Jessie's Flower

Literacy Activity 1 - Story Time

In this activity you will be practising your listening, reading and comprehension skills.

1. Enjoy watching the story video and follow along with the BOOK.pdf attached below. 
2. After watching and reading the story, can you answer the COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS attached below? Your class teacher can tell you which level of questions to ask. Don't forget to use the COMMUNICATION BOARD to help with the answers!

Literacy Activity 2 - Story Role Play

In this activity you will be working on your understanding of the story alongside practising your communication, comprehension and sequencing skills.

Can you remember the sequence of the story? You can follow along with the video if you like, or just pick one scene to recreate.

Resources you could use (but don't worry if you don't have them, using imaginations is just fine too):

• Torch (the sun)
• Paper fan (the wind)
• Seed (to plant)
• Umbrella and watering can (the rain)
• Plant
• Flower

Activity steps:

1. Re-watch the story video above
2. Gather any or all of the resources above
3. Using your resources and the BOOK.pdf to help remember the sequence, can you act out each part of the story? You can also use the COMMUNICATION BOARD as a communication aid.

Literacy Activity 3 - Making a Story Map

In this activity you will be working on building your vocabulary and practising your communication, comprehension, sequencing, fine motor and writing skills.

It's time to make a story map! You can either use the resources below, or for a real CHALLENGE you could make your own map with your own drawings, arrows and labels.

Resources needed:

• Printed STORY MAP
• Printed STORY MAP TEMPLATE (not needed if doing the CHALLENGE)
• Pens/pencils and blank paper (if doing the CHALLENGE)

Activity steps:

1. Re-watch the story video above, following along with your printed STORY MAP
2. Cut out each square on your STORY MAP
3. Make your own story map by sticking the cut out squares in order of the story. You can use the STORY MAP TEMPLATE for a three part map, choosing three moments from the story that represent the beginning, middle and end. Or you can stick them to a blank sheet if you'd like to do more!
4. Retell the story using your map!

CHALLENGE!

If you’re feeling really confident, you can make your own map from scratch, doing your own drawings and captions!

Literacy Activity 4 - Let's write!

In this activity you will be working on your reading, writing, comprehension and sequencing skills, as well as practising new vocabulary.

It's time to write some sentences! Enjoy completing the worksheet, or if you fancy a real challenge, why not compose your own sentences in our CHALLENGE?

Resources needed

• Printed COMPOSING SENTENCES worksheet
• Pen/pencil OR scissors and glue
• Blank sheet of lined paper (if doing the CHALLENGE)

Activity steps

1. Retell the story using your story map from activity 3
2. Complete the COMPOSING SENTENCES worksheet by either writing in the words or cutting and sticking the symbols. Make sure you follow along with the BOOK.pdf or your STORY MAP to help you complete the sentences!

CHALLENGE!

Choose a scene from the book and verbally compose a sentence about it. Repeat the sentence a few times before writing the sentence in shared writing.

Shared writing is where the adult fills in the trickier parts of a sentence using a different colour pen. You can find instructions on how to do shared writing in more detail in the document how to do shared writing. You can also use Shape Coding when composing the sentence, more information can be found about this in the Shape Coding - how to guide.

Sensory Story

In this activity you will explore reading and story telling supported through a sensory approach.

Follow the instructions below to adapt this book into a sensory story.

You will need the following props:

• Access to YouTube (Birds Singing) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7dYd-Ra8bk
• Teddy or comforter
• Torch or mobile phone to use as torch.
• Paper fan
• Cotton wool
• Large bowl of water with watering can or cups
• Drink of Water
• Bowl or tray of Soil or compost
• Slime or playdough
• Bubbles
• Essential oils or floral smelling cream or lotion.
• Freshly picked flower

Page and suggested activities

Page one – child to listen to sound of birds singing.

Page two – child to explore teddy or comforter  

Page three – shine a touch light at the child (avoiding shining the torch in the child’s eyes).

Page four – fan the child using a paper fan.

Page five – child to explore cotton wool.

Page six – child to explore a large bowl of water with a watering can or cups pouring the water into the bowl

Page seven – child to drink a sip of water

Page eight – child to explore soil or compost.

Page nine – child to pull at slime or playdough watching it expand and grow bigger

Page ten – child to pop bubbles.

Page eleven – child to smell essential oil or a cream that is floral scented.

Page twelve – child to explore and smell flower

Sensory Play 

In these activities you will using a child led approach to practise interaction, communication and turn taking skills.

Sensory Play Activity 1 - Lavender Playdough Recipe 

You will need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp cream of tartar
• 1 to 1.5 cups of boiling water (start with up to 1, mix it as below, then add a little more until it is just right)
• 1/2 tsp gel food colouring ( we use Wilton for intense colours)
• a few drops of glycerine (my secret extra ingredient for extra smoothness and shine!)
• 3 or 4 lavender floor heads, pulled apart

Mix the dry ingredients. Stir through the oil. Add the boiling water and stir vigorously until all lumps are gone and it begins to come together. Then knead it until it stops being sticky. Add colouring and any flavouring/ natural scent at the kneading stage. Add in the lavender at this final stage. What other flowers can you use to make scented playdough?

Sensory Play Activity 2 - Flowers and Water Bead Soup

You will need:

• Wild Flowers 
• Sensory Beads

Make up water beads and add wild flowers to enjoy a sensory experience that feels and smells incredible. Which flowers are you going to use? What do they smell like? How does it feel?

Sensory Play Activity 3 - Flower Petal Sensory Bag

You will need:

• Hair Gel
• Flower Petals (real or artificial) 
• Zip lock Bags
• Tape

This bag is great and feels squishy and fun. What colour petals will you put in your bag?

Extension Activity 1 - Putting Together a Flower

In this activity you will be learning about the different parts of a plant, building vocabulary. You will also practise fine motor skills such as cutting and sticking.

Activity steps:

1. Go outside and see if you can find and pick a flower.
2. Look at and have a go at naming the different parts of the plant.
3. Put together your own flower using the worksheet below!

Extension Activity 2 - Flowers Wordsearch

In this activity you will be learning the names of different flowers, building vocabulary. You will practise your reading skills, letter recognition, and develop confidence and creativity.

Arts and Crafts Activity 1 - Fingerprint Flowers!

In this activity you will be learning about the different parts of a plant, building vocabulary. You will work on following instructions and practise fine motor skills, and developing creativity.

Follow the instructions below to create your own Fingerprint Flowers!

Arts and Crafts Activity 2 - Make a Bouquet of Flowers

In this activity you will be practising fine motor skills through cutting and sticking, as well as developing creativity.

Cut and stick the flowers and leaves in the document below to make a beautiful bouquet of flowers.