Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Oakley Forgot a Bit!: Free Printable Card Set for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Oakley Forgot a Bit! is a free printable card set for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children listen to a short story, notice that a bit is missing, ask a question to find it, and say a comment about what they heard. Then they colour the star. It needs only paper, scissors for the grown up and a pencil or crayon. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, 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, cut out the cards, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
This is a set of cards to cut out and use. Oakley tells a short story but forgets a bit. A grown up reads the story aloud, and the child listens carefully. Then the child asks a question to find the missing detail and says a comment about the story. After a question and a comment, the child colours a star. It is a talking and listening activity, not a writing task.
Why practise asking questions and making comments?
Communication and Language is one of the prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It covers listening, paying attention, understanding and speaking. Young children grow in these areas through play, stories and everyday talk with adults they trust. A card set like this gives that talk a clear purpose and a gentle routine.
Asking a question is different from answering one. The child has to notice that something is missing, choose a question word and say it clearly. A comment is different again. It tells the listener what the child thinks or feels about the story. Both skills help children join in conversations, share ideas and make sense of the books they hear.
Skills and curriculum link
- Listening to stories
- Asking questions
- Making comments
- Speaking in sentences
- Taking turns in talk
Ideas to help children talk about stories
- Question wordsWords such as who, what, where and when help children start a question. Say them aloud and let your child pick the one that fits the gap.
- CommentsA comment tells what you think or feel. Short starters such as I like, I think or It made me can help children begin.
- Good listeningListening is more than keeping quiet. Ask your child to look at the speaker, wait and think about what they heard before they speak.
- Giving timeWait a few seconds after you ask something. Many children need quiet thinking time before they find the words.
Key words
- ListenUse your ears and your thinking to hear what someone says.
- StoryWords that tell what happens to someone or something.
- MissingNot there. Something has been left out.
- QuestionWords we say to find something out. A question often starts with who, what or where.
- CommentSomething you say about what you heard, such as what you think or feel.
- DetailA small piece of information in a story.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Cut out the cards. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read a story card aloud slowly. Ask your child to listen for anything that sounds as if it is missing.
- Help your child ask a question to find the missing detail. Offer a starter word such as Who, What or Where if they need one.
- Read the answer line aloud only when your child asks. Then ask for a comment about the story. Colour a star after a question and a comment.
- Come back to the cards another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Offer starter words such as Who, What or Where. Let your child point at the gap in the story, then say the question together. Next, let them say it alone. For comments, give a starter such as I like or I think.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to invent a new story with a missing detail and to be the storyteller. Then they test you. You ask the question, and your child decides whether your question finds the missing piece.
Make it a game
Take turns being Oakley. Say a short story with a gap in it and let a family member ask the question. Then the listener adds a comment. Swap roles and colour a star each time.
Talk about it
- What did you hear in the story?
- What do you think Oakley forgot?
- Which question word could you start with?
- What did you like about the story?
- Can you tell me a story with a bit missing?
- How did you feel when Oakley forgot something?
Take it off the page
Story time gaps
Read a favourite picture book and stop at a page. Ask your child what they would like to know about the picture. Let them ask you a question about it.
Puppet Oakley
Make a simple puppet from a paper bag or a sock. Let the puppet tell a short story and forget a bit. Your child asks the puppet a question.
Comment walk
Go for a walk indoors or outdoors. Take turns to say one comment about something you can see. Start with I can see or I like.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first card, then let them lead. Keep it relaxed and playful. Praise brave asking and thoughtful comments, not only the right question. Stop when your child has had enough and come back another day.
Teachers
Use the cards as a carpet time starter, a small group talk activity or a table task with an adult. They need no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed groups in Communication and Language.
Home educators
Pair the cards with picture books, puppets and everyday talk. They suit short, regular sessions. Siblings can take turns as Oakley, and you can reprint the cards to repeat the activity with a younger or older child.
Where this skill fits
Before this activity, children listen to stories and rhymes, join in with familiar words and answer simple questions from adults. They begin to use words to share what they know and what they feel.
After it, children can ask questions in longer conversations, retell a story in order and give reasons for what they think. These skills support early reading and writing, because children who talk about stories understand more of what they read.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Oakley Forgot a Bit! for?
It is written for Reception, which is ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children can join in with adult help, and older children can use the stretch idea on page 2.
- What will children practise?
Children practise listening to short stories, asking a question to find a missing detail and making a comment. All of this sits within Communication and Language in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
- Do children need to write anything?
No. This is a talking and listening activity. The only marking is colouring a star after a question and a comment, so it suits children who are not yet confident writers.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Offer starter words such as Who, What or Where. Let your child point at the gap, then say the question together. Give comment starters too, such as I like or I think, and praise every try.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print the cards again for brothers and sisters or to repeat the activity another day.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, a small group activity or a table task. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper, scissors for the grown up and a pencil or crayon. That makes it good for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Adults should do the cutting out.
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.