Get your students connecting personally with literature through our engaging The Speedy Sloth: My Favourite Dinner activity! Designed to accompany a whole class reading of The Speedy Sloth by Rebecca Young, this resource helps students explore text-to-self connections while practising drawing, writing, and procedural skills.

In the story, Spike the sloth shares her love of spaghetti – and now your students can join in by thinking about their own favourite meals! This no-prep activity encourages students to reflect on the story and respond creatively by drawing and writing about what they love to eat for dinner. It’s a simple yet powerful way to build comprehension and encourage personal connections to literature.

Multiple versions are included to suit a variety of learners, with drawing-only, sentence completion, short paragraph writing, and two procedure writing templates (one focused on spaghetti and one blank). Each version comes in both 24mm and 18mm lines, making it easy to differentiate and adapt across Foundation and Early Years classrooms. This resource works beautifully in independent tasks, small group sessions, scribing work, or even as a quick print-and-go addition to a relief teacher folder.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Make text-to-self connections using details from a shared story
• ✅ Practise descriptive writing and sentence construction
• ✅ Develop early procedural writing skills
• ✅ Engage in drawing and visual responses to text
• ✅ Build fine motor and handwriting skills through guided templates

What’s Included:

• No-prep worksheet options, each with 24mm and 18mm line versions:
•     - Drawing their favourite dinner
•     - Drawing + sentence finish (e.g. "My favourite dinner is...")
•     - Drawing + short paragraph about their favourite dinner
•     - Spaghetti procedure template
•     - Blank food procedure template

Materials Needed:

• Printed worksheet templates (choose version and line size)
• Pencils, crayons, or markers for drawing and writing
• Optional: A3 paper if enlarging for art or Foundation use
• Optional: magazines, glue, and craft materials for collage or 3D extension

How to Use:

1. Read The Speedy Sloth as a class and highlight the part where Spike mentions her favourite dinner - spaghetti!
2. Discuss favourite foods as a class and make connections between Spike and the students.
3. Choose a worksheet option that matches your students’ writing ability or lesson focus.
4. Students complete the activity by drawing and writing about their favourite dinner or completing the procedure template.
5. Display the completed pages or use as a launch pad for class discussions, oral sharing, or art extensions.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use during a literacy unit on text connections or personal responses
• 💡 Integrate with a health or nutrition topic when discussing favourite foods
• 💡 Turn into an art and writing display using enlarged drawing templates
• 💡 Add to your Book Week or reading corner display themed around The Speedy Sloth
• 💡 Use as part of a scribing task to support early writers or EAL students

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Enlarge to A3 and place on an easel for students to paint their dinner scene
• 💛 Create a collage version by offering magazines and newspapers for students to cut food images from
• 💛 Use pom poms, buttons, and pipe cleaners to turn the drawing into a 3D art project
• 💛 Encourage oral sharing by having students present their dinner drawing to the class

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