Sunshine Classics Level 1 1

Wendy Pye Publishing

SUNSHINE CLASSICS
The Birthday Cake
Down to Town
My Puppy
The Big Race

The Birthday Cake

The Story
Two cooks bake a multi-coloured birthday cake.

High-frequency words
the, a, to, you

Reading the Text
Talk about birthdays. Ask students why they do special things on birthdays. Ask: What
special food do you eat on your birthday? Talk about birthday cakes.
Look at the cover. Listen to the title. Ask: Who are the people in the picture? What are they
doing? Where do people wear hats like that? Does anyone wear a chefs hat at home when
they make a cake for you? Who do you think the cake might be for? Do you think this will be
a funny story or a sad story? Listen to the names of the author and illustrator.
Read the title together. Say the word cake slowly, stretching the sounds. Ask students to tell
how many sounds they hear. Ask: What other words can you think of that rhyme with cake?
Give them initial letters (b, l, m, r, t, w) and ask them to say the words.
Ask: What clues about the story can you find in the pictures on the cover and title page?
Talk through the illustrations. Have students tell the setting for this story. Ask: What are the
queen and the cooks doing on the last page? What happens when you blow out the candles?
What do you think the words will say on this page?
Students read the story. They can tap a word to hear it read. Have them talk about how
they worked out the words.

Returning to the Text
Students reread the story and then retell it. Ask: Where did the story begin? Did it begin on
the first page or the cover? How does the cover help us understand the story? What happened
at the end of the story? Make a Beginning and Ending chart together.
Act out the story. Students decide what the characters will say, for example, Queen: Mmm!
Lovely presents. Cooks: Mix, mix, mix. More sugar. More flour.
Write the word cake on a sheet of paper. Talk about the letter c and the sound it makes.
Students suggest other words that begin with c that they know or can find around the room.
Students circle the colour word and draw an arrow to identify the cake layer in the picture.

Writing
Talk about the pattern of the story. Ask: Which word changes in each sentence? Students
use the pen tool to identify the word that changes. They can use the colours with the pen
where they are relevant.
Write a new story together using the same pattern, called The Birthday Present.
Talk about the word birthday. On a calendar, mark all the birthdays for the month.

Home/School Link
Have students access the story at home and re-read it. They can then complete the interactive
activities:
Alphabet letters: R, C, Y, B, P, H
Words: Match captions to the pictures
Thinking: Sequence pages from the story
Record: They can read the story by themselves and save it for you to listen to.
Sunshine Classics Level 1 2
Wendy Pye Publishing
Down to Town

The Story
Town life and country life are different.

High-frequency Words
down, go, the, to

Reading the Text
Look at the cover. Have students talk about the setting. Ask: How does the illustration give
us an idea of what the story might be about? Read the title. Talk about the word town. Ask:
What other words could you use for town? What do you do when you go to town?
Look at the title page. Listen to the title. Compare the cover setting with the setting on the
title page. Ask students who they think these people are. Ask: Have you ever been in the
country? What do you think they might be going to town for? Notice how the illustrations
show each animal going down and how that helps us read the text.
Students look at the illustrations and talk about what they think happens. Listen to the story
with students and have them focus on the rhythm. They tap out the rhythm as they listen.
Have them chant the story and clap the rhythm. (down, town)
Read the story together or tap a word to hear it read.

Returning to the Text
Ask students why they think the farmers and the animals go to town. They use the story to
determine who decided to go to town first in this story. Have them look at the title page and
tell how this illustration gives a clue.
Reread the story with students. Talk about the pattern. Ask: What do you notice about each
sentence? Have students use the pen tool to circle the word that changes on each page.
Write the word go. Students say and spell the word. Ask: What other words do you know that
start with the letter g? Use the white text box to suggest other words that could be used in
place of go.

Writing
Write a story about a family going to town with a new ending. Work with students to
transform the sentences.
The cows go down.
The horses go down
to town.
Talk about the pattern in the new story. Students highlight the word that changes in their
story.


