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Text © 2010 Ian WhybrowIllustrations and design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2010

Series editor: Cliff Moon

Original ISBN 978-0-00-732924-3

Ian Whybrow asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd., 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication DataA Catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library.

Illustrator: Rosalind HudsonDesign Manager: Nicola Kenwood @ Hakoona MatataDesigner: Anna Stasinska (anna@annastasinska.demon.co.uk)Ideas for reading author: Clare Dowdall

AcknowledgementsAdapted from “The Last Steam Train to Margate” by John Hill, in Around the World in Eighty Poems, edited by Jennifer and Graeme Curry (Hutchinson, 1988)

Collins would like to thank the teachers and children at the following schools who took part in the development of Collins Big Cat:

Chudleigh C of E Community Primary SchoolEnglefield Green Infants School John Betts Primary SchoolMontem Primary SchoolOffley Endowed Primary School

Get the latest Collins Big Cat news at

www.collinsbigcat.com/elt

The Steam Train

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BlueBand 4

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Gosh,I wishI were a bus,

74

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It’s much less workAnd much less fuss.

75

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I should like that,I should like that.

76

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De-deedle-deeDe-diddle-dum,Just look at me’Cause here I come.

77

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Pain in my back, aches in my joints,Tickerty-tack, here are the points.

78

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Diddly-dee, diddly dee,Diddly WIDDLY diddly dee!

79

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Far to go? Not very far.Little black tunnel ...... Tickerty WHAAAH!

80

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81

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Oh what a train ride, we’re nearly there, we’re nearly there.

82

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And now I’d better slow right down,In half a mile we reach the town.

83

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Then you’ll paddle and splash in the sea,And have ice cream and cake for tea.

84

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But gosh I’m tired,Oh gosh I’m tired,HohhhGOSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH

85

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A map

86

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87

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89

Before You Read

1. Look at the cover. What do you

think you will read about in

The Steam Train? Circle your

answers.

2. Copy the title.

The Steam Train

__________________________________________

ice-cream the sea a town cake

a tunnel a school a shop a cat

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90

Key Story Words 1

1. Match each word to

the correct picture.

tunnel

train

town

sea

bus

a

b

c

d

e

1

2

3

4

5

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rea ok

ve

dle

ash

ch

pad

spl

lo

ha

a1

b

c

d

e

2

3

4

5

91

2. Match the puzzle pieces to make

words from the story.

3. Draw lines to match

the rhyming words.

bus town

joints fuss

down tea

sea points

a

b

c

d

1

2

3

4

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92

1. What can you see in the picture?

Circle your answers in the

word box.

train bus town sea tunnel

Key Story Words 2

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93

Key Story Sentences 1

1. Match the beginning of each

story sentence with its ending.

just look at me

‘cause here I come.

in half a mile we

reach the town.

and much

less fuss.

and have ice cream

and cake for tea.

tickerty-tack,

here are

the points.

1

2

3

4

5

a

b

c

d

e

It’s much

less work

De-deedle-dee

de-diddle-dum,

Pain in my

back, aches in

my joints,

And now I’d

better slow

right down,

Then you’ll

paddle and

splash in

the sea,

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94

Key Story Sentences 2

1. Unscramble the story sentences

and rewrite them.

1 that. like should I

_____________________________________

less much It’s work.

_____________________________________

you’ll Then splash and paddle in sea. the

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

a bus. I were wish I

_____________________________________

2

3

4

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95

Reading Comprehension 1

Is the town near

the sea?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

3 Does the train go

faster when it gets near

the town?

4 Is the steam train tired

at the end of the story?

1 Does the train wish it

were a bus?

2

1. Read the questions.

Tick “Yes” or “No”.( )

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96

Reading Comprehension 2

1. Number the pictures in

the correct order (1–4)

to match the story.

1

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97

2. Write the answers to these

questions. Use complete sentences.

1 Where does the train stop?

______________________________________

______________________________________

3 Why does the train wish it were a bus?

______________________________________

______________________________________

2 How does the train feel at the end of

the train ride?

______________________________________

______________________________________

4 Do you think being a steam train is hard work?

______________________________________

______________________________________

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98

1. Help the steam train

fi nd its way to the town.

2. Find and circle fi ve words

in the word snake.

Have Fun with English!

a

ch e s t u

nn

e

l p a d d l e s

pla

sh

t o w n

po

i nt s

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paddle

splash

aches

joints

points

pain

fuss

bus

townt p p o i n t s

o a a c f x f j

w i d m u a v o

n n d n s c c i

s p l a s h v n

n o e v x e b t

c m x b u s v s

99

3. Unscramble the letters and

rewrite the words.

4. Look at the words in the box.

Find and circle them in

the word square.

w n o t ______________

n t e n l u ______________

t n i r a ______________

1

3

2

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100

Test Your English

1. Label the places on

the train’s journey.

2. Fill in the blanks with

the correct word.

1 Pain in my back, aches in my

_______________ (tunnel/joints).

2 And now I’d better _____________

(slow/fast) right down.

3 Then you’ll paddle and splash

in the _____________ (sea/train).

____________

1 2

____________

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Go to page 173 to get your

Reward Certificate.

You have completed

The Steam Train

101

CONGRATULATIONS!

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102

Learning objectives: use syntax and context when reading for meaning; identify the main events and characters in stories, and find specific information in simple texts; explore the effect of patterns of language and repeated words and phrases; interpret a text by reading aloud with some variety in pace and emphasis

Curriculum links: Music: Feel the pulse

High frequency words: I, were, a, much, and, should, like, that, just, look, at, me, here, come, in, my, back, are, the, to, go,

not, very, little, black, what, there, now, down, half, we, then, have, for, but

Interest words: aches, joints, points, tunnel, paddle, splash

Word count: 116

Resources: percussion instruments, paper and pens

Getting started• Ask children if they have been on a steam train and what they know about steam

trains from other stories and television programmes.

• As a group, make the noises that a steam train can make, e.g. diddly-dee diddly dah. Practise getting faster and slower.

Reading and responding• Ask children to read pp74–75 in pairs, practising making the words sound like the

train’s engine.

• Ask children to predict where the train might be going and what might happen on

the way.

• In pairs, ask children to read to p85, working out how to make the train sound

slow and then fast and then slow again. Support children as they work together,

especially with tricky sound words like de-deedle-dee.

Ideas for reading

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103

Returning to the book• Invite pairs to perform reading the poem to the rest of the group. Ask children to

comment on the effect of the performance, e.g. How have they made the poem sound like the train?

• Use the map on pp86–87 to recount the stages of the journey and discuss

features of the scenery.

• Challenge children to find the fastest and the slowest sound words in the poem.

• Reread and perform the poem as a group.

Checking and moving on • Make up additional sound words and actions for the poem and practise reading it

with them included.

• Use ICT sources or poetry books to find other children’s train or sound poems.

• Ask children to draw a new train journey and create a story poem for it.

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