I LIKE TO READ
®
Level
A PICTURE BOOK SERIES FOR EMERGING READERS
Lesson Plans
for Classroom Use
BONUS!
Reproducible Teacher and Parent Involvement Letters Included
www.HolidayHouse.com/I-Like-to-Read
B
I LI K E TO R E A D ®
Level
A PICTURE BOOK SERIES FOR EMERGING READERS
Dear Teacher:
We are pleased to present this I LIKE TO READ® Lesson Plan set! Within this set you’ll find:
•
•
Lesson Plans appropriate for Guided Reading Level B books which show how to accomplish your teaching objectives
A parent involvement letter—both in English and in Spanish—that you can reproduce and send home with your students
Featured Level B Books:
•
•
•
•
HAPPY CAT by Steve Henry
I HAVE A GARDEN by Bob Barner
PIG HAS A PLAN by Ethan Long
YOU CAN DO IT! by Betsy Lewin
Holiday House is proud to publish the innovative and award-winning I LIKE TO READ® books, which
are just right for emergent readers. These picture books by renowned and beloved artists have
been evaluated and assigned Guided Reading Levels A through G based on the Fountas and Pinnell
system and feature:
•
•
•
•
short texts
familiar vocabulary
repetition to reinforce learning
illustrations that are designed to be a part of the learning experience
The series has received tremendous praise!
“These books deftly combine text and art to create a positive experience for new readers.”
—School Library Journal
“Each one makes the hard work of learning to read enough fun to encourage children
at this crucial developmental moment to try another one.”—Vicky Smith, Children’s and
YA Editor at Kirkus Reviews
We hope you find these books and materials useful in helping form a new generation of readers!
www.HolidayHouse.com/I-Like-to-Read
B
I LI K E TO R E A D ®
A PICTURE BOOK SERIES FOR EMERGING READERS
Dear Parent:
Our classroom is busy with budding readers, and we want to share that good news along with some
tips for extending the reading experience at home.
We’re using I LIKE TO READ® Books, which are just right for the beginning reader! The innovative
and award-winning I LIKE TO READ® picture books are written and illustrated by renowned and
beloved artists. The books have been evaluated by an expert and assigned Guided Reading Levels
A through G based on the Fountas and Pinnell system. They feature:
•
•
•
•
short texts
familiar vocabulary
repetition to reinforce learning
illustrations that are designed to be a part of the learning experience
The series has received tremendous praise!
“These books deftly combine text and art to create a positive experience for new readers.”
—School Library Journal
“Each one makes the hard work of learning to read enough fun to encourage children at this
crucial developmental moment to try another one.”—Vicky Smith, Children’s and YA Editor
at Kirkus Reviews
Here are some tips to help your new reader learn to love and enjoy reading.
BEFORE YOUR CHILD READS A NEW BOOK, TAKE A “PICTURE WALK”:
•
•
•
Introduce the book by reading aloud the title and names of the author and illustrator.
Flip through the pages and look at the pictures—no need to read yet. Then ask your child
what he or she thinks the book will be about.
Engage your child in talking about the book. Some questions to ask as you go through might
be, what is that character doing here? How do you think she or he feels? What is familiar in this book? How do you think this story might end?
Taking a picture walk will help stimulate a child’s imagination as well as improve comprehension.
It will also help later in classroom discussions as he or she learns to express ideas and opinions.
Once you’re done with the picture walk, you can read aloud together:
•
•
•
•
For very new readers, you can take turns reading through the book.
Do help your child with difficult words, asking what might make sense or offering the right word.
Continue to ask questions about the story as you read.
Praise is always a plus! Let your young reader know that he or she is doing a good job.
Most important of all, have fun!
www.HolidayHouse.com/I-Like-to-Read
I LI K E TO R E A D ®
A PICTURE BOOK SERIES FOR EMERGING READERS
Estimado Padre:
Nuestra aula está llena de nuevos y ávidos lectores; por ello queremos compartir con ustedes,
además de esta magnífica noticia, algunas ideas para introducir este hábito en casa.
