Year 1 Complete Fully Planned Guided Reading Unit of Work – The Gruffalo (VIPERS Skills)

A fully-planned, 6-week Guided Reading unit for Year 1, based on The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (adaptable to any engaging text if this one is unavailable). This resource is designed to develop early reading fluency and comprehension through the VIPERS skills (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, Sequencing), with clear links to the National Curriculum for Year 1 Reading.

Each lesson includes:

• A clear learning objective and teacher-friendly guidance
• Engaging activities to explore The Gruffalo (vocabulary detective tasks, sequencing story events, making predictions, inference about characters, comprehension practice)
• Differentiated worksheets (colour & black-and-white versions) with scaffolds for support and challenge tasks for greater depth
• Written and practical activities to make learning interactive and accessible for all learners
• An end-of-unit assessment covering all VIPERS skills
• Pupil self-assessment checklist (“Reading Skills I Can…”) to encourage independence and reflection

What’s included:

• 6 fully-planned lesson outlines with teacher notes
• Worksheets and activities for each reading skill
• Ready-to-print PDFs
• Covers and teacher notes for easy navigation and “grab-and-go” teaching

Perfect for whole-class Guided Reading, small group sessions, or as a literacy intervention programme. The clear structure and ready-to-use format also make this an ideal resource for supply teachers, ensuring continuity and confidence in delivering high-quality lessons with minimal preparation.

Save hours of planning time and bring The Gruffalo to life in your classroom with this engaging, ready-to-go unit that children (and teachers) will love!