Tal es 2

L oy d a
ci s co
Fran

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 The Magic Cape 5

2 Adam Ant and Cleo Caterpillar 9

3 The Hungry Monkeys 13

4 My Favorite Room 17

5 Jet and Bozo 21

6 Farmer Brown 25

7 The Wrong Hat 29

8 Living Things 33

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 c t io n
ro du
t
In
Reading stories is a fundamental part of children’s lives. Through
literature, children are able to explore and understand the world
around them. Not only does reading help them acquire phonemic
awareness, but it also expands their vocabulary and enhances their
knowledge of how language works.

Exposing children to stories is one of the best ways to stimulate their

imagination, memory, language and cognitive skills, and helps to
prepare them to understand the written word. Reading to a child
also creates a bond between the listener and the reader, giving both
of them a chance to discuss the story and topics related to that
story. Furthermore, early reading helps preschoolers develop logical
thinking, as they have to judge characters and situations, recognize
cause and effect and identify the sequence of events in a story.

The Reading Cycle

The reading cycle comprises three stages: pre-reading, while reading
and post-reading.

Pre-reading activities prepare children for reading by activating

their prior knowledge about the topic featured in the story. They also
establish a reason to read the story and help review or teach new
vocabulary. Through these activities, teachers help students activate
their background knowledge and provide the necessary information
to make the story clear and appealing.

While-reading activities help check children’s comprehension as

they read, by making them identify the characters and the main or
specific ideas or events in the story. They provide children with the
opportunity to ask questions, revise predictions and create mental
images of the characters and events.

Post-reading is the stage that gives children the chance to build

on their knowledge of the world, as they add new concepts to the
existing ones through reading. Besides this, it also provides them with
the opportunity to relate the text to their own experiences, the world
and other texts that they may have read.

Involving students in activities that allow them to complete the

reading cycle serves two purposes: on the one hand, it will help their
understanding and enjoyment of the story; on the other, it will help
them become familiar with the reading strategies that they will use in
the following school years.

three 3

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 o d u c ti o n
Intr
Cricket Tales
Cricket Tales is a series of three books with fun reading activities
related to each of the stories from Crickets, Richmond’s preschool
series. The activities have been carefully designed to foster children’s
reading-comprehension skills and to help them link the characters
and events to their own experiences.

There are two illustrated activities per story aimed at developing

pre-reading and post-reading strategies. The teacher will find the
detailed instructions for those activities in the Instructions pages. A
while-reading activity per story is also included so that the reading
cycle is complete. While-reading activities appear below the
instructions for the pre-reading activities.

Students can use the pre-reading and post-reading activity

handouts in class or take them home to start working with the
story and round up their response to it. The while-reading activities,
designed to have students actively involved in the reading of the
story, can be used in class to clarify or consolidate information to
make reading an enjoyable and satisfying experience that is shared
between the teacher and the class.

The Teacher’s Resource CD includes extra pre-reading, while-reading

and post-reading activities that you can use according to the needs
of your students or the amount of class time available.

4 four Unit 1

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 it ThereM agic Ca
p
Un adin
P re - g e
Trace and say.

five 5

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 tru c tions
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The Magic Cape
Pre-reading
Materials: crayons, Class CD, Story Cards Unit 1

Instructions:
Point to the numbers on page 5 and ask What are these? Let students answer,
and say Do you know all these numbers? Let’s see. Point to each number
and have students say them. Then ask students to trace the numbers they
remember with a green crayon and those they don’t with a red crayon. Ask
What numbers do you know? Encourage students to show page 5 to the class
and to mention the numbers they know. Then ask What numbers don’t you
know? and have students do the same for those numbers. Show Story Card
Scene 1 and point to the main character and introduce him. Say He is Danny.
Where is he? Encourage students to answer He’s at school. Then call students’
attention to Danny’s face. Ask Is Danny happy? Is he confused? Elicit answers
from students. Then say Look. There are numbers on the board. Why do you
think Danny is confused? Allow students to answer with their ideas. Finally, tell
students to listen to the rest of the story (Track 10) to check their answers. Help
them to realize that Danny cannot remember some numbers, in the same
way that it happened to them in the pre-reading activity. Keep students’ work
in their portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Class CD, Story Cards Unit 1

Instructions:
Display the Story Card for Scene 1 on the board. Point to the boy in the scene
and say This is Danny. Then point to the teacher and ask Who is she? Let
students answer She’s the teacher Then ask What is she teaching? Point to
the numbers and the shapes on the the Story Card to help students answer.
Help students to say the numbers, the name of the shapes, and the colors.
Then point to Danny and ask Does Danny know the numbers, the shapes
and the colors? Allow students to answer. Play the part of Track 10 that relates
to paragraph 1 of the story. Pause the track and display the rest of the Story
Cards on the board. Ask Where is Danny? Help students to answer Danny is at
home. Say Danny practices numbers, shapes and colors, but he forgets them.
What numbers does he forget? Ask the same question for the shapes and the
colors. Then tell students to clap as they hear what Danny forgets, and play
the rest of Track 10.

