An amusing story about a cat who likes to hide in boxes lends itself to activities that can develop memory skills, as Lena Engel demonstrates
Early learning goal To develop concentration and memory skills
For children to learn effectively within the Foundation Stage, practitioners need to ensure that planning matches the children's current and developing skills as they progress, each at their own pace, through the stepping stones. The project outlined below demonstrates how the same story can be used to promote knowledge and learning at every level of the Foundation Stage, while making a significant contribution to developing memory skills.
My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes by Eve Sutton (Picture Puffins, 4.99) is a refreshing and memorable picture book for young children that tells a story about cats. It compares the British cat, which enjoys simple activities such as hiding in boxes, to a series of exotic cats from other parts of the world, which participate in much more unusual pastimes.
'The cat from France likes to sing and dance, The cat from Spain flew an aeroplane, But my cat likes to hide in boxes.'
The text is written in rhyming couplets. This makes it easy for children to remember and a repeated refrain encourages children to join in with the story. The illustrations are simple but effectively convey some recognisable images of the countries identified and use national stereotypes in a totally innocent and sympathetic way, so it can inspire children to become interested in other countries and their customs. It introduces place names and new words to broaden vocabulary and general knowledge.
It is also such a funny story that children will want to read it again and again. In no time at all, you will find that they can recite the book on their own and that they will be quoting the text to their friends and family.
Treasure baskets
Prepare a treasure basket of objects relating to the story. Such an activity will develop the children's concentration and memory skills and enable them to make sense of the illustrations in the story. The opportunity to touch and feel the objects in the basket will make their experience of the story that much more interesting and memorable.
- Read the story several times to familiarise the children with the different cats and countries and the sequence of events.
- Provide a treasure basket full of toy cats. Include wooden, china, plastic and furry, cuddly toy cats.
- Also put in the basket a selection of the objects from the story, such as a beret, toy aeroplane, handkerchief, fan, jewellery box and some other small boxes.
- Ask the children to think about the cats in the story and to recall what they were doing. Which cats in the box remind them of those in the story? Can they match the cat to an object in the box?
- Prompt the children to recall the phrases in the narrative that refer to the cats they have matched with the objects, such as, 'The cat from Spain flew an aeroplane'.
Matching game
Use the story to create a simple game that two children can play to-gether. The activity will reinforce children's knowledge of numbers up to eight and enable them to practise matching skills.
- Prepare two sets of cards, one illustrated with the eight different cats featured in the story and one showing the eight objects with which each of the foreign cats is identified.
- Also write the numbers one to eight on each set of cards, ensuring that the numbers on the objects and the cats correspond as they do in the story.
- Laminate the cards to protect them and preserve them well.
- Ask the children to take turns to match the cards.
- Encourage them to name and identify the numerals and then, when the cats have all been paired with the right objects, ask them to put the pairs in the correct order as they appear in the picture book.
- Prompt the children to recite the list of cats that appears at the end of the story, which refers to all the cats and all the things that they like to do.
Observational drawings
Painting cats then covering them with a flap, as if they were hiding in a box, can help develop children's skills mainly in knowledge and understanding of the world, though mathematical and creative development will also benefit. Ultimately, children's paintings are a great deal more expressive and creative if they are given the appropriate stimulation as well as adult support, encouragement and praise.
The process of thinking about, reflecting on and discussing the behaviour of the animals as they paint them will have a significant impact on their personal representations of them.
- Collect lots of pictures and books about cats, both domesticated and wild ones, so that the children can compare their different sizes, colours, and distinguishing features.
- Encourage the children to talk about the cats that interest them.
- Ask the children to describe what the cats look like, what they eat and where they may live.
- Provide a good range of coloured paints, brushes of varying thickness and paper.
- Encourage the children to paint pictures of their favourite cat or any cat in the books. Do they recall any of the feline features they had previously identified, such as the triangular shape of the face, the pointed ears, or the long whiskers?
- Also encourage them to describe the sorts of movement their cats can make: jumping, springing, running and walking.
- Leave the paintings to dry.
- Then ask the children to create their own paper flap to cover their painted cat to make the cat look as if it is hidden in a box.
- For this provide a selection of paper, PVA glue and scissors.
- Discuss with each of the children how big the flap will have to be to cover their painting. They may want to cover their cat completely or leave part of its body showing outside the paper flap.
- Broaden their mathematical knowledge by using words that describe how much of the cat is covered - a quarter, a half, three-quarters or the whole cat. Children pick up and begin to use these terms when they hear them used in relevant contexts and, therefore, can make sense of them.
- When all the flaps are attached firmly on one edge, encourage the children to share the pictures with their friends and to initiate games that enable them to guess the size and type of cat under each flap.
A game of boxes
Boxes and packaging are fascinating in themselves and the story provides a good opportunity for children to learn the names of an assortment of boxes and to find out what they have been designed to contain. Play Kim's game using a wide selection of boxes to develop skills covered by knowledge and understanding of the world and communication, language and literacy.
- Gather together a collection of everyday boxes, such as matchboxes, tea caddies, cereal, jewellery, sewing, money and chocolate boxes and boxes that contained a piece of electrical equipment.
- Ask the children to examine the boxes and to comment on the pictures and logos depicted on the outside. Can they guess the contents of each box? Ensure that most of the boxes hold their original contents, so the children can guess what is inside by shaking the contents and listening for the different sounds.
- Set all the boxes before the children and encourage them to name them all correctly.
- Then cover all the boxes with a tablecloth.
- Ask the children to turn their backs and then quietly remove one box from the display. Can they guess which box you removed?
- Let the children play the game themselves once they have got used to how it is organised.
Reader offer
We have ten copies of My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes to give away to Nursery World readers. Send your name and address on the back of a postcard or envelope, marked 'My Cat', to the address on page 3. Winners will be the first ten names drawn on 9 May.