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Preschool Froggy Goes To the Doctor Author: Jonathan London

Illustrator: Frank Remkiewicz

“Froggy woke up. Hurray! He thought.

No school today – it’s my check –up day!

I can get up late!”

Remember, Be Dramatic

Use a dramatic voice by varying your emphasis, loudness, and intonation; use character voices. Use highly expressive, facial and body language.

Before You Start Reading

Ask children to look at cover and guess what story is going to be about; prediction attempts increase comprehension and story awareness.

Point out the story title word by word, Froggy Goes to the Doctor

Then Read

Read through once; stop and answer questions and reward thoughts the child has on relating story to his or her life. If the child becomes disinterested don’t read all the words (or sometimes any.) Point to the pictures and tell the story or ask the child what is happening and what do they think will happen. Discuss the story after you have read. Relate it to your child’s own experiences.

Froggy Goes To the Doctor


Read Again with Questions

While similar to classroom reading techniques that a teacher would use, these are in greater depth, specificity, intentionality and use a systematic scaffold. You can read with emphasizing just one area of questions or read shorter passages and ask questions from all the categories. Read again, and again, and again.


Reinforcing Vocabulary Knowledge:

1. After hearing his mother call “Froggy crawled out of bed and flopped into the kitchen”. Let’s looked at the words crawled and flopped. These two words are verbs. Verbs are words that show actions. Can someone show me how to crawl? Can someone show me how to flop? How do you get out of bed in the morning? Now let’s imagine we are Froggy and we just crawled out of bed. Did you move fast or slow when you crawled? Imagine you flopped to your kitchen. Did you move fast or slow when you flopped? So, what do you think crawled means? What does flopped mean?

2. Let’s look at the following words: crawled, flopped, groaned, hopped, and dressed. What do all of these words have in common? Each of these words ends with an –ed. The –ed ending in each of these words tells us what froggy already did. Let’s act out these words that end with the –ed and talk about what we did. I will write the words down and underline the ed part that tells us the action is in the past.

3. Some words have more than one meaning. Because of this, it is important that we make sure we know which meaning is being used when we read. While at the doctor’s office, Dr. Mugwort “looked into his [Froggy’s] eyes with a light.” The word light in this phrase has two meanings. What is one meaning of the word light? When you walk into a dark room what do you turn on to help you see? Now, when you go to the grocery store with your mom or dad, and you don’t have a lot of food you can say that your bag is not heavy, it’s light. So, what is the second meaning of the word light?

4. Onomatopoeia occurs when a word describes/sounds like the sound an object makes. For example, Froggy’s foot made a clack sound when it hit Dr. Mugwort's chin. The word clack sounds like the sound a foot would make if it hit someone. Think about the other words that sound like the action they are describing. What sound does a bee make when it’s flying? What sound does a car make when you start it up? What sound does a zipper make when you zip your coat?

5. After seeing his newly made underwear Froggy whined “they look like diapers!” Let’s look at the word whined. Once when I was younger my mom put my hair in pig-tails and I whined because I felt that people would laugh at me and I wanted her to do my hair differently. Have you ever whined about something or to get someone to change or give you something you want? Why do you think Froggy whined? Thinking about all of these things, what do you think the word whined means?




6. When Froggy went to the doctor, he had to sit out in the waiting room, and wait and wait. He had a hard time sitting still. Sometimes when I go to places, I have a hard time waiting, too. In this instance, hard means “difficult,” meaning that Froggy had a difficult time sitting still. However, if I sit on a concrete block, it is a hard object. What does the second meaning of hard represent, in the context of a hard, concrete block?

7. When Frogilina came in and sat by Froggy, he scooted away from her. Frogilina scooted closer, and Froggy scooted away. By using the context words of “closer” and “away,” what action can we assume that the word “scooted” is associated with? Would anyone like to demonstrate what it means to “scoot closer” or “scoot away” from someone?

8. After getting hit in the eye by a paper airplane, smelling Froggy’s bad breath, and getting knocked to the floor by Froggy’s healthy knee reflex, Dr. Mugwort glares at Froggy. The word “glare” can also mean to “reflect brightly,” or when there is a glare on a piece of glass. However, using the context of Froggy’s disastrous visit to the doctor, what do you think the word “glare” means?

9. At the end of the book, Froggy says that he wants to come back to the doctor again soon. Dr. Mugwort says, “Not too soon!” In this context, what does the word “too” mean? What other types of the word “too” are there? We can use the word “two” to describe how many there are of something (number), or the word “to” in order to describe a relation to something else, or simply as a verbal description (to go, to make, etc.) How are these spellings similar? How are they different? Why do people sometimes get these words confused?

10. In the book, we learn that Dr. Mugwort is the wife of Froggy’s principal, Mr. Mugwort. The word principal means someone who is in charge of a school. However, there is another word that sounds just like principal but is spelled differently (principle). How is the spelling different, and how does it change the meaning?



Reinforcing Narrative Skills:

1. When I read stories I make sure that I remind myself who the main characters are. This helps me better understand what’s happening in the story and why. Main characters are the most important people in stories who the events of the stories are centered around. Let’s name all of the characters in “Froggy goes to the Doctor”. Who is the main character of this story? How do you know who the main character is?

2. Have you ever forgotten to do something that your mom or dad reminded you to do? How did you feel when you realized that you forgot to do what they told you to do? Why do you think your parents reminded you? At the beginning of the story Froggy’s mom reminds him not to forget to put on clean underwear. Why do you think Froggy’s mom reminded him to put on clean underwear?

3. We know that every good story has a beginning, middle, and an end. What happens in the beginning of “Froggy goes to the Doctor?” The middle? The end?

4. Have you ever had a goal, but something stopped you from accomplishing it? When this occurs in stories we call it conflict or problem. The conflict in a story is the issue or event that keeps the main character(s) from accomplishing a goal. What is one conflict that Froggy faces in the story? Are there any other conflicts?

5. We have talked about story conflict, now let’s talk about solutions. The solution in a story is the way the conflict of the story is solved. As we know, one conflict in the story is that Froggy forgot to put on underwear when he got dressed. What is the solution to this problem? Let’s think about the events in the story, are there any other conflicts and solutions?

6. When we are reading this story, it is like we are on the outside looking in. Stories like this are written in third person, because pronouns (words like he, she, and names) are used to talk about the main characters. However, if the author uses the “I” pronoun, the story is written in first person. Where in the story is it written in first person?



7. Froggy was not excited about going to see the doctor. He was worried that he might have to get a shot. When was the last time that you went to the doctor for a check-up? Did you have to get a shot? What did the doctor give you to reward you for doing a good job?

