Five sweet Italian words, three of which you already know

Only five words are hidden on this sheet, and three of them — BROWNIE, MUFFIN and CUPCAKE — Italian has simply borrowed from English, spelling and all. That is a real feature of the language around food, and a cheering discovery for a beginner. The two that are properly Italian are TORTA, the cake, and BISCOTTO, the biscuit. Each word on the list carries a picture of what it names.

Because three answers are already familiar shapes, this is a good sheet for a child who has stalled on something harder. They will clear BROWNIE and MUFFIN quickly and arrive at the other two with some momentum behind them. BISCOTTO is worth a moment aloud: the double t is held slightly longer than an English one, and that small lengthening is doing genuine work in Italian. Say it slowly once and let your child copy you.

Keep it for the end of a session rather than the start. It reads as a reward and still leaves two new words behind, which is a fair exchange. Afterwards the Italian pair travels well — a slice of cake at home can be TORTA for the rest of the week without anybody turning it into a lesson. Five found words is a decent afternoon's work at this age.