Para tal fin, les recomendamos los libros de la colección I LIKE TO READ®/ME GUSTA LEER, especialmente adecuados para los lectores principiantes. Son libros innovadores y de alta calidad, escritos e
ilustrados por reconocidos autores y artistas. Evaluados por expertos, están clasificados por niveles
de lectura entre A y G según las normas de Guided Reading, basado en el sistema de Fountas y
Pinnell. Así, presentan las siguientes características:
•
•
•
•
texto sencillo
vocabulario cercano al niño
texto repetitivo para reforzar la comprensión
ilustraciones que contribuyen a consolidar la experiencia del aprendizaje
Esta serie ha recibido fantásticas reseñas, entre otras:
«Estos libros combinan con ingenio texto e ilustración para lograr una experiencia positiva entre los
nuevos lectores».—School Library Journal.
«Cada libro de esta serie hace que la difícil tarea de aprender a leer sea tan divertida que anime
a los niños, en este momento crítico de su desarrollo, a buscar nuevos libros».—Vicky Smith, Editora
de Libros Infantiles y Juveniles, Kirkus Reviews.
Aquí les ofrecemos algunas recomendaciones para que sus hijos disfruten y desarrollen el amor
por la lectura.
ANTES DE COMENZAR LA LECTURA, REALICE UN «RECORRIDO PANORÁMICO»:
•
•
•
Comience por leer en voz alta el título y los nombres del autor y del ilustrador.
Pase las páginas y observe las ilustraciones sin leer el texto. Pregúntele a su hijo de qué piensa que trata el libro.
Anime a su hijo a hablar del libro. Algunas preguntas posibles para estimular la
conversación podrían ser: ¿qué hace el protagonista? ¿Cómo se siente? ¿Qué cosas le
son familiares? ¿Cómo terminará la historia?
Este pequeño ejercicio estimulará la imaginación del niño y contribuirá a la mejor comprensión de
la lectura. Más adelante, en los debates que se susciten en clase, le ayudará a expresar mejor sus
ideas y opiniones.
Una vez que hayan terminado «el recorrido panorámico», podrán iniciar la lectura compartida:
•
•
•
•
Si el niño ya sabe leer, pueden turnarse a la hora de hacerlo.
Ayude a su hijo con las palabras difíciles dándole algunas pistas o términos similares.
Haga preguntas relacionadas con la historia según avance.
¡No olvide elogiar a su hijo! Es importante que el nuevo lector sepa que se reconoce
su esfuerzo.
¡Pero lo más importante es que la lectura sea un motivo de diversión!
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LE S S O N P LAN
Happy Cat
An I Like to Read® Book, Level B
written and illustrated by Steve Henry
Take a walk with Cat as he comes in from the cold and finds a place to call home.
Objectives: Read emergent text with purpose and understanding; retell familiar
PB 978-0-8234-3177-9 / HC 978-0-8234-2659-1
stories, including key details; understand story elements; identify characters, settings
and major events; produce and expand complete sentences; read common high-frequency words by sight.
Guided Reading Level: B/Emergent Reader
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Interest Level: Pre-K–2
Common Core Strands in This Guide:
Reading Literature: RL.K.1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10/RL.1.1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9
Reading Foundational Skills: RF.K.1, 3, 3c, 4/RF.1.1, 1a, 3, 4, 4a, 4b
Writing: W.K–1.3, 5, 8
Speaking and Listening: SL.K–1.1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Language: L.K.1, 1d, 1e, 2, 2a, 2b, 2d, 4, 5, 6/L.1.1, 2, 2e, 4, 5, 6
BEFORE READING
1. Hold up the book Happy Cat. Ask students if they recognize any of the words in the title. Read the title.
2. Look at the cover illustration. Have students tell what is happening.
3. Write who, what, where and when on the board and fill in answers with the group. (who: Cat, what: is
reading a book, where: on the windowsill, when: in winter)
4. Write happy on the board. Ask students to share what makes them happy. Record answers around happy.
5. Read the name of the author/illustrator. Discuss the roles of author and illustrator.
6. Ask students what questions they can ask themselves to understand what they read.
7. Think out loud as you take a book walk through the story. (Ex., Who are the characters in the story?
I see a rabbit, a dog, a bird, etc.)
8. Where does this story take place? I see a building with a lot of steps.
9. Ask students where the animals live (city) and what kind of home the animals live in. Explain that there
are many different kinds of homes. Look at the first-page-spread illustration. Write apartment building on
the board. If the students are not familiar with apartment living, explain that in cities homes can be single
buildings where many families live. Each family has its own apartment in the building. This is a way for
many people to live in an area that does not have space for separate houses.
