This week, as a follow up to literacy week, we continued to read and enjoy many books in the classroom. While last week we focused on Mo Willems books, this week we delved into some by other authors. Many of the books we read this week were donated by parents last week in honor of literacy week. Others that we read were books we had in the classroom that closely related to the interests or behavior of the children.
One book that we read aloud this week (and once last week) was called Pete’s a Pizza. In this book, when the character Pete gets upset about something that’s out of his control, his parents help him calm down by turning him into a pizza. This idea is a helpful tool for our classroom. Oftentimes we get upset or overwhelmed about things out of our control and by asking a friend or a teacher to make them into a pizza can help them feel calm.
Another book we read this week relating to our feelings is called Why Are You Grumpy? In the book, there is a long list of reasons why you could be grumpy, with the last page asking if someone made you laugh so you forgot why you were grumpy. This book is one that many of the students could relate to. There have been many times that the children have felt grumpy for any number of reasons. However, there are also times when they start laughing and forget why they were feeling grumpy. We expanded on this theme by playing a game where the children tried to make a friend laugh without touching them. The children thought up interesting and funny ways to get someone to laugh, including saying silly words, making faces, and making noises.
We also introduced a few books about spring into the classroom. Later in April, we look forward to planting a number of different things together. The books that we are reading now, are helping the children plan and think about planting as a concept that they will enjoy. We look forward to reading new and exciting books for the rest of the year.
