Suggested Activities for Focus Books:
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies - After reading and discussing this story, find a nonfiction book about bats at your local library – Follow the link to the website Readwritethink.org so that your child can create his/her own Venn Diagram to compare and constrast the two books about bats. This activity is a fun way to encourage higher-level thinking and comprehension. Boys will especially enjoy learning about this topic!
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney – Follow this link to the official website - The author has free games, activities, and printables to go along with the books in this series.
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon -
- Click here if you are interested in an activity for preschoolers - Free from Scholastic.
- Early elementary students (K-2) might enjoy drawing a picture of one of the animals from the book, and then writing a few sentences (facts) about that animal. If your child needs a little inspiration, you could find a nonfiction book about farm animals or search together on the internet – check out the website KidsFarm.
- Upper elementary students (3-5) could extend the story by adding another farm animal that isn’t in the story. Your child could draw a picture and write sentences that match the pattern of the book. This type of activity is sometimes referred to as “story stretching”.
Family-Friendly Websites:
WritingFix’s Word-Game Writing Prompts for Kids - “Designed to inspire young writers to launch original story ideas” – a great way to encourage writing at home!
Comic Creator at ReadWriteThink.org - Your student can create his or her very own comic strip!
Junie B. Jones - The publisher’s website for this popular series by Barbara Park- puzzles, activities, and much more.
KidLit – For children who are seriously interested in becoming writers – offers them an opportunity to publish online! Also great for parents who are looking for quality literature for their children.
The Magic School Bus - “Family Playground” courtesy of Scholastic – official website for the series of books by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen.
Hands-on Activity Ideas:
Cooking for Kids – A fun way to spend time together and encourage real-world reading skills – “Fun cooking activities and recipes”.
B4UBuild.com - An awesome website for children who love to work with their hands – “Architecture, Building, & Construction Links for Kids” – Includes some great book recommendations.
Making Books with Children - Free activities and information about making books at home – Examples include a Leaf Book for Fall and a Who Am I? Book.
Reading Resources and Activities:
Starfall.com - Reading games and activities online – This website is geared toward kindergarten through second grade students.
Reading Resources - Provided by the U.S. Department of Education (ED.gov).
Selecting Children’s Literature - Guidelines from Education.com to help you choose quality literature.
