During the First Reading, focus on making inferences and connections with the illustrations.
When making inferences there will be two basic questions to ask your listener as you turn the pages:
~What do you see?
~What is happening?
These two questions help the brain form inferences, predictions, and conclusions. First, the brain gathers evidence from the illustration. Then, prior knowledge connects with this evidence to form an inference, prediction or conclusion
When making these connections with your listener, you may begin with sentence stems such as:
~ ___________ reminds me of ………….
~ Remember when…………….
~This is like………………….
Make the connections as specific and detailed as possible.
Keep this reading to about twenty minutes. Base the time on the attention span of your listener.
Pages 1 – 4: The illustrations on pages 1 – 4 work together as a group. Do not ask questions until your child has had a chance to see all four pages. Then you can go back and ask the following questions:
~ Do you think this man might be Amos McGee? Why?
~ What do you see in the illustrations? What do you think is happening?
~ Humor is hidden in Erin Stead’s illustrations. Look for it on each page. (He looks like a grandpa, but he sleeps with a teddy bear, wears bunny slippers, etc.)
Page 5 – 10:
As you turn the pages:
~ What do you see? What do you think is happening?
~ Do you see any humor on this page? Do you think it’s humorous that the penguin wears socks? Why would the rhinoceros need a handkerchief?
This is a time to make some connections. Do these animals remind you of any other stories or story characters you know? Does the man remind you of anyone?
Page 11 – END:
As you turn the pages:
~ What do you see? What do you think is going on?
~ Talk about humor. The illustrations in this book are full of humorous details. Take time to find them. Ask, “What do you see that’s humorous on this page?”
~On pages 18 and 19, where do you think the animals might be going on the bus? Why do you think that?
After studying the illustrations:
~ Make connections about being sick and what people do to help you to feel better.
~ Make connections between the characters in this book and characters in other books.
~ What do you think this book might be about? (friendship, getting sick,……)
~ Are there any questions that are in your head right now?
Next time we will read the text.