RED APPLE READING MAY 2016 LEARNING SUPPORT GUIDE
7
WAYS TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR KIDS
BRINGING ART INTO LITERACY SPOTLIGHT ON...
MAGIC TREE HOUSE BOOKS
WWW.REDAPPLEREADING.COM
MAY READER:
ART DAY
BOOKS
ABOUT
MOMS
DINNER AND A BOOK:
THE NOISY PAINT BOX
CONTENTS 04 BRINGING ART INTO LITERACY
See how art and literacy can go hand-in-hand.
06 DINNER AND A BOOK
The Noisy Paint Box – with fun face plates!
08 BOOK REVIEWS: BOOKS ABOUT MOM
8 loveable books about moms and their little ones.
10 SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR KIDS
7 easy things to do with your children.
11 STORY TIME!
Four friends work together in Art Day.
12 LEVEL A - ART DAY Best for reading out loud to pre-readers or for fluent reader practice – plus two pages of fun literacy activities.
23 LEVEL B - ART DAY
Simplified story text for emerging readers – two fun pages of literacy activities after.
34 LEVEL C - ART DAY
Early reader version of the story – followed by two fun pages of literacy activities.
45 COMPREHENSION SKILLS Check in with these story questions after reading Art Day.
46 LITERACY TIME
Engaging activities that promote literacy
48 LITERACY LINEUP
Birthdays and special days for the month of May
49 SPOTLIGHT ON
…MAGIC TREE HOUSE BOOKS Review from a young and enthusiastic book critic
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©2016 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.
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Hooray for May! This month many schools are busy wrapping up the school year, moms all over the country will be celebrated and given extra attention by their children, and we will honor and enjoy the Memorial Day holiday, the unofficial beginning of summer.
In this issue you’ll find reviews of many great books to share with your children, some fun ways to blend reading with art, plus a new practice reader, Art Day, and plenty of fun reading skills practice and literacy activities. Enjoy! All of the best,
What you may not know is that May is also Get Caught Reading month, a national campaign to remind everyone how much fun it is to read! Although it can be challenging to find time to read every day, I’d like to remind you how critically important it is to your child’s future. Reading can be easily worked into a daily routine and become a time you and your children will look forward to. Some of my fondest memories are of reading to my daughters every evening when they were young.
Tammy Bennecke EDITOR IN CHIEF
tammybennecke@redapplereading.com
d d a d n e a that l b a n o as k e e r e e w b e “Let’s hth day to th ely an eig oted exclusiv is dev ding.” to rea S te e l e rd a h c i R - S ir
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W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
BRINGING ART INTO LITERACY Reading is fun, but sometimes it’s nice to do something more hands-on like an art project. Luckily, art and literacy are two things that go great together! Here are a few ideas that your little artist might enjoy.
STORYBOARDS Have your children draw storyboards for their favorite books – or a chapter of a book for older readers. This will help them visualize scenes that may not be illustrated for them, and it will give them an opportunity to analyze the descriptive words the author uses.
FIND HANDS-ON BOOKS Some story books are made for your kiddo to draw in or color themselves. There are also many story books that come with stickers that complete illustrations. These books may keep her attention for longer since they’re more interactive than a normal book.
DO A CRAFT Many books inspire crafts based on their stories. Make paper crafts, sculptures, or puppets of your little one’s favorite book characters. If the character in a story makes a craft, try doing that craft too! A quick perusal of Pinterest can yield several ideas.
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W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
MAKE A PICTURE BOOK
PRACTICE WRITING WITH ART
Have your child write and illustrate
Have your young children practice
his own picture book. He can use
writing with paint, chalk, or another
whatever medium he wants, such as
medium. They can practice their
crayons, paint, markers, construction
names, the alphabet, spelling words,
paper, or even pressed leaves and
and any other words you can think
flowers. The book doesn’t have to be
of. This adds more fun and creativity
fiction, either. It can be about his
to what can sometimes become a
favorite animals or a fun story about
boring practice!
your family. Have fun and be creative!
