Ruby’s Leaf Prints

Reading together

Reading age 3–4 describes the audience for this adult-led Shared Reading book, not an independent reading-level assessment. This is a read-aloud story for ages 3–4, 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: leaves, paint, presses, print, edge. Invite a prediction about what might happen.

During reading

Use Talk Together for a prompt on each page. Talk about the colours, sounds, movements, shapes and marks the characters explore. Invite different ideas and interpretations. Notice the choices the characters make and how their ideas change. Invite children to join in with repeated words or gestures.

After reading

With an adult, choose large safe fallen leaves, washable paint and paper. Try light pressure and compare the leaves with their prints. Talk about the child’s choices and the different ways your own art could look or sound. Invite different experiences and respect a child’s choice not to share.

Explore and play

Arts idea

Explore shape and marks with leaf printing.

Notice together

Notice the sounds, movements, colours, marks or shapes the child chooses. There can be many ways to make art.

Try together

With an adult, choose large safe fallen leaves, washable paint and paper. Try light pressure and compare the leaves with their prints.

Adult support

An adult offers age-appropriate materials and watches throughout. Keep small pieces away from mouths. Respect the child’s choice to watch, join in or stop.

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.