Overview and Outcomes:

In this three-week Writing Root, for Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey, children have the opportunity to explore character motives and feelings before researching a selection of animals and going on to write an own-version narrative. They are then asked by a character for some help in writing a ‘How to be a …’ guide and create this for a chosen pet. The sequence of learning includes regular opportunities for use of phonic knowledge and also embeds some of the spelling requirements for year 1. It supports the children into writing for a range of audiences and purposes, developing skills in composition, understanding of a range of punctuation and use of nouns and prepositions to construct a range of sentences and convey meaning.

Synopsis of Text:

Pig is the greediest Pug in the world. He is bad-tempered, rude and he never, ever shares. Friendly sausage dog Trevor is always trying to persuade Pig to play with him, but without success. When Pig is asked to share his toys, his greed finally backfires and something unexpected happens to him. Will Pig the Pug learn his lesson at last?

Text Rationale:

This is a hilarious picture book about learning to share. The books has strong PSHE links, providing an engaging space to discuss sharing, collaborating and looking after each other. It can also lead to discussions about pets and taking care of living things.

Links and themes:

Dogs, pets, animals, collaboration, taking care of pets

Date written: January 2019

Updated: May 2022