Vocabulary, Grammar and Language Overview for Stories 1 to 10
For Children aged 3 to 6 from Shelley Ann Vernon
The 500 most common words in English are included in the complete series 1 to 30
Short Story 1. I’m Hungry – animals
Animals: Ant, spider, snake, bird, cat, fox and lion.
Greeting: Hello, how are you?
I’m fine thanks.
Verbs: Eat
Phrases: I’m hungry.
I am going to eat you.
(Extra vocabulary for version 2: What are you doing? Look for, look, find, gobble up, pop out, unfortunately)
Short Story 2. Anna goes to the Zoo – counting and animals
Animals: Revision: Lion, spider, snake, bird, and ant
Numbers: 1-10
New animals: Elephant, giraffe, bear, duck and monkey
Nouns: Daddy, zoo
Verbs: See
Phrases: At the zoo
An option is to revise colours deliberately getting them wrong, for example:
“At the zoo Anna sees two elephants. There they are, two green elephants” and let the children spot the mistake – they will soon be calling out the right colour.
(Extra vocabulary for version 2- The text proposes a variety of verbs to describe what the animals are doing and animal body parts. Repeat the same verbs more often if you need a simpler version, but not as simple as the basic one.)
Walk, stick out, say, spray, eat, think, chew, dance, rest, swim, lie down, monkey around, play, sit
Tongue, trunk, back, webbed-feet, beak, head, body
Hot, hungry, meal
Short Story 3. Archie and his Pony – counting and colours
Numbers: Revision: 1-10
Colours: Black, blue, green, yellow, brown, red, white, orange, pink, purple
Nouns: Pony, jump
Verbs: Jump
Phrases: Here is, it is, well done! Yippee!
(Extra vocabulary for version 2: Excellent, mischievous, very good, good, OK, naughty, crazy, really crazy, groovy, cool
If there are too many of these adjectives use fewer and repeat them.
That was, don’t
Look, eat, drink and stay on)
Short Story 4. Hide & seek – animals, colours, nature
Greeting: Revision: Hello, how are you? I’m fine thanks.
Numbers: Revision: 1-10
Colours: Revision: yellow, green, blue, red
Animals: Revision: Giraffe, bird, spider, monkey, snake, lion and ant
Nouns: Path, bush, pond, grass, flower, head
Verbs: Hide
Phrases: Is that you? No, it’s me.
Extra vocabulary for version 2: Counted, found, searched, thought, saw, move and said, coming, stepping, popping, flying. Watch out! silly
Short Story 5. The Marching Ants
Numbers: Revision: 1-10
Colours: Revision: white, yellow, red, brown, orange, green, blue, pink and purple
Nouns: Revision: ant, path, bush, pond, grass, and flower
New nouns: Field, garden, bed, teddy bear
Verbs: March
Phrases: Feels tired, falls asleep
Other: Little
(Extra vocabulary for version 2
First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, last
They have been working
Marching, working, looking, take back, notice
Ant hill, nap)
Short Story 6. Volka and the Pink Ball
Nouns: Revision: path, grass, bushes, pond, and garden
New nouns: Ball, doggy, lady
Verbs: Walk, throw, chase, catch, run, give, swim, and shout
Phrases: This is,
Other: Good, bad, whoops!
Extra vocabulary for version 2
But he threw it further this time, much further, even further, absolutely miles
I had better be careful
It wasn’t her fault
Short Story 7. Volka and the Ducks
Nouns: Revision: path, grass, bushes, pond, duck, garden, lady
Verbs: Revision: walk, run, jump, swim, and shout
Phrases: Revision: feels tired
Other: Revision: little, yippee
New verbs: Bark, hear, stop, look for, and cry
Phrases: Lucas has gone
(Extra words for version 2: Master, dog food, allowed, I really want, taste, get back, quack at, and remember, even though, especially when, see if, until, nicer than, bigger than, cheeky, naughty, worried)
Short Story 8. The Bear and his Teddy Bear
Nouns: Revision: bear, teddy bear
Other: Revision: little
Nouns: Story, song, music, milk, kiss
Verbs: Read, sing, play and give (optional)
Phrases: I’m tired, I’m not tired, go to sleep, good night
(Extra vocabulary for version 2
Can we play a game?
I want to…run about, jump up and down, play hide and seek, dance and jump, run all over the house.
That was a nice story/song
Your violin sounds funny, you need a new one. I don’t need a new one.)
Short Story 9. Hetty and the Lion
Greeting: Revision: Hello, how are you? I’m fine thanks.
Nouns: Revision: lion, milk
Other: Revision: little
Nouns: Orange, apple, banana, pear, ice cream
Verbs: Drank, ate
Phrases: Would you like some…? Oh yes please.
(Extra vocabulary for version 2
Tea party, house, friend, invited
Adjectives: big, surprised, shocked, annoyed, cross.)
Short Story 10. Gerard the Giraffe was hungry
Nouns: Revision: giraffe, ice cream, orange, apple, banana, pear, milk, grass
Numbers: Revision: 1-6
Verbs: Revision: ate, drank
Other: Revision: hungry, fine
Nouns: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Phrases: The giraffe was hungry. He was still hungry
(Extra vocabulary for version 2
First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth.
It’s so boring eating grass
I know I shouldn’t, I’m getting fatter. That’s too bad.)