teacher edition veronica - alphaliteracy te veronica.pdf · called veronica who lived in a vinegar...

Teacher Edition

Veronica Who Lived in a

Vinegar Bottle

Written by Sue Whiting

Illustrated by Steve Axelsen

alphakids

The Alphakids Plus teachereditions support teachers as theyguide children’s reading andthinking during one or more guidedreading sessions. Teachers canobserve children as they read andchoose from the given suggestionsto suit individual needs.

Before readingSetting the context, front coverand title page:The suggestions help teachers to set the scene and prepare childrenfor reading the book. Prompts helpto determine children’s priorknowledge. Where necessary,background information isprovided. Teachers are encouragedto check that children understandthe vocabulary listed and to discussthe meanings and/or the structuresof these words. Previousexperiences with similar text typesmay also be discussed.

During readingPredict, Read, Reflect:Questions encourage children toengage with the text by makingpredictions. They then read asection of the text and reflect onwhat they have read. The focus ison the content, language and textfeatures of the book.

Observe and support:Prompts help teachers to focus onthe strategies children use as theyread. Teachers can then select fromand adapt the suggestions accordingto the needs of the individual child.The suggestions aim to develop achild’s reading abilities.Interruptions to the child’s readingshould be minimal.

After readingA selection of reading and writingactivities:The last pages of the teacher editionprovide follow-up activities andinclude the assessment focus.

HORWITZ GARDNER

LIMITED

168e High StreetEgham, SurreyTW20 9HPUnited Kingdom

Published edition © Eleanor Curtain Publishing 2004Text © Kerrie ShanahanPhotographs © Eleanor Curtain Publishing

First published 2004

Apart from any fair dealing forthe purposes of study, research,criticism or review, aspermitted under the CopyrightAct of Australia, no part of thisbook may be reproduced byany process, or transmitted inany form, without permissionof the copyright owner. Where copies of part or the whole ofthis book are made under PartVB of the Copyright Act, thelaw requires that records ofsuch copying be kept and thecopyright owner is entitled toclaim payment.

Developed by Eleanor Curtain PublishingDesigned by Alexander StittProduction by Publishing Solutions

Printed in China

ISBN 0 7253 3259 X

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 904 05 06

How to use this book

Selected text features Vocabulary• The language of folk tales is used –

‘Once upon a time...’• Direct speech is used

complained, cottage, mansion, palace,queen, servants, uncomfortable, vinegar


Vinegar Bottle



alphakids VeronicaWho Lived in a

Vinegar Bottle



alphakids

Setting the contextImagine that a fairy said to you that you could make a wish. What would you wishfor? Why?Invite children to share their ideas with the whole group. If you lived in a vinegar bottle, what would you wish for?

Front coverRead the title to the children.Do you think this is an information bookor a fictional story?Does the title make you want to read thisbook? Why?

Title pagePoint out the names of the author andillustrator.

2

Veronica Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle Pages 2–5

PredictLook at the pictures on pages 2 and 3. Where do youthink the woman lives?Do you think the woman is happy? What makes you thinkso?Ask the children to look at the first three lines of thestory. What do these words tell you about the type of story thismight be?

Read to the end of page 5.

ReflectHow did Veronica feel about her new home?Do you think that Veronica will be happy in her newhome? Why?

Observe and supportCan the child understand the literal meaning of thetext?Where did Veronica live?What did the fairy ask Veronica to do?What happened when Veronica woke up?Can the child understand inferences in the text?How did the fairy know that Veronica was unhappyliving in a vinegar bottle?Why did the fairy help Veronica?

3

‘What a shame! What a shame!’she would moan.

‘Why should I live in a vinegar bottle?It’s so small and uncomfortable.’

‘I should live in a pretty little cottage.’

Once upon a time there was a womancalled Veronica who lived in a vinegar bottle.

She complained all day long.

2 3

Veronica did as the fairy said and the nextmorning she woke up in a pretty littlecottage.

‘How lovely!’ said Veronica. ‘I will be veryhappy here.’

One day a fairy flew by.

She heard Veronica complaining and felt sorry for her.

So she said, ‘Before you go to bed, close your eyes and turn aroundthree times.’

‘In the morning you will get a big surprise.’

4 5

4


PredictLook at the picture on page 6. What do you think the woman is saying here?Look at page 7. Where is the woman now? What do you think might havehappened to make her look so happy?


ReflectWhy did the fairy help Veronica again?Would you have helped Veronica? Why?Do you think that Veronica will be happy in her new bighouse?

Observe and supportDoes the child cross check all the information on thepage to decode unknown words and make meaning?Example: You read, “‘What a shame! What ashame!’ she moaned.” What did you check to makesure this word said ‘moaned’?What other words could the author have put herethat would have kept the meaning of the sentence?

Again the fairy felt sorry for Veronica.

So she said, ‘Before you go to bed, close your eyes and turn around three times.In the morning you will get a big surprise.’

Veronica did as the fairy said and the nextmorning she woke up in a big house.

‘How lovely!’ she cried. ‘I will be very happyhere.’

Many weeks later the fairy flew past again.

Veronica was still complaining.

‘What a shame! What a shame!’she moaned. ‘Why should I live insuch a dark little cottage? The windows are sosmall.’

‘I should live in a big house.’

6 7

5

6


PredictLook at the four pictures on pages 8 to 11. What do you think is happening on these pages? What sort of house does Veronica live in now? Does Veronica look happy?


