Red Apple Reading - January 2016 by Red Apple Reading Magazine

RED APPLE READING JANUARY 2016 LEARNING SUPPORT GUIDE

WWW.REDAPPLEREADING.COM

INDOOR ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR FAMILIES

WINTER BOOK REVIEWS

BEVERAGE AND A BOOK:

COLD SNAP

JANUARY READER:

JANUARY SPOTLIGHT A SLIPPERY LITERACY ON J.K. SLEDDING

LINEUP ROWLING

ADVENTURE

CONTENTS 04 KEEPING KIDS MOTIVATED Tips to keep your children on track with school and homework.

06 BEVERAGE AND A BOOK

Cold Snap – these tasty warm drinks are sure to send the chill away!

08 WINTER BOOK REVIEWS Six winter books your children will enjoy.

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

10 FOR FAMILIES

Eight ideas for having fun when the weather keeps you inside.

11 STORY TIME!

Slippery Sledding Adventure: Finn and his friends enjoy sledding at the park!

LEVEL A - SLIPPERY

12 SLEDDING ADVENTURE This vocabulary-rich version is best for reading aloud to pre-readers or for fluent readers, with two pages of literacy activities for fun after.

LEVEL B - SLIPPERY

23 SLEDDING ADVENTURE The text in this version has been simplified for emerging readers, and has two fun pages of literacy activities after.

LEVEL C - SLIPPERY

34 SLEDDING ADVENTURE Early readers can practice reading this version of the story, then enjoy two fun pages of literacy activities.

45 COMPREHENSION SKILLS Check in with these story questions after reading A Slippery Sledding Adventure.

46 LITERACY TIME

Chilly winter activities that promote literacy!

49 SPOTLIGHT ON J.K. ROWLING ©2015 Red Apple Reading. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and any reproduction or redistribution of part or all of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. For questions or inquiries please email support@redapplereading.com.

Happy New Year! The holiday dust has settled, decorations are finally getting put away, and my family is back to work and school. Instead of looking back at the successes and failures of the previous year, I think January is a great time to look ahead to this year’s potential and set new goals. Want to spend more time together as a family? This month’s edition has a bunch of ideas to help you get started, from cozy winter read-aloud books to warm drinks and fun indoor activities. Getting your children back into school mode after the holidays? We have tips that will help keep them on track. In addition, there are plenty of fun opportunities for them to read and learn throughout the pages of this guide and in the Red Apple Reading program.

Looking for a book series to read with older children? Take a look at our new Spotlight series for my daughter’s reviews of the favorite books and authors from her childhood. In addition to thinking about family and children, don’t forget to pencil in time this year for the things that you enjoy! Best wishes,

Tammy Bennecke PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

tammybennecke@redapplereading.com

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

KEEPING KIDS MOTIVATED

KEEP MAKING HOMEWORK A PRIORITY As the year progresses it becomes easy for parents and students to slack off on schoolwork. Get homework done quickly after school. It’s

Are your children less than excited about returning to school after winter break? Check out these tips for keeping your kiddos on track!

fine to let kids rest and have a snack for a few minutes, but the longer you put off homework, the harder it is to complete.

CONTINUE ENFORCING BEDTIME This is another thing that’s easy to let slide about midway through the school year. If your children are tired it will

VERBAL AFFIRMATION

affect their ability to produce quality work as well as their mood.

Continue celebrating success and hard work. Without praise from time to time, even constructive criticism can weigh your child down. If your kiddo feels like you’re proud of him, it will likely encourage him to keep doing a good job!

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

SET GOALS

SCHEDULE A MEETING

January is a good time to sit

Sometimes a lack of motivation

down with your child and make

can be caused by problems at

goals. The goal could be a better

school. For instance, your child

grade, a number of books read, or

may be unmotivated because

a checklist of work to get done.

of a bullying issue. Set up a

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier for your child to stay

meeting with his teacher to

motivated if she can track her

make sure you both have the

progress. Be sure to reward her

same information and can help

when she meets her goals!

your kiddo do his best. Teachers can also help you brainstorm ideas to help your child finish the school year strong!

