WRITING

How to encourage your child to write:

Choose the level of your child:
Toddler/Preschool – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and have your child draw a picture of the answer.

Preschool/Kindergarten – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and write the answer down for him/her leaving one word for him/her to write out himself/herself with your help. You could also encourage him/her to draw a picture as well.

Early Grade School – have your child either write out the answer himself/herself (encourage phonetic spelling) without your help, or offer to help with spelling each word out loud one word at a time.

Grade School – have your child write a sentence or two on his/her own and then read over and discuss the response. (You decide whether to correct the spelling or not)

Older Child – have your child write a longer response (paragraph).

As A Challenge – instead of a question ask your older child to write a story or poem about Thanksgiving or what he/she is thankful for!

Thanksgiving

JOURNALING QUESTION PROMPT:

Write out one or more of the following questions in your Family Theme Day Scrapbook or on a piece of paper to glue in your scrapbook:

What are you thankful for? What does your family do for thanksgiving? What do you like best about thanksgiving? How do other countries give thanks?

Read some of these nonfiction/learning titles if you can find them:

The Autumn Equinox: Celebrating the Harvest, by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis, The Millbrook press, 2000 – This book looks at how people of different cultures celebrated the harvest season in the past including the Chinese, the Celts, Germanic people of Northern Europe, England, Jewish, Indian, and children from Angola, as well as the first American Thanksgiving shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. It includes some recipes and crafts at the back of the book as well.

We Gather Together” Celebrating Harvest Season, by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by Linda Bleck, Dutton Children’s Books, 2006 – This book teaches about the seasons and in particular autumn and the harvest festivals associated with it. It even looks at different cultures and how they celebrate the harvest.

Go to the library to find Thanksgiving books or make a box of books at home to take out each year!

Reading and Writing

BOOKS

Here are some pictures books about Thanksgiving:

· 10 Fat Turkeys, by Tony Johnston and illustrated by Rich Deas, Scholastic In., 2004 – While this isn’t about thanksgiving, it is a funny counting book about turkeys.

· The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin, by Stan and Jan Berenstain, Random House, 1990 – Papa bear really wants to win the prize pumpkin competition but after losing learns the real meaning of Thanksgiving.

· Clifford’s Thanksgiving, by Norman Bridwell, Scholastic In., 1993 – Clifford the Big Red Dog misses his dog family at thanksgiving and decides to go to the city to visit his mother.

· The Night Before Thanksgiving, by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Tammie Lyon, Grosset & Dunlap, 2001 – Using the same rhyme scheme as “The Night Before Christmas” this book details one family’s preparations and activities before and on Thanksgiving Day.

· One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims, by B.G. Hennessy and illustrated by Lynne Cravath, scholastic Inc., 1999 – Using the counting rhyme this book shows some pilgrims and some Wampanoag preparing for the first thanksgiving. It also gives a little history of pilgrim and Wampanoag life at the back of the book.

· Thanksgiving Day, story by Anne Rockwell and pictures by Lizzy Rockwell, scholastic Inc., 1999 – This is a picture book about the history of thanksgiving.

· Thanksgiving Is Here, by Diane Goode, Scholastic Inc., 2003 – This book shows a family’s activities on Thanksgiving Day. My boys love the illustrations, especially watching the two babies (one cries the other smiles until the end).

· This is the Turkey, by Abby Levine and illustrated by Paige Billin-Fry, Scholastic Inc., 2005 – This rhyming book shows all the happenings around a big Thanksgiving gathering, including a flying turkey dinner!

Sorry this photo is missing as our library is temporarily closed

Sorry this photo is missing as our library is temporarily closed