by judith viorst - university of nevada cooperative … talk about your family. ... zwrite down what...

What is the story about?

Alexander has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. We know how he feels.

Before you read the book.

Ask children about a bad day they had. Ask how they felt.

After you read the book.

Ask children how Alexander felt. Ask about a terrible day they had. How did they feel? What might they do to cheer themselves up? Tell about some of your no good days. Have children tell the story back to you.

Things to do together.

Read the book again when children want

The Hug Hunt

Alexander and the No Good, Terrible, Very Bad Day

By Judith Viorst

Hugs make a happier life. Have child cut out a set of hug coupons found at the end of this page. Cut out a set of hug coupons for you. Use the coupons to get a hug on bad days.

Very Bad Day Books

Make up a story about a bad day with your children. Give children pieces of blank paper. Have them draw pictures for the story. Write down what each picture is about. Keep book. Read it with your children when they are having a bad day.


A little bird looks for his mother. He sees animals and machines. He asks, "Are you my mother?"


Say, "This book is about a baby bird. He is looking for his mother." Talk about your family.


Ask what happened to the baby bird. Ask how the baby bird felt. Ask about "Snort." Talk about what to do if they get lost. Have them tell the story back to you.



Are You My Mother?

By P.D. Eastman

The Continuing Adventures of Little Bird

Read the book again. Say, "Little Bird found his mother. What do you think will happen next?" Have children draw what they think will happen next. Ask them to tell you about their picture. Write their story on their picture.

Are you my Mother Walk

Take a walk with the children. Have them pretend that they are Little Bird. Look for animals and machines. Have them ask, "Are you my mother?" See how many animals and machines you can find. Take turns asking the question.


Frances has a new baby sister. She feels unwanted so she runs away.


Ask how they would feel with a new baby brother or sister. Say, "Frances has a new sister. Let’s see how she felt."


Ask how Frances felt. Ask if they have felt the same way. Ask how parents acted. Tell them how you would feel if you were Frances’ parents. Have them tell the story back to you.



The Family Hands

Give children a large piece of white paper. Take washable paint. Lightly paint their hands. Have them make hand prints on white paper. Hang picture or Trace around each family member’s hand.

A Baby Sister for Frances

By Russell Hoban

Cut out hand picture. Glue together to make a family hand picture. Write their name on hand.

The Family Home

Take large piece of cardboard. Draw a picture of your house. Include pictures of rooms and furniture. Have them cut out a paper doll family. Let them play with the house.


A family saves money to buy a chair. Their chairs were lost in a fire. Friends help. They save until they can buy the chair.


Show the cover of the book. Read the title. Ask what children think the story is about.


Ask how friends helped the family. Ask how they got their chair. Ask what they would want to save for. Have them tell the story back to you.



Acts of Kindness

Have children do something nice for a friend or family member. It might be a phone cal to Daddy at work, a picture for Grandma, or a special treat for a friend.

A Chair For My Mother

By Vera B. Williams

The Family Piggy Bank

Think of something that your family would like to save for. It might be a new chair, a short trip, or a nice meal out. Take an empty plastic milk jug. Cut a slip in the top (this is a job for you). Crumple up newspaper into four small balls. Glue to the bottom of the jug for legs. Have children glue on eyes, ears, and a tail. The top of the bottle makes a perfect nose. Have family members put their change into the piggy bank. When you’ve saved enough money, buy your special family treat.


A little boy takes a funny trip throughout a year. He brings his chicken soup with rice.


Ask children what we eat in bowls. Ask for several ideas. Tell them this is a book about chicken soup.


Ask what they liked best about the story. Ask what else they could eat in a bowl. Ask how they would make chicken soup with rice. Have them tell the story back to you.



I Want a Bowl of

Give children a large sheet of paper. Have them draw a large bowl. Ask about the kind of soup in the story.

Chicken Soup With Rice

By Maurice Sendak

Ask what else they could eat from bowls. Have them write or draw a picture of their ideas inside the picture of the bowl. Help them if they can’t write the word.

Family Birthday Calendars

Read book again. Stop at the month they were born in. Have them learn the rhyme for that month. Use a calendar to go through each month. Stop at the month they were born in. Have them say their month’s lines. (For younger children, have them repeat each line after you instead of learning all the lines.)


Ask something children do well. Ask something friends do well. Talk about how people may make fun of differences.


Ask what made Crow Boy different. Ask how Crow Boy felt. Ask if they have felt like Crow Boy. Talk about what makes them special. Have them tell the story back to you.



What’s Special About Me?

