RED APPLE READING DECEMBER 2015 LEARNING SUPPORT GUIDE
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TIPS FOR NURTURING YOUR CHILD’S TALENTS The Gingerbread Pirates
BAKING
AND A
BOOK
GIVING THE GIFT OF LITERACY
DECEMBER READER:
TALENT SHOW CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
DECEMBER LITERACY LINEUP – NEW!
Table of Contents 04 GIVING THE GIFT OF LITERACY Gift suggestions for children that are fun and promote literacy.
06 BAKING AND A BOOK
Gingerbread Pirates– get ready to bake some yummy treats!
08 BOOK REVIEWS: CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
Five holiday stories to enjoy with your kiddos.
10 NURTURING YOUR CHILD’S TALENTS
Eight tips for supporting your child’s interests.
11 STORY TIME!
In Talent Show, our characters have fun showing off their talents!
12 LEVEL A – TALENT SHOW
This vocabulary-rich version is best for reading aloud to pre-readers or for fluent readers, then has two pages of literacy activities for fun.
23 LEVEL B – TALENT SHOW
The text in this version has been simplified for emerging readers, and has two fun pages of literacy activities after.
34 LEVEL C – TALENT SHOW
Early readers can practice reading this version of the story, then enjoy two fun pages of literacy activities.
45 COMPREHENSION SKILLS in with these story questions after reading Talent Show.
46 LITERACY & TALENT TIME
Activities that promote budding talents and literacy!
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©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 HOLIDAYS! It is officially my family’s favorite time of the year! The air has turned chilly, the fireplace is being used again, and more cocoa than usual is being consumed (mostly by me!). As you prepare for the holidays with your family, remember it’s not about the number of presents received or how nicely you decorate your home; it’s about having fun and spending time together!
find it just as enjoyable to give as to receive, even on a tight budget. They take time to think about each family member or friend and find a unique and inexpensive way to show them their love. I think this would be an enjoyable venture for even the youngest of children.
My daughters have shared that as they grow older, they
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER tammybennecke@redapplereading.com
Enjoy the holidays and cherish your family time!
Tammy Bennecke
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GIVING THE GIFT OF LITERACY Looking for a few great gift ideas for your children this holiday season? While there’s nothing wrong with shiny toys and video games, it’s good to balance these things with gifts that promote learning and literacy. Here are some suggestions that are both fun and beneficial to your child’s education.
JOURNALS
PUZZLES
Journals are great for children
Puzzle books such as crosswords
to write and draw creatively and
and word searches are great quiet
express themselves. They also come
time activities and promote spelling
in many colors and designs that
skills. Your child can work on them
encourage kids to use them.
alone or with a friend!
BOOKS
E-READERS
Make sure your kiddo gets at least
These have several advantages.
one book! Most children have a
E-books are often cheaper than the
favorite genre, series, or author; it
physical copies. They also don’t take
should be easy to find a few books
up as much space. This means your
that he’ll enjoy. Look out for sales
child can easily keep her entire
at your local thrift stores and book
library with her wherever she goes.
stores, or find good prices online!
BOOK LIGHTS
GAMES Games such as Boggle and Scrabble
Sometimes it’s the little things
can be fun for the whole family!
that make a boring activity
They also help expand a child’s
more exciting. If your little one
vocabulary while still providing
doesn’t find reading fun anymore,
entertainment.
something as simple as a book light might be a good idea. When bed time comes they will be eager to try out their new gadget!
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MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS Find a magazine that relates to your kiddo’s interests - combining pastimes such as video games or sports with reading. The best part of a magazine subscription is that it’s a gift that lasts all year!
SOFTWARE AND APPS Technology is everywhere these days! Take advantage of it and find computer games that promote reading. Check out Red Apple Reading online and in app stores. Your kids will have fun, and you’ll love the results!
GIFT CARDS If you don’t know specifically what book to give your child, give her a gift card to a book store or credit for an e-book. She may be more excited about a book or journal she chooses herself.
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BAKING
AND A BOOK Gingerbread Pirates Winter break is the perfect time to get in the kitchen with children and bake some yummy holiday treats to share with friends, family, and neighbors; and if some of the cookies manage to find their way into your cookie jar, so be it! This season share both baking and a book with your little ones! Gingerbread Pirates, by Kristin Kladstrup,
Another classic Christmas treat is the
is a charming tale of a band of pirate
delicious sugar cookie! If you’re looking
cookies. Their brave leader, Captain
for a sugar cookie that is both yummy and
Cookie, is determined to save his fellow
keeps its cookie cutter shape, then take
gingerbread bandits from the clutches of
a look at this Sugar Cookie Recipe from
Santa Clause. Children are sure to enjoy
Two Sisters Crafting. We particularly like
this cute Christmas tale!
their tip for rolling out the dough with
Of course you can’t have a book about
powdered sugar instead of flour!
gingerbread pirates without sampling the
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tasty treat yourself! Check out this recipe
Make sure you spend some quality baking
for Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies from
time in the kitchen with your kiddos over
Six Sisters Stuff. Whether you choose to
the holiday season. Although children do
eat them as a simple cookie or in pirate
eventually grow up, you will cherish these
form is up to you!
memories for a lifetime!