ReflectWhy was Veronica unhappy in her big house?What did the fairy do to help her?Do you think Veronica will be happy living in a mansionwith servants?

Observe and supportCan the child use their knowledge of punctuation toenhance expressive reading?Can you find an exclamation mark? What does this tellyou about how to read these words? Can you point to the question mark? How does yourvoice change when you read a question?Model reading these pages expressively then ask thechild to do so.

7

The fairy was surprised to hear Veronicacomplaining again, but she said,‘Before you go to bed, close your eyes andturn around three times. In the morningyou will get a big surprise.’

Some time later, the fairy flew pastthe old woman’s house.

Veronica was still complaining.

‘What a shame! What a shame! Why should I live here? There is always somuch work to be done in this house.’

‘I should live in a mansion with servantsto look after me!’

8 9

Veronica couldn’t wait to go to bed. She did as the fairy said, and in themorning she woke up in a mansion filledwith servants.

‘How lovely!’ she cried. ‘I will be very happy here.’

10 11

8


PredictWhich characters are in this picture?What do you think Veronica might be saying to the fairy?If you were Veronica, what would you say to the fairy?

Read page 12.

ReflectAre you surprised that Veronica is still complaining?How might this make the fairy feel?What do you think the fairy should do next?

Observe and supportDoes the child use contextual information tounderstand the meaning of new vocabulary?Example: You read the word ‘palace’. How did youknow that this word said ‘palace’?What is a palace? What helped you to work that out?

The next time the fairy visited Veronicashe was still complaining!

‘What a shame! What a shame!’ Veronicacried. ‘Why should I live in this mansion?I am a very important person. I deservebetter.’

‘I should live in a palace and be the queenof the land!’

12 13

9

10


PredictLook at the picture on pages 14 and 15. What is the fairy thinking?What is she going to do?What would you do next if you were the fairy?


ReflectWhere did Veronica end up?How is Veronica feeling? How is the fairy feeling?Did you like this ending? Why?

Observe and supportDoes the child use their knowledge of phonics tosupport their reading?Example: The word ‘mansion’ has two syllables. What sound does the second syllable make? Whatletters make this sound? Do you know other wordsthat have this sound?

11

Veronica rushed off to bed and did asthe fairy said.

‘Well,’ thought the fairy crossly.‘I’ve had enough. Some people are neverhappy.’

‘Before you go to bed tonight,’ she said toVeronica, ‘close your eyes and turn aroundthree times. In the morning you will getthe biggest surprise of all!’

14 15

In the morning, Veronica was backin the vinegar bottle.

‘If you can’t be happy living ina pretty little cottage, or a house,or a mansion with servants,’ said the fairy,‘you may as well stay in a vinegar bottle!’

And with that the fairy flew offand did not come back again.

16

After reading

12

Being a meaning makerEncourage the children to supporttheir answers with evidence fromthe book as they discuss thesequestions:What did the fairy tell Veronica todo?Why did Veronica complain abouteach of the houses that the fairygave her?Why did the fairy put Veronica backin the vinegar bottle?Should people who complain endup with nothing? Why?

Being a code breakerChildren may like to explore thefollowing language features:• punctuation throughout the text:quotation marks, exclamationmarks, and question marks• the sound /v/: Veronica, vinegar,very, lovely, live, servants

Being a text userWhat kind of story is this? How doyou know?How do you read this kind of book?What happens at the beginning ofthe book? Where did this happen?When did it happen? Who wasinvolved?

Being a text criticWhat message does the authorwant to tell you? Do you agree withthis message?This story is about a woman. Couldit have been about a man? Why?

Responding to text

Children could work incooperative groups to make

stick puppets of the characters andhouses in the book. These could beused to practise and perform areaders theatre of the text.Encourage the use of the repeatedphrases from the book.

Children could draw a storymap showing the main

events in the book. They couldwrite a sentence under each pictureto explain what is happening.

Children could browsethrough familiar books to

make lists of words with the sound/v/. These could be grouped by theletters used to represent the sound.Example:

Writing linksShared writingIn small groups children could re-read the book up to page 13.Children could discuss what theywould like the fairy to do next andthen write their own ending to thestory. Have each group share theirwriting with the class.

Independent writingHave children write their owntraditional tale. Before writingbegins discuss:• the structure of a folk tale.

Talk about the beginning, aproblem and a resolution.Ask children to identify theseparts in the story of ‘Veronicain a Vinegar Bottle’;

• the role fairies have in folk tales,e.g. the fairy godmother inCinderella;

• the use of punctuation to indicatewhich character is talking.Encourage the children toinclude a fairy in their story.

ve vlove very

Possible assessment focus

Can the child:• say what kind of story this is and describe its features?• explain how punctuation refers to dialogue?• use punctuation to read the text expressively?

whole text activity sentence activity word activity


Vinegar Bottle



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Topic: GratitudeCurriculum link: English, SOSEText type: Folk taleReading level: 18Word count: 495Vocabulary: complained, cottage, mansion, palace,queen, servants, uncomfortable, vinegar

Possible literacy focusIdentifying the features of a folk tale.Exploring punctuation related to direct speech.Using punctuation to support expressive reading.

SummaryThis book is a retelling of a folk tale in which awoman is never satisfied with her lot. A fairyimproves her situation, but the woman continues tocomplain. She is eventually sent back to live in thevinegar bottle where she started.

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teacher edition veronica - alphaliteracy te veronica.pdf · called veronica who lived in a vinegar...

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