8. While Froggy was in the waiting room, he fell off of the bench and made a paper airplane that ended up hitting Dr. Mugwort in the eye. He was scolded by his mom for misbehaving. Have you ever gotten in trouble by your parents for misbehaving in public because you were tired of waiting for something to happen? How did you feel?

9. Froggy keeps having problems with Dr. Mugwort, following the incident in the waiting room when he hit her in the eye with the paper airplane. What else goes wrong in the doctor’s office?

10. Near the end of his visit, Dr. Mugwort tells Froggy that it is time for his shot. Does he end up getting a shot? Why or why not? What does the doctor end up saying about Froggy?



Reinforcing Phonological Awareness Skills:

1. Let’s say the words flopped, hopped, and stepped. These three words have a middle sound that is similar. Let’s say the words again, flopped, hopped, stepped. What is the middle sound in each of these words? What letter makes this sound? What are some other words that have this sound in the middle?

2. How many syllables do you think are in the words airplane and Mugwort? Let’s clap out the syllables in each word. Can you think of any other two-syllable words?

3. When I come across long words I like to break them up into their syllables to help me read them correctly. Look at the word underwear. Underwear is a long word. Let’s clap out the syllables. How many syllables are in this word? What is the first syllable? Second syllable? Third syllable?

4. Look at these words-what two letters look the same? Each of these words have two “e’s” next to each other. When these two letters are right next to each other in a word, they make the sound “e.” Knowing this, let’s look at the words freezing, knee, and green. Point to the letters that make the “ee” sound. Can you think of any other words that have the “ee” sound in them?

5. In the story Dr. Mugwort was accidentally kicked in the chin by Froggy. Look and listen as I read the word chin. Let’s count the sounds. Hey, I hear three sounds but there are four letters. The word “chin” must start with a digraph. Digraphs are created when two letters are put together to make one sound. Point to the digraph in this word. What two letters make the digraph in this word? What sound does this digraph make? Can you think of any more words that start with this sound?

6. The book says that Froggy “hopped onto the table and tried to make a muscle.” Let’s look at the word muscle. We can see that there is a “c” in the word, right next to the “s.” Notice how the “c” is soft, and not hard, like the “c” is in the word “cut.” Can you think of other words where the “c” is soft? (e.g. celebrate, justice, instance, etc.)



7. Froggy’s mom made him underpants that had a safety pin on each side. When we write on a piece of paper, what is the instrument called we use that has ink in it (pen)? How is that spelling different than in safety pin?

8. When Froggy realizes that he forgot his underwear, it made his mother laugh. The word laugh doesn’t sound exactly how it is spelled. It almost sounds like the ending of the word giraffe. What letter does it sound like there is in the middle, instead of the “gh?”

9. The doctor took Froggy’s temperature. Clap out loud with me the syllables in the word temperature. How many are there? Are there any other words in the book that have four syllables? If so, what are they? (e.g. Frogilina)

10. Even though the word “circled” may look like it sounds like “sirk-led,” it actually sounds more like “sir-cold.” It is important to notice this, because there are many other words that use this. Can you think of any other words that end in “-led?” (e.g. tickled, tackled, pickled, prickled)



Building Print Knowledge:

1. After Froggy’s doctor appointment is over he begins to get dressed. As Froggy gets dressed the words on the page follow him. Where should we start reading? Does the placement of the words on the page affect where we start and stop reading?

2. Have you ever made up a story and told it to your friends? Fictional narratives, like “Froggy goes to the Doctor” are stories about characters and events that are not real. Why would “Froggy goes to the Doctor” be considered a fictional narrative? Can you think of any other stories you’ve heard that are not real/fiction?

3. Imagine you are yelling across the hall to get your friend’s attention. If your words could be placed on a piece of paper, would they be big or small? Your words would probably be really big because they would show your tone. Tone is how something is said. In the story, there are several instances in which some of the words on the page are larger than the others. This helps the author convey the tone of voice in the story. For example, when mom calls, Froggy’s name is large and in all capital letters. How do you think the author wants us to read Froggy’s name when his mom calls him? What do you think Froggy’s name would look like if his mom were whispering his name?

4. As you know, the author’s tone refers to how they tell the story. One type of tone is comedic. When I think of the word “comedic” I think of something that is funny; a comedy. Do you think the story has a comedic tone? What events make it comedic or funny?

5. Sometimes words change when we add suffixes to them. In the story, before entering the Doctor’s office, Froggy is worried. What other word do you hear in worried? Let’s look at the words worry and worried.

6. Authors sometimes use italics to create a tone or point of emphasis in the story. When Froggy puts on the underpants made out of a paper pillowcase, he exclaims that they look like they are made out of “diapers!” How do you think that Froggy’s voice would sound if we could hear it out loud? Can you demonstrate his tone? Where else in the book does the author use italics?

7. In order to shorten words, we use language like “Dr.” Mugwort, rather than “Doctor Mugwort.” This is



called an abbreviation. What other words do we abbreviate in our language? What does “Mister” or “Miss” look like?

8. If a story is written in present tense, we use words like “is, has, and says.” Is this story written in present tense? If not, where are some examples that it isn’t written in present tense?

9. Author’s sometimes use exclamation points to show excitement, anger, surprise or to emphasize a point. When Frogilina sees Froggy, she exclaims, “Hi, Froggy!” What tone do you think she was using when she saw Froggy? (Excitement/anger/surprise/emphasizing a point?) By looking at the pictures, how else can we tell what Frogilina’s emotion is when she sees Froggy?

10. We discussed earlier that author’s sometimes use ellipses to slow down a sentence or to trail off into thought. Author’s can also use a long hyphen (–) to also take a pause in the sentence. When authors want to add extra information or emphasize a point, they sometimes put two hyphens, one on each side of the important information. Where in the book do you see hyphens used? Can you identify places where two hyphens are used to emphasize a point? What sort of onomatopoeic words can be found near the hyphens?



Preschool Rumble in the Jungle Author: Giles Andreae Illustrator: David Wojtowycz

“There’s a rumble in the jungle,

There’s a whisper in the trees,

The animals are waking up

And rustling the leaves…”





Point out the story title word by word, Rumble in the Jungle; tell them they will hear that phrase many times as you read.

Then Read


Read Again with Questions While similar to classroom reading techniques that a teacher would use, these are in greater depth, specificity, intentionality and use a systematic scaffold. You can read with emphasizing

Rumble in the Jungle


just one area of questions or read shorter passges and ask questions from all the categories. Read again, and again, and again.


