Down at the River Level 6-8

Down at the River follows a poetic journey where a group of children enjoy skipping stones at the riverbank. This rhythmic and lyrical text captures the joy of outdoor play through rich poetic language and expressive illustrations. The book integrates various blends and clusters such as œsk, œsm, œfl, and œthr, supporting phonological development. Onomatopoeic words like œplop and œskip enhance engagement while helping students understand sound-word relationships. Visual storytelling is elevated with close-up illustrations showing movement and detail, creating an immersive reading experience. Readers will also appreciate the hyperbolic line, œWe skip a million stones, encouraging discussions about literary exaggeration. The book can be used to compare leisure activities and deepen connections between text and personal experiences.

Educational Benefits:

• Introduces poetic elements and figurative language in a relatable context.
• Reinforces blends and letter clusters to support phonics.
• Enhances visual literacy with detailed, expressive illustrations.
• Builds comprehension by summarising and sequencing narrative events.

Classroom Ideas:

• Create a sensory writing piece about a river or outdoor experience.
• Use the text as a base for identifying blends and clusters.
• Recreate the stone-skipping scene using role-play or art.
• Discuss exaggeration in writing and find examples in other stories.

Safety & Information:

• Suitable for ages 5-7
• Book dimensions: 16.5cm x 19cm; 16 pages
• Printed on durable, child-safe paper
• No small parts or interactive components