If you’ve followed me for a while, you know how much I love using children’s literature as the starting point for learning.
A great picture book can do SO much more than fill a read-aloud time!
It can get children talking.
It can build vocabulary.
It can strengthen comprehension.
It can inspire writing.
It can lead to math, science, social-emotional learning, art, and so much more.
And lately, I’ve been taking a fresh look at some of the resources I’ve created over the years and asking myself one important question:
How can I make these even more useful for teachers today?
That question has inspired a BIG project!
I’m Updating My Resources!
Each month, I’ll be revisiting some of my favorite K–2 resources and giving them a fresh update.
But my goal isn’t simply to add more pages.
In fact, teachers already have enough pages!
My goal is to make each resource more purposeful, easier to use, and more connected across the curriculum.
One of the biggest additions is a teacher-friendly lesson plan that shows exactly how the activities can work together.
Instead of opening a resource and wondering…
Where do I start?
Which pages should I use?
How could I fit all of this into my day?
…you’ll have a suggested plan to help you get started.
And the best part?
You don’t have to use everything!
The lesson plan identifies the core activities, while the additional pages can be used for differentiation, literacy centers, small groups, morning work, early finishers, or additional days of learning.
Keeping Literacy at the Heart of the Day
One of my biggest goals with these updates is to show how easily cross-curricular learning can grow from a great read-aloud.
Teachers have so much to fit into every school day.
Rather than treating reading, writing, math, social-emotional learning, and art as completely separate experiences, I love looking for natural ways to connect them.
And that’s exactly what I’ve done with my newly updated Turkey Goes to School resource!
Let’s Take Turkey Goes to School for a Test Drive!
Turkey Goes to School by Wendi Silvano is such a fun story for the beginning of the school year.
Turkey wants to go to school, and—as you might expect from Turkey—he isn’t going to give up easily!
The story naturally lends itself to discussions about school, problem solving, perseverance, characters, story events, and making connections.
So instead of simply reading the story and completing a comprehension worksheet, the updated resource turns the book into a one-day literacy and cross-curricular experience.
Start the Day with a Morning Opener
Before students even hear the story, they begin thinking about their own experiences.
The new morning opener gets children talking, coloring, writing, and drawing as they think about:
- their favorite things to do at school;
- how they’re feeling that day;
- an animal they would bring to school;
- whether they would rather visit a farm or have farm animals come to school;
- which things they think belong at school.
For younger students, the page can be completed together as a whole group.
And that last question leads PERFECTLY into the read-aloud.
What DOESN’T Belong at School?
Before opening the book, return to the pictures students didn’t circle on their morning page.
Chances are, those farm animals didn’t make the cut!
Ask:
“Why didn’t you circle the turkey?”
“Does a cow belong at school?”
“Would you expect to see a pig in your classroom?”
Then show students the book.
Turkey Goes to School.
Uh-oh!
Now we have a reason to read!
Students have already activated their prior knowledge and identified a possible problem before the story even begins.
Read, Think and Respond
During the interactive read-aloud, students listen for important information about Turkey and his attempts to get into school.
Afterward, they can respond to the story through comprehension activities focusing on skills such as:
characters • setting • problem and solution • story details • sequencing • cause and effect • author’s purpose
There are plenty of choices included, but the new one-day lesson plan recommends choosing ONE core comprehension activity for the day.
That’s intentional.
I don’t want teachers to feel as though they need to complete every page in the resource!
Sneak a Little Math into Your Read-Aloud Day!
Here’s where the cross-curricular fun really begins.
During the morning opener, students answer:
Would you rather visit a farm OR have Farm Day at school?
As students work, they can place a mini sticky note on a class poll to show their choice.
After reading, return to that same poll.
Now you’ve got authentic classroom data!
Count the votes.
Which choice has more?
Which has fewer?
How many students voted for each?
How many students voted altogether?
For younger learners, it can be a simple lesson in counting, more, fewer, and same.
Suddenly, a question inspired by a picture book has become a meaningful math experience.
And Now We WRITE!
Next, take that very same question and turn it into opinion writing.
Would you rather visit a farm or have Farm Day at school? Why?
Kindergarten students can draw and complete a simple sentence.
First graders can state their opinion and provide a reason.
Second graders can expand their writing with additional supporting reasons.
One question has now moved from…
discussion → class poll → math → opinion writing.
THAT is the kind of cross-curricular connection I want these updated resources to provide.
Finish with a Turkey Craft
Of course, we need a little creativity too!
Students can complete the Turkey Goes to School craft and pair it with their opinion writing.
For younger students, I suggest having some of the pieces cut out ahead of time.
The finished Turkey crafts and writing make an adorable classroom or hallway display while also showcasing real student learning.
Cute AND purposeful!
That’s always a win in my book.
What About All the Other Activities?
They’re still there!
The resource includes many additional choices for comprehension, vocabulary, word work, writing, data collection, math, and creative response.
Use them for:
centers • small groups • differentiation • morning work • early finishers • additional days
Think of the lesson plan as your road map, not a list of everything you must complete.
Choose what works for YOUR students and YOUR schedule.
🎉 And Now for the BEST Part…It’s FREE!
I want you to be able to experience one of these newly updated resources for yourself.
So, for a limited time, I’m offering my newly updated Turkey Goes to School resource FREE!
Download it, look through the new lesson plan, try the activities with your students, and see how one children’s book can become the foundation for meaningful learning across your day.
And if you’ve purchased resources from me in the past, keep checking your purchases!
As I update resources, you’ll have access to the newly updated versions of resources you’ve already purchased at no additional cost.
More Updates Are Coming!
This is just the beginning.
I’ll continue working through my resources each month, adding lesson plans and showing how the activities can be intentionally connected across the curriculum while keeping literacy at the heart of the learning.
So be sure to follow along and watch for those updates.
And in the meantime…
🦃 Grab Turkey Goes to School while it’s FREE and have a FARM-TASTIC day of learning!
I can’t wait for you to see what’s coming next!
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