1. Listen to the first part of the story. The words “rumble, whisper, and rustling” all talk about different sounds in the jungle. Another word that describes sounds is the ringing of a phone or tick tock of a clock. Can you think of any other words that talk about the sound around us?

2. Some of the animals in the jungle are frightening and some are kind. Frightening is another word for scary and kind is another word for nice. Let’s look for animals in our pictures and decide if they are frightening or kind. What makes an animal frightening? What makes it kind?

3. The monkies are swinging through the tall trees just like you can swing way up high on the swing on the playground. What does it feel like when you are swinging on the swings? What other things can you swing on?

4. The chimpanzees like to munch on nuts and fleas. I like to munch on apples and cheese. What do you like to munch on? What do you think the word munch means?

5. All of the animals “quiver, shudder, and shiver” when they see the lion. Look at the vulture/bird in the picture- how do you think he feels? The bird is afraid. When I am afraid my whole body shakes. Quiver, shudder and shiver are all different words that mean to shake. Why do you think the lion makes the other animals quiver, shudder and shiver?

6. Look at the elephant in the picture. He is “big, fat” and “round” and he is wandering through the jungle. Wander is another way to say taking a walk. I think an elephant moves very slowly and takes up lots of space when he wanders because he is so round. How do you think a wandering elephant moves? Let’s all take a walk on the rug and pretend we are elephants wandering through the jungle.

7. Check out this zebra. It kind of looks like a horse except it has stripes. The zebra said his cousin was the mule. I wonder why he would call a mule his cousin? I know! The zebra and the mule are cousins because



they look alike in some ways. A mule has a tail and a zebra does too! A mule also has hooves on his feet and a zebra does too! Wait a minute- a horse has a tail and hooves- maybe the horse is the zebra’s cousin too. What else make might make the zebra, mule and horse cousins? What ways are they the same?

8. I see the giraffe has a long neck and his legs are super long too! Our story tells us the word to use to talk about how long the giraffe’s legs and neck are. The words on the page call the giraffe “gangly.” The word gangly talks about long arms and legs and in the case of our giraffe a long neck too! Can you think of anything else that is “gangly” or has long arms and legs?

9. Look at our crocodile- does he look happy or sad? I know he’s happy because the story says when he sees other animals, “its such a delight.” In our story the word delight is talking about something that makes you happy or excited. Eating the animals in the river is a delight for the crocodile! Are there any foods that are a delight to you because they make you happy/excited when you eat them?

10. The story says the rhinoceros is ravenous! Ravenous means is very very hungry. It’s a good thing the hungry rhinoceros has lots of room for lunch with all that skin. If the rhinoceros is ravenous or very very hungry, how much food do you think he will have to eat to get full? What kind of foods do you think he likes to eat?




1. Each page talks about something special about each one of our animals. Listen to me read the page about the gazelle. What does this page tell us about the gazelle? The page tells us about the way a gazelle runs and leaps. Who can show me how a gazelle moves?

2. The gorilla likes to make himself look “ferocious and scary” and he likes to beat on his chest. I think the gorilla wants all the other animals to think he is the meanest and strongest animal in the jungle. That’s why he likes to look ferocious. What do you think would happen if one of the other animals in the jungle ran into the gorilla?

3. A leopard on the prowl is looking for something to eat. Look at the face of the leopard in the picture- doesn’t he look hungry? Why do you think you should be polite and nice when you run into a hungry leopard? What might happen if you’re mean to a leopard?

4. Listen to what our story says about the tiger. It says we should beware the tiger- this means we should be very careful if we think a tiger is near. If we want to watch out for the tiger we will have to use our eyes and ears. What will we see if a tiger is near? What will we hear?

5. Is it nighttime or daytime in the jungle? How can you tell? It looks like its nighttime because the sky is black and the stars and the moon are out. When its dark outside I know its time for me to get ready for bed. I brush my teeth, put on my pajamas and climb into bed. Which animals are ready for bed? Some of the animals are not going to bed- what are they doing?

6. There are many animals in the jungle just like there are many animals in the zoo. Has anyone ever been to the zoo? What kinds of noises did you hear? Did you hear a lion roar or birds chirping? What kinds of noises do you think you would hear in the jungle?

7. In our story we are going through the jungle and we got to meet lots of animals. What are some of the animals we met on our way through the jungle? Do remember what they looked like? What sounds they



made?

8. Let’s look at the beginning of the book and see what animals we can find. What are the animals doing at beginning of the story? Now let’s look at the end of the book- what animals can you find? What are the animals doing at the end of the book?

9. I wonder what the chimpanzees are doing. The picture looks like some of the chimpanzees are playing and some of the other chimpanzees are looking for food. Maybe the chimpanzees will find food in the trees or in the grass. Let’s look at the pictures of the chimpanzees. I’m going to read the words. Listen and look carefully. Can you help me decide which chimpanzees are playing? Which monkeys are looking for food?

10. Our story calls the lion the king of the jungle because he is in charge of the jungle. That means everyone listens to him and it also means it is a little scary when he gets angry. The teacher is the one everyone listens to in the classroom. What happens if you don’t listen to the teacher? Who is in charge at your house?




1. The animals on these pages are zebras. Look at the this word under the zebras. It says “Zebra.” Let’s say that word together. The sound at the beginning says /z/. I’m going to point to the first letter of the word zebra. Let’s read it together and let’s make the /z/ sounds really long.

2. Listen to the words on the first page of the story I am going to read to you. I wonder if there are any words that rhyme. If I want to find words that rhyme I have to listen for words that sound different in the beginning but the same at the end. What words rhymed?

3. Listen to the words “chimpanzee” and “tree” Watch my mouth as I say the words. Do you see how my mouth looks like a smile when I get to the end of the words. My mouth looks like I’m smiling. Now what sounds do you hear at the ends of “chimpanzee” and “tree?” Can you make that sound with me? What other words that have the “ee” sound in them?

4. I’m going to read this top line of the lion page. Watch my finger follow the words as I read. Listen for words that are the same. Can you point to the word that is in the sentence again and again. What do you think this word says?

5. This big, gray animal is an elephant. I’m going to point to the word elephant. We can break long words up into parts or syllables by the way they sound. Let’s say the word elephant together. How many parts/syllables does it have? We can clap out the parts to help us. The word elephant has 3 parts/syllables. Let’s clap our names and see how many parts/syllables our names have in them.

