Support your students in building comprehension and character analysis skills with our The Speedy Sloth: Character Description resource. Designed to accompany a whole class reading of The Speedy Sloth by Rebecca Young, this engaging activity focuses on exploring the story’s main character - Spike the sloth!

This flexible, no-prep resource provides multiple worksheet options to suit different student needs and learning styles. Whether your students are cutting, colouring, labelling, drawing, or writing, they’ll be encouraged to think closely about Spike’s characteristics, actions, and motivations throughout the story. It’s a great way to consolidate understanding of the character while allowing space for creativity and personal expression.

Ideal for Foundation and Early Years classrooms, this activity can be used during literacy rotations, as a comprehension task, or even in a relief folder for easy, meaningful learning. With visual, hands-on, and writing-based options included, it’s a versatile tool for checking understanding and collecting assessment evidence in a way that’s fun and student-friendly.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Develop character comprehension through structured activities
• ✅ Identify and describe key traits, actions, and features of a main character
• ✅ Engage in hands-on and visual responses to literature
• ✅ Practise sequencing, cutting, pasting, and writing skills
• ✅ Strengthen connections between text and illustration

What’s Included:

• No-prep worksheets with four activity options:
•     - Colour and label Spike
•     - Cut and paste character features
•     - Draw, cut, and paste elements of the character
•     - Cut, paste, and write character descriptions

Materials Needed:

• Printed worksheets (choose the most appropriate version for your students)
• Scissors and glue sticks
• Pencils, crayons, or markers for colouring and writing
• Optional: A3 paper if enlarging for younger learners

How to Use:

1. Read The Speedy Sloth as a whole class or in small reading groups.
2. Discuss the main character, Spike, focusing on her traits, emotions, and actions.
3. Choose one of the four worksheet versions to match your learning objective or group level.
4. Students complete the worksheet by colouring, cutting, pasting, drawing, or writing as required.
5. Display completed character descriptions on a class bulletin board or store them as assessment evidence.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use during a comprehension session as a follow-up to reading the story
• 💡 Include in your literacy rotations as a character study station
• 💡 Add to a relief teacher folder for meaningful, book-linked activities
• 💡 Display student work with our The Speedy Sloth banner and word wall cards for a themed display
• 💡 Pair with oral storytelling or retell tasks using the character worksheet as a prompt

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Enlarge pages to A3 for Foundation students or those who need more space for drawing
• 💛 Use as a scribing activity for early writers - ask students to describe Spike while you record their ideas
• 💛 Mix and match worksheet versions across ability groups for differentiation
• 💛 Encourage students to use words from a character traits word wall while completing their writing

Check out more amazing resources related to The Speedy Sloth in our The Speedy Sloth Book PACKAGE.