Emma’s Night Garden

Reading together

Reading age 6–7 describes the audience for this adult-led Shared Reading book, not an independent reading-level assessment. This is a read-aloud story for ages 6–7, not an independent reading-level text. Read at the child’s pace. Children can listen, point, gesture, sign or join in with familiar words. Joining in is optional.

Before reading

Look at the title and cover. Introduce the characters and setting. Explore these five words with pictures, actions and familiar examples: habitat, dusk, active, shelter, observe. Invite a prediction about what might happen.

During reading

Use Talk Together for a prompt on each page. Talk about observations, predictions, materials, living things and changes. Compare what the characters expected with what they noticed. Invite children to join in with repeated words or gestures.

After reading

Compare Emma’s daytime and evening observations. Explain how she watched without disturbing the animals. Describe what the characters noticed and how their ideas changed. Invite different experiences and respect a child’s choice not to share.

Explore and investigate

Science idea

Animals have different activity patterns; some are active at dusk or night. Quiet observations can reveal animals missed in daylight.

Notice together

Separate what the characters observed from what they predicted. Use the pictures and story to explain an answer.

Try together

With an adult, compare daytime and dusk observations from a safe familiar place, using drawings or photographs rather than approaching wildlife.

Careful thinking

Stay with an adult. Do not feed or handle wild animals, disturb shelters or shine bright lights at them. Many moths are nocturnal, but not all.

Activities with an adult

The eleven separate question cards include recall, word meaning, observation, “why”, inference and evidence questions and discussion. Read the questions and choices aloud and offer picture support. Explore five vocabulary words, build them from movable letters and order three story pictures. Model a vocabulary word for the child to copy; letter recognition and independent decoding are not required. Mouse dragging, finger dragging, tap controls and keyboard controls are available. Use the light green and red feedback as a chance to look at the story again.

Choose a few activities that suit the child’s interest. Offer pictures, drawings, gestures or spoken answers, and model word building when useful. Activities are optional.