6. I am going to read the zebra page. I wonder if there are any words on this page that rhyme. I know that when two words rhyme they have different beginning sounds but the rest of the word sounds the same, like “cat” and “bat.” Hmmm, listen to the words “mule” and “cool” I wonder if these words rhyme. Do the words “mule” and “cool” rhyme? What sounds in the word are different? What sounds in the words are the same?



7. Let’s listen to the rhyming words from the zebra page again. I can hear that “mule” and “cool” rhyme because they have different beginning sounds and the rest of the words sound the same. Wait a minute, the words “mule” and “cool” sound the same at the end but they don’t look the same. This must mean words that sound the same at the end and rhyme, don’t have to look the same. Let’s listen and look at the words “hair” and “care.” The words look different but they rhyme. How can you tell that they rhyme?

8. I’m looking for the word “and”- can you help me find it? I’m going to read the gorilla page. When you hear the word “and” raise your hand and we will see if we can find the word on the page. Let’s see how many we find.

9. The beginning line on our hippo page says “Hello, I’m a big happy hippo…” I hear some words in that sentence that start with the same sound. Listen again- I am going to read the sentence and follow the words with my finger. There are three words in the sentence that start with the “h” sound! Now I’m going to read it again with my finger- what words start with the /h/ sound?

10. Let’s look at the rhino page. The rhino’s skin is baggy and flappy. Let’s clap out the words “baggy” and “flappy.” How many syllables do you hear in the word “baggy?” There are 2! Hmm one of those syllables sounds like another word. Let’s clap out the syllables again. What word do you hear?




1. The title of this book is called Rumble in the Jungle- it takes us through a journey in the jungle. During our journey we get to meet many different animals. Let’s look through the pages of animals and find the biggest word on the page. Look at the chimpanzee page. What do you think the big word says? It says “chimpanzee.” This page will tell us about chimpanzees. Just like the title of a book tells us what the book will be about, the big words on the page tell us what animal we are going to be reading about. Let’s read the big words on the animal pages and see what other animals we will be reading about.

2. I see a big, black, hairy gorilla. Can you find him on the page? I also see two words next to the gorilla. They say “thud, thud.” That must be the sound you hear in the jungle when the big gorilla beats his chest. Can you beat your chest like a big gorilla? I also see a little gorilla with the words “pat, pat” That must be the sound that you hear in the jungle when a little gorilla beats his chest. I’m going to pretend I am a gorilla- can you tell which gorilla I am? Now its your turn to pretend you are one of the gorillas. Let’s see if we can guess if you are a big gorilla or a small gorilla?

3. Our journey in the jungle is ending and it’s time for bed. Some of the animal are still awake and some are sleeping. What animals do you see that are sleeping? How can you tell they are sleeping? Look at the ant hill and the elephant snout. These letters show that the animals are snoring. What does it sound like when you snore? It sounds like a long /z/ sound . I know it’s a long sound because they are many “z’s. Who can make the sound of the animals snoring?

4. The title of this story is Rumble in the Jungle. Watch my finger as I read the title. Which word says “Rumble?” Which word says “Jungle?” The word Rumble means to move with lots of sound. A playground can rumble with lots of kids running around laughing and screaming. A jungle is a hot place with lots of trees and many different kinds of animals. We know that the title of a book tells us what the book will be about. What do you think our story called “Rumble in the Jungle” will be about?



5. When you tell your mom about your day at school do you use a lot of words or a little bit of words? You use a lot of words! Just like you use a lot of words to tell a story, books have a lot of words to tell a story too. We can tell how many words are on a page by looking at the spaces between the words. I’m going to read the first line on the giraffe page and then I’m going to count the words. There are three words in the first line! Let’s read the second line on the giraffe page and use the spaces to help us count the words.

6. I see some letters on the leopard page that are capital/uppercase and I see some letters are lowercase. Where do you see the capital/uppercase letters? Where do you see the lowercase letters? All of the capital/uppercase letters are at the very beginning of each line. Let’s look at another page and find the capital/uppercase letters and the lowercase letters. In the pages of our story does each line start with a capital/uppercase letter or a lowercase letter?

7. The animal on this page is a lion. It is a huge cat with sharp teeth, and a mane around its head. That is what a lion looks like, but who can tell me what a lion sounds like? There are letters on this page that make the sound of a lion’s roar. Who can find those letters? Let’s read the lion’s roar all together.

8. Look at the sneaky smile on the boa constrictor’s face. He sure does look like he’s up to something -kind of like when you sneak into the kitchen to eat a cookie that you’re not supposed to eat. I’m going to read the page about this “slippery snake.” Listen for any other sneaky words that make you think of the boa constrictor. What did you hear that makes the snake sound?

9. I want to see if you can show me which gazelle I am talking about as I read the story. I am going to start on this side/the left side of the page and read across following with my finger. Raise your hand when you think you think you know what gazelle I’m reading about. What is the gazelle doing?

10. I see a terrifying tiger in the grass. What makes this tiger look so scary and terrifying? I’m going to read the tiger page. Listen carefully- can you pick out the words that sound scary? I am going to write them on the board and then we can look for them on the page.



Kindergarten Bear Snores On Author -Karma Wilson Illustrator -Jane Chapman

“In a cave, in the woods,

in his deep, dark lair,

through the long, cold winter

sleeps a great brown bear…”





Point out the story title word by word, Bear Snores On; tell them they will hear that phrase many times as you read.

Then Read


Read Again with Questions While similar to classroom reading techniques that a teacher would use, these are in greater depth, specificity, intentionality and use a systematic scaffold. You can read with emphasizing

Bear Snores On


just one area of questions or read shorter passages and ask questions from all the categories. Read again, and again, and again.


1. The bear is in a lair. What do you think a lair might be?

2. Do you know daddies that like to go to their table, or chair, or the basement and work? How is that like a lair?

3. If the bear lives in a lair, then a lair must be a kind of home. What kind of lair would a bird have? How about a mouse?

4. The wind is howling and the night sounds growl. Can you make the sound the wind is making? How about the night?

5. The mouse pitter pattered, tip toed, creep crawled into the cave. Who can show me how the mouse walked into the cave? Did he take little steps or big steps? Quiet steps or loud steps? What does it mean to pitter patter? Tip toe? Creep crawl?

6. The cave was damp and dank- these words mean almost the same thing. They both are talking about things that are wet. I remember when it rained a lot and the grass was all damp from the rain. Can you think of any places or things that are damp or dank? Why do you think the cave is damp and dank?

7. What animal is this? That’s right it looks like a rabbit- but the story says it is a hare. This must mean hare is another name for rabbit. So we can call this animal a rabbit or a _______(hare).

