Tacky the Penguin is one of my favorite stories for winter! He's just so loveable! I love how he is true to himself and doesn't care what others think of him.
I found this awesome professionally done video read-aloud. The sound effects add a lot to the story.
I also created a book study for Tacky the Penguin. You can find it it my TPT store HERE. It is full of fun literature-based activities! A FREEBIE from the unit is included below. :)
I also included it in my Helen Lester Bundle. If you already own this bundle, you can redownload it and get the Tacky unit for free. It now contains 3 book studies and 3 scoot activities. You can check it out HERE.
I am a huge fan of integrating literary texts with informational texts. My unit for Tacky would blend beautifully with this non-fiction study on Penguins. It has text in 3 formats: real-world photos, colorful clipart, and a line art student booklet. You can see it HERE.
I hope this freebie from Tacky the Penguin will be useful to you! You can download or print it through Dropbox by clicking HERE or on the picture below.
I LOVE discovering great new children's literature! These two new titles are absolutely fabulous! Let's look first at Little Boo by Stephen Wunderli. It is a the perfect tale for a unit on fall, Halloween, plants, pumpkins, or character education. Little Boo starts off as a seed who is discouraged because he isn't scary. The wind lovingly guides him on his journey into becoming a pumpkin. Little Boo learns that sometimes we have to wait for the things we want the most.
Here is a video that will give you a quick picture walk through the book. It will give you a good preview of the text's level and the sweet illustrations. It is available in paperback from Scholastic's book clubs this fall.
Who doesn't love EVERYTHING that Kevin Henkes writes?!? His newest book, Waiting, is different from his other works, but it will become a classic, too. There is limited text on each page, but much of the story must be interpreted from the illustrations. It is the tale of 5 little toys who sit on a windowsill. Each one is waiting for something different to happen. None of them anticipate meeting someone new who will change the way they view waiting. I found a wonderful interview with Kevin Henkes on his latest book and how it was inspired. You can read it {HERE}.
Waiting can be so challenging for all of us! Children can find it especially challenging. I would highly recommend reading Little Boo and Waiting to the young children in your classroom or in your life. If you do, you may like this little freebie. {HERE} is a Venn diagram for comparing and contrasting these two beautiful stories.
I just added a book study for Little Boo to my Teachers pay Teachers store. It is full of activities, a nonfiction reader, and assessments related to the text. You can check it out by clicking the picture below.
I hope that you have found a new title or two to check out soon! Happy reading!
Sometimes teaching character education or addressing sensitive issues can be tricky! That's why I love to incorporate literature as often as possible. Reading about a rat who is being bullied because of his speech disorder is a lot less stressful that getting lectured about being kind to others. Helen Lester is my favorite author for character education. I think of her as the Aesop for our generation. She uses animals in bad situations to teach a moral lesson that can be easily understood and applied. See? Modern day fables at their best!
I have already written about my love for Listen Buddy and A Porcupine Named Fluffy. You can see their videos and grab some freebies by clicking on the titles above.
I also ADORE Wodney Wat. There is so much that you can do with this book! It is wonderful for those critical first days of school. Wodney cannot pronounce his r's correctly, and his classmates tease him day in and day out. Then, Camilla Capybara arrives and they are all bullied. Wodney becomes a hero when he saves everyone through a hilarious game of Simon Says. Here is a fun video read aloud of the story if you'd like to know more.
Let's face it! In every class, there will be at LEAST one kiddo who has to be first. He or she will cut in line, take the sharpest pencil, or the grab the best seat at the lunch table whenever possible. Doing so will be a BIG source of classroom conflict. When that situation arises, reading Me First would be a great idea! Pinkerton the pig ALWAYS has to be first! So, when he hears a voice calling, "Who would care for a sandwich?" His answer is, of course, ME FIRST! However, he ends up meeting the SandWITCH who demands that he care for her until he learns his lesson. It is a funny but meaningful tale! Check it out below!
Hurty Feelings is an awesome choice in a very TOUGH situation --- over sensitivity! We all have had sweet ones who wear their feelings on their sleeves or cry at the drop of a hat over something that others don't view as a big deal. A hippo named Fragility had the same problem! Even when the other animals are complimenting her, she misconstrues their meaning and gets offended. They start avoiding her because they are afraid that she will throw another fit. Then, Rudy the elephant shows up and gives Fragility a hard time. She learns to stand strong. Hopefully, the lesson will transfer well. The video below has blurry images, but it was created by a class who narrate the story and that makes it so sweet!
I have added three new Helen Lester comprehension scoots to my store. They are available for $1.50 each, and since TPT lifted their minimum check out requirement, you can grab them whenever you need one. They are also available in this newly added discounted bundle. You can check it out {HERE} or by click the pic below.
I hope these titles will help you navigate through some difficult situations!
As a child, I had very few experiences with people with special needs. During the 1980's, children with special needs in my school district were bused to a special school. It was quite an insult during that time for someone to accuse you of being "retarded" or ask if you "rode the short bus". In my neighborhood, there was a young man with special needs. Looking back now, it seems likely that he had a severe form of autism. However, as a child, we regarded him as the "Boo Radley" of our street.
My how times have changed! Despite a rocky start, children with special needs have played an increasingly significant role in my life. I wrote about my journey as an inclusion teacher in this post. My own children have a real heart for people with special needs. My daughter asked me to join her in volunteering with a foundation called Anchor of Hope. One Friday night a month, we provide a fun night for kids with special needs while their parents get a much needed night off to shop, eat dinner at a restaurant, or see a movie.
This past Friday, at our volunteer dinner, we watched an amazing video on autism called "Just Like You". The video does an incredible job using young people with and without disabilities to explain the specific needs of kids with autism. They build empathy for their struggles while also explaining how to be friends with them. They have a second video that is equally as wonderful on Down Syndrome. Please take the time to watch these videos and share them. Consider sharing them with your special education director, school counselor, or principal. These could help educate the next generation so that they will be wiser and kinder than we were.
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