Chocolate Mouse for Greedy Goose
Storybook Song
This activity can be done with any number of children; with the whole nursery, in small key-worker groups or with a single child. Storybook activities use well-known tunes since familiar melodies make it easier for children to engage quickly with the activity of reading. For this book, the melody from ‘Bobby Shafto’ scans well with the words of the story.
Regularly reading stories with children improves their concentration, vocabulary, memory and sequencing; singing the stories is an approach that can be utilised to further embed these skills. Using well-known tunes to sing the stories can help children to remember the words more easily, in turn helping to accelerate and embed the learning.
AREAS OF LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Communication and Language
– Understanding
– Listening & Attention
Preparation for Literacy
– Reading
RESOURCES
– The storybook Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Nick Sharratt.
– Sufficient space to make a circle, so everyone can see the book.
SONG WORDS
“Where’s the meal?” asks hungry seal
“It’s coming now”, says busy cow
“What can I smell?” says shy gazelle
“Macaroni” says Shetland pony.
“Too hot for me”, says chimpanzee
“Blow on it then” says mother hen
“Carrots, yuck”, says fussy duck
“They’re good for you” says kangaroo.
10-1 Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose - Full Song
How to...
Step by step
1.Introduce the story to the group and sing it all the way through a few times, asking the children to listen carefully to the words;
3.Sing it once more, this time stopping towards the end of each page and asking the group if they can remember what is on the next page;
2.Sing it through again, this time encouraging the group to join in where they can, using the pictures as a memory prompt;
4.Take time over the more unusual words that may be unfamiliar to the group (such as ‘gazelle’ ‘Shetland Pony’ etc.), and help them to commit these words to memory.
Extension & Development
1.Let the children take turns to be in charge of turning the pages. This will consolidate their memory of both the individual story and the book’s structure in general, as well as promoting confidence and positive leadership;
4.Expand the children’s memories of the book into further nursery-based activities by encouraging them to
draw the animals from the story.
2.The song provides great scope for developing vocabulary and explaining and practising rhyming words. When the children know the story and enjoy it, start to point out the rhymes and see if they can begin to spot them. Repeat this as many times as required;
3.Take the opportunity to introduce the concept of punctuation by asking the children to identify the symbols, and explain to the group what they mean;
Aspects
Early Learning Goals
Activity Contribution to Goals
Communication and Language
Understanding
1. Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
2. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.
The children are encouraged to follow the structure of the story, and can have their understanding checked by asking questions and asking for their observations on the story along with predictions of what might happen next, both through looking at the pictures and using knowledge of rhyme.
Communication and Language
Listening & Attention
1. Children listen attentively in a range of situations.
2. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments,
questions or actions.
3. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity.
The story has a lot of vocabulary on a range of themes, some of which may be unfamiliar to the group, so a great deal of listening and attention is required.
Preparation for Literacy
Reading
1. Children read and understand simple sentences.
2. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words.
3. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
Children are encouraged to participate in page turning, in order to familiarise themselves with the structure of the story.
Rhyming words are found and embedded through repetition;
Punctuation is identified and explained to the group.