6 six Unit 1

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 it The-rM agic Ca
p
Un
Posteadi ng e
Draw and color. Say.

seven 7

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 tru c tions
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The Magic Cape

Post-reading
Materials: crayons, Story Cards Unit 1

Instructions:
Show the students the Story Cards and encourage them to retell
the story in small groups. Then ask them to complete the picture by
drawing themselves wearing a cape. Tell them to draw the shapes,
colors and numbers they need to remember on the cape. Finally,
encourage students to share their work with the rest of the class and
say which numbers, colors and shapes they drew. Keep students’
work in their portfolios.

See more pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities on

the Teacher’s Resource CD. Use them according to the needs of
your class.

8 eight Unit 1

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 it
2 Adarem Ant and
Un adin
P re - g Cle

o
Cut and paste. Say.

Ca
terp
i
llar

nine 9

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Adam Ant and Cleo Caterpillar
Pre-reading
Materials: Class CD, crayons or colored pencils, scissors, glue

Instructions:
Point to the scene and say What is this? Have students say It is a
garden. Ask Is there a garden near your house? Let them answer
and continue by saying What can we see in a garden? Point to the
trees and flowers and help students reply We can see flowers and
trees. Then point to the insects and say We can see insects, too. Tell
students to point to the insects and name each one. Then have
them color, cut and paste the insects. Monitor and check. Finally,
point to each insect and ask What can it do? Help them answer
The ant can carry a leaf, the bee can fly, etc. Have students check
their answers as they listen to the story (Track 23) and point to
the pictures in their Student’s Books. Keep students’ work in their
portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Story Cards Unit 2, Class CD
Preparation: Display the Story Cards on the board.

Instructions:
Play Track 23 again and have students listen and follow the story
in their books. Play the track once more and encourage students
to mime some words and actions when they are mentioned: have
students raise their index fingers on both hands and place them
on each side of their head when they hear the word antennae;
ask them to touch their legs and back when they hear the
corresponding words. Then pause the recording, point to the ant on
the Story Cards and say He is Adam Ant. How many legs does Adam
have? How many antennae does Adam have? Help students answer
and count the legs with them. Do the same with Cleo Caterpillar. Ask
What is her name? How many legs does Cleo have? Help students to
answer and count the legs with them.em.

10 ten Unit 2

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 it
2 Ada-rm Ant and
Un
Posteadi
ng Cle

o
Draw and say.

Ca
terp
i
llar

eleven 11

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 tru c tions
Ins

Adam Ant and Cleo Caterpillar

Post-reading
Materials: crayons or colored pencils, Story Cards Unit 2

Instructions:
Point to all the characters on the Story Cards and say Adam,
Cleo, Bee, Wasp and Ladybug are friends. Do you have friends? Let
students answer. Say We all have friends. We can play with our friends.
We can talk with our friends. What can you do with your friends? Help
students answer. Ask students to draw themselves on page 11 with
three or four friends playing one of their favorite games; if some students
finish before the rest of the group, ask them to color the frame. Then
encourage students to share their drawings with the class and have
them say My friends are (Maria, Karen, Juan). We can (play soccer).

12 twelve Unit 2

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 it
Un
e H u n
3 Pre-reading gry Mon
Th
ke
Look. Cut and paste.
ys

thirteen 13

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The Hungry Monkeys
Pre-reading
Materials: crayons, Class CD, scissors, glue

Instructions:
Point to the characters on page 13 and ask What are they? Have
students answer They are monkeys. Point to the food and say Look.
This is the food they like. What food is this? Have students identify
the corresponding shadows (a hamburger, a hot dog and corn).
Then tell students to cut out the pictures and paste them onto the
corresponding shadows and color the scene. Finally, ask students to
say what they think the monkeys are doing. Have them check their
predictions as they listen to the story (Track 36). Keep students’ work
in their portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Class CD, Story Cards Unit 3
Preparation: Display Story Cards Unit 3 (Scenes 1 to 5) on the board.