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

BEVERAGE AND A BOOK

Cold Snap If your family is beginning to grow tired of the cold winter weather, they will love reading this funny book by Eileen Spinelli. The town of Toby Mills is experiencing a very cold winter. In fact, the icicle on the town statue’s nose is growing longer every day! Find out how the townspeople deal with the unbearable, below freezing temps. Cold Snap is sure to leave your little ones with a warm and cozy feeling.

hen the weather has your crew look-

If your little ones prefer hot chocolate to

ing for a way to warm up, check out

apple cider, then you’ll want to check out

these yummy, hot beverage recipes:

UnskinnyBoppy’s homemade hot chocolate recipe. This easy, three ingredient drink will be a hit with the kiddos. Be ready to serve up a second round!

Does it get any better than the smell of simmering apple cider on the stove? Your

family will love this recipe for homemade

This month grab a blanket and your favor-

apple cider from Gimme Some Oven! While

ite hot beverage, then curl up on the couch

it takes a couple of hours to simmer, it is

and enjoy some fun winter-inspired books

well worth the wait (and the prep time

with your family. Nothing warms the heart

itself is minimal).

quite like a good story!

SERIOUS LEARNING THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SERIOUSY FUN!

www.RedAppleReading.com Help your child become a better reader with videos and games that make it fun to learn.

E M I T A I TRI V

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

WINTER

BOOKS WINTER SHADOW by Richard Knight Maria finds an injured wolf in the snow on her way to school, and instead of leaving him, she nurses him back to health. Ages 6 to 8

NO TWO ALIKE by Keith Baker Two birds go on an adventure in the snow and learn that no two things are exactly alike. Ages 3 to 7

SKIPPYJON JONES SNOW WHAT by Judy Schachner This book follows Skippyjon Jones, the Siamese cat who thinks heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dog, as he goes on a quest in a magical snowy forest. Ages 3 to 5

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

WINTER’S TALE by Robert Sabuda This beautiful pop-up book uses foil and glitter along with simple writing to capture a beautiful winter scene. Ages 4 to 8

THE SNOW GLOBE FAMILY by Jane O’Connor The snow globe family can’t wait for someone to pick up their snow globe and give it a good shake. Will they get a chance to go sledding? Ages 6 to 8

OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW by Kate Messner This book shows readers the hidden world of animals underneath the snow. Ages 3 to 5

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

INDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES

PUZZLES Putting together a puzzle is a fun family activity. If it’s a puzzle with a lot of pieces, put it together on a large piece of cardboard, so you can move it out of the way until it’s time to work on it again.

READ Make some hot chocolate and warm up with a good book. It’s a great way to sneak in some reading and a sweet treat!

PUPPETS Find some socks that are missing a match and decorate them with craft materials from a dollar store or whatever you have on hand. After they’re decorated your kiddos can put on a show or reenact their favorite book.

BAKE COOKIES Make gingerbread or sugar cookies for your child to decorate. Kids love play-dough, so they’re bound to have fun with real dough!

BOARD GAMES If your kids enjoy a little friendly competition, get out some board games or card games. Games such as Scrabble serve double duty improving vocabulary and spelling skills!

MAKE PAPER SNOWFLAKES Bring some of the winter wonderland indoors! Paper snowflakes are fun and easy to make. They can also make fun decorations. Color them or add glitter for some extra fun.

MAKE A SCRAPBOOK Record all of your winter fun in a scrapbook! Work on each page together, or assign each child their own page.

BUILD A FORT Find some pillows and blankets, and make a cozy fort for your kiddos to play in. Pillow forts are also great for quiet activities, like reading and coloring.

STORY TIME

A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE 3 DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY! CHOOSE THE VERSION THAT’S BEST FOR YOUR YOUNG READER, THEN CLICK A LINK BELOW AND PRINT THE PAGES FOR REPEATED READING AND PRACTICE.