SERIOUS LEARNING THAT’S SERIOUSY FUN!
www.RedAppleReading.com Help your child become a better reader with videos and games that make it fun to learn.
WORD SEARCH
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CHRISTMAS BOOKS CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD by Mary D. Lankford This book shares Christmas traditions from twelve different countries. It also includes a pronunciation guide and a few craft activities. Ages 4 to 8
HANNA’S CHRISTMAS by Melissa Peterson Hanna misses Sweden and she’s not sure how she’ll celebrate her first Christmas in America. To help, her grandmother sends her a special friend that can help her bring a Swedish Christmas to a new home. Ages 4 to 8
TOO MANY TAMALES by Gary Soto Maria is busy making tamales for Christmas dinner when she loses her mother’s ring. Will she be able to find it in time to save the feast? Ages 4 to 8
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THE LEGEND OF THE POINSETTIA by Tomie dePaola This Mexican legend tells the origin of the poinsettia flower and follows a selfless little girl as she gives a gift to the Christ Child. Ages 4 to 8
CHRISTMAS DRUM by Maureen Brett Hooper This story focuses on the Romanian tradition of colindat. When the villagers go caroling, they ask Peter to play the drum in place of his father, who is away working. Ages 4 to 8
CHRISTMAS CAKES by Francesca Bosca The villagers in San Vitale, Italy have a favorite Christmas tradition – eating Christmas cakes! However, this year the cakes disappear, and it’s up to Lucas to save the day. Ages 5 to 10
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8 TIPS FOR NURTURING YOUR CHILD’S TALENTS SHOW AN INTEREST IN HOBBIES Your child’s talents are usually connected to her favorite activities. If you notice that your kiddo likes drawing, sports, or any other activity, be supportive!
CREATE OR FIND A SPACE Many talents thrive best under certain conditions. Some activities, such as writing or crafts, need a quiet indoor space. Others, such as athletics, require an outdoor space. Help your child find a good space.
PROVIDE RESOURCES The materials needed for your child to improve in his talent are a good investment. Whether it’s a trip to the library to find a how-to book or giving him supplies and equipment for a birthday, make sure your child has what he needs.
FIND PROGRAMS Most schools and communities have programs that connect children with similar talents and help them improve. Find clubs that your child is interested in and encourage her to join.
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MAKE TIME Just like you have to put aside time for reading, it’s a good idea to help your child put aside time to work on his talents. Regular time spent on a talent will help him improve.
FIND A MENTOR Find someone older in your family or community that shares your kiddo’s interests. A good mentor can give your child encouragement and advice on both her talent and other issues.
TRY NEW THINGS If your little one hasn’t found something that he’s interested in yet, encourage him to try new things. Even if the first couple of activities don’t catch on, eventually he’ll find something he enjoys.
ENTER COMPETITIONS A little competition every once in a while is good. A nice contest will not only encourage your child to do her best and improve, but it will also connect her with others who share her interests.
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STORY TIME!
TALENT SHOW 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 11
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TALENT SHOW Level A
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It was the night of the big talent show at school, and the gym was buzzing with excitement. Ryan came out on stage and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The talent show is about to begin!�
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The lights dimmed, the crowd clapped, and the curtain opened. Ryan told the audience, “Our first talented performer is Sam, who will be showing us some wild skateboarding tricks.�
p. 2
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Sam skated out on his board, then spun in circles when he hit center stage. He zoomed left and right, and then did a flip in the air! The crowd cheered and clapped.
p. 3
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Then Ryan said, “Our second act is Dominic, who will play a special song for us.� Dominic played his guitar and danced around the stage. The crowd loved it!
p. 4
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“Now meet Shelly, a talented young photographer. She has samples of her best photos to share.” The crowd “oohed” and “ahhed” at Shelly’s beautiful pictures of flowers, landscapes, and pets.
p. 5
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“Next up is Leo, who will show us some amazing soccer skills,� shared Ryan. Leo kept the ball in the air with his head and his feet. He did a rainbow kick, too!
p. 6
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The show continued with singing by Roz and dancing by Flora. George juggled several balls at once and Seth balanced a ball on his nose. Tess performed a puppet show and Marcus told some silly jokes.
p. 7
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After the last act, Ryan thanked the crowd for coming and thanked all of the talented performers. With that, all of the performers walked on stage and took a bow. The crowd gave them a standing ovation! It was the best talent show in the history of the school.
p. 8
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CHRISTMAS COOKIES
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LETTER SEARCH
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TALENT SHOW Level B
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It was the night of the big talent show at school. Ryan said, “Please sit down. The talent show is going to start!”
p. 1
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It got dark, the crowd clapped, and Ryan said, “First, Sam will show us some good tricks.”
p. 2
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Sam skated out on his board and spun in circles on the stage. He went left and right, and then did a flip in the air! People cheered and clapped.
p. 3
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Then Ryan said, “Dominic will play a song for us.� Dominic played his guitar and danced on the stage. The crowd loved it!
