PawSteps · Symbol-Supported Story · Book 2 · Every word has a picture!
🍪 👵 🐄 🐴 🦊
✔ The classic chase tale in short, repetitive sentences
✔ The famous chant repeats on every page — perfect for joining in!
✔ Symbol above every key word — read it, point to it, sign it
✔ Story vocabulary board + comprehension pages
✔ Run-race activity + retell planner
✔ For SEND classrooms, speech therapy, AAC users & home reading
The Gingerbread Man is the best joining-in story there is: the chant — "Run, run, as fast as you can!" — repeats on almost every page. By the second read most children are chanting it with you; by the fifth they're "reading" the page themselves. That feeling of being a reader is the whole goal.
📖 How to read it
Point to each symbol as you say the word. When you reach the red chant cells, slow down, drum your knees for the running, and let the child take over as much of the chant as they can — voice, sign, gesture or knee-drumming all count as reading!
🃏 Before the story
Introduce the vocabulary board first: name the characters, act out run, catch and snap. Ask "who do you think runs fastest?" so they're hunting for answers as you read.
💚 About the ending
Yes — the fox eats him! Children usually find it hilarious rather than sad, but if your child is sensitive, preview the last page first and frame it as the fox playing a sneaky trick. The yes/no page includes a talk-about-it question for exactly this.
📖
The Gingerbread Man
Page 1
🕰️Once upon a timea👵little old lady🥣madea🍪gingerbread man.
She👐puthiminthe🔥oven.
👵 🥣 🍪 🔥
1
📖
The Gingerbread Man
Page 2
🛎️DING!The🍪gingerbread man🤸jumped up!
He🏃ran➡️away!
🏃"Run, run💨as fast as you can!🙌You can't catch me,🍪I'm the gingerbread man!"
🛎️ 🍪💨 👵 ❗
2
📖
The Gingerbread Man
Page 3
The👵old lady🏃ran.The👴old man🏃ran.
They❌could not🙌catchhim!
🏃"Run, run💨as fast as you can!🙌You can't catch me,🍪I'm the gingerbread man!"
🍪💨 👵🏃 👴🏃
3
📖
The Gingerbread Man
Page 4
The🐄cow🏃ran.The🐴horse🏃ran.
They❌could not🙌catchhim!
🏃"Run, run💨as fast as you can!🙌You can't catch me,🍪I'm the gingerbread man!"
🍪💨 🐄🏃 🐴🏃
4
📖
The Gingerbread Man
Page 5
The🍪gingerbread man🚶came toa🌊river.
He❌could not🏊swim!
A🦊fox💬said:"Jump🤸onmy🔙back!"
🍪 🌊 🦊 🤫
5
📖
The Gingerbread Man
Page 6
The🦊foxwas🤫sneaky.
💥SNAP!The🦊fox😋atethe🍪gingerbread man!
Thatwasthe🔚endofthe🍪gingerbread man!
🦊 💥 😋 🔚
6
🃏
PawSteps · Story Tools
Story Vocabulary Board
✂️ Introduce these words BEFORE reading. Cut, laminate, act them out — can you do your fastest pretend RUN on the spot?
🍪gingerbread man
👵old lady
👴old man
🐄cow
🐴horse
🦊fox
🔥oven
🌊river
🏃run
🙌catch
🏊swim
😋eat
🧠
PawSteps · After the Story 1
Who Chased Him? — Match and Order
Name:
Date:
⭕ Circle everyone who chased the gingerbread man. Cross out anyone who wasn't in the story!
👵 🐧 👴 🐄 🦖 🐴 🐙
🔢 The story is muddled! Write 1, 2, 3, 4 to put it in order.
🦊💥
SNAP! The fox eats him
👵🥣🍪
The old lady makes him
🍪🌊
He reaches the river
🍪💨🏃
He jumps up and runs!
✏️ Finish the chant out loud (or write it): "Run, run, as fast as you ______! You can't catch me, I'm the ______________!"
❓
PawSteps · After the Story 2
Yes or No?
Name:
Date:
👀 Circle YES or NO. Point to the symbols as you read.
1. Did the old lady make the gingerbread man?👵🥣YESNO
2. Did the cow catch him?🐄🙌YESNO
3. Could the gingerbread man swim?🍪🏊YESNO
4. Did he ride on a rocket?🍪🚀YESNO
5. Did the fox eat him?🦊😋YESNO
💬 Talk about it: was the fox kind or sneaky? Should the gingerbread man have trusted him? What could he have done instead?
🏃
PawSteps · After the Story 3
Run, Race & Retell!
🏁 The Great Gingerbread Chase — movement game card:
Can you escape like the gingerbread man? 🍪💨
Run on the spot 🏃 · gallop like the horse 🐴 · plod like the cow 🐄 · sneak like the fox 🦊 · FREEZE at the river! 🌊
Chant as you move — say it faster each round!
🎨 Decorate your own gingerbread man! Buttons? Icing? A superhero cape?
🍪
🗣️ Now retell the story — draw or write one thing in each box.