8. Our story says the bear was in a lair, the mouse was in a cave and the hare hopped in a den - but they are all in the same place. How are a lair, a cave and a den alike? Animals can live in a lair, a cave or a den. This means these words can mean the same thing!

9. The animals are going to divvy up the nuts- look at the picture, what do you think the word divvy means? What do you think they will do with the nuts?

10. The animals nibbled, chewed, chomped and crunched the nuts- these are different ways to eat- which one

Bear Snores On


makes the most noise? Which one makes just a little noise? Which animal nibbled? Chomped? Crunched?



1. The animals had a lot of fun in Bear’s cave. What are some of the fun things they did?

2. There were lots of different animals who went into Bear’s cave- my favorite animals were the ones who danced because I love dancing too! Which animal was your favorite? Why?

3. Remember when we went to the zoo and saw lots of animals? Do you remember the bear we saw that showed us all his sharp teeth! When the Bear in the story woke up the animals were very afraid. Why do you think the animals were so scared?

4. Our story takes place during the winter. Let’s read our story again- let’s look at the pictures and words that tell us its winter time. I see snow on the ground. How else can you tell that it is winter time?

5. Have you ever been to a sleepover? What did you do at the sleepover? Did you play games? Watch a movie? Eat snacks? Just like we go to our friend’s house to sleep over and have lots of fun- the animals seem to be having a sleepover in the bear’s cave. What kinds of fun things did the animals do?

6. The bear was sleeping deeply- that means it was difficult to wake him up. What happened that made the bear wake up?

7. I think it’s kind of silly that a piece of pepper woke the bear up. Why is it silly that a piece of pepper woke the bear up?

8. I remember when I went into a haunted house I was so scared I could hardly move. When the bear sneezed, all of the animals stood still- why do you think they did that? How did the animals feel?

9. Has their ever been a time when you felt left out? How did that make you feel? When bear sneezed the animals thought he was going to be angry but it turned out he was sad. Why was bear sad?

10. The beginning of the story has a snoring bear but someone else is snoring at the end of the story. Who is sleeping at the end of the story. Why are the other animals so sleepy?

Bear Snores On



1. Watch my mouth and listen- tell me if these two words sound the same- bear and lair? They have different beginnings but sound the same at the end- that means they rhyme.

2. Let’s look at the word “cold”- I wonder if I can make a new word if I change the /c/ sound at the beginning to a different sound. What new sound should I use? What new word did I make?

3. I hear words that start with the same sound on this page. (Read slowly) Raise your hand when you hear a /d/ sound. What words do you hear that start with the /d/ sounds?

4. I think we have heard the words on this page before- look at the picture what do you think the words say? Let’s read it together…”But the bear snores on…”

5. Look at this word on the page- it says BEAR. Now let’s look at this word (BEAR) on the same page- these words look and sound the same. What do you think this word (BEAR) says?

6. Let’s read the words “howl” and “growl”- these words look the same and they sound the same at the end. Do these words rhyme? Now let’s read the words “see” and “tea”- do these words sound the same at the end? Do they look the same? A word can rhyme (sound the same at the end) even if it doesn’t look the same.

7. Listen to these words “pip” and “pop”- what sound do the words start with? What sound do the words end with? That must mean the letter “p” makes the /p/ sound!

8. I’m looking for the word “and”- can you help me find it? We’ll see how many we find-you get to mark it if you hear it. Let’s read the story and look for the word “and.”

9. I wonder if I can make any new words if I add a sound to the word “up.” If I add the /p/ sound to “up” I get a new word- “pup.” Can you think of any other sounds we can add to “up” to make a new word?

10. Listen to the word “everybody.” This word is made up of 2 words- can you tell me what the words are?

Bear Snores On



1. In our story Bear is sleeping through the long winter. Are there any words in this story that make you feel sleepy?

2. Look at the word “cave”-what long vowel sound do you hear? Do you remember what letter in this word makes the “a” long/lets the “a” say its name?

3. In our story one of the animals is a hare. A hare is another name for a rabbit. This word sounds just like the hair on my head, but look it is spelled differently. These are the 2 different ways you spell hare/hair. How are these two words the same? How are they different?

4. Let’s take turns reading this page- I’m going to read it first and then I want you to read it just like I do it. I’m going to move my finger across the words as I read, “But the bear snores on.” Now it’s your turn.

5. Look at these words- they both say “burp”- in our story the hare burps big burps. One of them is in lowercase and one is in uppercase. Have you ever burped a big burp? Did your mom look at you and shook her head- did you say excuse me afterwards? Let’s look at the word burp again- which one do you think shows a big burp?

6. When the badger comes into the cave he smells and says “yummy-yums!” Look at the mark at the end of the sentence- that’s an exclamation point- that means he was excited! I remember when I used to smell cookies my mom was baking for Christmas- they were yummy-yums too! Now I know why badger is so excited! Let’s read that sentence together just like the badger would.

7. The bear let out a big sneeze! Can you show me the letters that tell us about the bear’s sneeze? Let’s start at the beginning of the sneeze and read it all the way across.

8. Let’s look and listen to the words howl and growl- these words rhyme! What letters in these words are different? What letters in these words are the same? Which letters make the “ow” sound in these words?

Bear Snores On


9. Hare was so happy to see mouse. He said, “Ho, mouse! Long time no see!” We know the hare is talking because of the quotation marks- see those little marks next to the top of the letters? Those are quotation marks, they let us know when someone is talking. Let’s read what the hare said to mouse together.

10. Look, we made it to the last page of our book and the end of our story. I’m going to read the last sentence of our story. This sentence says, “But his friends snore on.” Just like there is an end to our book, sentences have ends, too. Look at the dot on the end- that’s called a period. It tells us where the end of a sentence is. Let’s go to another page and look for the ends of sentences.

Bear Snores On


First Grade The Empty Pot Author & Illustrator: Demi

“I admire Ping’s great courage to appear before me with the empty truth, and now I reward him with my entire kingdom and make him Emperor of all the land!”





Point out the story title word by word, The Empty Pot.

Then Read



While similar to classroom reading techniques that a teacher would use, these are in greater depth, specificity, intentionality and use a systematic scaffold. You can read with emphasizing just one area of questions or read shorter passages and ask questions from all the categories. Read again, and again, and again..

The Empty Pot



1. The story says that every flower Ping planted “burst” into bloom. When we think of things that can burst, like a bubble or a balloon what does this tell us about the way Ping’s flowers grew?