MAKE A BOOK COVER READ ABOUT AND COPY ART
Book covers can be both useful and
Find a book about famous artists and
creative. Make a few with your child
learn what inspired their art. After
to protect old hardcover books or
your kiddo reads the book, have her
just add a bit of flair to a boring
copy one of the pieces in the book.
cover design. She can decorate
For an extra challenge, she can try
with stickers and drawings. For an
doing original artwork in her favorite
added educational bonus, have her
artist’s style.
summarize the book on the back of the cover or write a short biography of the author.
Literacy and art really do go together beautifully! We hope you’ll take the time this month to try some of these ideas with your kiddo. 5
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
DINNER AND A BOOK I am super excited about this month’s Dinner and a Book! I have to admit, I’d never even heard of Vasya Kandinsky, but after researching this lovely book about him as a young boy, I was immediately hooked. Author Barb Rosenstock relates how receiving his first box of paints changed young Kandinsky’s life. Vasya soon realizes that he experiences the colors as sound! This amazing discovery begins his journey to becoming one of the first ever abstract artists. The whole family will enjoy reading this compelling story which celebrates creativity and differences.
The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art (Barb Rosenstock)
DIY Food Face Plate This month’s fun dinner idea comes via Adventure in a Box. We really love this unique concept of using food to create original works of art! Purchase an inexpensive glass plate for each family member, as well as a marker made for glass. After drawing a basic face on the plate, the creativity begins as each family member fashions their very own food face. This dinner is sure to produce big smiles on the plates and the faces around the table. One of the best gifts we can give to our kiddos is permission to be creative! Whether expressed musically, artistically, or simply in the clothes they enjoy wearing, your kids will be better for the experience.
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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.
DID YOU KNOW MAY IS NATIONAL BBQ MONTH? Find the hidden words:
N P
E
E
H
S
C
L
Z
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C
H
BARBECUE HOT DOG HAMBURGER GRILL CHEESE SALAD PLATE WATERMELON POPSICLE LEMONADE
V H M C X Y
O B I D U D
E L A G A S
U L E N M M
A C O M B B
O M E U R I
E T R B K E
U G D T R B
E U B O Y A
S Q V H G Y
H E E S E Y
W T K E T A
E H P S
A A H L O P P K
Z L S W
B U I R I C G V
Y G L H
T A C A E E V E
B S W E
Z M L G
L P G D
T
A
C
U
J
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P
F
E
H
A
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BOOKS ABOUT MOMS MOMMY HUGS by Karen Katz Moms will love reading this counting book to their infants and toddlers. Discover all of the different hugs a baby receives from mommy throughout the day. Very sweet!
LULLABY by Langston Hughes A special book about the love an African American mother has for her baby. Poet Langston Hughes delivers a tender lullaby that mothers will love to share with their little ones. Beautifully illustrated by Sean Qualls.
MOM’S THE WORD by Timothy Knapman What is one word that adequately describes all of the happy things in life? A young puppy discovers the answer: “Mom!” A sweet book for preschoolers to enjoy with their mothers.
DOES A KANGAROO HAVE A MOTHER, TOO? by Eric Carle
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Preschoolers will enjoy learning about different animal babies and their mothers in this adorable book by a popular author and illustrator. Little ones will discover that animal mothers love their babies just as they are loved by their own mothers.
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
KISS GOODNIGHT by Amy Hest All small children have their own special nighttime routine, and Sam is no different. Mama Bear goes through his list with him and doesn’t fail to forget the most important part of his bedtime ritual: a kiss goodnight! A touching bedtime book for preschoolers.
31 USES FOR A MOM by Harriet Ziefert A funny read for the preschool and early elementary school crowd. Find out all of the things moms are good for (including hairdresser, chauffeur, and page turner) in this amusing book.
