Read or tell the story of Cinderella. As you are reading the story, stop at key points to recap on what has happened and ask the children to predict what might happen next. Discuss the characters in the story and their behaviour. Find out whether the children like the story.

• How do the stepsisters treat Cinderella throughout the story?
• What is a fairy godmother?
• What is a royal ball?
• Why don't the stepsisters want Cinderella to go to the ball?
• What items does the fairy godmother use to make the coach and horses?
• Do you like this story?
• If Cinderella wasn't rescued by the prince, what could she have done instead?

Talk together about princesses in stories. Ask the what usually happen to a princess in a story and why. Read the Princess power letter. The letter explains how the princesses are fed up of being rescued by the princes and would like different endings to their fairy tales and different roles within them. Think of alternative endings to stories with princesses and how the princesses could save themselves.  Have paper and pens to draw a new ending to their chosen story. Scribe your child's ideas or your child might choose to write their own captions or simple sentences.

• Why are the princesses always rescued in stories?
• Do you know any stories where a princess saves the day?
• How could the princesses save themselves?
• Are girls and boys treated differently?
• What job could Cinderella do?
• How could Rapunzel get down from her tower?

Writing Activity:

Ask children to sound out the word of the item that the princess is with and write the sounds. Encourage accurate spelling and support with sounds cards/magnetic letters to build the word first if needed.