Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth

Hello everyone,

This week we are reading Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth.  This is a delightful story about a cat named Jasper who finds a bean, plants it and impatiently waits for it to grow.  His gardening techniques leave a lot of room for improvement but eventually he grows a magnificent beanstalk.

Literacy  – Please practice those Talk 4 Writing actions.   Can your child ‘retell’ the story?  What do they remember?  What does your child think about Jasper’s approach?  Can they tell you how to plant a seed and what a seed needs to grow?  We’ve link this story to Jack and the Beanstalk, very few children were familiar with the fairy tale so please find some time to read/watch/retell the story with them. Could your child make their own pretend beanstalk using what you have at home?  You could decorate a broom/mop handle or a post with leaves they’ve cut out themselves.  Who would live at the top of their beanstalk? Jasper’s gardening skills are still developing, do they think that another animal such as a dog would be a better gardener, and of course, why do they think that?  It’s also a great opportunity to get outside and do some digging.   Imitate the story and make up one that is similar.  The sky and your imaginations are the limit!

https://f.io/o7yVfQlX

Maths –  There are all sorts of different maths skills to be practiced using this book.  Take a measuring tape/meter stick/ruler to measure everything around you!  See how tall your plants are.  We’ll be recording our ‘data’ in a bean diary to log the changes over time, and you could too (you might want to use a photograph of the plant or get them to draw it too).  You can refer back to this and discuss those changes using mathematical language such as longer, taller, higher, height, length, size, etc.  Get in the kitchen with your child and do some cooking (think of all the first hand practical measuring opportunities).  Shrove Tuesday is just a few days away and making pancakes is something that is simple and easy to do with your little one.  The added benefit is it’s a really tasty activity too!

Until next time, do good looking for adventures, clean your ears out for good listening and turn your noggins (brains) on for good learning.

Take care and stay safe,

Mrs Howe, Mrs Bain, Mrs Mitzman,  Mrs Hill and Mrs Bence