The purpose of this reading is to bring together the information in both the text and the illustrations. The discussion and activity options focus on analyzing the main idea, theme, character traits, setting and how all of the story elements fit together.
During this reading your child and you will read the story all the way through. Two ways that you can add fun and improve recall during this reading are:
~You may switch roles and become the listener and the questioner as your child “reads” (retells) the story to you. Assist your child in matching the retelling of the story to the illustration. Help your child pay attention to the details in the illustration to know when to turn the page.
~Your child and you may alternate the pages you “read” to each other.
DISCUSSION OPTIONS:
~Discuss the personality traits of the mouse and of the boy. What traits do they have in common? What personality traits do they share with you?
~In If You Gave a Mouse a Cookie one event leads to another. Make your own sequence of events with your own characters……If I gave a _______ a ________, what would happen?
~Do you think that the boy is glad that he offered the mouse a cookie? Discuss.
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
~Laura Numeroff has a great website: www.lauranumeroff.com. Check out her list of favorite books. One of her favorites is Stuart Little by E. B. White. It’s a great chapter book with a mouse as the main character. If your child is old enough, read it to your child. Continue the discussion of personality traits shared by the mice in the two stories.
~Write a story about what happens when the boy offers the mouse another glass of milk. Use your story paper and illustrate your text. Draw pictures with great details as the mouse did.
~There are a couple of readings on www.youtube.com that include sound effects. Go to the website and search If You Gave a Mouse a Cookie. It is good for young readers to hear multiple interpretations of the same text.