LLAMA LLAMA HOME WITH MAMA by Anna Dewdney Little Llama is home sick in this installment of the Llama Llama series of books for young children. Of course, Mama Llama is there to take care of her little llama; but who will care for Mama when she catches little Llama’s sickness? Young elementary and preschool aged children will enjoy this one!
RAMONA AND HER MOTHER by Beverly Cleary The lively Ramona Quimby is 7½ and struggling to understand how she fits into her mom’s life. Beloved author, Beverly Cleary, delivers an enjoyable story that little girls can relate to. A fun book for moms and daughters (8-12 years) to read together and discuss! 9
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
WAYS TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR KIDS 1. LET THEM HELP
Let your kiddos help out when doing easy chores. It may not be the fastest way to get things done, but they’ll enjoy spending time with you, and it will introduce them to responsibility.
2. GO ON A DATE
Go on a date with your child occasionally as a special treat. Going out for ice cream or to see a movie is a fun way to get you both out of the house and have some quality one-on-one time with each other.
3. READ TOGETHER
Of course, nothing beats curling up on the couch with your little one and a good book! Regularly read with her, even if she’s old enough to read on her own.
4. MAKE TIME
Life can be busy, but it will mean so much to your children if you make time for them. Don’t miss big recitals and games if you can help it. Even if you can’t be at every event, doing your best to support them lets them know they’re important to you.
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5. PLAY GAMES WITH THEM
Spend time playing your children’s favorite games. Whether it’s board games or video games, they’ll appreciate you taking an interest in things they like.
6. EAT TOGETHER
Even if you can’t do it every evening, try to eat dinner with your children as often as you can. It’s a great time to catch up and discuss each other’s days.
7. GO OUTSIDE
Take a short walk or have a picnic in the yard. Getting away from distractions is a good way to encourage meaningful interactions.
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
STORY TIME
Art Day 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
PAGES 12 - 22
BEST FOR READING ALOUD TO PRE-READERS
LEVEL B - STORY AND ACTIVITIES
PAGES 23 - 33
EASY TEXT FOR EMERGING READERS
LEVEL C - STORY AND ACTIVITIES
PAGES 34 - 44
MORE COMPLEXITY FOR EARLY READERS
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGE 45
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W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Art Day Level A
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
“How about outer space?” asked Finn. “How about a flower garden?” asked Flora. The four friends tried to decide on a theme for the group mural they were about to paint.
p. 1
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
“We could make an underwater ocean scene with sharks and fish and seaweed,” said Oliver. “Yes, and sparkly coral and a starfish!” added Dot. The friends agreed that an ocean scene would be a lot of fun to create.
p. 2
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
First, they sketched with pencils on a very big piece of paper. “We can put the octopus here and the shark over there,� said Oliver, pointing to the left and then to the right.
p. 3
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Soon they were ready to paint the scene. They had paints, brushes, and empty cups for mixing colors. They all got busy painting.
p. 4
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Dot made a red starfish and some yellow coral. When the red and yellow mixed, she got orange! She made some orange sand, too.
p. 5
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Finn made a silly yellow fish in blue water. When the yellow and blue mixed, he got green! He made some green seaweed, too.
p. 6
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Flora mixed red and blue to make purple for her octopus. Oliver mixed black and white to make gray for his shark.
p. 7
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
When they were finished, they stood back to admire their work. It looked pretty awesome. “Way to go painting team!� said Finn, and they gave each other high-fives.
p. 8
HIDDEN SIGHT WORDS Find the 8 hidden sight words in the picture below. Find the 8 hidden sight words in the picture below.
it it and and
see see
like like
for for
is is
in in the the
TRY TTH RYIS THIS TRY TTHRAYT THAT
Have someone call out one of the sight words on this page. Can you it correctly? it of in athe sentence too. on this page. Can Havespell someone call outUse one sight words you spell it correctly? Use it in a sentence too.