2. The flowers made the air smell like perfume. I remember the smell of my mother’s perfume- it smelled so nice and pleasant. I loved to smell her clothes because they smelled like her perfume, which made me think sweet thoughts. How do you think the smell of flowers were like the smell of perfume?

3. Ping planted his seed in rich soil. Do you think that means the soil had a lot of money? Ping used rich soil

because the rich soil was full of healthy plant food that would help the flowers grow. What sort of rich foods do you eat to help you grow?

4. The book says that the children from all over the country “swarmed” to the palace to get their flower

seeds. Have you ever heard of a “swarm of bees,” or many bees buzzing about and flying to their hive? How do you think the children looked as they ran to the palace?

5. The Emperor was proud of Ping for coming to him with the “empty truth.” The pot Ping brought to the

Emperor was empty and he did not try to pretend that he was able to grow a flower. Why do you think the author called it the “empty truth?” When was a time that you told the truth? What happened?

6. The book says that Ping was “ashamed of his empty pot.” By taking a look at the picture, what do you

think the word “ashamed” means? Have you ever felt the way that Ping looks in the picture? Why did you feel that way?

7. The Emperor needed a successor. If we take off the “-or” from the end of successor, what word are we

left with? Success means to do well at something. But successor has a different meaning than the word success. If there needed to be a new emperor, what do you think successor means?

The Empty Pot


8. Ping’s father told Ping his best was good enough to “present to the Emperor.” For special occasions, we

sometimes give a present. This is the same spelling of the word present in the book, but it has a different meaning. What would it mean for Ping to “present” his empty pot to the Emperor?

9. When I make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I use the knife to spread the ingredients on the bread. In

the book, it said that a smile “slowly spread” over the Emperor’s face. What do you think the word “spread” means? Can you show me by slowly spreading a smile on your own face?

10. Although Ping was afraid of seeing the Emperor and hearing what he had to say about the empty pot, he

went to see the Emperor any way. Ping had to be very brave to do this. The Emperor said he “admired Ping’s great courage” to come and see him. What do you think courage means?

The Empty Pot



1. An emperor is kind of like a king because he is in charge of an entire country/kingdom. Emperors and kings have lots of beautiful treasures and they live in palaces. Why do you think all of the parents of the land wanted their children to be the new emperor?

2. Ping did not want to go see the emperor because he felt ashamed of his flower. Why did Ping feel ashamed

of his flower?

3. I remember planting pumpkin seeds in school and they grew when I took good care of them just like Ping. I wonder what would happen if I cooked the pumpkin seeds like the emperor and planted them- do you think they would grow? If cooked seeds do not grow, why did all of the children have such beautiful flowers?

4. Ping began to cry as he explained to the Emperor that his seed did not grow. How would you feel if

everyone else had grown beautiful flowers and you did not? What do you think Ping thought was going to happen to him?

5. Ping could not wait for his flower to sprout, grow and blossom into a beautiful flower. I remember

planting flowers with my parents in our yard and watching the flower burst out of the ground. How can you tell that a flower is growing and will turn into a flower? What can you see?

6. In this story we have followed the tale of Ping, the great flower grower. Who can tell me why the

Emperor wanted to have someone take his position, in the beginning of the story? What happened in the middle of the story to cause Ping to feel discouraged? Who can tell me how the story ended? How would you feel if you went through this situation like Ping did?

7. After talking to his clever friend, do you think that Ping wanted to go see the Emperor with his empty pot?

Who convinced him to go and see the Emperor? Who has encouraged you to do your best?

The Empty Pot


8. Ping waited an entire year for his seed to grow, but nothing grew. If you were in Ping’s shoes, you would be waiting from one birthday to the next birthday-a year later! Could you imagine waiting an entire year for a seed to grow? Have you ever had to wait for something to happen? Were you patient or did you start to get nervous or worried?

9. In the story, the children dressed in their best clothes to see the Emperor. What kinds of clothes would

you wear if you were going to see the President of the United States? Do the clothes you wear look similar or different to the clothes the children are wearing in the picture?

10. First-person narratives use the pronoun “I” to tell the story, and third-person narratives use “she,” “he,”

and “it” pronouns to tell the story. Have you seen the word “I” used anywhere other than sentences with quotation marks? Do you see the word “he” more often? Are we reading about Ping from his point of view (first person) or from an outside point of view (third person)?

11. Conflict in a story means the problem in the story that the main character deals with. What is the conflict

in this story? How is it resolved, or what is the solution (answer) to the problem?

The Empty Pot



1. Remember how we used to clap out a word to see how many syllables it had? Listen and look at the word “kingdom.” It has two syllables- can you break the syllables up in your head? One of the syllables is a word all by itself- can you pick out the word?

2. Let’s look at the word “flowerpot”- Can you break this word up into syllables? How many syllables do you

hear? What words do you hear?

3. I hear words that start with the same sound on this page. What words do you hear that start with the same sounds?

4. Look at the word “impossible.” Clap out loud to see how many syllables there are in this word. If possible

means “able to do something,” how do you think adding the “im” in front of possible changes the meaning?

5. The story said that Ping walked to the palace while holding the empty pot. Take a look at the word “holding.” If we take away “-ing,” what word are we left with? What other new words from the story can you make by taking away the “-ing?”

6. Let’s take a look at the word “hoping.” Can you clap out how many syllables there are? If we take away “-

ing,” what are we left with? This is not the word hope, but it would say hop. Does anyone know what letter was dropped from the word “hope” to turn it into hoping?

7. How many syllables are in the word “slowly”? What does the word slow mean? If we add an “-ly” to the

end of slow, it means that it is very slow. The word we use to say that something is done the opposite of slowly also ends in “-ly.” Can you think of what that word is?

The Empty Pot


8. Earlier, we discussed the different meanings of the word “present.” One meaning describes a gift (noun - item), and the other means to offer something to someone else (verb – to present). The reason why there are two different meanings to this word is based on the idea of stress, or where the emphasis is placed. Can you tell where the stress is in the word pre-sent verses pre-sent? What other words can have different meanings due to stress (excuse, minute, record)?

9. In the book, Ping was “sure he could grow the most beautiful flower.” Look at the spelling of the word, s-

u-r-e. Although it may look like it could sound like “sir,” the word “sure” has a “sh” sound at the beginning, like the word “should” or “share.” Can you think of any other letter combinations that make the “sh” sound?

10. Sometimes the same letter can have two different sounds. Earlier, we talked about the word “successor,”

which means “a person who takes the place of someone else.” Sound out the word with me: suc/ses/or. Can you hear how the first “c” in the word sounds hard like “cap” and the second “c” has a soft sound like an “s”? Lets make a list of words where the “c” is hard and when it is soft.

