Overview 

• Age Group: 4–5 years (Reception) 
• Duration: 30–40 minutes 

Focus:  

• Reading comprehension 
• Vocabulary development 
• Phonics (initial sounds) 
• Context: Traditional tale to spark curiosity and engagement. 

 

Learning Objectives 

• Listen attentively and enjoy a familiar story. 

 Use expressive reading, props, and eye contact to keep children engaged. 

• Join in with repeated refrains (e.g., “Too hot! Too cold! Just right!”). 

Pause and prompt children to echo phrases; model enthusiasm. 

• Recount key events and identify characters. 

 Use sequencing cards and ask recall questions during plenary. 

• Link sounds to letters by focusing on initial sounds (G, B, C). 

 Show phonics cards during reading and match them to character names. 

 

Resources 

• Big book or storybook: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 
• Picture cards of characters and objects. 
• Puppets or props (bowls, chairs, bears). 
• Word cards for key vocabulary. 
• Phonics cards for sounds g, b, c. 

 

Lesson Steps 

Starter (Hook & Prior Knowledge) 

• Show a story box with clues (teddy bear, small bowl, spoon). 
• Ask: “What story might these belong to?” 
• Discuss predictions and look at the book cover/title. 

 Tip: Encourage children to share ideas in full sentences: “I think it’s…”. 

 

Main Activity (Shared Reading) 

• Read the story aloud with expression and actions. 

• Invite children to join in with repeated refrains. 

Ask open-ended questions:  

• “What do you think will happen next?” 
• “Why did Goldilocks go into the house?” 
• Highlight initial sounds using phonics cards (G, B, C). 

 Tip: Point to the letter and say: “G is for Goldilocks!”. 

 

Follow-Up Activities (Consolidation) 

• Role play: Act out parts of the story using props. 

 How to achieve: Assign roles (Goldilocks, bears) and model actions first. 

• Sequencing: Arrange picture cards in order. 

 How to achieve: Work in pairs; prompt with questions like “What happened after she ate the porridge?”. 

• Phonics match: Link word cards to pictures. 

 How to achieve: Say the sound aloud and ask children to repeat. 

• Drawing: Illustrate favourite part of the story. 

 How to achieve: Encourage detail and label drawings with initial sounds. 

 

Plenary (Reflection) 

• Recap the sequence of events together. 

• Ask: “What did you like about the story?” 

• Reinforce focus sounds (G, B, C). 

 Tip: Use a quick game: “Show me something that starts with b!”. 

 

Adaptation 

Support:  

• Visual aids and modelling for EAL or younger children. 

• Sentence starters: “I like…”, “My favourite part was…”. 

Challenge:  

• Retell the story using independent sequencing cards. 
• Compare two versions of the story and ask: 

 “Who was kind in both stories?” 

 “What was different about Goldilocks?”. 

 

Assessment Opportunities 

• Observe engagement during reading. 
• Note ability to recall events and vocabulary. 
• Track recognition of initial sounds in phonics activities. 

 Tip: Use a simple checklist for each child. 

 

Extension Ideas 

• Create a group story map of the tale. 
• Read another version and compare outcomes:  

Ask reflective questions: 

 “Who was kind in both stories?” 

 “What happened differently?”. 

• Link to maths: Compare sizes (small, medium, large). 

 How to achieve: Use real objects or pictures for sorting.