p. 4
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“Now meet Shelly. She has some of her best photos to share.” The crowd loved Shelly’s pictures of flowers and pets.
p. 5
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“Next, Leo will show us his soccer skills,� said Ryan. Leo kept the ball in the air with his head and his feet. He did a good kick, too!
p. 6
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The show also had singing by Roz and dancing by Flora. George juggled balls and Seth kept a ball on his nose.
p. 7
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At the end, all of the kids went on stage and took a bow. The crowd stood up and clapped for them! It was the best talent show ever.
p. 8
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SILENT E WORDS
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RIDDLES
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TALENT SHOW Level C
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It was the night of the big talent show at school, and everyone was excited. Ryan came out on stage and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The talent show is about to begin!�
p. 1
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The lights dimmed, the crowd clapped, and the curtain opened. Ryan told the audience, “First, Sam will show us some wild tricks on his skateboard.�
p. 2
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Sam skated out on his board, then spun in circles when he hit center stage. He zoomed left and right, and then did a flip in the air! The crowd cheered and clapped.
p. 3
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Then Ryan said, “Now here’s Dominic, who will play a special song for us.” Dominic played his guitar and danced around the stage. The crowd loved it!
p. 4
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“Now meet Shelly, who loves taking pictures with her camera. She has samples of her best photos to share.” The crowd admired Shelly’s pictures of flowers, landscapes, and pets.
p. 5
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“Next up is Leo, who will show us his great soccer skills,� shared Ryan. Leo kept the ball in the air with his head and his feet. He did a rainbow kick, too!
p. 6
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The show went on with singing by Roz and dancing by Flora. George juggled many balls at one time, and Seth balanced a ball on his nose. Tess had a puppet show and Marcus told some silly jokes.
p. 7
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After the last act, Ryan thanked the crowd for coming and thanked all of the talented kids. Then all of the performers walked on stage and took a bow. The crowd stood up and clapped for them! It was the best talent show ever at school.
p. 8
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VOWEL PLAY
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VOWEL PLAY
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COMPREHENSION QUES TIONS:
1
Where was the talent show held?
2
Who was the announcer at the talent show?
3
What was one of the talents at the show?
4
What did the crowd think of the talented performers?
5
What did all of the performers do at the end of the story?
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LITER ACY & TALENT TIME
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TALENT SHOW
WORDS THAT MOVE
Schedule a family talent show for one night while on break or whenever. Invite neighbors, friends, or family members to attend and participate. Have your child help you make invitations to send out, or work with your child to create an online invitation. Encourage your child to think of a talent that he or she would like to practice over the next few days or weeks. Create comment sheets so the crowd can write positive comments for each talented performer. Children can write name tags for guests, a menu for snacks at the show, or a sign to welcome guests to the show.
Make a list of action words (verbs) with your child. How many words can you come up with? Have your child race a sibling or a friend to see who can identify the most action words. Prompt children to think of action words in different categories like: actions you do in sports, actions you do to clean around the house, actions you do at school, and so on. Or, ask your child to think of action words for each letter of the alphabet. Variation: As your child thinks of the action words, write them on flash cards or index cards so you will be ready for the “I Can Read and Act It Out!� game described below.
I CAN READ AND ACT IT OUT!
MY TALENT POSTER
Play a game to reinforce letter identification, sound identification, and early reading skills. Write the following words on index cards or flash cards: ski, skate, jog, jump, dance, sing, draw, write, photograph, juggle, balance, swim, walk, read, sit, sleep, spin, paint, sweep, tie, brush, wash, paste, push, pull, skip, crawl, reach, tiptoe, kick, catch, throw, and bend. Hold up one of the cards and ask your child to show you the action, say the word, and use it in a sentence.
What is your child good at? Encourage your child to think about his or her talents and what kinds of skills he or she has. Work with your child to create a poster about these talents. Use simple pictures, photos, or collage items to represent your child’s talents. Use simple words and sentences to describe your child’s talents. Encourage your child to decorate the poster and hang it in his or her room.
Give the gift of literacy this holiday season. 47
LITERACY LINEUP DECEMBER 2015 Monday
Tuesday
2
1
JAN BRETT
7
Wednesday
8
15
NATL. MAPLE
SYRUP DAY
23
22
FIRST DAY OF WINTER
28
29
MOLLY BANG 48
12
13
AVI
25
STEPHANIE MEYER
31
MERCER MAYER
19
20
EVE BUNTING
24
30
HANNUKAH BEGINS
Walt Disney
TAMORA PIERCE
18
17
16
Sunday
6
CORNELIA FUNKE
E.B. LEWIS 21
11
10
Saturday
5
NATL. COOKIE DAY
ROCKEFELLER CENTER TREE LIGHTING, NYC
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Friday
4
3
PEARL HARBOR DAY
14
Thursday
NEW YEAR’S EVE
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26
CHRISTMAS DAY
KWANZAA BEGINS
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HOLIDAY HUMOR
RED APPLE READING
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DECEMBER 2015
RED APPLE READING Serious Learning that’s Seriously Fun.
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