The purpose of this reading is to bring everything together: 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. Three 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.
~Your child and you may alternate the pages you read to each other.
~Your child and you can make up dialogue between the boy and his animal friends to match the text and illustrations.
DISCUSSION OPTIONS:
~Think about the worries and concerns of the little boy. Which of the worries and concerns are real and which are in his imagination. Tie this into the worries of Laszlo in The Dark.
~Tell the story from the dog’s point of view. What would the text on each page be?
~Based on the information in both the text and the illustrations make a list of all that’s necessary, both steps in the process and the materials, for seeds to grow.
~Is the boy’s work done? What additional work must he do?
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
~Remember how Ms. Fogliano got the idea for this book. Each day she wrote down at least one line or a story idea. How about trying that plan? Try writing a story idea or one sentence down each day. After a while, read your ideas. Could one of them lead to a story? I bet you can create some wonderful stories!
~Is the timeline in the text from planting to sprouting possible? Follow a simple seed sprouting processes, such as: Placing pea seeds on a damp paper towel. Put this in a baggie. Seal it. Put the baggie in the sun. See how long it takes the seeds to sprout. Does it match the timeline in the book?