Instructions:
Play Track 36 again up to the end of Scene 5. Invite individual students
to the front of the classroom. Ask them to point to the characters on
the Story Card for Scene 1. Say Who likes corn? Point to the monkey
that likes corn. Ask the class to say Yes if they agree with their
classmate’s answer or No if they disagree. Do the same with the
remaining monkeys. Now point to the characters on the Story Cards
for Scenes 3, 4 and 5. Ask Can they eat their food? Elicit answers. Say
Let’s see what happens with the food. Play the part of the track that
corresponds to Scene 6, and encourage students to say They can’t
resist, and eat the food. Display the Story Card for Scene 6 and invite
a student to the front of the classroom. Ask them to point to the food
and say what each monkey is eating.

14 fourteen Unit 3

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 it
Un
e H u n
3 Post-reading gry Mon
Th
ke
Draw and say.
ys

fifteen 15

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 tru c tions
Ins

The Hungry Monkeys

Post-reading
Materials: crayons, glue, sequins, glitter, confetti, Story Cards Unit 3

Instructions:
Show the students the Story Cards and encourage them to retell the
story. Then help students read the title of the frame. Ask them What
is your favorite food? Elicit answers. Tell students to draw their favorite
food. Tell them to decorate the picture and the frame with sequins,
glitter or confetti. When they have finished, encourage them to tell a
partner I like (hamburgers). What is your favorite food? Monitor and
provide help as needed. Keep students’ work in their portfolios.

See more pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities on the

Teacher’s Resource CD. Use them according to the needs of your class.

16 sixteen Unit 3

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 it
4 My eFadainvgorite Ro
Un
Pre-r om
Trace and say.

seventeen 17

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 tru c tions
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My Favorite Room
Pre-reading
Materials: colored pencils, Class CD

Instructions:
Point to the family members and have students identify them.
Then point to each character in turn and ask Is she the sister? Help
students answer. Then point to the picture of the house and say This is
the family’s house. Tell students to trace the pictures to complete the
rooms. Then ask students to name the rooms. Next, ask Is the bathroom
clean? Is the living room dirty? Encourage students to answer. Elicit
from students what they think the family can do to clean all the rooms
in the house. Play Track 48 and have students check their answers as
they listen to the story. Keep students’ work in their portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Class CD, Story Cards Unit 4
Preparation: Display Story Cards Unit 4 on the board.

Instructions:
Play Track 48 again and pause the recording after each scene. Point
to the Story Cards, one by one, and ask questions about the story.
For example, This is a story about a family. They live in this house. Is it
big or small? Is it clean or dirty? Where’s the boy? What does the boy
want? What is his favorite place? Is the kitchen clean? Help students
answer and repeat the track as many times as needed.

18 eighteen Unit 4

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 it
4 My rFeaadvinorite Ro
Un
Post- g om
Match.

nineteen 19

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My Favorite Room
Post-reading
Materials: crayons, Story Cards Unit 4

Instructions:
Show the students the Story Cards and encourage them to retell the
story. Then call their attention to the pictures on page 19. Encourage
students to point to the bedroom. Ask them to trace a line to match
the bedroom to the character that likes it, according to the story.
If necessary, play Track 48 again as you show students the Story Cards.
Finally, have students color the pictures. Keep students’ work in their
portfolios.

See more pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities on

the Teacher’s Resource CD. Use them according to the needs of your
class.

20 twenty Unit 4

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 it
5 Jet aeandidn Bozo
Pre-r g
Un

Color. Read and circle.

zoo

circus
twenty-one 21

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 tru c tions
Ins
Jet and Bozo
Pre-reading
Materials: colored pencils, Class CD

Instructions:
Encourage students to say who they see in the pictures on page 21
(a clown, a trapeze artist, a dancer and a magician). Have students
color the pictures. Then hold up page 21 so that students can see it
clearly. Point to each word and help students read them aloud. Ask
Where do these people work? At the circus? At the zoo? Encourage
them to answer and circle the word circus. Next, pay Track 59 and
have students check their answers as they listen to the story. Keep
students’ work in their portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Class CD, Story Cards Unit 5
Preparation: Display Story Cards Unit 5 on the board.