10. Discuss the characters in the book. Use the Holiday House flash cards available online and read the animal
names as you flash the cards. Have the students look at the first letter in each word and say the sound. What
two animals start with the same sound? (Rabbit, Rat.) Ask students how they can tell the two names apart.
11. Flash the remaining vocabulary words from the story, saying the word as you show the group. Choose
individuals to read the cards.
12. Show two cards and have students find a word. (Ex., Showing went and was, ask students, “Who can find
the word went?”)
13. Read to find out why Cat is happy.
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DURING READING
1. Tell students to turn to the title page. Explain to the group that the title page will tell the title, author,
illustrator and publisher.
2. Discuss how Cat is feeling in the beginning of the story. Explain that how Cat is feeling (cold, alone,
unhappy, uncomfortable, terrible, miserable) is the opposite/antonym of happy.
3. Read the first page together. Have students point to the word on the page that tells how Cat is feeling. (cold)
4. Ask students what they think Cat will do. What would you do?
5. Turn to the next page. Read the next two pages together.
6. Explain that Cat went through the window that leads to the basement. The bottom floor of an apartment
building is the basement.
7. Who lives in the basement of the building? (Rat)
8. How is Cat feeling now? How do you know? (The picture shows him smiling.)
9. Read the next page together. Notice the stairs. What words tell you that Cat is going to the next floor of
the building? (Cat went up.)
10. Read the rest of the book with the group.
11. What is happening as Cat goes up? (Cat climbs the stairs and meets with the animals living in the apartment building.)
12. How is Cat feeling at the end of the story? Explain.
13. Have the students reread the story in groups of two.
AFTER READING
1. Retell the story using words and pictures. Answers will vary.
In the beginning of the story Cat is
In the middle of the story
Next, the animals
At the end of the story Cat
.
.
.
.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Share responses with the group.
What was the problem and the solution in the story?
Go back to the last page of the book. Why were all the animals happy?
Discuss “acts of kindness.” Ask the students to share a time when they were kind. How does being kind
make you feel?
6. On the accompanying worksheet, have students use picture cards and words to make each of the
following sentences true.
Dog gave Cat a
Bird gave Cat a
. Rabbit gave Cat a
. Elephant gave Cat a
.
.
7. Have the students go back to the story and write what each animal is doing as Cat meets them.
Cat met Dog. Dog is
.
Cat met Rabbit. Rabbit is
.
Cat met Bird. Bird is
.
Cat met Elephant. Elephant is
.
8. Write a sentence and draw a picture that tell what Dog and Cat have in common.
Word Work
9. Use the sight words cold, happy, up, went, All, were and in to fill in the blanks. Put a period at the end of
each sentence.
He went
All were
Cat was
. Cat went
. All
.
.
happy. The cat
up.
were happy.
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AC TI V I T Y
Happy Cat
An I Like to Read® Book, Level B
written and illustrated by Steve Henry
NAME:
PB 978-0-8234-3177-9 / HC 978-0-8234-2659-1
DIRECTIONS: Use the pictures below to complete each sentence. With the help of an
adult, cut out the pictures using children’s safety scissors, then paste them in the box next
to the correct sentence to show what item each animal gave to Cat. Write the name of
each item in the blank space.
1. Dog gave Cat a
.
2.Rabbit gave Cat a
.
3.Bird gave Cat a
Illustrations © 2013 by Steve Henry
4.Elephant gave Cat a
.
.
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L E S S O N P LAN
I Have a Garden
An I Like to Read® Book, Level B
written and illustrated by Bob Barner
A dog has a beautiful garden filled with many of nature’s creatures.
In the end it is everyone’s garden.
PB 978-0-8234-3056-7 / HC 978-0-8234-2527-3
Objectives: Read emergent text with purpose and understanding; recognize
nouns, pronouns, main idea/details, picture/text connections and changes from beginning to end of the story.
Guided Reading Level: B/Emergent Reader
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Interest Level: Pre-K–1
Common Core Strands in This Guide:
Reading Literature: RL.K.1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10/RL.1.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Reading Foundational Skills: RF.K.3, 3c, 4/RF.1.3, 4
Writing: W.K–1.2, 7, 8
Speaking and Listening: SL.K–1.1, 4, 5, 6
Language: L.K.1, 1b, 5, 5a, 5c, 6/L.1.1, 4, 5, 6
BEFORE READING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Read the title and have the students look at the cover illustration.
