You (clever parent). Hannah. Time to start work. Today we will work on your wordpower, comprehension, and creative writing. There are two parts to the lesson. First we do an interactive task on Alexa, and then there are questions.
NB Needs ‘Kids Skills’ enabled in your Alexa App.
Hannah. I love Alexa! ‘Alexa. Start Treble Three Tales’.
Alexa. Welcome to Treble Three Tales. For a particular story you can say, start story, and then a number between 1 and 64.’
Hannah. ‘Start story ten’.
Alexa (voice 1). Story number ten. A rambling roving reporter chased after a shy and suspicious superstar. Wonderful show, he flattered. Can I tell you how good that was?
Alexa (voice 2). Please say 1 if you want it to be a ‘plum perfect performance’, say 2 for a ‘triumph by top talent’, or say three for a ‘feat of fluent flair’.
You. Shall we say one, two or three?
Hannah. One!
Alexa (voice 1). Good choice. A rambling roving reporter chased after a shy and suspicious superstar. Wonderful show, he flattered. That was plum perfect performance.
Thank you, answered the shy and suspicious superstar. But you are not getting a story! Let me tell you the kind of person you are! You reporters are all alike. Let me tell you the kind of person you are?
Alexa (voice 2). Please say 1 if you think it is a ‘horrible hideous hack’, say 2 for a ‘ghastly grisly ghostwriter’, or say 3 for a ‘shallow scribbling scribe’.
Hannah. Three!
Alexa (voice 1). Thank you, answered the shy and suspicious superstar. But you are not getting a story! You reporters are all alike. You are a shallow scribbling scribe.
I am not like that, said the rambling roving reporter persuasively. I want to show you in a positive light. Can I tell you what type of story it will be?
Alexa (voice 2). Say 1 to make it a ‘page of praise and perfection’, say 2 for a ‘hymn to harmony and happiness’, or say 3 for a ‘feature of fawning flattery’.
Hannah. Two!
Alexa (voice 1). I am not like that, said the rambling roving reporter persuasively. I want to show you in a positive light. I will write a story that is a hymn to harmony and happiness.
The shy and suspicious superstar weakened as she needed some good publicity. The rambling roving reporter sensed an opportunity. What would you like me to cover?, he asked. The shy and suspicious superstar thought for a moment. Maybe something about my charity work, she suggested. There is a fundraiser tomorrow night. Maybe you could do a story about the money I will help raise.
Absolutely, the rambling roving reporter agreed, though we will need a good photo for the front page. Maybe one of you with your new partner? The shy and suspicious superstar saw what was happening. I was correct that you are a shallow scribbling scribe, she said, before storming out.
Hannah. Repeat story!
Suggested educational tasks for learners. Wordpower:
Study the ‘treble three’ of descriptive words and the names of the main characters in the story:
1.1 Using a dictionary where necessary make sure that you can understand all of the words. Then do the following:
- write a sentence giving the meaning of the following words/phrases, as used above - suspicious - top talent - scribe - harmony - fawning flattery
1.2 This story used the phrase ‘shy and suspicious superstar’. Imagine that you were writing your own story about a ‘superstar’. You have to make your own three word phrase about the superstar. You will need two other words beginning with ’s’.
(no room for more here, sorry - see below)
2. Reading for sense:
Look at the outline of Story 10 written below (but no space here) to remind yourself, then answer these questions.
2.1 Why was the ‘shy and suspicious superstar’ right to be suspicious of the reporter?
(no room for more here, sorry - see below)
3. Creative writing:
(no room for more here, sorry - but there should be a supporting book shortly, with activities for each of the sixty four Treble Twenty Tales.)
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