To allow the brain to focus on the information in the illustrations, this reading will look only at the illustrations and the information they provide to the reader.There are no right or wrong answers in this reading.If the pages are not numbered, page 1 is the first page of text.Your child will be asked to infer what the characters might be saying to each other or might be feeling in the illustrations.
The facial expressions are important. If your child answers a question by saying, “I don’t know.” Respond, “We may find the answer when we read the story.” Before you begin looking at the illustrations, take time to discuss the title. What is kindness? (possible answers: being friendly, being generous, being tender or thoughtful)
*Who is the girl on the cover? Could she be the main character? What might she be thinking as she is standing there?
Pages 1 – 2:
~What is the setting? (setting = when and where the story is taking place) (The season seems to be winter. In a city or town. In the present time.) Talk about the evidence to support your ideas on the settings.
Pages 3 – 4:
~Who might these people be?
~How does the girl seem to be feeling?
Pages 5 – 6:
~Have either of these girls been in another illustration? If they keep appearing in the illustrations, they might be the major characters. The story might be about them. Do you think the two girls are the major characters?
~Where could these girls be sitting?
~How old do you think these girls might be?
~Are these two girls feeling the same way? How might each of them be feeling?
~What might they be thinking?
Pages 7 – 8:
~Where are these children?
Pages 9 – 10:
~Find the two major characters.
~What might the girls be saying to each other?
~Why might one of the girls be playing alone?
Pages 11 -12:
Look for the two major characters.
~Where are the children? Discuss evidence to support your answer.
~Does most of the story seem to be taking place at the school? Discuss evidence in the previous illustrations, too.
~Do the two major characters seem to be friends?
Pages 13 – 18:
Look at this series of illustrations before you ask the questions. The other children seem to be looking at one of the main characters. Look at the faces of the children.
~Why might the children be looking at the girl?
~On pages 15 and 16, the season seems to have changed. What season do you think it is now? Note evidence.
~Even though time has passed and a new season has begun, do the children seem to be acting the same as during the winter, or do they seem to be acting differently?
~How is the girl feeling on page 18?
Pages 19 – 20:
~What are the children looking at?
~What could be happening?
Pages 21 – 22:
~What do you think is in the girl’s hand?
Pages 23 – 24:
~Where do you think the girl might be going?
Pages 25 – 26:
~Where might this desk and chair be?
~Do you think this is the same school room that appeared in previous illustrations?