Up the Tree Levels 1-2

Up the Tree is a humorous, circular narrative in which a cat chases a bird up a tree, soon followed by a boy, girl, Dad, and Mum-all needing rescue by a firefighter. The story's repetitive structure and clear sequencing support early literacy development, particularly for students learning about the structure of stories and character roles. High-frequency words such as œUp and œThe are repeated, helping children build confidence in recognising and reading them in context. The surprise ending where the cat and bird return to the tree offers opportunities for prediction and discussion. Engaging illustrations guide comprehension and support retelling, while the storyline encourages learners to consider cause and effect and simple problem solving. Themes of animals, family relationships, and community helpers are explored, making it a useful text across several curriculum areas.

Educational Benefits

• Strengthens understanding of story sequencing and circular narrative structure.
• Builds high-frequency vocabulary and content-specific nouns.
• Encourages oral language through retelling and dramatic play.
• Supports phonics development with focus on letter-sound links.

Classroom Ideas

• Sequence illustrations from the story to retell the plot.
• Role-play the rescue using puppets or simple costumes.
• Create a class mural of the tree and the characters climbing it.
• Explore occupations like firefighting in social studies lessons.

Safety & Information

• Ages: 4-6 years
• Book dimensions: 14.5 cm x 16.5 cm
• 16 pages, softcover
• Ensure scissors and staplers used in collage activities are child-safe and supervised