The Class Gingerbread House: Christmas Fill in the Blank Story for the Classroom

Read-aloud example

On the last day of term, Room 9 built a gingerbread house. Our teacher brought 200 gingerbread walls and a bucket of STICKY icing. Jamie used MARSHMALLOWS for the roof, and Priya made a chimney out of PRETZELS. The house looked AMAZING until the class hamster climbed inside and started to SNORE. We tried to TICKLE it out GENTLY, but the walls WOBBLED and the roof fell into the FISH TANK. Everyone shouted OH NO! In the end we ate the whole house, and the hamster got the biggest piece.

Our example words are in capitals. Yours will make a different story every time.

The word types in this story

• Number: any number: 7, 365, a million.
• Adjective: a describing word: fluffy, enormous.
• Plural noun: more than one thing: socks, puddings.
• Verb: an action word: jump, sing.
• Adverb: how it is done: loudly, slowly.
• Past tense verb: something already done: jumped, ate.
• Noun: a person, place or thing: sock, kitchen.
• Exclamation: a word you shout: Wow! Yikes!.

How to play

1. Print the PDF at 100% on A4 or US Letter paper. Keep page 2, the story, face down.
2. Ask for each word on page 1 in order. Write it in the box with its number.
3. Copy each word into the blank on page 2 with the same number.
4. Read the finished story aloud. Then swap readers and play again with new words.

Fill-in-the-blank stories are a fun way to practise adjectives, plural nouns, verbs, adverbs, past tense verbs, nouns and exclamations: children have to think what kind of word each one is before they choose it, and hear straight away when a word doesn't fit. For one skill at a time on paper, try the grammar worksheets (nouns, verbs, adjectives, plurals and past tense). More for the last week of term: the Christmas math and literacy worksheets (sight word sentences, ABC order, writing prompts), a letter to Santa and the Christmas printables planner for teachers.