Collins Big Cat : Come To The Circus

Ideas for helping your child

Before you start

• Look at the front cover together. What can you see?
• Read the title. Has your child been to the circus? What happens at the circus?

 Help with reading

• Point to the words as you read, to reinforce that we read from left to right. Explain that these words make up the story and tell you what to say.
• Introduce the phrase 'Come and see...' and encourage your child to repeat the phrase with you.
• Ask your child what they can see in the picture on the left-hand page. Point to the pictures of new words: clowns, dancers, juggler, etc, and then find the same details in the bigger picture on the right -hand page.
• Ask your child to recognise the differences between the two pictures. Does your child realise that the left-hand picture is a drawing, and the right-hand picture is a photo?
• Encourage your child to sound out the first letters of each new word to help them identify it. Praise them every time they get a word right.

 Help with discussion

• The story is based on matching pictures to a real-life context. Talk with your child about the different performers and what they do.
• Finally, talk about the last double-page of the book. Can your child now name the different performers and remember the order that they came in the story?

 Taking it further

• Go to the circus with your child and talk about what you see there.