Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Fairy Tale Times: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Fairy Tale Times is a free printable English worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children read lines taken from fairy tales and add the correct end mark. Then they write whether each line is a statement, a question, an exclamation or a command. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children read numbered lines that sound like they come from well loved fairy tales. Each line has no end mark yet. They choose the right one, then write the sentence type beside it. Once they have sorted the lines, they use all four sentence types in a news report of their own. There is space to answer and lines for writing.
- Who has been eating my porridge
- Grandma lives in a cottage in the wood
- What a big house you have
- Run to Grandma's cottage
- Where is the glass slipper
- The giant lives at the top of the beanstalk
A worked example
Can you catch me
This line is different from the ones on the sheet. It shows two ways children can decide a sentence's job.
Method 1: ask what the sentence does- Read the line aloud.
- Ask: is it telling, asking, showing strong feeling or giving an order?
- This line asks the listener something, so it is a question.
- Say the line aloud and listen to how your voice sounds at the end.
- Many questions sound as if they are waiting for an answer.
- Check with the word mat. A question asks. So the line needs a question mark.
Ways to build sentence sense
Look for the job
Before choosing an end mark, ask what the sentence is trying to do. Is it telling, asking, showing feeling or giving an order? The job comes first and the mark follows.
Read it aloud
Saying a sentence in a character voice helps children hear its purpose. Try a gruff giant, a worried wolf or a polite queen.
Check the mark
Once the end mark is added, read the line again. Does the mark match the job? Children learn to check their own work this way.
Use the types in writing
The news report at the end of the sheet lets children use each type for a real reason. Encourage them to choose the type that fits what they want to say.
Why sentence types matter
Every sentence has a job. Some sentences tell us something. Some ask. Some show strong feeling, and some give an order. In Year 2, children learn to tell these four types apart and to choose the end mark that fits. This sits in the grammar and punctuation strand of the National Curriculum for England.
Fairy tales are a good place to practise because the characters speak in such clear voices. Children already know the stories, so they can imagine who is talking and how they sound. That makes it easier to hear whether a line is telling, asking, shouting or ordering, and to punctuate it with confidence.
Fairy tale facts
- Fairy tales were told aloud for a very long time before many of them were written down.
- Many fairy tales exist in more than one version, so the same story can change from place to place.
- The Brothers Grimm were two German brothers who collected folk tales and published them.
- A full stop is called a period in American English.
- Writers use the same end marks in stories, news reports and letters.
Skills and curriculum link
- Using end punctuation
- Naming sentence types
- Writing for a purpose
- Careful reading
- Checking your own work
Helpful ideas for grown ups
- Purpose firstA sentence type is about what the sentence does. Ask what the speaker wants before looking at the end mark.
- Four typesThe four types are statement, question, exclamation and command. Each one has a job that children can say in their own words.
- Commands and marksA command gives an order. It can end with a full stop or an exclamation mark, depending on how strongly it is said.
- Read it aloudVoice helps. Reading a sentence aloud often makes its purpose clear before a child can explain it.
Key words
- StatementA sentence that tells you something.
- QuestionA sentence that asks something. It ends with a question mark.
- ExclamationA sentence that shows strong feeling. It ends with an exclamation mark.
- CommandA sentence that gives an order. It can end with a full stop or an exclamation mark.
- End markThe mark at the end of a sentence. It can be a full stop, a question mark or an exclamation mark.
- News reportA piece of writing that tells readers what has happened.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first line together. Ask your child what job the sentence is doing before they choose an end mark.
- Let your child work alone on the rest. Encourage them to read each line aloud in a character voice.
- Check against page 2 together. Ask, "What made you choose that mark?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and share the news report with someone at home. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Give your child a word mat: statement tells, question asks, exclamation shows strong feeling, command gives an order. Do the first two lines together and say the job aloud each time. Let them try the rest, and return to tricky ones later.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to write a second news report where every sentence is a different type. Then add a headline with an exclamation mark. They can swap reports with a friend and name each sentence type in the other report.
Make it a game
Read the lines aloud in character voices. Players hold up a card showing a full stop, a question mark or an exclamation mark to show which end mark fits. Take turns being the reader, and let the reader judge.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child puts a full stop at the end of every line.
Try thisRead the line aloud with its real voice. Ask whether it is asking or showing strong feeling, then choose again.
Watch forA child mixes up a command and a statement because both can end with a full stop.
Try thisAsk, "Is this telling me a fact or telling me to do something?" Use the word mat to check.
Watch forA child uses an exclamation mark on every sentence.
Try thisExplain that exclamation marks are for strong feeling. Ask them to read the line calmly and decide whether it still sounds right.
Talk about it
- Which fairy tale character would you most like to meet, and what would you ask them?
- What is the difference between a sentence that asks and a sentence that tells?
- How does your voice change when you read a command?
- Why do we need end marks at all?
- Which sentence type did you find hardest to spot? Why?
- What would the front page of a fairy tale newspaper say today?
Take it off the page
Fairy tale newspaper
Fold a sheet of paper into a front page. Write a headline and a short report about a fairy tale event. Use each sentence type at least once.
Voice and mark
Take turns saying a sentence in a chosen voice. The listener draws the end mark in the air that fits what they heard.
Story hunt
Look through a favourite fairy tale book together. Find one example of each sentence type and read them aloud.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first line, then let them lead. Ask them to say the job of each sentence in their own words. Praise careful thinking, and enjoy the character voices together.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary after teaching sentence types, an early finisher task or a table activity. The news report gives a short piece of purposeful writing. Page 2 offers support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider English plan. It pairs well with reading fairy tales aloud and talking about the characters. Print it again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this, children in Year 1 learn to use capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks. They begin to see that a sentence needs a mark at the end.
After this, children work on commas in lists, apostrophes and longer, more varied writing. Knowing what each sentence is for helps them make better choices as they write.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Fairy Tale Times for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. It suits children who are learning to punctuate sentences and name different sentence types.
- What will children practise?
They practise adding end punctuation and naming four sentence types: statement, question, exclamation and command. Then they use each type in their own news report.
- What if it feels too hard?
Give your child a word mat: statement tells, question asks, exclamation shows strong feeling, command gives an order. Do the first two lines together, then let them try the rest.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Print both pages and keep page 2 for the grown up.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.