Pretend you are going to enter a spring art show. Draw a picture to enter you into are thegoing show. to What willa you create? Pretend enter spring art show. Draw a picture to enter into the show. What will you create?
RED APPLE READING
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BEGINNING SOUNDS Say the name of the pictures in each row. Which one doesn’t belong? Say the an name of the eacharow. Which one doesn’t belong? Draw X on thepictures pictureinwith . Draw an X on the picture with a
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RED APPLE READING
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W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Art Day Level B
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
“Outer space?” asked Finn. “A garden?” asked Flora. The friends tried to choose what they were going to paint.
p. 1
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
“Let’s paint the sea with sharks and fish and plants,” said Oliver. “Yes, and a starfish!” said Dot. Painting a sea poster will be fun.
p. 2
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
First, they drew on a very big paper. “We can put the octopus here and the shark there,� said Oliver, pointing to the left and right.
p. 3
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Then they were ready to paint. They had paints, brushes, and cups for mixing colors. They all got to work.
p. 4
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Dot made a red starfish and yellow coral. The red and yellow mixed and made orange! She made orange sand, too.
p. 5
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Finn made a yellow fish in blue water. The yellow and blue mixed and made green! He made green plants, too.
p. 6
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Flora mixed red and blue to make purple for an octopus. Oliver mixed black and white to make gray for his shark.
p. 7
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
They finished and looked at their great poster. “Way to go team!� said Finn, and they gave each other high-fives.
p. 8
LONG A ARTWORK Say the name of each picture. Saythat thehas name each picture.sound (e.g. PLAY). Circle each picture theof long A vowel Circle each picture that has the long A vowel sound (e.g. PLAY).
Can you think of a girl’s name that has the long a sound in it? Can you think of a boy’s name, too? Can you think of a girl’s name that has the long a sound in it? Can you think of a boy’s name, too?
TRY IS TTH RY THIS
32
What vowel sound do you hear in the pictures that you did not circle? Say the picture names again. What letter makes that sound? What vowel sound do you hear in the pictures that you did not circle? Say the picture names again. What letter makes that sound?
RED APPLE READING
NUMBER WORDS
RED APPLE READING
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W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Art Day Level C
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
“How about outer space?” asked Finn. “How about a flower garden?” asked Flora. The friends tried to decide on a theme for the poster they were about to paint.
p. 1
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
“We could make an underwater ocean with sharks and fish and plants,” said Oliver. “Yes, and coral and a starfish!” added Dot. The friends agreed that an ocean theme would be very cool.
p. 2
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
First, they drew with pencils on a big piece of paper. “We can put the octopus here and the shark over there,� said Oliver, pointing to the left and then to the right.
p. 3
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Soon they were ready to paint. They had paints, brushes, and empty cups for mixing colors. They all got to work.
p. 4
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Dot made a red starfish and yellow coral. When the red and yellow mixed, she got orange! She made some orange sand, too.
p. 5
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Finn made a silly yellow fish in blue water. When the yellow and blue mixed, he got green! He made some green seaweed, too.
p. 6
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Flora mixed red and blue to make purple for her octopus. Oliver mixed black and white to make gray for his shark.
p. 7
W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
When they finished, they stood back to look at their work. It looked great. “Way to go team!� said Finn, and they gave each other high-fives.
p. 8
WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
RED APPLE READING
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BARBECUE TIME
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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:
Art Day 1
Which four friends worked together in a group?
2
What did the friends decide to paint?
3
What happened when Dot’s red and yellow paint mixed?
4
Why did Flora need purple paint?
5
What kind of animal did Oliver paint that was gray?
