Florence’s Budget Choice

Reading together

Reading age 13–18 describes the audience for this adult-led Shared Reading book, not an independent reading-level assessment. This is a read-aloud story for young people aged 13–18, not an independent reading-level text. Read at the learner’s pace. Learners 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: budget, total, calculation, savings, decision. Invite a prediction about what might happen.

During reading

Use Talk Together for a prompt on each page. Talk about what happens, how the characters feel and which support or choices help. Accept different experiences. Do not use the story to demand a particular behaviour. Invite learners to point, sign, gesture or join in if they want to.

After reading

Use pretend prices and an invented budget to compare options. Keep personal money information private and support calculation without taking over the learner’s decision. Describe what the characters noticed and how their ideas changed. Invite different experiences and respect a learner’s choice not to share.

Explore the situation

Everyday situation

Make a purchase decision that fits her own budget

Beginning

Florence has saved some money for a jacket. She and Ruby visit the shops with Aunt Jo nearby. A green jacket fits comfortably, but its price is higher than Florence planned. Ruby points to a matching bag. Together, they would cost almost all of Florence’s savings.

What feels difficult

The jacket and bag cost more than Florence planned

Support and choices

She pauses and checks her budget privately with Aunt Jo

What changes

She chooses to wait and leaves the clothes in the shop

Try together

Use pretend prices and an invented budget to compare options. Keep personal money information private and support calculation without taking over the learner’s decision.

Adult support

Read at the learner’s pace with a trusted adult when helpful. Accept speech, AAC, writing, gestures or listening. Respect privacy, sensory needs and the right to pause or decline. Discuss choices without judging personal feelings.

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. The feedback checks recall of this story, not whether the learner’s own feelings or needs are right or wrong. Explore five vocabulary words, build them from movable letters and order three story pictures. Model a vocabulary word for the learner 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 learner’s interest. Offer pictures, drawings, gestures or spoken answers, and model word building when useful. Activities are optional.