Instructions:
Play Track 59 and tell students to follow the story in their Student’s
Books. Play the track again and encourage individual students
to answer questions about the story. For example, ask What is the
magician doing? What can Jet do? Can Bozo help Jet? Have them
point to the corresponding pictures on the Story Cards. Ask the rest of
the class to point to the pictures in their Student’s Books.

22 twenty-two Unit 5

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 it
5 Jet t-arenaddi Bozo
Un
Pos ng

Color and say.

twenty-three 23

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 tru c tions
Ins

Jet and Bozo

Post-reading
Materials: crayons, Story Cards Unit 5

Instructions:
Show the students the Story Cards and encourage them to retell the
story. Point to the first picture. Ask Can Bozo walk on the tightrope?
Can Bozo juggle? Elicit answers from students. Then encourage them
to point to the picture showing what Bozo can do, according to the
story. Have them color the picture. Monitor the activity. If necessary,
play Track 59 again as you show students the Story Cards. Keep
students’ work in their portfolios.

See more pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities on the

Teacher’s Resource CD. Use them according to the needs of your class.

24 twenty-four Unit 5

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 it
6 Farrm er Brown
Un eadin
P re - g

Color and say.

Cut and paste.

twenty-five 25

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Farmer Brown
Pre-reading
Materials: colored pencils, scissors, glue stick, Class CD

Instructions:
Draw students’ attention to the picture of the farm on page 25. Ask
students What place is this? Encourage them to answer It’s a farm.
Then call their attention to the pictures of the animals. Point to each
picture and encourage them to name the animals. Have them color
and cut out the pictures. Then ask What animals live on the farm?
Elicit answers. Have them paste the farm animals onto the scene.
Then have students color the rest of the scene. Finally, tell students
to listen and check what animals live in a farm as you play Track 73.
Keep students’ work in their portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Class CD, Story Cards Unit 6

Instructions:
Hold up the Story Card for Scene 1. Say Today is Monday. What
does Farmer Brown do on Monday? Let’s see. Play the part of Track
73 that corresponds to Scene 1 of the story. Have students point to
the picture of the farmer in their Student’s Books when they hear the
activity he does on Monday. Pause the recording. Point to Farmer
Brown on the Story Card and ask What does he do on Monday?
Help students answer Farmer Brown collects the eggs. Continue in
the same way with the rest of the Story Cards and the days of the
week.

26 twenty-six Unit 6

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 it
6 Fartm er Brown
Un
Pos -readi
ng

Cut and paste. Say.

twenty-seven 27

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 tru c tions
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Farmer Brown
Post-reading
Materials: colored pencils, scissors, glue stick, Story Cards Unit 6, a
woolen sweater or a piece of wool

Instructions:
Show students the Story Cards and encourage them to retell the
story. Then point to the pictures of the animals, one at a time, and ask
students What animal is this? Elicit answers. Point to each product
and name it. Have students repeat. Say, for example, These are eggs.
What are these? Encourage students to answer These are eggs. Do
the same with the milk. Then point to the wool and say This is wool.
Show the sweater or piece of wool (see Materials). Ask What’s this?
Have students answer It’s wool. Say Farm animals give us these
things: eggs, milk and wool (point to the images on page 27 as you
mention them). Ask students to color the animals and the products.
Then have students cut out the animals and glue them in the space
below the corresponding products. Finally, help students say Hens
give us eggs. Cows give us milk. Sheep give us wool.

See more pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities on

the Teacher’s Resource CD. Use them according to the needs of your
class.

28 twenty-eight Unit 6

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 7 ThereW rong Ha
t
it
Pre- ading
Un

Make and say.

twenty-nine 29

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Ins
The Wrong Hat
Pre-reading
Materials: crayons or colored pencils, scissors, glue, construction
paper, butterfly clips (1 per student), Class CD

