What is it?

TES i-board has put together a collection of narrative fiction, stories with settings familiar to pupils such as going on holiday or moving house.

How to use it

Discussing stories with familiar settings is a great way to get pupils talking about their own experiences. Themes such as losing a favourite toy or a new baby in the family can help them make sense of things in their lives and how they feel. TES i-board has produced six stories, with digital storybooks and related activities. All include the “magic wand”, so pupils can separate characters or props from the background on each page and rebuild scenes in their own way.

There are also supporting resources for each of the books, which will help to draw out themes, settings and characters. For example, pupils can choose a character, change their pose or expression and add a label. Other functions encourage them to look at the differences between characters and add speech bubbles or key words. There is also an editing mode for pupils to re-tell the story in their own words.

The six stories fall broadly into two categories. First, those aimed at early years or P1: Josh’s Favourite Toy, Josh’s Cake and Harmeet’s Teddy. These books feature two young children and their families, looking at situations four or five-year-olds might encounter. In the second group, aimed at P2-3 pupils (Sam and Ella at the Park, Sam Goes Swimming and Ella’s School Trip), the slightly older characters learn new skills and embark on new experiences. Themes include perseverance, kindness, honesty and following rules.

Where to find it

This collection of interactive stories and supporting resources can be found at www.tes.co.uktes-famstories.