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Our January edition is full of learning activities and ideas for when the weather keeps you indoors, along with tips to keep your children motivated through the rest of the school year, winter book read-alouds, a fun calendar of events, and a brand new storybook for young readers. We've also added a new feature on page 49, with a book critic's monthly review of popular authors and book series.
Citation preview
WWW.REDAPPLEREADING.COMJANUARY 2016 LEARNING SUPPORT GUIDE
RED APPLE READINGRED APPLE READING
8BEVERAGE AND A BOOK:
J A N U A R Y R E A D E R :
A SLIPPERY SLEDDING
ADVENTURE
COLD SNAP
SPOTLIGHT ON J.K. ROWLING
INDOOR ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR FAMILIES
JANUARY LITERACY LINEUP
WINTER BOOK REVIEWS
04
06
08
10
11 12
46
49
Chilly winter activities that promote literacy!
CONTENTS
Tips to keep your children on track with school and homework.
KEEPING KIDS MOTIVATED
Cold Snap these tasty warm drinks are sure to send the chill away!
BEVERAGE AND A BOOK
Six winter books your children will enjoy.
WINTER BOOK REVIEWS
Eight ideas for having fun when the weather keeps you inside.
INDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES
Slippery Sledding Adventure: Finn and his friends enjoy sledding at the park!
STORY TIME!This vocabulary-rich version is best for reading aloud to pre-readers or for fluent readers, with two pages of literacy activities for fun after.
LEVEL A - SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
LITERACY TIME
SPOTLIGHT ON J.K. ROWLING
23The text in this version has been simplified for emerging readers, and has two fun pages of literacy activities after.
34Early readers can practice reading this version of the story, then enjoy two fun pages of literacy activities.
45Check in with these story questions after reading A Slippery Sledding Adventure.
COMPREHENSION SKILLS
2015 Red Apple Reading. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and any reproduction or redistribution of part or all of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. For questions or inquiries please email [email protected].
2
LEVEL B - SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
LEVEL C - SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
3Happy New Year!
The holiday dust has settled, decorations are finally getting put away, and my family is back to work and school. Instead of looking back at the successes and failures of the previous year, I think January is a great time to look ahead to this years potential and set new goals.
Want to spend more time together as a family? This months edition has a bunch of ideas to help you get started, from cozy winter read-aloud books to warm drinks and fun indoor activities.
Getting your children back into school mode after the holidays? We have tips that will help keep them on track. In addition, there are plenty of fun opportunities for them to read and learn throughout the pages of this guide and in the Red Apple Reading program.
Looking for a book series to read with older children? Take a look at our new Spotlight series for my daughters reviews of the favorite books and authors from her childhood.
In addition to thinking about family and children, dont forget to pencil in time this year for the things that you enjoy!
Best wishes,
Tammy BenneckePRESIDENT AND [email protected]
4W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
KEEPING KIDS MOTIVATED
Are your children less than excited about returning to school after winter break? Check out these tips for keeping your kiddos on track!
VERBAL AFFIRMATION
Continue celebrating success
and hard work. Without praise
from time to time, even
constructive criticism can
weigh your child down. If your
kiddo feels like youre proud
of him, it will likely encourage
him to keep doing a good job!
KEEP MAKING HOMEWORK A PRIORITY
As the year progresses it
becomes easy for parents
and students to slack off on
schoolwork. Get homework
done quickly after school. Its
fine to let kids rest and have
a snack for a few minutes,
but the longer you put off
homework, the harder it is to
complete.
CONTINUE ENFORCING BEDTIME
This is another thing thats
easy to let slide about midway
through the school year. If
your children are tired it will
affect their ability to produce
quality work as well as their
mood.
5W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
SET GOALS
January is a good time to sit
down with your child and make
goals. The goal could be a better
grade, a number of books read, or
a checklist of work to get done.
Its easier for your child to stay
motivated if she can track her
progress. Be sure to reward her
when she meets her goals!
SCHEDULE A MEETING
Sometimes a lack of motivation
can be caused by problems at
school. For instance, your child
may be unmotivated because
of a bullying issue. Set up a
meeting with his teacher to
make sure you both have the
same information and can help
your kiddo do his best. Teachers
can also help you brainstorm
ideas to help your child finish
the school year strong!
6If your family is beginning to grow tired
of the cold winter weather, they will love
reading this funny book by Eileen Spinelli.
The town of Toby Mills is experiencing
a very cold winter. In fact, the icicle on
the town statues nose is growing longer
every day! Find out how the townspeople
deal with the unbearable, below freez-
ing temps. Cold Snap is sure to leave your
little ones with a warm and cozy feeling.
