RIC-20935 Early years Fairytales - Billy goats

Cross-curricular activities
English
• Read a version of ‘The three billy goats Gruff’. Refer
to page 8. Encourage children who have their own
copies of the story at home to bring them to show and
display (or collect different versions from the library).
Use these as a basis for a discussion about different
texts of the fairytale, illustrations and authors. Ask the
children to select their favourite and least favourite
versions. (Literature)
• Discuss and find other words which begin with the
sound for the letter ‘b’ (billy) and ‘g’ (goat, Gruff).
Find words that rhyme with ‘three’, ‘billy’, ‘goat’ and
‘Gruff’, and clap and count the syllables in each word.
(Language)
• ‘Gruff’ is the family name of the three billy goats. Ask
the children, or tell them if they do not know, what their
family names are. Introduce the terms ‘given name’
and ‘surname’ (or ‘family name’). Children may like
to give their full names, including their middle names.
(Language)
• Discuss the story of ‘The three billy goats Gruff’ with
the children and encourage them to answer questions
about it. Begin with literal questions that have only
one correct answer, such as ‘Which goat crossed
the bridge first?’ then ask more evaluative questions
requiring the inferring of information, such as ‘Which
goat do you think was the bravest? Why do you think
that?’ (Literature, Literacy)
• Introduce the words ‘billy goat’, ‘nanny goat’ and
‘kid’ and display them with pictures. Talk about the
words, their meanings and the ways in which they
are related. Extend this to a general discussion about
the names of the male, female and young of other
animals. Use these words and appropriate pictures cut
from magazines to make a wall chart called ‘Mother,
father and baby animals’. (Literacy)
• Find the names of, and draw pictures of, things
which begin with ‘tr’ like ‘troll’—truck, treasure, trunk,
tracksuit, tractor, traffic, train etc. Write the words on
labels and provide opportunities for children to ‘trace’
them.
• Introduce story sequence cards to the class and
discuss what is happening in each. (Refer to pages
9 and 10.) The children then work with a partner to
sequence a set of cards in the correct order. Encourage
the children to talk about what is happening in each
picture and decide on a sequence. They can then take
turns to retell the story by describing what is happening
in each picture. (Literacy)
• Talk about direct speech. Highlight the ‘speaking’
parts of a big book about ‘The three billy goats Gruff’.
Have the children practise saying the ‘speaking’ parts.
(Language)
• Talk about what a goat looks like; e.g. ‘woolly, ‘cute’;
sounds like; e.g. ‘maa’, ‘trip, trap’; and acts like;
e.g. ‘friendly’, ‘cheeky’. If desired, compile a simply
worded and/or pictorial Y–chart. Capable children can
read the words from the chart. (Literacy)
• Read and discuss other stories about goats such as
Aesop’s fable ‘The fox and the goat’ and informational
texts about goats. (Literature)
• Children find and cut out pictures of different types and
colours of goats and display them. They take turns to
choose that which they like best. They can describe
the goat to a partner, a small group or the class and
explain why they chose this particular goat. (Literacy)
• Provide laminated cards, each with one word or
name related to the story for children to use in the
writing corner. Provide pictures and encourage
children to match them to the words they are writing.
(Language)
• Talk about the use of capital
letters for the beginning of
special names such as ‘Gruff’.
Create a goat from a large
cardboard copy of capital
‘G’. Use cardboard, coloured
paper, crayons and googly
eyes. Alternatively, cover a
lower-case ‘g’ with Easter
grass. (Language)
• Draw or create grass patterns on a large sheet of art
paper using paint and brushes or printing utensils.
When dry, use as a background for paper-folded goats
or painted individual goats and a troll. (Literacy)
2 Early years themes—Fairytales—The three billy goats Gruff www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®