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At school — print pack

Print, cut, and talk about it together. · Ages 5–9 · Roo Bloom

How to use these pages

  1. Print on A4, single sided, at 100% — not “fit to page”.
  2. Cut along the dashed lines to make the cards.
  3. Ask the question, then ask “what can you see?” before anything else.
  4. The last page is for you, not for the wall.

Four things to ask

“What can you see?” “What happened?” “What clue helped you?” “So why did that happen?”

Why cards

Cut these out. Show the picture, read the question, and talk.

  • Two children at a classroom desk. A pencil lies on the desk in two pieces. The other child is still writing with a whole one.

    Why did Mei stop writing?

    At school · 1

  • A boy walking towards a lunch table with a cloth in his hand. Spilled drink is spread across the table top with a cup beside it. Another child sits at the far end.

    Why did Sam fetch a cloth?

    At school · 2

  • A girl standing still in a classroom with her bag in her hand. A chair lies on its side on the floor in front of her. Another child sits at a desk further along.

    Why did Jo stop walking?

    At school · 3

  • Two children at a craft table. One has his hand raised. The sheet in front of him is torn across the middle. A pair of scissors lies on the table and the other child is holding the glue.

    Why did Arlo put his hand up?

    At school · 4

  • A girl walking between classroom desks with a pile of paper in her hands. One desk already has a sheet on it. The next desk has only a pencil on it.

    What is Nia trying to do?

    At school · 5

  • Two children by a canteen counter. A closed sign hangs above it and nobody is behind the counter. One child has turned away from the queue.

    Why is Mei leaving the queue?

    At school · 6

  • Two children at the hallway pegs. One peg has a coat hanging on it. The peg beside it is bare. Tabi's hands are empty and she is looking up at the row.

    Why is Tabi looking at the pegs?

    At school · 7

  • A boy sitting at a classroom desk with an open bag on the floor beside him. His book and a sheet of paper are already out on the desk. The girl next to him holds a pencil out towards him.

    Why is Ravi looking in his bag?

    At school · 8

  • Two children by a hallway door. One sun hat is still hanging on a hook and the other child is carrying hers. A ball sits on the floor by the door, a book lies on the bench, and Kit's hands are empty.

    Why did Kit stop at the door?

    At school · 9

The three answers

Cut these into strips and lay the three out under the matching card.

  • 1

    • Her pencil snapped in two.
    • It is time for lunch.
    • She is packing her bag.

  • 2

    • A drink spilled on the table.
    • It is time to pack up.
    • They are getting ready to paint.

  • 3

    • A chair is lying in the way.
    • She is looking for her bottle.
    • She forgot her lunch box.

  • 4

    • His paper tore in half.
    • He wants to answer a question.
    • It is time to go outside.

  • 5

    • She is giving out the paper.
    • She is collecting the books.
    • She is lining up for lunch.

  • 6

    • The canteen is closed.
    • She has finished her lunch.
    • She is going out to play.

  • 7

    • Her peg is empty.
    • She is hanging up her hat.
    • She is on her way outside.

  • 8

    • He has nothing to write with.
    • He is looking for his lunch.
    • He wants a drink of water.

  • 9

    • His sun hat is on the hook.
    • He forgot his lunch box.
    • He is going home now.

Why → Because

Say the first half and let your child finish it. That is the whole exercise.

  • 1Mei stopped writing because

  • 2Sam fetched a cloth because

  • 3Jo stopped walking because

  • 4Arlo put his hand up because

  • 5Nia is walking round the desks because

  • 6Mei is leaving the queue because

  • 7Tabi is looking at the pegs because

  • 8Ravi is looking in his bag because

  • 9Kit stopped at the door because

For grown-ups: the answers and the clues

The clue is the useful column. If your child is stuck, point at the clue rather than saying the answer.

  1. 1. Why did Mei stop writing?

    Her pencil snapped in two.

    Clue: Look at the desk in front of Mei.

    Ask what she could do next to keep going.

  2. 2. Why did Sam fetch a cloth?

    A drink spilled on the table.

    Clue: Look at the top of the table.

  3. 3. Why did Jo stop walking?

    A chair is lying in the way.

    Clue: Look at the floor ahead of Jo.

  4. 4. Why did Arlo put his hand up?

    His paper tore in half.

    Clue: Look at the paper in front of Arlo.

  5. 5. What is Nia trying to do?

    She is giving out the paper.

    Clue: Look at what is on each desk.

  6. 6. Why is Mei leaving the queue?

    The canteen is closed.

    Clue: Look above the counter.

    Ask what she will do about lunch now.

  7. 7. Why is Tabi looking at the pegs?

    Her peg is empty.

    Clue: Look along the row of pegs.

    Ask what is usually hanging on a peg.

  8. 8. Why is Ravi looking in his bag?

    He has nothing to write with.

    Clue: Look at what is already out.

  9. 9. Why did Kit stop at the door?

    His sun hat is on the hook.

    Clue: Look at the hook by the door.

    Ask what everybody else is carrying out with them.

Roo Bloom · roobloom.com

This is an educational resource, not therapy or medical advice.