The book forms part of the "Tales of Jud the Rat" series of reading fluency books, in which Jud the Rat, Tom the Cat, Jill the Dog, Mrs Weasel and Doctor Skunk are some of the characters used to develop reading, writing and spelling abilities. Mrs Fieldmouse, who is the principal of the school to which the children in the village travel by bus every day, has chosen the stories in this book. She has based the book on the fables and folk tales which she and the other teachers in the school use for teaching reading comprehension.
Each story has a theme which is universal. Mrs Fieldmouse has included classics such as "Hansel and Gretel", and "Jack and the Beanstalk", as well as "The Three Billy Goats Gruff". She has also included more modern fables and folk tales such as "The Wolves and the Sheep", and "The Miller, his Son and the Donkey", as well as "The Witch, the Black Cat and the Broomstick". The children in the school particularly like this story as it is about magic, as well as "The Wizard and the Mouse", which is their favourite.
Each story Mrs Fieldmouse has chosen is presented in a format in which it can be set in either large or small print, and read using partnered paired reading methods to develop increased fluency in reading. Understanding of the content of the story can then be tested by answering a number of comprehension questions in writing.
Each question is based on key words which can be used to by the child to identify where the correct answers can be found in the text.
Both the stories and the questions in the book are graded in terms of difficulty, and are designed to be used side by side with the other reading fluency books in the "Tales of Jud the Rat" programme, as well as with additional materials designed to develop the child's language, phonic skills and sequential working memory.
Accompanying manuals are available which outline effective methods in each of these areas.
The materials and methods used in the programme have been successful with a large number of children of different ages and different cultural backgrounds, and are most effective where they are used in combination.
Results on the programme have been published internationally, and links to these publications are made available free online on my website.
If you make contact with me by email, I can provide you with an illustrated manual to enable effective use of this book in conjunction with other materials for developing reading fluency and reading comprehension, as well as with additional materials to support your child's reading, writing, spelling and learning needs.