Who is the author/illustrator? What is the role of the author? illustrator?
Write the word garden on the board. Discuss the meaning of a garden.
Have students identify pictures in the cover illustration that are found in a garden. Write the words
around garden.
Who is “I” in the title?
Have the students take a picture walk through the book and predict what the story is going to be about.
Discuss how we identify the main character in the story.
Discuss how we know the main idea and the details of a story.
Word Work/Vocabulary
9. New vocabulary (pronouns): I, we, us, me.
10. Have the students use each pronoun in a sentence.
11. Read to find out the main idea and details, as well as how the story changes from the beginning to the
end.
DURING READING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explain who is telling the story.
Who is the main character of the story? (the dog) How do you know who is telling the story?
What is the main idea of I Have a Garden? Support your answer with details from the story.
Create a main idea/detail chart on the board. Add items from the garden as you read.
How do the pictures and words connect? Find a word and the matching picture on each page.
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6. How does the plot change from the beginning to the end of the story? (In the beginning the dog says, “I
have a garden,” but in the end he says, “We have a garden.”)
7. Who is we in the story?
8. Name all the things the dog has found in the garden. Are they living or nonliving? How do you know?
AFTER READING
1. Write the words I have
in my garden. Ask students to share other things that can be found
in a garden and to draw a picture.
2. Create a class mural titled Our Garden.
3. Use the words us, we, me, I to make sentences about the beginning and end of the story.
In the beginning.
have a garden.
The garden is for all of
.
At the end.
have a garden.
The garden is for all of
.
4. Expanding vocabulary prompts
•
•
Can you name the bug in the garden? What other kinds of bugs can be found in a garden?
Add these new words to the list around the word garden. Draw a picture of each.
What do you know about all these things we can find in a garden? What do they have?
(parts—wings, beak, shell, tail). What sounds do they make? (buzz, ribbit)
Science Extension
•
•
Take a walk with the class. (If a walk outside is not possible, a virtual walk via online resources
could be an enriching experience.) Discuss living and nonliving things. Create a list of living and
nonliving things that can be found in a garden. (Ex., birds, flowers, squirrels are living; a bone,
flowerpot, flag are nonliving.)
Provide a table in the classroom that has nonfiction books about living and nonliving things
found in a garden. (Ex., bugs, butterflies, rocks, trees.)
• Have the students choose a topic from the list above. Find a book in the “science center”
on that topic and use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply
some information about the topic.
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AC TI V I T Y
I Have a Garden
An I Like to Read® Book, Level B
written and illustrated by Bob Barner
NAME:
PB 978-0-8234-3056-7 / HC 978-0-8234-2527-3
Illustrations © 2013 by Bob Barner
DIRECTIONS: Match the word to the correct picture. Write the name next to the picture.
frog
chipmunk
bee
snail
bird
bug
butterfly
flowers
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L E S S O N P LAN
Pig Has a Plan
An I Like to Read® Book, Level B
written and illustrated by Ethan Long
Poor Pig! All he wants to do is take a nap, but his barnyard pals are making
a racket! What is all the commotion about?
Objectives: Read emergent text with purpose and understanding; retell familiar
PB 978-0-8234-2911-0 / HC 978-0-8234-2428-3
stories, including key details; identify characters, settings and major events in a story;
blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words; read common high-frequency words by sight.
Guided Reading Level: B/Emergent Reader
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Interest Level: Pre-K–2
Common Core Strands in This Guide:
Reading Literature: RL.K.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10/RL.1.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Reading Foundational Skills: RF.K.1, 2a, 2c, 2e, 3, 3a, 3c, 3d, 4/RF.1.1, 1a, 2, 2b, 2d, 3, 3b, 4
Writing: W.K–1.3, 6, 8
Speaking and Listening: SL.K–1.1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Language: L.K.1, 1b, 1d, 2, 2a, 2c, 2d, 4, 5, 5d, 6/L.1.1, 2, 2a, 2e, 4, 5, 5d, 6
BEFORE READING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Read the title and discuss the cover illustration.
Write the word plan on the board. Talk about what it means to plan something. (an idea or design)
Create a class list of “things I plan.” (a party, a game, a meal, a fire escape)
Do plans always work out? Discuss how sometimes we plan something, but “things do not always go as
planned.”