Tale a sheet of paper. Have children tell what is special about them. Write down what they say. Add your own ideas. Talk about the list.

Me Mobile

Use clothes hanger. Tie strings to hanger.

Crow Boy

By Taro Yashima

Tie children’s special things to strings: family picture drawings, newspaper clippings, keepsakes from trip Hang in room.




Gilberto And The Wind

By Marie Hall Ets

Gilberto plays with the wind. First it whispers to him. Then it howls. He learns all the things the wind can do.


Have children look out the window. Ask if they think the wind is blowing. Ask why. Tell them that this story is about the wind.


Read the book again. Ask about times they have played with the wind. Have them tell the story back to you.

Let’s go Sailing

Take a piece of packing foam. Stick a plastic straw into the foam. Cut a piece of paper for the sail. Cut a small hole near the top of the paper. Cut a small hole near the bottom of the paper. Thread the paper sail onto the straw mast. Sail boats in the bath tub. Blow on the sail. Take boats outside to sail on a windy day.

Breezy Rings

Save the plastic rings from around a six-pack of soda. Have children tie yarn, fabric, and paper through the rings. Hang from a tree, fence or swing set with a string. Watch them blow in the wind.


"One berry, two berry, pick me a blueberry." Such a fun story! It ends with a boy and a bear buried in berries.


Show children the front of the book. Ask if the book will be funny or not. How can they tell? Ask what jelly they like best. Have them find the hidden pictures.


Read the book again. Have them join in saying the rhyming lines. Talk about the pictures. Have them find the hidden pictures. Have them tell the story back to you.



Berry Tasting Contest

Have a berry tasting time. Gather berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. Have children help wash the berries.

Jamberry

By Bruce Degen

Serve them a few of each berry Taste each berry and compare the tastes. Ask which berry they liked best. Talk about some of the other foods we make with berries.

Berryland Marching Band Parade

Go on your own parade. Choose fun music to march to. Gather some pretend instruments: a pot and spoon, sticks to pound together, whistles, wood blocks. Start the music. March around the house while playing the instruments. This can get loud!


Papa is late from work. Pedro is worried. He tries to stay awake. Papa comes home with a surprise.


Tell children this is a story of Pedro. He waits for his father to come home from work.


Ask if Pedro’s family is like theirs. How is it not like theirs? Ask if their parent has been late. Ask how they felt. Have them tell the story back to you.



My Friend’s Family

Friday Night Is Papa Night

By Ruth A. Sonneborn

Have children draw their family. Have them draw the families of friends. How are they the same? How are they not the same? Talk about how families are not always the same.

The Best Game

Play a game with the family. Take small slips of paper. Write words on each, such as: food, TV show, pet, sport, home, clothes, flower or color. You might cut a picture of the word from magazines to help explain the word. Each person takes a slip of paper. They say their favorite example of what is on the paper. Take turns.


Children travel the world in this book. They see how all kinds of children go to school. They see how children are the same and not the same.


Say this book is about going to school. Talk about how your children go to school. Show pictures on cover of book. Ask what the children are doing.


Ask how children in the book go to school. Ask what would be the most fun.

Ask why they don’t all go the same way. Talk about how children are the same and not the same. Have them tell the story back to you.



A "This is the Way I Go" Story

Help children make their own "This is the way I go" story.

This Is The Way We Go To School

By Edith Baer

Talk about how they go places: school, child care, baby-sitters, park, store, a friend’s house. Give them some sheets of paper. On each sheet have them draw a picture of how they go. They can draw lots of places. They can add to their stories later.

The Traveling Artist

You and your children go lots of places in your town. Take some paper and crayons with you. Have them draw pictures of places you go: store, park, church, grandma’s house. Keep pictures in a scrap book. Add to the scrap book as they draw more pictures.


Children love hearing about Max’s journey to a faraway land.


Ask what children do when they are angry. Say, "Max gets angry. He dreams about going to a faraway land."


Ask children about their favorite part of the story. Ask how children would feel if they were Max. Ask why Max came back home. Have them tell the story back to you.



Wild Thing Masks

Where The Wild Things Are

By Maurice Sendak

Give children paper grocery sacks. Place sack over children’s heads. Mark with pencil where eyes should be. Have parent cut eye holes. Decorate masks with crayons, markers, yarn and other scraps.

Wild Things Stories

Use cassette tape and recorder. Start tape. Have children re-tell story in their own words. Go through book page by page. Turn pages slowly for children. Listen to children’s version.

by judith viorst - university of nevada cooperative … talk about your family. ... zwrite down what...

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