A guided reading or interactive read aloud lesson plan for the Christmas / winter mentor text picture book How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky. A really fun holiday book with a perfect social-emotional learning (SEL) connection about perseverance, not giving up and being yourself. Google Slides presentation and student activities on Google Docs. Lessons and activities focus on: Summarizing key details (4… Read More
Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914
A guided reading or interactive read aloud lesson plan for the historical fiction mentor text book Shooting at the Stars The Christmas Truce of 1914 by John Hendrix. This is an excellent holiday story for focusing on World War I / the Great War WWI, war and relationships. Google Slides presentation and student activities on Google Docs. Lessons and activities focus on: Summarizing key details (4 strategies:… Read More
The Best Mock Caldecott 2021 Competition Activities
Are you ready for your Mock Caldecott 2021? A fun activity to do each year is to do some Mock Caldecott activities in which you determine which book your class, grade level or school thinks is should win the Caldecott Medal and Caldecott Honors. More so than the Newbery Medal, a Mock Caldecott Medal competition is great for both upper… Read More
Best Children’s Books About Computers and Programming
Check out some of the best children’s books about computers, programming and programmers as recommended by teachers and librarians! There are so many amazing computer books for kids that teach them about famous programmers, coding basics and coding in history. Great for the Hour of Code. Picture books are a great way to teach about almost any topic. These are… Read More
The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen
A guided reading or interactive read aloud lesson plan for the Christmas / winter mentor text picture book The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen. A great holiday read for wonder, foreshadowing, and relationships! Google Slides presentation and student activities on Google Docs. Lessons and activities focus on: Summarizing key details (4 strategies: narrative retell, timeline, graphic organizer, Somebody Wanted But Then So) close reading for describing foreshadowing… Read More
The Tree That’s Meant to Be by Yuval Zommer
A guided reading or interactive read aloud lesson plan for the Christmas / winter mentor text picture book The Tree That’s Meant to Be by Yuval Zommer. A great holiday read for poetry, friendship, empathy, and relationships! Google Slides presentation and student activities on Google Docs. Lessons and activities focus on: Summarizing key details (4 strategies: narrative retell, timeline, graphic organizer, Somebody Wanted But Then So) close… Read More