The Empty Pot



1. The characters in our story talk to each other just like we talk to each other and have a conversation. This is called dialogue. We can tell when the characters in our story are talking to each other when we see quotation marks. Can you find any quotation marks on this page? Let’s read the words like we are having a conversation.

2. How did the emperor react when Ping brought his empty pot? How do we know that he was excited? The exclamation point is a type of punctuation that lets us know the emperor was excited. Punctuation at the end of sentences tells us how to read the sentence. A question mark tells us the sentence is a question. Can anyone find a question and read it from our story?

3. What is the vowel sound in the word “sprout?” It’s “ow” like the word “cow.” Let’s read and listen for the

vowel sound “ow.” Let’s make a list of all the words we hear. Look at our list- what letters can go together to make the “ow” sound?

4. The story reads, “The next day a proclamation was issued: All the children in the land were to come to the

palace.” The punctuation mark separating this sentence is called a colon. A colon breaks apart the sentence into two sections, and tells the reader we should take a pause between the two parts just like the way we take a pause when we see a comma. Who can read the sentence out loud, pausing where the colon is before reading the rest of the sentence?

5. As we discussed before, an exclamation point creates a sense of urgency or excitement. What do you

think would happen if the author chose to only use exclamation points at the end of each sentence, instead of periods? Let’s read pages 2-4 by inserting exclamation points at the end of each sentence. How does this change the tone of the story?

6. We use capital letters to give a person’s name more importance than the rest of the words in a sentence.

What words are capitalized in this book? What makes them so important?

The Empty Pot


7. Let’s look at the word “couldn’t.” This word really means “could not.” When writers drop the “o” from the word “not” and add an apostrophe, it is called a contraction. What other words do you know that use contractions? What 2 words are “contracted” or joined together?

8. The story says that when the Emperor gave Ping the seed, he was “the happiest child of all.” If a child is

happy, the child is happy on his/her own. If we want to compare, we say that the child is happier than another child. What do you think the word happiest means? What other words have endings that change to show comparisons? (ex. smart, smarter, smartest; large, larger, largest).

9. In the book, it says that Ping’s father overheard what the clever boy said to Ping about his empty pot. The

mark between the “g” and “s” in “Ping’s” is called an apostrophe, and it shows possession, meaning that Ping’s father is his own and no one else’s. Can you use your own name and something you own to write out a possessive statement? (ex. Karl’s cat watched a bird out the window.)

10. How do we know where the book starts? Where it ends? How are the pages written so that we can read

the story? Do we read from right to left; or left to right? In some cultures, people read from right to left. How do the pictures in this story help to move the story along in a particular direction?

The Empty Pot


2nd Grade Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Author: Judith Viorst Illustrator: Ray Cruz

“I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water

was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”


Use a dramatic voice by varying your emphasis, loudness, and intonation; use character voices. Use highly expressive, facial and body language. Before You Start Reading


Point out story title; Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and tell them they will hear the words terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad many times as you read.

Then Read



While similar to classroom reading techniques that a teacher would use, these are in greater depth, specificity, intentionality and use a systematic scaffold. You can read with emphasizing just one area of questions or read

Alexander and the Terrible


shorter passges and ask questions from all the categories. Read again, and again, and again.


1. Terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad are all synonyms, words that have the same meaning. What do you think the antonym (opposite) of terrible is?

2. In the story, Alexander says that his best friend deserted him. Let’s think about the story. How does Alexander feel when he says his friend deserted him? What do you think deserted means?

3. When we add a suffix to the end of a word, it affects its meaning. In this case, the –ed suffix changes the tense of the word it is attached to. Let’s think about the following words: painted, colored, hammered. What are the root words? When we add the –ed suffix it changes the tense of the word from present tense (happening at that moment) to past tense (has already happened). Now that we know that desert means to “leave someone or something without planning to return,” what happens to the meaning of the word when we add the -ed to the end? What does deserted mean?

4. While riding to school, Alexander was forced to in the middle of the back seat. While riding, he said that he was being scrunched and smushed. Have you ever had to ride in the middle of the back seat in a crowded car? What did it feel like? Was it comfortable? Using your experiences riding in the middle seat of a crowded car, what do you think scrunched and smushed mean?

5. Throughout the beginning of the story, Alexander says that he could “tell that it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” The word tell has more than one meaning. When Alexander uses the word, he is referring to the feeling of knowing that something is going to happen a certain way. What is another meaning of tell? Let’s use tell in 2 different sentences using the two different meanings.

6. Alexander’s day continues to get worse when his teacher prefers Paul’s picture of a sailboat over his picture of an invisible castle. How was Alexander’s invisible castle different from Paul’s sailboat? Well, let’s take a look at my invisible dog. Isn’t he cute! What do you think about my invisible car? Can you see my invisible dog and my invisible car? So why doesn’t Alexander’s teacher like his invisible castle?



7. The words sailboat, railroad, skateboard, and crybaby all have something in common. All of these words are compound words. Compound words are words that are made of two different words put together to create a new word. Can you think of any other compound words?

8. Words that are used to describe people, places, and things are called adjectives. When describing the shoes he was forced to buy, Alexander describes the shoes as the “plain, old, white ones.” Which of the words in this phrase are adjectives?

9. While picking his dad up from work Alexander is told to “watch” out for the books on his father’s desk. The word “watch” has more than one meaning. What does “watch” mean when dad says to “watch out for the books on his desk”? What is the second meaning of “watch”?

10. When Alexander got in trouble for punching his brother, he said that his mother “scolded” him. Have you ever gotten in trouble? What happens when you get in trouble? Using your own experience with getting in trouble, what do you think the word “scolded” means?




1. At the end of the story Alexander’s mother explains to him that “…everyone has bad days, even people who live in Australia.” Why do you think his mother said this? Do you think this made Alexander feel better? Why? What makes you feel better when you have a bad day?

2. I have had days like Alexander’s before. From the moment I woke up, everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. Have you ever had a day like that? What events happened to Alexander throughout the day that made him feel like his day just kept getting worse and worse?

3. Every story has a point of view. A point of view is basically how the events of the story are seen through the eyes of the person telling the story (i.e. the narrator, characters in the story). Whose point of view do we see the story through? How would the story be different if Alexander’s mother were telling the story?

4. At the end of the story Alexander goes to sleep after having a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” How do you think he feels the next morning when he wakes up? Do you think he will forget what happened the previous day or that he will still be upset? Why or why not?

