S PON S ORED BY

Encourage children’s enthusiasm for reading

and books with these activities– based on
MC Grammar’s Reading is Amazing Song!

Reading is
Amazing
Teachers’ Pack

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Who is this pack for? How to use the pack

The activities in this pack have been designed for KS2; The activities in this pack have been designed in sequence.
however, most of the standalone activities and worksheets can Together, they lead to students creating their own rap. However,
be differentiated for learners in KS1 at the teacher’s discretion. the majority of the sessions can be used as standalone activities
– perfect for some World Book Day fun!
1
 Getting Ready
Ready!
Before listening to MC Grammar’s Reading is Amazing Song, it might be a good
idea to share a range of poetry, spoken word or music lyrics with the children in
your class. Here are some suggestions for how to get students into the rap zone
– and to get them thinking about books and reading!

• Invite children to explore CLPE’s raps that do this? What message might a
Poetryline, a Poetry Archive for children: World Book Day Rap convey?
clpe.org.uk/poetryline.
• Listen back to last year’s World Book Day
• Ask students to share their favourite song: youtu.be/ZpTkjssrL4k
songs and their lyrics – or share a
favourite song as a class. • Think and talk about the characters that
students remember from their reading.
• Share other ‘mash-up’ texts with As a starter exercise, they could create
students. Can they define what we mean a character companion timeline –
by ‘mash-up’? characters that they have loved since
they were little. Do they notice any
• A rap normally conveys an important similar traits in the characters they like?
message – can students think of any

Enjoy the Song

Song!
It’s time to actually LISTEN to the song!
Listen here

1. The first time you play it as a class, Facilitate discussion with students:
simply listen together. There’s no need
to do anything apart from enjoy it! Q Why do they think
the song was written?
2. The second time you play it as a class,
have children chat to a partner or note Q How does it make them feel?
down the things that stick in their heads.
After listening, they might compare Q Would they share it with a friend
notes with another pair – did they spot who isn’t in your class? Why?
similar or different things?
Q Did it remind them of any other
3. The third time you play it ask children music they know, and can they talk
to consider: did they hear anything about why (i.e. thinking about rhythm,
different listening to it for a third time? tempo and genre)?

2
 Book Detectives
Hopefully you’ve now LISTENED to the song a few times!
Children might have noticed that hidden inside the song are lots of characters
from lots of books. In fact, there are 32 in total. Can they challenge themselves
to find the characters and name the books? Do they know the authors of the
books, too? What about the illustrators’ names?

TIP! Some of them appear more than once….

There are several ways for children to become Book Detectives when
they listen to the song. Here are some suggestions:
•Provide the children with a piece of paper and ask them to write the characters in order
as they hear them (Upper KS2) – can they add the titles?

• Host a Character Quiz. Play the song. Every time the children hear a character name
they have to make a buzzer noise – (you might prefer to do one verse at a time).
This could even turn into a competition, the children or teams who buzz with the
most correct answers will receive the most points! Bonus points can be awarded for
knowing author and illustrator names.

When children have used their

detective skills to discover the
different books included in the
Reading is Amazing Song, they can
take MC Grammar on a journey
to the library! Turn to Page 4!

3
 WORKS HEET 1

Journey to the Library

with
Hey, Grammar Gang!
Gang Guess what? We’re going on a book hunt! And I need your help.
So what do you have to do? Simple: join up the books on my ‘Road of Rhymes’
in the right order to lead me to the library.

C
ir s t o f a ll , c ut out the M
F ok
gure, the bo
Grammar fi rs
e book cove
stacks and th e end of your
at on
and put me tack
ake a book s
table and m e other
library at th

Next, listen to
the song here:
CU T A ROU N D TH E DO T T ED L I N E

As you listen, try to

put the books in the
right order (you may need
to listen to the song more
than once!). Can you
lead MC Grammar to
the library?
✂

For rights reasons not

all the titles in the song
are here.

✂ C UT AROUND THE DOTTE D LINE

4
 WORKS HEET 1
✂ CCUUT
✂ AROUNDTHE
T AROUND THEDOTTE
DOTTED LINE
D LINE

5
 WORKS HEET 1
✂
✂ CCUT
UT AROUND
AROUND THE
THE DOTTE
DOTTEDD LINE
LINE

6
 Book Talk
The covers included on page 5 and 6 provide the opportunity to initiate some
conversations about the books in the song. You might want to introduce
this discussion before the children even hear the song to tune them
into the books that are referenced.

