Ruby’s Worry

Free lesson plan, writing template and printable word-search puzzles for kids

Best suited to:

K – Year 2

KLAs covered:

English, PDH

Learning:

• we all worry sometimes. Worrying is a normal part of being human. It’s OK to feel worried;
• worries can start small and sometimes get worse when we keep them inside;
• other people usually can’t see our worries;
• talking about our worries to a friend or to someone who loves us can help a worry get smaller or even go away;

Need to know:

• a great springboard for discussing feelings;
• at first Ruby’s worry is small but it grows until it stops her doing the things she likes to do. She tries to get rid of her worry but it only begins to shrink when she tells someone;
• prompts children to think about who they can talk to about their worries;

Discussion Questions (before reading):

• what do you think this book will be about? What do you see that makes you think that?
• everyone feels worried sometimes. What sorts of things do you worry about?
• what does it feel like in your body when you are worried about something?

Discussion Questions (after reading):

• do you have a worry? What does your worry look like/feel like?
• is there something you can do to help your worry shrink or fade away?
• can you think of a person/people you could tell about your worry? Who? What could you say to this person?
• what is the message of this book?
• if there is no-one you can tell about your worry, what else could you do? (say ‘I feel worried’ softly to yourself)
• how do you feel after reading this book?

Activities:

• children draw and/or describe their favourite part of the story;
• children write about a worry they have and illustrate it;
• what does your worry look like/feel like? Draw your worry. Children can be invited to share their drawings with the class if time allows;
• what do you do to help your worry shrink or fade away? Can you draw it? What happens when you do this?
• sequencing: children write/draw what happened first, next and finally in the story;
• character investigation: what words would children use to describe Ruby? (appearance and personality);

These free, printable word-search puzzles for kids are great for building and reinforcing the vocabulary used when discussing Ruby’s Worry. They’re especially helpful for EAL/D students.

There are two different puzzles in this file to enable you to differentiate the activity according to the learning needs of your students.