The Best Trick: (Red Squirrel Phonics Level 7)
Red Squirrel Phonics Series
What’s inside...
Follow the adventures of a clever squirrel as it navigates various challenges using its unique tricks to achieve goals, learning valuable lessons along the way. Additionally, Red Squirrel Phonics is a new series of decodable readers from Raintree that teaches children phonics skills in a sequential and systematic way. Through engaging stories and decodable texts, children practice phonics skills, ensuring success in reading from their very first book. In one of the stories, Heta and Lily, who admire each other's hair, buy wigs and trick their families by swapping appearances.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
6-8
Length
20 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think made the trick in the story the best one?
How did the characters in the book feel during the trick?
If you could create your own trick, what would it be and why?
What lesson did the characters learn at the end of the story?
How do you think the story would change if a different character performed the trick?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their thoughts about the story’s events and characters openly.
Prompt them to imagine alternative endings or different tricks by asking creative questions.
Discuss the moral or lesson learned in the story and relate it to real-life scenarios your child might encounter.
Use expressive reading techniques like different voices for different characters to make the reading experience more dynamic and engaging.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Persistence pays off
Explanation: In the book, the characters face challenges but keep trying until they succeed, emphasizing the value of persistence.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by continuing to work on difficult tasks in school or learning new skills, understanding that effort can lead to success.
Example Lesson: Teamwork and cooperation
Explanation: The story highlights characters working together to achieve a common goal, showing how teamwork facilitates success.
Real-World Application: Kids can use this concept by participating in group activities or team sports, learning to cooperate and value each other’s contributions.
Example Lesson: Creative problem-solving
Explanation: The characters use innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, illustrating the importance of thinking outside the box.
Real-World Application: Children can be encouraged to think creatively when faced with challenges, whether in academic projects or everyday problems.
Example Lesson: The joy of learning
Explanation: Through engaging with challenges, characters discover new knowledge and skills, portraying learning as a delightful experience.
Real-World Application: This lesson can inspire children to approach educational activities with enthusiasm and a positive mindset, seeing learning as an enjoyable adventure.