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W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
LITERACY ART TIME! LETTER COLLAGE
Practice letter recognition and word building with letter cut-outs and collage. Use an old magazine or newspaper ads. Cut out a variety of letters and allow your child to explore how to put the letters together to form words. Sort the letters into groups of consonants and vowels. Start with basic CVC words like cat, hen, dog, pin, and bun. Show your child how to form a word by choosing a vowel and placing consonants on either side. Help your child read the words you make, even if they are nonsense words. For older children, advance to words with long vowel sounds or vowel teams. When you like the words you have made, glue the letters on a piece of paper and draw pictures to illustrate the word.
TEXTURED LETTERS
Choose a letter and draw a big block or bubble letter version of that letter on a large sheet of paper. Ask your child to identify the letter, trace it with his or her finger, and then use art materials to collage on top of the letter. You might offer your child yarn, glitter, pompons, stickers, or other crafting supplies. See if you can identify objects to glue on the letter that begin with that letter (e.g. T – tissue, toothpicks, tic-tacs, or triangles). Work with your child to identify words that begin with that letter and write them around the block letter. Hang it up and start a textured letter collection.
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RED APPLE READING
Serious learning that’s seriously fun! YA RN, S T ICK S, AND TOOTHPICKS
Give your child a small collection of yarn cut into different lengths, toothpicks, or sticks from outside. Ask your child to form letters with the objects. Talk about the lines that make up each letter. Talk about how some letters have curved lines. If your child needs help, you can write the letter and ask him or her to place the objects on top of your letter. Older kids can use these materials to spell words.
PAINT!
Children love to be creative, so allow your child the freedom to explore paints, color mixing and getting messy. Offer your child watercolor paints, finger paints, or tempera paint. Encourage your child to identify colors and talk about how to spell each color word; look at the paint containers for reference to help your child make the connection. Ask your child to form letters with the paints, then let your child paint whatever he or she wants. After, ask for a story about the art. Write the story on another sheet of paper if your child wants you to.
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W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
LITERACY LINEUP Birthdays, holidays and other fun days to celebrate!
MAY 2016 Sunday
1
Monday
2
MOTHER GOOSE DAY
8
MARY QUATTLEBAUM
16
L. FRANK BAUM
22
29
MARGARET REY
DON WOOD
MARGARET WISE BROWN
SARAH ELLIS
26
EAT MORE FRUITS & VEGGIES
31
MEMORIAL DAY
RED APPLE READING
14
20
GET CAUGHT READING MONTH
48
DEBORAH WILES
EOIN COLFER
FRIDAY THE 13TH
DEBBEY DADEY
COOKIE MONSTER’S BIRTHDAY
TED LEWIN
13
19
25
Saturday
7
CINCO DE MAYO
12
18
Friday
6
SCHOOL NURSE DAY
GARY PAULSEN
24
30
T.H. WHITE
CLEAN UP YOUR ROOM DAY
Thursday
5
11
17
23
ARNOLD LOBEL
NATIONAL TEACHER DAY
10
J.M. BARRIE
MOTHER’S DAY
Wednesday
4
3
9
15
Tuesday
MARY POPE OSBOURNE
27
21
NATIONAL LEARN TO SWIM DAY
28
HAMBURGER DAY
SPOTLIGHT ON‌
Magic Tree House series Written by Carley Bennecke, In-house book critic
Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House book series, celebrates her birthday this month on May 20th. It only feels right to recognize her writing and compose a generous review of this spectacular series. The Magic Tree House series consists of 54 short chapter books. The first book of the series, Dinosaurs Before Dark, was published in 1992, but Osborne continues to create and publish more daring adventures with two new books being released in 2016. The series revolves around siblings Jack and Annie, who are sent on missions by Morgan Le Fay, or Merlin the wizard. They go back in time and to far off places during a significant and educational time period. The series is perfect for boys and girls who are just starting to read chapter books and want to be
whisked away on journeys. It opens up children’s imaginations while simultaneously educating them about the importance of world history and the geography of Earth. Start with book number one of this extensive series and enjoy a lifetime of exciting exploration!
RED APPLE READING
MAY 2016
RED APPLE READING Serious Learning that’s Seriously Fun.
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