Give a real-life example, such as “I planned on wearing my new shirt today, but I realized that it is in the
washing machine. So I chose a different shirt.”
Have students share examples.
What do you think Pig plans to do?
Read the name of the author/illustrator. Discuss the roles of author and illustrator.
Explain to the students that Ethan Long writes many different children’s books. Display some of his books.
Open the book to the first spread. Do not take a picture walk. (There is a surprise ending!)
Have students name the animal characters on the first pages.
Write the characters on the board: Pig, Hen, Cow, Cat, Dog, Rat, Hog, Pup, Fly.
(Visit http://holidayhouse.com/I-Like-to-Read/flash-cards.php to download flash cards for this story and
all the I Like to Read® books.)
Explain that the first letter of each name is capitalized. Have students come up, say the word and circle
the first letter in each word as they say the sound. (Ex., Pig, P; Hen, H; Cow, C; etc.)
Discuss the text of the story. Ask students to use evidence from the illustration to explain why this book is
fiction.
Practice sight-word vocabulary words from the story: a, can, cannot, wants, has, plan, to, now, saw. (Use
the downloadable flash cards available online.)
Read the book to find out if Pig gets to follow his plan.
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DURING READING
1. Read the story as a group.
2. Ask students to slide their finger across the sentence from left to right.
3. Each sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. Remind students to point to each
word as they read.
4. Ask the students how the illustrations and words help them understand what the story is going to be about.
5. Begin with the first page. Ask students to describe how Pig is feeling. Why is he angry? How do you know?
6. Where does the story take place? Explain using evidence from the story.
7. Read the next page. Pig wants to nap. Why is he still awake?
8. Read each page as the students describe the actions of each of the animals. Stop where Fly takes a sip
and Pig cannot nap.
9. Ask the group what is happening on the farm.
10. Turn the page and read “Pig has a plan.” The animals seem to have a plan too! What do you think is
going to happen?
11. What would you do if you wanted to nap and there was a lot of noise?
12. What do you think Pig will do? Turn the page.
13. What is Pig’s final plan? Does his plan work? How do you know he is asleep?
14. What is the plan of the animals? Do you think Pig takes his nap at the end of the story? Turn the page to
find out.
15. Recall all the action words from the story. What were the animals doing? Write the verbs on a chart: nap,
saw, gab, pop, tap, mix, hum, bop, sip. (Use the flash cards to reinforce vocabulary.)
16. Reread the story uninterrupted.
AFTER READING
1. What was Pig’s plan? What can you say about Pig from his actions in the story? (Ex., he stuck to his plan,
he is determined.)
2. Do you think Pig was happy that his plan did not work out?
3. Was the ending a surprise? If not, what clues gave the surprise away?
4. What would you rather do, nap or go to a birthday party?
5. How did Pig feel about his animal friends during the story? How do you think he felt about his friends at
the end of the story? Fold a piece of paper in half. On one side, draw a picture and write a sentence to
describe how he felt during the story. On the other side, draw a picture and write a sentence to
describe how he felt after the story.
Word Work
6. Discuss synonyms. Explain that synonyms are words with the same or similar meaning. Ask students to
look at the verb chart from the story. Review the words. Have children think of a synonym for each
word. They can go back to the story and use picture clues. (Ex., nap, sleep; saw, cut; gab, talk; pop,
explode; tap, hammer; mix, turn; hum, sing; bop, dance; sip, drink)
7. For onsets and rimes, read the following to the class:
ap, aw, ab, op, ix, ip, en, um,
ow, at, og,
ig, up.
Write these categories on the board:
Short a
Short e
Short i
Short o
Short u
Sort the rimes above into short-vowel sounds. Find words from the story and create new words by
changing the onset.
8. Plan, design and create a party invitation for Pig’s birthday celebration. Include Who, What,
Where, When and Why on the invitation.
9. Using the accompanying worksheet, have students write the names of the animals under the
corresponding picture. Be sure to use a capital for the first letter.
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AC TI V I T Y
Pig Has a Plan
An I Like to Read® Book, Level B
written and illustrated by Ethan Long
NAME:
PB 978-0-8234-2911-0 / HC 978-0-8234-2428-3
DIRECTIONS: Write the name of each character under the correct picture. Remember
to use a capital letter.
