Face up to big feelings and develop core speech and language skills with the help of Pig, Mouse and friends, in Linzie Hunter’s joyful picturebook, What If, Pig?
What if, Pig? is an absolute delight of a book. It follows the adventures of Pig as he struggles to overcome his many wobbles and worries on a quest to throw the perfect party.
Luckily, he has a good friend in Mouse. Mouse understands that sometimes people just need a little bit of help overcoming tricky days, and that worries can seem smaller if you share them with a friend.
I have used this book across the full age range in a primary school. Every group has embraced the story and produced some excellent work in response to it.
Strong themes
The strong themes of big emotions, friendships, and resilience make it a great choice to help develop children’s speech, language and communication skills (SLC). It also provides the perfect starting point for opening up conversations around worries and anxieties.
It is estimated that approximately 10% of KS1 pupils have a long-term language or communication need. Early years practitioners are reporting that children are entering school with much poorer language skills than cohorts of years past.
Good SLC skills are key for academic success, social development, emotional regulation, and cognitive development. Research has also indicated that a child who does not receive early support for weak SLC skills can go on to have reduced employment and life opportunities in the long term.
Use these activities to enhance the teaching of What if, Pig?. At the same time, develop the speech, language and communication skills of the children you work with.
Jo Cummins is an experienced primary school teacher and English leader with a passion for children’s books and mental health awareness. She currently works for a specialist educational provision in Hampshire in a teaching and advisory role. Follow her on X at @BookSuperhero2.
We have recommendations for more than 30 excellent KS1 books, with planning.
