Literature - Week 3

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Show the book "Frog and Toad Are Friends" and explain: "This week is special! We're reading our first chapter book together. Instead of reading the whole book today, we'll read one short story each day. This book has five stories about two best friends: Frog and Toad."

Ask: "What's the difference between a chapter book and a picture book?" (Chapter books are longer, divided into parts, have fewer pictures, tell a longer story)

Main Activity (10-12 minutes)

Read Chapter 1: "Spring" aloud. This story is about Frog trying to wake up Toad, who wants to sleep until May. Frog tricks Toad into thinking it's May by tearing calendar pages.

Discussion questions during reading:

• "What kind of friends are Frog and Toad? How can you tell?"
• "Why doesn't Toad want to wake up?"
• "How does Frog try to wake up Toad? Does it work?"
• "Is it really May, or did Frog trick Toad? Why did Frog do this?"

Practice (3-5 minutes)

Discuss friendship: "Frog wanted to play with his friend, so he found a clever way to wake him up. They're good friends even though they're different—Frog is energetic and Toad is sleepy and grumpy. Good friends can be different from each other!"

Ask: "Do you have a friend who is different from you? How are you different?"

Closure (1-2 minutes)

Say: "We just read our first chapter of a chapter book! Tomorrow we'll read the second story called 'The Story,' where Toad is sick in bed and Frog tries to cheer him up. Can you predict how Frog might help Toad?"

Celebrate: "You're becoming a chapter book reader!"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Review: "Yesterday we read about Frog waking up Toad in springtime. Who remembers what happened?" Let your student recall the story.

Say: "Today we're reading the second story. Frog is sick in bed, and Toad wants to tell him a story to cheer him up. But Toad can't think of a story! Let's see what happens."

Main Activity (10-12 minutes)

Read Chapter 2: "The Story" aloud. Toad tries various silly things to help himself think of a story—standing on his head, pouring water on his head, banging his head against a wall. Finally, he realizes he's been having an adventure all along!

Discussion questions during reading:

• "Why does Toad want to tell Frog a story?" (To make him feel better)
• "What silly things does Toad do to think of a story?"
• "What story does Toad finally tell? Was it a good story?"
• "How does this show Toad is a good friend?"

Practice (3-5 minutes)

Discuss: "Toad worked very hard to think of a story for Frog. Sometimes the things we do to help a friend become their own funny story! Toad's story was about all the silly things he tried."

Ask: "Have you ever done something to cheer up a friend or family member who was sick or sad?"

Closure (1-2 minutes)

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll read about Toad losing a button and Frog helping him find it. This story is called 'A Lost Button.' See you tomorrow for Chapter 3!"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Review: "We've read two Frog and Toad stories so far. Who remembers them?" (Spring, The Story)

Say: "Today, Toad loses a button from his jacket. He and Frog search everywhere, but Toad gets grumpier and grumpier. Let's see what happens!"

Main Activity (10-12 minutes)

Read Chapter 3: "A Lost Button" aloud. Toad loses a button, and various animals find buttons—but none of them are Toad's button. Toad gets more and more upset. Finally, they go home and find the button was there all along!

Discussion questions during reading:

• "Why is Toad upset?"
• "How does Frog help Toad search?"
• "Is Toad acting like a good friend? Why or why not?"
• "Where did they finally find the button?"
• "What does Toad do to say sorry and thank Frog?"

Practice (3-5 minutes)

Discuss: "Toad was grumpy and not very nice when he was frustrated. But when he found the button, he realized Frog had been a good friend all along. He sewed ALL the buttons on a new jacket for Frog to say thank you and sorry."

Moral: "When we're upset, we might not act our best. But we can always apologize and show our friends we care about them."

Closure (1-2 minutes)

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll read 'A Swim,' where Toad is embarrassed about how he looks in his bathing suit. Have you ever felt shy or embarrassed?"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Review: "We've read three Frog and Toad stories. Can you name them?" (Spring, The Story, A Lost Button)

Say: "Today, Toad doesn't want to come out of the water because he thinks he looks funny in his bathing suit. Let's see how Frog helps him."

Main Activity (10-12 minutes)

Read Chapter 4: "A Swim" aloud. Toad is embarrassed about how he looks. Other animals gather to see what's happening, which makes Toad more embarrassed. Finally, Frog makes them all go away.

Discussion questions during reading:

• "Why doesn't Toad want to get out of the water?"
• "How does Toad feel when more animals come to watch?"
• "What does Frog do to help Toad?"
• "Does Frog laugh at Toad? Why not?"

Practice (3-5 minutes)

Discuss: "Frog was a good friend to Toad. He didn't laugh or make fun of him. Instead, he made everyone leave so Toad could feel safe. Real friends support us when we feel embarrassed or uncomfortable."

Ask: "Have you ever felt embarrassed? How did someone help you feel better?"

Closure (1-2 minutes)

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll read the last story in this book. It's called 'The Letter,' and it's about Toad feeling sad because he never gets any mail. Get ready for a sweet ending!"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Say: "Today is the last story in our first chapter book! We've been reading Frog and Toad all week. Before we read today's chapter, let's remember all the stories." (Quick review of all 4 chapters)

Say: "In today's story, Toad is sad because he never gets mail. Let's see what Frog does!"

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Read Chapter 5: "The Letter" aloud. Toad is sad because he never gets mail. Frog secretly writes Toad a letter and gives it to a snail to deliver. They wait together for the letter to arrive (which takes a long time because snails are slow!).

Discussion questions during reading:

• "Why is Toad sad?"
• "What does Frog do to help?"
• "Why does it take so long for the letter to arrive?"
• "What does the letter say? How does it make Toad feel?"

Practice (5-7 minutes)

Discuss: "Frog wrote Toad a letter that said 'You are my best friend.' This is a perfect ending to our book about friendship!"

Week 3 Book Review: Celebrate completing your first chapter book!

• "Let's remember all five stories: Spring, The Story, A Lost Button, A Swim, The Letter"
• "What did you learn about friendship from Frog and Toad?"
• "Which story was your favorite? Why?"
• "What makes Frog and Toad good friends even though they're different?"

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Celebrate: "You just finished your first chapter book! We read one chapter each day for five days, and you remembered the story the whole week. That's a big accomplishment!"

Preview: "Next week we'll explore poetry and rhyming books. We'll discover how poems use rhythm, rhyme, and special words to create feelings and pictures in our minds."