We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

A story with repeated refrains. Our top recommendations include: ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘A Squash and a Squeeze’ by Julia Donaldson, ‘The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle’,  ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ by Michael Rosen and ‘Brown bear, what do you see?’ by Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle

Language and idea of story structure, a love for literature as they will get to join in!

Once children are over three, they benefit hugely from stories with repeated refrains as they attempt to adapt, extend and predict large parts of the sentences. 

To extend this activity and give your child an extra challenge, you could pause the video, leaving larger gaps for them to use their memory and explain what might be coming up next. This can give your child a confidence boost; they will love to feel like they’re reading like a grown-up by knowing what it says! 

Enjoy putting on different voices if there is a particular character saying the refrain or a tone of voice that suits the mood of the book. Perhaps the character feels scared/excited/happy? Ask your child how this would sound in their voice.