I can see signs of spring and the sunshine inspires optimism. My books for the month of April share a similar theme!
Here’s the ever growing list of books I have in my April bin.
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Barnyard Fun by Maureen WrightStuck by Oliver JeffersThe Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Miss Rumphius by Barbara CooneyBruce's Big Storm by Ryan Higgins
Farfallina and Marcel by Holly Keller
The Umbrella by Jan BrettOtis and the Puppy by Loren LongCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Here’s what I target with just about EVERY book:
→Sequencing, retelling, summarizing, story grammar/elements (character, setting, problem, events, consequences, ending/solution)
→Tier 1 describing, Tier 2 vocabulary, synonyms & antonyms
→Comparing & contrasting/similarities & differences
→Basic concepts, direction words, temporal concepts
→WH questions-basic and inferential
→Inferencing-social/pragmatic
→Verbs & pronouns
→Sentence generation-higher level structures, conversational, expansion
→Articulation
Here are my "top targets" for each book.
Barnyard FunSequencingCause and effectInferencingTier 1 describingThis is the perfect little story for April Fools' Day. Sheep plays jokes on Rooster, Dog, Pig and Cow. Then the tables are turned on Sheep. You can find my Boom Cards™️book buddy here.
StuckStory GrammarSummarizingInferencingMindfulnessStuck, by Oliver Jeffers, is a story about a little boy who winds up with his kite stuck in a tree. The most logical thing to do is...and so the adventure begins as Floyd tries to get his kite un-stuck. You can find my book companion materials here.
The GruffaloStory GrammarWH QuestionsRhymingDescriptive VocabularyThe Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, is about a mouse who takes a stroll through the woods. He meets a fox, an owl, and a snake who all want to eat him! So the mouse invents a gruffalo. There's no such thing as a gruffalo . . . is there? You can find my quick prep + digital materials here.Miss RumphiusSequencingVisualizing/ImageryGoal SettingIn this book, Alice longs to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and make the world a more beautiful place. She plants lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady, who spread lupine seeds everywhere she went. You can my interactive notebook companion here.Bruce's Big StormStory GrammarProblem/solutionTeamworkSocial/pragmatic conversational skillsVerbsI love this edition of the Mother Bruce series. Grumpy Mother Bruce's home is already full. Then a big storm brings all the woodland neighbors seeking shelter. Students love the orneriness of Mother Bruce and the persistence of the woodland animals. At the time of this post, my added One Page Language Book Companion is not yet finished for this book in the series.Farfallina and MarcelCause and effectSocial/pragmatic friendship & kindnessCompare/contrastSequencingFarfallina and Marcel is a sweet story of friendship that withstands changes. You can find my book companion materials here.The UmbrellaStory GrammarCause/effectTier 1 Vocabulary (rainforest animals)Verbs-present tense -sCarlos walks through the cloud forest and drops his umbrella to climb a tree for a better view of the animals. All the animals cram into the umbrella and it gets so crowded which causes... You can find my interactive notebook companion here.
Otis and the PuppyStory GrammarSocial/pragmatic-overcoming fearsVerbs-past tenseTier 1 describingOtis, a friendly tractor, and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. A new guest comes to the farm and challenges Otis and his farm friends. You can find materials here.Cloudy with a Chance of MeatballsPredictingTier 1 describingProblem/solutionSpring is a great time to talk about the weather and why not Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs? You can find my interactive notebook companion materials here.Do you have any other favorite books I should add to my April bin?
