Oliver didn’t spot the potatoes instantly. Find each vegetable and recognise which part Oliver ate, e.g. cabbage = leaf.Share The Tiny Seed. Reflect on why the tiny seed was able to germinate. Discuss what conditions seeds need to start growing. Help children to use because to provide reasons for ideas. I like this story, as it is a nice way to introduce to the children the topic of changes and the life cycle of a bean. It allows the children to relate to what Jasper is doing and then carrying out the task themselves. The imagery is clear and simple, as well as the text, allowing for the children to start to learn the days of the week. The above video may be from a third-party source. We accept no responsibility for any videos from third-party sources. Please let us know if the video is no longer working. It is also a nice way to get the children talking about the book and extend their thinking by asking questions such as: What happens to the beanstalk? Does Jasper climb up it? If so, where does he go?