Instructions:
Help students cut out both circles, glue them on to construction paper
and cut them out again. Then help them punch holes on both circles.
Point to the circle with the hats and ask What are these? Help students
answer They’re hats. Point to each hat and help students say what kind
of hat it is; for example, help them say This is a hat for the cold; this is a
baseball cap; this is a party hat; this is a sun hat; this is a rain hat. Next,
tell students to color the hats as follows: hat for the cold–pink; cap—
red; party hat—black; sun hat—brown; rain hat—yellow. Tell them to
color the girl’s shirt yellow and her shorts pink. Then point to the girl in
the circle and tell students you are going to read a story about this girl.
Say This is a story about this girl. She likes hats. She has hats for different
times. What is she wearing? Point to the girl’s clothes and have
students name them. Then ask them to color the girl. Next, help them
attach both circles with the butterfly clip. Borrow one finished wheel,
show it to the class and ask Where is the girl going? To a party? To the
park? Elicit answers. Move the back circle of the wheel to display the
party hat on the girl’s head. Then say The girl is wearing a shirt and
shorts. Can she wear a party hat? Let students reply. Then add No, she
can’t. This is the wrong hat. Have them turn the big circle to choose
a hat for the girl. Then say In this story, the girl has to find a perfect
hat. Let’s listen and see which hat she needs. Play Track 84 and have
students check their answers. Keep students’ work in their portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Class CD, Story Cards Unit 7, wheel (see pre-reading activity)
Preparation: Display the Story Cards, in the incorrect order, on the board.

Instructions:
Have students follow the story in their Student’s Books as you play
Track 84. Then show Story Card 1 and say Where is the girl going?
Is it hot or rainy? Is she wearing the right hat? Encourage students to
answer. Then have them turn their wheels (see Materials) to show the
hat that she should be wearing in that situation (the sun hat). Do the
same with the rest of the scenes. If necessary, play the track again to
help students answer.

30 thirty Unit 7

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 7 Thet-rW rong Ha
t
it
Pos eading
Un

Look and circle.

They are the

perfect hats!
They are the
perfect hats!

Yes No Yes No
thirty-one 31

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 tru c tions
Ins
The Wrong Hat
Post-reading
Materials: crayons, sheets of white paper, Story Cards Unit 7, Class CD

Instructions:
Show students the Story Cards and encourage them to retell the
story. Then point to the pictures on page 31 and have students say
which story they come from (The Wrong Hat). Encourage students
to say the title of the story. Help them identify the character and the
hats. Ask students to circle Yes if the scene shows what happened
at the end of the story or No if it does not. Encourage students to
justify their answers. For example, help them see that the character
in the first scene is not saying the correct lines, as she is not wearing
the perfect hat. Play Track 84 again as you show students the Story
Cards to help them check their choices. Keep students’ work in their
portfolios.

See more pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities on the

Teacher’s Resource CD. Use them according to the needs of your class.

32 thirty-two Unit 7

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 it
8 Livin g Things
Un
readin
P re - g

Circle the living things.

thirty-three 33

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 tru c tions
Ins
Living Things
Pre-reading
Materials: colored pencils, Class CD

Instructions:
Draw students’ attention to the pictures. Point to each picture and
encourage students to describe them. Ask What are these? Help
students answer These are people/animals/clothes/plants. Say
People, animals and plants are living things. Living things breathe,
eat, drink water and grow. Mime the actions while you say them and
have students do the same. Add Living things need water, food and
air. Point to the first group on the pictures and ask Do people need
water, food and air? Are people living things? Help students answer
Yes, people are living things. Do the same with the animals and
plants. Then point to the clothes and ask Do clothes need water, food
and air? Are clothes living things? Help students answer No, clothes
aren’t living things. Ask students to circle the living things. Then ask
What are living things? Have students point to the pictures and say
People, animals and plants are living things. Next, tell students they
are going to learn about more living and non-living things. Play Track
96 and have students check their answers. Keep students’ work in
their portfolios.

While Reading
Materials: Class CD, Story Cards Unit 8
Preparation: Display the Story Cards on the board.

Instructions:
Have the students follow the story in their Student’s Books as you
play Track 96. Then show the Story Cards, one by one, and ask and
answer comprehension questions, such as Are insects living things?
Do plants get water from the soil? What do people and animals eat?
What do insects eat? Hold up the Story Cards to help students answer.

34 thirty-four Unit 8

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 it
Un
L iv in g T
8 Post-readinghings
Look and color. Say.

thirty-five 35

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 tru c tions
Ins
Living Things
Post-reading
Materials: crayons, Story Cards Unit 8

Instructions:
Show the students the Story Cards and encourage them to retell
the story. Then point to the pictures on page 35 and say What’s this?
Let students answer It’s a park. Ask What living things do you see?
Allow students to answer. Have students color all the living things.
Encourage them to compare their work with that of a partner.
Finally, ask students to finish coloring the scene. Keep students’ work
in their portfolios.

See more pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading activities on

the Teacher’s Resource CD. Use them according to the needs of your
class.

36 thirty-six Unit 8

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