Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him. - Maya Angelou
Family Reading Night Parent Packet
Think Like A Reader – for all age groups You’ll need paper and a pen or pencil for this activity. In the words of Allen Ginsberg, poetry is ordinary magic. It is a natural way to play with words. Children and adults can find their own meaning in a poem. Read the following poem aloud with each other. Hear the words the author chose to bring you a message. Then write your own poem! Use the title, “Think Like a Reader” and as you write your poem about reading, think of all the magic you can find in books. If you want to share your poem with others, write it on chart paper, using markers, illustrate it if you like, and post it!
K-5 Activities Paper Bag Puppets The purpose of this activity is to build children’s knowledge of recalling story events. All children need practice retelling stories. Retelling a story gets the child more involved with the story and improves comprehension and builds confidence. As children retell a story multiple times, their story writing improves. Props can be used to add fun to storytelling. As the young reader recalls the events of the story, the use of a prop can enhance the dramatic retelling. Materials: picture book, lunch bag, crayons or markers Select a picture book and either read the story to your child or do a shared reading. After reading, spend a few minutes discussing the elements of the story – setting, characters, and problem. Go back into the story to look at the pictures of the characters and to reread the actions and or dialogue of the characters. Select two characters to retell the story. Create a paper bag puppet for each character.
“Think Like a Tree” by Karen I. Shragg Soak up the sun
• Lay paper bag flat with the opening facing towards you and the flap showing
Affirm life’s magic
• Draw and color eyes and a nose on the flap
Be graceful in the wind
• You can also draw clothing below the flap
Stand tall after a storm
• Lift the flap up carefully and draw a tongue
Feel refreshed after it rains
• Close the face and draw an upper lip under the nose and a lower lip just below the flap.
Grow strong without notice Be prepared for each season Provide shelter to strangers Hang tough through a cold spell Emerge renewed at the first signs of spring Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky Be still long enough to hear your own leaves rustling.
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To make the puppet:
• To use the puppet, put your hand into the bag and place your fingers in the flap. Using the puppets, retell the story. Model how to use your voice to become the character. You can switch puppets and retell the story again. Also, you may want to try telling the story from the other character’s point of view.
K-5 Activities Sequencing Flip Book
Picture Walk
The purpose of this activity is to recall the events of a story in the correct sequence.
A Picture Walk is a shared reading activity that provides an opportunity for building interest in a story and helping readers make connections between what they know and what they will be learning.
Materials: book or magazine article, paper, markers Remember the steps to retelling a story…
• What happened in the story?
• Beginning - What happened first?
• Middle - What happened in between?
• End - What happened at the end?
When you guide your child through a Picture Walk, you help them connect the visual images to their own experiences. Your child can make predictions about the story events while you can introduce new vocabulary, helping your child to read the story.
• Select a picture book (look only at the illustrations) or a wordless book.
• Begin by looking at the title (ask your child to imagine what the story will be about) and the author’s and illustrator’s name (ask your child if they know what each of these people do).
• Slowly look at each page and talk about the picture.
•A sk questions such as: What is happening in this picture? What do you think will happen next? Based on the action in a picture, ask if the child can remember a similar experience.
• Read the story to the child or do a shared reading. Take the time to talk about the similarities and differences between the Picture Walk story and the written story.
Retelling Words: first, next, then, last or finally
• Select a book or short story or magazine article.
• Fold a sheet of paper in half – lengthwise. Cut two slits on one side to create three flaps.
• Label the first flap BEGINNING, the second flap MIDDLE, and the third flap ENDING.
• Lift each flap and draw or write your retelling.
• Retell the story using the flip chart as a guide.
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6-8 Activities You Pick Three Plot is what happens in a story. Every plot has a setting, characters, and a problem that needs to be solved. By the time children are in middle school, they have experienced many settings, characters, and problems.
(CSI) Created Story Impressions Created Story Impressions are a chance to make a prediction about a story you are about to read. Predicting helps readers organize their thinking.
The purpose of this activity is to provide readers with an opportunity to recognize the elements of plot and to deepen their understanding of how stories work.
The purpose of this activity is to compose a story and check predictions.
Materials: paper, markers
Materials: short story or magazine article, paper, markers
On paper, create three columns. Label the first column SETTING, the second column, CHARACTER, the third column, PROBLEM. Brainstorm ideas for settings (ice rink, shopping mall, etc), characters (athlete, astronaut), and problems (traffic jam, lost wallet), and list them under the appropriate column heading. Try to have at least five suggestions for each heading. Use a marker to circle one suggestion from each column. Use this character, setting, and problem to create a story with your child. Share your stories with others.
Silently read or preview the story, and select 6 to 8 words from the text. Look for words that may describe the setting, the characters, and the story’s problem or conflict and list the selected words in the order they appear in the text on a sheet of paper. Pass the list to your child and ask him/her to predict the storyline using the list of words in the order in which they appear. Read the actual story together and compare and contrast the predicted story with the original story. Which story do you like best? Why?
That’s Hollywood! The purpose of this activity is to encourage readers to make connections to what they read. Materials: short story or newspaper article, paper, markers Read the story or article together. Come up with answers to the following questions and share your ideas with someone else. 1. If this were an episode in your favorite TV show, who would you cast in each role? 2. Where would the action take place? Why? 3. How would the episode end?
As you return home with your child this evening, talk about setting a family literacy goal. Be sure that your goal includes spending time together, reading, writing, and talking as a family.
©2011 Catapult Learning
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