5. The title of the book is “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very bad day.” From the title, who do you think the main character of the book is? Now let’s look at the first page of the book. What do you see? How does this first page introduce the main character of the story?

6. Sometimes when I get my feelings hurt I feel like I want bad things to happen to the person who hurt my feelings. Why did Alexander say that he hoped Paul would sit on a tack and drop his next double-decker strawberry ice-cream cone?

7. A character’s motivation refers to the reason(s) for their feelings, thoughts and actions. What are three events in the story that motivate Alexander to feel that he is having a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”?



8. After Alexander, his brothers, and his mother go to pick his father up from work, Alexander’s father requests that they “please don’t pick him up anymore.” From this statement and the picture, what conclusions can we draw about how Alexander’s dad feels? Do you think he feels like he is having a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day too? How do you know Alexander’s dad is not having a good day?

9. Let’s think about all of the things that happened to Alexander throughout the story that made him feel that he was having a bad day. What things happened in the beginning of the story? What things happened in the middle of the story? What things happened at the end of the story? Looking back at all of the events in the story, whose fault was it that Alexander was having a bad day?

10. When I have a bad day I sometimes find myself complaining about everything. When I complain, the people around me ignore me, which only makes me feel worse. Throughout the story Alexander mentions that “No one even answered” him when he complained about particular events in his day. How do you think that made Alexander feel? Why do you think no one answered him when he complained?




1. How many syllables are in the words terrible and horrible? Let’s clap the syllables. Can you think of any other three syllable words?

2. After waking up, Alexander accidentally drops his sweater in the sink. How many letters does the word sink have? How many syllables does the word sink have? If we take off the “s” and put in a “p,” we get the word pink! Do pink and sink rhyme? What other words rhyme with sink?

3. A compound word is a word that is made up of two words put together to make one word. In the beginning of the story, Alexander trips on a skateboard. The word skateboard is a compound word with two syllables. The first syllable is skate and the second syllable is board, and when we put them together we get skateboard! What happens when we put the words good and night together? What does this word mean? When do we use this word?

4. How many syllables are in the word invisible? Let’s clap the syllables. Can you think of anymore 4 syllable words?

5. Some words have combinations of letters that, when put together, cannot be read by sounding out the syllables. These words are called sight words. Think about the word castle. Can you read this word by sounding it out? No, castle is a sight word. Let’s list some more sight words.

6. On the way to school, Alexander says that he was getting scrunched and smushed sitting in the middle of the back seat. Scrunched and smushed both have middle sounds that are made up of two letters put together. When two letters put together make one sound it is called a digraph. What sound does “sh” make in the word smushed? What sound does “ch” make in the word scrunched?

7. Towards the middle of his day, Alexander says that his day got worse “because after school,” his mom took him and his brothers to the dentist. Many letters and letter combinations make more than one sound. Let’s look at the word school. Does the “ch” in this word make the same sound as the “ch” in the word cherry? What sound does the “ch” in school make?



8. While in the shoe store, Alexander’s brother buys blue shoes from the shoe man. Let’s say the words blue and shoe. What end sound do both of these words have? Do these words rhyme? What are some other words that end with the same sound and rhyme with blue and shoe?

9. Alexander hates lima beans. In the word hate what letter makes the “a” a long sound/say its name? If we put a silent “e” at the end of the word not, what word would we get? What are some other words that we can build by placing a silent “e” at the end?

10. After eating dinner Alexander explains that he got soap in his eyes and that he had to wear his railroad pajamas that he does not like. Let’s say the words eyes and pajamas. Both of these words end with “s,” but the sound you hear at the end of the words is /z/. When an /s/ follows a vowel at the end of a word, the /s/ sounds like a /z/. What other words can you think of that follow this pattern?




1. Look at the front cover of the book. Now look at the back cover of the book. Which side looks like it is where we should start reading? When I open the cover of the book and turn to the first page of the story I see words on the page with a picture. Where do you think I should start reading? Does the first word start on the left side or the right side? Have you ever tried to read a story by reading from the right to the left side of the book? Were you able to understand what you read? Why would it be silly to read a story starting from the words on the right side of the page?

2. When we talk about the “tone” of a story, we are talking about how an author is saying something. Many things happen to Alexander throughout his day that upset him and make him feel as if his day is getting continually worse. As we read the story, how did it make you feel? Do you think that the author intended for you to feel that way? What do you think the tone of the story is?

3. Quotation marks are used in stories to show when two or more characters are talking to each other. Just like we talk to our friends, characters talk to each other in stories. This is called dialogue. Let’s look through the book. Where in the story do you see quotation marks? What characters are talking to each other?

4. Many times when I am upset and I feel like nothing is going my way I like to sit and talk to a friend about how I am feeling. How would you begin a conversation with Alexander about his day? What questions would you ask him? What comments would you make concerning his behavior and feelings throughout the day?

5. Throughout the beginning of the story, Alexander said that he “could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” Look at the word could. When you say this word, do you hear each of the 5 letters that make up the word? How many sounds do you hear? Although the word has 5 letters, it only has 3 sounds. How is the spelling of the words should and would similar to that of could?



6. When we make lists we use commas to help break up the things we are listing. At the very beginning of the story, Alexander lists the events that happened after he woke up. Do you see any commas between the different events? Let’s read it again. What does the passage sound like when you read it with no pauses for commas? Why do you think the author decided not to place commas after each event? How does this lack of punctuation set the tone for the rest of the story?

7. Alexander is telling the events of the day from his perspective. Because it is his story about how he viewed the events of the day, we can say that the story is subjective. An objective story or description of events allows for the listener or reader to see things from an un-biased view, a view that does not take sides, but simply tells what happened. If you were a character in the story, how different would you see the events of the day? How would you describe the reaction of Alexander’s teacher? How would you describe Alexander’s experience in the shoe store?

8. After getting scolded for his behavior, Alexander says that he is “having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day…” Look at the word having. Is there a suffix connected to this word? What is the root word? Yes, have is the root word and –ing is the suffix. What do you notice about the word have compared to the word having? What happens to the “e” at the end of have when the –ing is added to the end of the word? What other words follow this spelling pattern?

9. When I was little I used to love to play in the mud after and rain puddles after is rained. How many of you like to play in the mud and get muddy after it rains? Alexander hated getting muddy after his dental appointment so much that he started crying and his brother called him a crybaby. If you were Alexander’s brother, what would you say to Alexander as he was sitting in the mud crying?

10. If you could re-write this story, what parts of the story would you give more detail and description? What characters would you use? How would you end the story?


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