LEVEL A - STORY AND ACTIVITIES BEST FOR READING ALOUD TO PRE-READERS

PAGES 12 - 22

LEVEL B - STORY AND ACTIVITIES EASY TEXT FOR EMERGING READERS

PAGES 23 - 33

LEVEL C - STORY AND ACTIVITIES MORE COMPLEXITY FOR EARLY READERS

PAGES 34 - 44

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS PAGES 45

LITERACY ACTIVITIES PAGES 46 - 47

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE Level A

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

It was a cold Saturday morning in January. Finn woke up, opened his eyes, and jumped out of bed. He ran over and looked out of the window. It was snowing!

p. 1

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Finn couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to try out his new red sled. After a quick breakfast, Finn put on his winter coat, hat, scarf, mittens, and boots. Then he ran all of the way to the hills at Hillside Park, dragging his new sled behind him.

p. 2

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

The sledding hill was very crowded. Finn’s friends, Sam and Dot, waved and called to Finn, “Over here!” Sam had a yellow sled and Dot had a new red sled just like Finn’s. “We match!” he exclaimed.

p. 3

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

After a few trips down the small hill, Finn wanted more of a challenge. He spotted Russ and some of his other friends from school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do you want to race down the big hill?â&#x20AC;? he asked Russ.

p. 4

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

“Okay,” agreed Russ, “but no funny business.” Finn liked Russ as a friend, but he liked to tease him sometimes, too. “I promise,” said Finn.

p. 5

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Dot and Sam shouted, “On your mark, get set, go!” Finn and Russ took off down the hill as fast as they could. They rode side-by-side for most of the way.

p. 6

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Suddenly, Finn lost control of his sled on a slippery patch of ice. He flipped, he twirled, and he went flying through the air. Then he landed right in a small creek near the hill - splash!

p. 7

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Luckily, Finn wasn’t hurt, but he was a little embarrassed. He stood up, brushed himself off, and joked, “It’s a good thing frogs can swim!” Finn and his friends laughed about the sledding mishap all afternoon.

p. 8

NOISY NEW YEAR

RED APPLE READING

COLORFUL CONFETTI

RED APPLE READING

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE Level B

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

It was a cold winter morning. Finn woke up and jumped out of bed. It was snowing!

p. 1

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Finn wanted to use his new red sled. After he ate, Finn put on his coat, hat, and boots. Then he ran to the park with his new sled.

p. 2

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

His friends, Sam and Dot, saw Finn and waved to him. Sam had a yellow sled and Dot had a new red sled like Finn’s. “We match!” he said.

p. 3

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

After going down the small hill, Finn wanted to do more. He saw Russ, his friend from school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do you want to race down the big hill?â&#x20AC;? he asked Russ.

p. 4

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

“OK,” said Russ, “but no tricks!” Finn liked Russ, but he liked to tease him sometimes, too. “No tricks,” said Finn.

p. 5

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Dot and Sam yelled, “Go!” Finn and Russ went down the hill very fast. They were riding next to each other.

p. 6

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Suddenly, Finnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sled slipped on some ice. He flipped and went flying in the air. Then he landed in some water near the hill - splash!

p. 7

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Finn was not hurt, but he felt a little silly. He got up and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good thing frogs can swim!â&#x20AC;? Then Finn and his friends had fun in the snow all day.

p. 8

SNACK TIME

RED APPLE READING

CROSSWORD from the word RESOLUTION. from the word RESOLUTION. 1

ACROSS

1. To remember something, write a _____.

1. To remember somet

2. A hammer is a kind of _____. 2

2. Ais hammer 4. Another word for relax or sleep ______.

6. An elephant has a long _________. 4. Another

word for rel

6. An elephant has a lo

DOWN 4

is a kind o

1. Birds build a ________ for their babies.

3. The opposite of win is _____. OWN

4. One kind of flower is called a _______. 6

5. The car has a flat _____. from the word RESOLUTION. 4 5

1. Birds build a _______ 3. The opposite of win

4. One kind of flower is

ACROSS

5. The car has a flat __

1. To remember something, write a _____. 2. A hammer is a kind of _____.

UTION. 2

4. Another word for relax or sleep is ______.

6. An elephant has a long _________.

DOWN

ACROSS 1. To remember something, write a _____.

