The Snail and the Whale Simplified PowerPoint Story

Perfect for ESL learners, this version of the story is super easy for your children to understand and learn.

♦ Helps you tell the story in an alternative way. Use as well as or instead of the book to incorporate multiple retellings without your kids ever getting bored.

♦ Great for big groups or online. Everyone can see. No peering or jostling to see the pages!

♦ Print in small cards and use in sequencing and story retelling.

♦ Play vocabulary games with the key language in the engaging images.

Ready for some Snail and the Whale fun? Get your templates here:

What do teachers say about the resources?

Wow! I used this resource for one of my labs and it has been explosive. Children were super excited and of course, I was as well! Nothing to complain about! Great work!

I have recently started to use storytelling in my classes and ESL labs. Fiona’s resources are a real treasure. Lots of useful tips and ready-to-use material to bring the story to life and help kids use the language. Excellent, couldn’t ask for more.

The resources were great and saved me so much time, the teaching tips gave me ideas. We had a lot of fun with it : the kids loved the activities, learnt the animals and movements and understood the story. And I feel like there is so much more I could have done. Thank you !

I found this resources few weeks ago and now I’m always have a look first on this web. The range of activities are awesome!

I love the resources and the kids seemed to enjoy too. I had a hard time today with a mixed-age group (from 6 to 14!), but the abundance of differentiated activities Fiona offers made it much easier for me to make the time spent together meaningful.

Most importantly, my students really enjoyed the process of making their own mini book. It also served as an assessment, as I was able to see clearly which students were having issues with reading and matching – but it didn’t feel like an exam or test for the students at all. I only wish I’d found this at the beginning of the academic year.

Frequently asked questions

Can't I just make these resources myself for nothing?

Yes, of course! Maybe you have the time and enjoy creating things, but it has to be said that being a young learner teacher can involve a HUGE amount of extra work making materials. Give yourself a break!

How do I know these materials will work?

All my materials have been tried and tested in the classroom. As well as having almost 20 years of teaching experience, I am also a qualified trainer for the Trinity TYLEC (Teaching Young Learners Extension Certificate), so you can rely on the quality.

I'm teaching mixed aged groups. Will these materials work?

Yes! The simplified text and clear images help support understanding. Your stronger learners will be able to help read the text, or acquire useful phrases. Your beginning learners will be able to understand the key vocabulary and follow the storyline. Everyone can enjoy it and learn at their own level.

I need a ready to go lesson plan. Can I use this?

This resource doesn’t include a lesson plan, but here are a couple of ideas. 1. Tell the story using the PowerPoint. 2. Print a copy of the slides (select ‘multi-page’ in printer settings for smaller sizes) for each group. Play vocabulary games with items in the images. 3. Ask your learners to put the slides in order. 4. Re-tell the story together as a class.

To complete your lesson, why not add one of the games or a craft. There are songs, storytelling videos and games on the The Snail and the Whale story resource page.

Wouldn't it be easier to just do a worksheet?

You can certainly find some free worksheets out there, but I can guarantee your young learners will be much more excited to use this. Engaged and motivated children make for a happy lesson (and teacher!)

Once you’ve had a chance to use your materials, don’t forget to come back to leave a review. As a thank you, you’ll receive a 20% discount on any other resource : )