TapLearn

What you'll learn

  • How a story book is different from an information book
  • What a label is and how it names a part
  • Penguin words: beak, flipper, webbed feet, waddle and huddle
  • Seaside words: cliff, lighthouse, waves, rock pool and tide
  • How a seed grows: root, shoot, leaves, then flower
  • How to choose the right book to answer a question

Chapter by chapter

  1. Tell story books from information books Free to try

    Reception english · 1 Reception english · 2

  2. Learn animal facts and words: penguins

    Reception english · 3 Reception english · 4

  3. Learn facts and words about a place: the seaside

    Reception english · 3 Reception english · 4

  4. Find out how things work: seed to sunflower

    Reception english · 3 Reception english · 4

  5. Ask questions and find answers in information books

    Reception english · 1 Reception english · 2 Reception english · 4

  6. Fact Finder Challenge (8 questions)

See every English chapter in the chapter library

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Reception english: Engage in non-fiction books
  2. Reception english: It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together
  3. Reception english: Listen to and talk about selected non-fiction to develop a deep familiarity with new knowledge and vocabulary
  4. Reception english: Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role-play

About this adventure

Information Books is an interactive game that teaches children aged 4–5 the difference between a made-up story book and a non-fiction information book, and how to find out true facts and new words from one. It follows the Reception (EYFS) goals for listening to, talking about and enjoying non-fiction.

Pip the bookworm reads every instruction aloud, so children do not need to read. They sort books by asking “could this really happen?”, spot labels on a page, and open three information books: one about an animal, one about a place and one that explains how something works. Along the way they tap, drag and build each scene, meeting words such as flipper, huddle, cliff, tide, root and shoot.

A final picture challenge checks what they remember, and each chapter ends with an idea to try with a grown-up.

Questions and answers

What is an information book for children?

An information book, also called a non-fiction book, tells true facts about real things such as animals, places or machines. Unlike a story book, it is not made up, and it often has labels, real-looking pictures and pages you can open in any order.

How can young children tell fiction from non-fiction?

A simple test is to ask, “Could this really happen?” A bear wearing a crown and riding a bike is made up, so it belongs in a story book, while a real owl sitting on a branch belongs in an information book.

Can penguins fly?

No, penguins are birds but they cannot fly. Their wings are flippers, which they flap to swim very fast underwater, and their webbed feet help them steer while they chase fish.

What age is this information books game for?

It is designed for children aged 4 to 5 in Reception, the final year of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Every line is read aloud, so children who are not yet reading can play on their own or with a grown-up.

What is in the game and how long does it take?

There are five chapters and an eight-question picture challenge, taking about 35 minutes in total. Children can pick any chapter from Pip's library and stop between chapters, so it also works as several short sessions.

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