1. Birds build a ________ for their babies.

2. A hammer is a kind of _____.

3. The opposite of win is _____.

4. Another word for relax or sleep is ______.

4. One kind of flower is called a _______.

6. An elephant has a long _________.

5. The car has a flat _____.

DOWN 5

1. Birds build a ________ for their babies. 3. The opposite of win is _____. 4. One kind of flower is called a _______.RED APPLE READING

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE Level C

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

It was a cold winter morning in January. Finn woke up, opened his eyes, and jumped out of bed. He looked out of the window. It was snowing!

p. 1

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Finn was excited to try out his new red sled. After a quick breakfast, Finn put on his winter coat, hat, mittens, and boots. Then he ran all of the way to the hills at the park, taking his new sled with him.

p. 2

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

The sledding hill was crowded. Finn’s friends, Sam and Dot, waved and called to Finn, “Over here!” Sam had a yellow sled and Dot had a new red sled just like Finn’s. “We match!” he said.

p. 3

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

p. 4

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

“Okay,” said Russ, “but no funny business.” Finn liked Russ as a friend, but he liked to tease him sometimes, too. “I promise,” said Finn.

p. 5

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Dot and Sam shouted, “On your mark, get set, go!” Finn and Russ took off down the hill as fast as they could. They rode side-by-side for most of the way.

p. 6

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Suddenly, Finnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sled slipped on a patch of ice. He flipped, he twirled, and he went flying through the air. Then he landed in a small creek near the hill - splash!

p. 7

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Luckily, Finn wasn’t hurt, but he felt a little foolish. He stood up, brushed himself off, and joked, “It’s a good thing frogs can swim!” Finn and his friends laughed about the sledding race all afternoon.

p. 8

race

skating

sled

slipped

snow

STORY FILL IN the ground. He wanted to try out his new red ________ at friends

hill

hurt

jacket

new

e park. Finn put hat, gloves, and warm raceon his skating sled slipped snow________.

en he walked to the park to meet his ________. Finn rode down the small ________ several times on his on the ground. He wanted to try out his new red ________ at

the park. FinnRuss put on to his hat, gloves, and down warm ________. d. Then he asked ________ the big hill with him Then he walked to the park to meet his ________.

nn was goingFinn really fast and then ________ on a patch of ice. rode down the small ________ several times on his sled. Then he asked Russ to ________ down the big hill with him. Finn was going really fast and then ________ on a patch of ice.

After sledding, Finn and his friends went ice ________ on

AfterWhat sledding,aFinn his friends went ice ________ on e frozen pond. funandwinter day! the frozen pond. What a fun winter day!

RED APPLE READING

SINGULAR OR PLURAL? Do you need one (singular) or more than one (plural)? Read the need beginning of each sentence. how(plural)? you Do you one (singular) or moreDecide than one

Read the beginning of each sentence. Decide how you

Do you need one (singular) or more than one (plural)? mitten. Read the beginning ofone each sentence. Decide how you On my hands, I wear mittens. one mitten.

On my hands, I wear

To sled, I need On my hands, I wear

To sled, I need To skate, I need To sled, I need

To skate, I need To skate, I need In my hot cocoa, I like

In my hot cocoa, I like

onemittens. sled. one mitten. sleds. mittens. one sled. onesleds. skate. one sled. skates. sleds.skate. one oneskates. snowball. one skate. snowballs. skates.

one snowball.

onesnowballs. marshmallow. one snowball. marshmallows. snowballs.

one marshmallow.

one marshmallow. marshmallows. In my hot cocoa, I like Make up your own sentences and decide how they marshmallows. Y R T should end – do you need a singular word or a THIS plural word? How silly are your sentences?