Here are just a few ideas for how to initiate Book Talk:

• Ask students to cut out the book covers and types of characters when they make
from the worksheet on pages 5-6 and their recommendations.
sort them into books they’ve read and
books they haven’t. Do they notice • Make a book chain – can children make
anything about their piles? Can they connections between books to make a
see their own interests or reading habits chain? What is the longest chain they
reflected in their piles? can make? Students could place post-it
notes on book covers to connect their
• Children could rank the books they’ve reasons. Or, they could draw / cut out
read beginning with their favourites. book covers and stick them onto strips
They could talk to a partner, teacher or of paper to make a paper chain – the
parent about some of the reasons behind perfect way to decorate the room for
their ranking systems. What are the World Book Day!
reasons behind their choices?
• Using the books in the World Book Day
• Ask students to get into the minds of Rap as starting points, invite children to
their younger selves. Consider: which make up and discuss ‘What if?’ mash-up
books would they recommend to younger questions. Here are a few examples to get
children to read and why? children thinking:

• Children might have noticed that Who would win in a fight

websites make recommendations to between............ and............... ?
them based on things that they’ve
already read. Can they create some Would ............... survive in ..................?
recommendations in a similar way
(e.g. if you liked ...... then you will like ........ Which book characters would make
because....)? Encourage students to think the (scariest/funniest/silliest party)
about themes, style of writing (rhyming guests?
etc.), type of story (adventure, funny etc.),

7
 Your Book Life
MC Grammar has chosen memorable characters to create this song;
he has picked out their actions and catchphrases to write the lyrics.

Now it’s the children’s chance to think about the characters that mean
something to them.

Using the Worksheet on page 9, ask them to think about the following
things:

• Use the outline on page 9 to create a Role on the Wall for their character.

• Invite children to complete the Role on the Wall to identify key characteristics of
a memorable character. If children are more interested in non-fiction the author/
narrator could be used for this activity instead of a fictional character.

8
 WORKS HEET 2

Your Key Character

What is your key character?
Who is the best character you’ve What do the
met in what you’ve read – and what make you th y
can you share about them to create ink
about?
a catchy song and encourage other
people to want to meet them?

What are
the phrases/
catchphrases your
character uses? How do they
make you
feel?

Where are What are th

the places things they e
do?
they go?

Character name: Why should you get Why do you think this
to know them? character has stuck with you?

9
 Explore the Song
Here are some more ways to explore the song, to take a closer look at its
language, structure and form – this time with the Lyrics Sheet (page 11)!

• Take a closer look at RHYTHM – can children try beating out the song without
saying the words? How does it sound? Students could also try this with other poems or
rhyming texts like The Gruffalo – how do they sound in comparison?

• Listen to MC Grammar performing The Gruffalo as a rap – youtube.com/

watch?v=dNSwnCS-k5Y. Then, encourage students to have a go themselves with
another rhyming text. They can find beats on YouTube – youtube.com/channel/
UCaP05_g-ardDcFsIORDffFQ.

• Understand the value of PERFORMANCE! A nice idea might be for children to look
closely at the punctuation and layout of the rap and discuss how it supports the poem
in performance. As an extension, you could provide the song without punctuation and
line breaks. How does this make it different to read? Can children add line/paragraph
breaks and punctuation to support performance?

• Investigate features of the text – invite the children to find examples of rhyme,
alliteration, metaphor, simile etc. If they want to brush-up on their Poetry Devices
then this poem by Joseph Coelho, a World Book Day 2021 author, might be useful!
poetrysociety.org.uk/education/learning-from-home/how-to-write-a-moreraps-
poem-with-joseph-coelho/.

• Talk about PURPOSE and AUDIENCE – who is this song for? What is its intention?
Encourage children to think about the use of music for education or persuasion – you
might want to consider Akala’s hip-hop history in 2 minutes clip: bbc.co.uk/news/
av/entertainment-arts-23631986 or review some advertising jingles. Ask students to
consider: why might a song help them to remember or learn something? How might it
encourage them to behave differently? They might consider the recent poem ‘The Hill
We Climb, read by Amanda Gorman at the 2021 Inauguration. Why is this poem so
powerful? youtube.comwatch?v=CdKdyemxbew

re poetry
To explore mo
e, visit the
in performanc
ne website
CLPE Poetryli
etryline –
clpe.org.uk/po
ic h h a s lo ts o f recordings
wh
g their work.
of poets readin