Illustrations © 2012 by Ethan Long
Pig
Hen
Cow
Cat
Dog
Rat
Hog
Pup
Fly
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L E S S O N P LAN
You Can Do It!
An I Like to Read® Book, Level B
written and illustrated by Betsy Lewin
With the support of a good friend and a little hard work and
determination, you can do many things! Read You Can Do It!
to see what a little alligator can accomplish in the face of some challenges.
PB 978-0-8234-3055-0 / HC 978-0-8234-2522-8
Objectives: Students will be able to read emergent text with purpose and understanding; learn sight-word
vocabulary, end punctuation, character and plot development.
Guided Reading Level: B/Emergent Reader
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Interest Level: Pre-K–1
Common Core Strands in This Guide:
Reading Literature: RL.K.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10/RL.1.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
Reading Foundational Skills: RF.K.2, 2a, 3c, 3d, 4/RF.1.2, 3, 4
Writing: W.K–1.3
Speaking and Listening: SL.K–1.1, 4, 5, 6
Language: L.K.1d, 1f, 2d, 4, 5, 6/L.1.1, 2, 4, 5, 6
BEFORE READING
1. Look at the title and cover illustration. What do the title and cover illustration tell us about what we are
going to read?
2. What does the end punctuation tell us about the meaning and tone of a word or phrase? (!, ?, .)
3. How do we know if a story is fiction or nonfiction? Is You Can Do It! real or make-believe? Explain.
4. Who is the author/illustrator? What is the role of the author? illustrator?
5. Take a picture walk through the story. Have the students find the “signs.” Discuss how the pictures and
details help them understand the story.
6. Discuss “speech bubbles.” Have the students point to the character who is talking.
7. Write the word friend on the board. Ask students to tell words that describe a good friend.
Word Work/Vocabulary
8. Write the vocabulary words on the board: Sunday, I, can, can’t, cannot, win, no, so, you,
too, slow, one, two, do, puff, did, it. Download flash cards with the new vocabulary from
www.holidayhouse.com/I-Like-to-Read/flash-cards.php for use in the classroom.
9. Choose the word win or wins after each subject. Now do the same for race or races.
We
. He
.I
. They
. She
10. Using the vocabulary words, find:
• a word that is a day of the week (Sunday)
• words that rhyme with go (no, so, slow)
• two words that sound the same but have different meanings (too, two)
• two number words (one, two)
• words that rhyme with blue (do, two, too, you)
.
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• two words that have the same meaning (can’t, cannot)
• words that describe (slow, big)
• words that have the short-i sound (win, big, did, it)
• a word that rhymes with place and trace (race)
11. Read to find out what the characters CAN DO!
DURING READING
1. Who are the characters in the story? Students can name the characters (Boy Alligator, Girl Alligator,
Big Alligator)
2. What is happening? (There is a big race.)
3. Where does the story take place? (the swamp)
4. When is it happening? (Sunday)
5. How do the words and pictures help you understand who, what, where and when?
6. What is the problem? (A big boy alligator is acting like a bully, and a little boy alligator does not feel
confident about winning the race.)
7. Create a character chart. Describe the different characters and how they act. Explain how words and
pictures from the story tell you about the characters.
8. How does the problem get solved? (the support of a good friend, reading a “how to” book, hard work
and determination)
9. What can the little boy alligator do?
10. Find examples of how the end punctuation changes the meaning of the sentence.
AFTER READING
1. Retell the story in your own words. Draw pictures and write events in order using the words first, next,
then and last.
2. Why do you think Betsy Lewin chose You Can Do It! as the title?
3. What is the main idea or lesson of the story?
4. Discuss a time when someone gave you encouragement or discouraged you. How did you feel?
5. Write a sentence and draw a picture of something you can do.
6. If time permits, identify how the pictures convey the emotions of the characters. What are those
emotions/feelings? How do the characters’ facial expressions and body language change as the
story progresses?
Word Work
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Why did the little boy alligator puff and puff and puff?
How did the little boy alligator win the race?
What was the title of the book that the little boy alligator read to help win the race? (How to Win)
Use the word two and too in a proper sentence.
Fill in the blanks using each word 1 time: can, cannot, can’t
The alligators
race.
The big boy alligator
Cannot is the same as
win.
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