Home/School Link
Have students access the story at home and re-read it. They can then complete the interactive
activities:
Alphabet letters: G, C, D, T, H
Words: Match initial letters to words
Thinking: Match sentences to pictures
Record: They can read the story by themselves and save it for you to listen to.

Sunshine Classics Level 1 3
Wendy Pye Publishing
My Puppy

The Story
Everyone wants to own the puppy, but he belongs with his mother.

High-frequency Words
my, no

Reading the Text
Talk about pets. Ask if anyone has a puppy or a kitten. Talk about the sorts of things they
do. Ask: Why do people have pets? What do pets need? Make a list on the board of students
suggestions.
Listen to the title. Ask: Who do you think is saying, My Puppy? What does My puppy
mean? (the puppy belongs to me) What does Your puppy mean? What can you say my
about in your life? (my brother, my cat)
Look through the illustrations together. Ask: What do you think the people in the story are
saying? How are they feeling?
Listen to the title again and have students tell how many sounds they hear in the word puppy.
Use the pen tool to circle the word puppy. Ask: What do you notice about the word? (the
double p in the middle) Students name the letter at the beginning of puppy. They get their
mouths ready and say other words that they know that begin like puppy. They say puppy,
stretching the sound. Have them say other words that have a double p. (happy, floppy)
Students read the story by themselves. They can tap a word to hear it read. Ask: What was
the story about? Why did all the people say, My puppy? Who did the puppy really belong
to?

Returning to the Text
Reread the story together. Students retell the story and talk about how the characters were
feeling. They look at each illustration and talk about the facial expressions and the body
language of the characters in the story. Ask: How do the illustrations help us understand the
story? How do the new characters get into the pictures? How do we know who is speaking on
each page? Use the pen tool to circle who is speaking.
Talk about the use of punctuation in the text and how it helps meaning. Ask: How do you
use your voice when there is an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence? Talk about
speech marks and how they help us read the text.

Writing
Students tell the story from the illustrations. Write up what they say.
Little brother said that the puppy was his. His sister came in and she said the puppy was hers.
Little brother felt sad. Big brother came in and said the puppy was his
Expand the sentences from the story.
It is my puppy.
It is my puppy, said Mum.

Home/School Link
Have students access the story at home and re-read it. They can then complete the interactive
activities:
Alphabet letters: M, N, P, V
Words: Match high-frequency words
Thinking: Sequence pages from the book
Record: They can read the story by themselves and save it for you to listen to.

Sunshine Classics Level 1 4
Wendy Pye Publishing
The Big Race

The Story
A girl competes in many different sports to win a race.

High-frequency Words
big, I, in, the

Reading the Text
Look at the cover. Have students talk about the action. Ask: How does the illustration give
us an idea of what the story might be about? Read the title. Talk about the word race. Ask:
What other words could you use for race? (run, competition) What do you do when you have a
race?
Look at the title page. Listen to the title. Ask: Where do you think these children are. Do you
think they are at school, or a sports club? Notice how the illustrations show each different
sport and how that helps us read the text. Have students tell about any races they have been
in, at school or in a local event.
Students look at the illustrations and talk about what they think happens.
Listen to the story with students and have them focus on the pattern.
Read the story together or tap a word to hear it read.

Returning to the Text
Ask students why they think the race is called a big race. They use the illustrations to
determine who is telling the story. Have them look at the title page and tell how this
illustration gives a clue.
Write the word big. Students say and spell the word. Ask: What other words do you know
that start with the letter b?
Reread the story with students. Talk about the pattern. Ask: What do you notice about each
sentence? Have students use the pen tool to circle the word that changes on each page.

Writing
Talk about the pattern in the story. Help students to write their own story by changing one
word in each sentence.

Home/School Link
Have students access the story at home and re-read it. They can then complete the interactive
activities:
Alphabet letters: R, B, P, W, Z
Words: Match initial letters to words
Thinking: Sequence pictures from the story
Record: They can read the story by themselves and save it for you to listen to.