10
Lyrics sheet
Mad Hatter: If there’s a better hobby? Why?
Wakey wakey, rise and shine! Than reading, O-M-G, it’s like The sky’s the limit,
The Wolf: dreaming! it’s a high-rise mystery!
Grab your outfit and get dressed... The BFG and a tree that keeps
...you’ve still got time! giving. Once upon a time there were three
MC Grammar: ‘Cause I can go anywhere, chill with little pigs,
(Yawn) Charlotte in her web, and a wolf outside their crib.
Huh? Time for what? meet Paddington and have Oh no!
Hook: marmalade sandwiches. He huffed and he puffed
It’s the best day of the year, Meet the Mad Hatter and Alice in until he had enough.
my friend. Wonderland! Then he fell down the chimney.
MC Grammar: Run! Mr McGregor’s coming, Let’s go!
Huh! What day is it? Why? I’m Peter Rabbit, man!
All characters: In between the bookends,
It’s World Book Day! Cos books will transform ya, I’ve made a lot of good friends.
Crowd: they will transport ya, Cos’ books talk…
No way!!! guess how much I love them? and they listen!
Hmmmmmm…. more than, this
CHORUS: much. So to all my little leaders
MC Grammar: Fiction and non-fiction. no matter where you’re from,
Hey, it’s World Book Day! They make me feel like Charlie with it’s okay to be different -
Crowd: the golden ticket! like Julian.
(Yay!)
MC Grammar: CHORUS: So go and wear your proudest blue,
So it’s time to celebrate MC Grammar: be proud of you.
Crowd: Hey, it’s World Book Day! Don’t worry, Ruby,
(What you doing?) Crowd: reading empowers you!
MC Grammar: (Yay!)
Got my outfit and I’m bouncing MC Grammar: And all are welcome
along to my favourite place So it’s time to celebrate when you join the book club.
Crowd: Crowd: And like Rocket, you see magic
(Where you going?) (What you doing?) when you look up!
MC Grammar: MC Grammar:
I’m going to pick a good book Got my outfit and I’m bouncing CHORUS:
With my crew along to my favourite place MC Grammar:
then take a look at all the pages, Crowd: Hey, it’s World Book Day!
stay for ages (Where you going?) Crowd:
Crowd: MC Grammar: (Yay!)
(Okay!) I’m going to pick a good book MC Grammar:
MC Grammar: With my crew So it’s time to celebrate
…every day! then take a look at all the pages, Crowd:
stay for ages (What you doing?)
VERSE 1: Crowd: MC Grammar:
MC Grammar: (Okay!) Got my outfit and I’m bouncing
Hey! That’s me: MC Grammar: along to my favourite place
the boy at the back of the class. -every day! Crowd:
A wimpy kid, (Where you going?)
feeling marvellous like George… VERSE 1: MC Grammar:
(Why?) MC Grammar: I’m going to pick a good book
‘Cause I’m a book worm with a Tra la la! With my crew
library book. I’ve just met a Gangsta - Granny! then take a look at all the pages,
I’m a borrower, get it? Whaatttt? stay for ages
Yeah, I’m captain hooked! And then I met a champion, Danny! Crowd:
(Whoop!) Whaatttt? (Okay!)
And I’ve been to Planet Omar, And Mary Lennox! MC Grammar:
sitting on my sofa, Where? -every day!
next to a gopher. Shhhhhh! In a garden that is secret!
Oi! Move over!
Wicked, I can be a wizard like Who let the Gods out?
Mr Potter, sing it: Me me!
wingardium leviosa! But who made these holes, man?
Have you ever wondered like Stanley!
Auggie Auggie Auggie? See once you learn to read you’ll
Oi oi oi! forever be free.

11
 Write Your Own
Reading is Amazing Song
Here are
my 1. First write down as many words as you can that
THREE t
op link to your subject/book.
tips to he
lp
you on y 2. Next try adding rhyming words to those
our words. You can use a rhyming alphabet to help
way, crew
. you: work your way through each letter of the
alphabet finding words that rhyme with your
word, or use a website like rhymezone.com to
extend your word bank.

3. Finally, now you have the words and rhymes it’s

all about putting them together to make sense,
and those super sentences. Use a beat, clap your
hands, tap your leg or the table to get a rhythm
going and away you flow. You’ve got this!

It’s time for children to have a go at writing their very own Reading is Amazing Song. The song can be in
any style or genre – but it should have a persuasive message at the heart of it, and it should celebrate a
love of reading! Here are some possible steps for children to take before writing their songs:

• First, decide if you are creating a group song or shared writing – modelling how you are making word
individual songs! If you’re doing a group song, you choices and checking for impact on the audience as
might want to explore some drama activities grouping well as success in rhyming etc.
characters from the activity on page 9 – you could try
exploring settings, or characters that would be friends/ • If children want to create a rap, they might prepare
enemies to find some clusters for verses. by creating a RHYMING ALPHABET or a RHYME
ROAD: rhymezone.com/.
• Have another look at the Lyrics Sheet for MC
Grammar’s song (page 11). Encourage students to • Encourage children not to write the song in one go, but
consider how the books are grouped in the song. . to start with just one or two verses. Can they combine
book titles and catchphrases?
• Talk about the importance of persuasion. How can the
children’s song(s) persuade a listener to change their • Always encourage reading aloud to edit – does the
mind about something or to feel something? When song ‘sound’ right and successfully get across its
does persuasion work better through enthusiasm message?
rather than commanding someone to do something?
• Children might think about putting a beat behind their
• You might want to explore creating a chorus using words and making it into a full song or video!

We hope you have enjoyed doing the activities in this pack. We’d love to hear your raps – please share
them on social media with the hashtags #YOUAREAREADER #RAPREADING.

For more awesome content please visit worldbookday.com and mrmcgrammar.com

With thanks to Sky Kids, Monkey Kingdom and our publishing partners.