Make up your own sentences and decide how they TRY Make up your own and decide how should end – do yousentences need a singular word or they a THTISRY should end – do you need a singular word or a THIS plural word? How silly are your sentences? plural word? How silly are your sentences?

RED APPLE READING

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS: 1

How does Finn know it is a good day for sledding?

What color is Finnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new sled?

Who does Finn want to race?

What happens to Finn as he sleds down the hill?

Where does most of the story take place?

W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

LITER ACY TIME

LETTERS IN THE SNOW

When it snows, enjoy the chill and learn about letters at the same time. Use a stick to write letters in the snow, make giant pathway letters by dragging your feet in the snow, or shape the snow into letters by packing snow together on the driveway. You can even use a spray bottle with food coloring and water to make letters! Listen for letter sounds and ask your child to tell you the beginning sound for the words: ice, snow, sled, ski, skate, cold, chill, wet, freeze, boots, mittens, and coat. WINTER BOOK READING AND LITERACY

We recommend books like The Snowy Day, The Mystery of the Missing Red Mitten, and Snowmen at Night. Talk about the setting, the characters, and what happens in the story. As you read, have your child identify specific letters or words on a page. Ask your child to guess what might happen next in the story. Ask your child to come up with an alternate ending for the story. Have your child draw a picture of something fun he or she likes to do in the snow. 46

SHAVING CREAM LETTERS AND WORDS

You will need a can of shaving cream and a cookie sheet or easy-to-clean table. Spray some shaving cream and encourage your child to move it around on the table. Ask your child to write different letters, words, or short sentences. Say a word and ask your child to identify the beginning letter sound by writing the letter in the shaving cream. Say a high-frequency word and ask your child to spell it. For extra fun, add some food coloring or glitter to make snowy shaving cream!

INDOOR SNOWBALL TOSS

Make a snowball with a rolled up pair of white socks or use a soft ball. Stand about five feet away from your child. Say a word, toss the ball, and have your child catch it. He or she must say a rhyming word then toss it back to you. How many words can you rhyme without dropping it? Change it up: Choose a beginning sound, a letter blend, a short or long vowel sound, or a vowel team. Toss the ball and identify a word in that category.

Prices are dropping lower than the temperature! 47

LITERACY LINEUP JANUARY 2016 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

NEW YEAR’S DAY

PHYLLIS R NAYLOR

W. VAN DRAANEN

JACK LONDON

M.L.K. JR. DAY

J.R.R. TOLKIEN

REMY CHARLIP

HAT DAY

NATIONAL HUGGING DAY

LEWIS CARROLL

MARJORIE PRICEMAN

HUGH LOFTING

NATIONAL POPCORN DAY

SHANNON HALE

Sunday

NATIONAL PIE DAY

NATIONAL PUZZLE DAY

HOT CHOCOLATE DAY

SPOTLIGHT ON…

J.K. Rowling Written by Carley Bennecke, In-house book critic

The Harry Potter series is a magical gift from J.K. Rowling to parents of adolescents. Her writing is suitable for children and adults alike, a magic that is very hard for wizarding authors to achieve. The series has bonded families all over the world because of its page-turning plot, character development, and heroic main character. In third grade my father read to me the first three books of the series. It was so enchanting to have him read a chapter every night before bedtime. We both fell in love with the story and characters.

and the

Book Series Rowling’s creativity is painted on every page of each of the seven books. With her words, she illustrates a scene in the reader’s mind so vivid that it is easy to get lost in the story. It is captivating to read as an adult, but especially fun to read aloud to children. My personal favorite from the series is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, because of its addition of many new characters and its exciting, appealing setting of the tri-wizard tournament. If you are looking for a magical adventure to read for yourself and/or your children, Rowling’s Harry Potter series is the way to go. Board the train to Hogwarts and don’t forget your wand!

RED APPLE READING

JANUARY 2016

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