When the weather has your crew look-ing for a way to warm up, check out these yummy, hot beverage recipes:
Does it get any better than the smell of
simmering apple cider on the stove? Your
family will love this recipe for homemade
apple cider from Gimme Some Oven! While
it takes a couple of hours to simmer, it is
well worth the wait (and the prep time
itself is minimal).
Cold Snap
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
BEVERAGEAND A BOOK
If your little ones prefer hot chocolate to
apple cider, then youll want to check out
UnskinnyBoppys homemade hot chocolate
recipe. This easy, three ingredient drink
will be a hit with the kiddos. Be ready to
serve up a second round!
This month grab a blanket and your favor-
ite hot beverage, then curl up on the couch
and enjoy some fun winter-inspired books
with your family. Nothing warms the heart
quite like a good story!
7SERIOUS LEARNING THATS SERIOUSY FUN!
www.RedAppleReading.comHelp your child become a better reader with videos and games that make it fun to learn.
TRIVIA TIME
Maria finds an injured wolf in the snow on her way to school,
and instead of leaving him, she nurses him back to health.
Ages 6 to 8
This book follows Skippyjon Jones, the Siamese cat who thinks hes a dog,
as he goes on a quest in a magical snowy forest.
Ages 3 to 5
Two birds go on an adventure in the snow and learn that no
two things are exactly alike.
Ages 3 to 7
WINTER SHADOW
SKIPPYJON JONESSNOW WHAT
NO TWO ALIKE
by Keith Baker
WINTER B O O K S
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
by Richard Knight
8
by Judy Schachner
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
THE SNOW GLOBE FAMILY
This beautiful pop-up book uses foil and glitter along with simple writing to capture a beautiful winter scene.
Ages 4 to 8
The snow globe family cant wait for someone to pick up their snow globe and give it a good shake. Will they get a chance to go sledding?
Ages 6 to 8
WINTERS TALE
by Jane OConnor
9
by Robert Sabuda
OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW
This book shows readers the hidden world of animals underneath the snow.
Ages 3 to 5
by Kate Messner
10
INDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES
PUZZLES
Putting together a puzzle is a fun family activity. If its a puzzle with a lot of pieces, put it together on a large piece of cardboard, so you can move it out of the way until its time to work on it again.
READ
Make some hot chocolate and warm up with a good book. Its a great way to sneak in some reading and a
sweet treat!
PUPPETS
Find some socks that are missing a match and decorate them with craft materials from a dollar store or whatever you have on hand. After theyre decorated your kiddos can put on a show or reenact their
favorite book.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
BAKE COOKIES
Make gingerbread or sugar cookies for your child to decorate. Kids love play-dough, so theyre bound to have fun with real dough!
BOARD GAMES
If your kids enjoy a little friendly competition, get out some board games or card games. Games such as Scrabble serve double duty - improving vocabulary and spelling skills!
MAKE PAPER SNOWFLAKES
Bring some of the winter wonderland indoors! Paper snowflakes are fun and easy to make. They can also make fun decorations. Color them or add glitter for some extra fun.
MAKE A SCRAPBOOK
Record all of your winter fun in a scrapbook! Work on each page together, or assign each child their own page.
BUILD A FORT
Find some pillows and blankets, and make a cozy fort for your kiddos to play in. Pillow forts are also great for quiet activities, like reading and coloring.
8
PAGES 12 - 22
3 DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY! CHOOSE THE VERSION THATS BEST FOR YOUR YOUNG READER, THEN CLICK A LINK BELOW AND PRINT THE PAGES FOR REPEATED READING AND PRACTICE.
LEVEL A - STORY AND ACTIVITIES
LEVEL B - STORY AND ACTIVITIES
LEVEL C - STORY AND ACTIVITIES
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
LITERACY ACTIVITIES
BEST FOR READING ALOUD TO PRE-READERS
EASY TEXT FOR EMERGING READERS
MORE COMPLEXITY FOR EARLY READERS
S T O R Y T I M E
PAGES 23 - 33
PAGES 34 - 44
PAGES 45
PAGES 46 - 47
A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
11
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Level A
A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 1
It was a cold Saturday morning in January. Finn woke up, opened his eyes, and jumped out of bed. He ran over and looked out of the window. It was snowing!
Level A
A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 2
Finn couldnt wait to try out his new red sled. After a quick breakfast, Finn put on his winter coat, hat,
scarf, mittens, and boots. Then he ran all of the way to the hills at Hillside Park, dragging his new sled
behind him.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 3
The sledding hill was very crowded. Finns friends, Sam and Dot, waved and called to Finn, Over here! Sam had a yellow sled and Dot had a new red sled
just like Finns. We match! he exclaimed.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 4
After a few trips down the small hill, Finn wanted more of a challenge. He spotted Russ and some of his other friends from school. Do you want to race
down the big hill? he asked Russ.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 5
Okay, agreed Russ, but no funny business. Finn liked Russ as a friend, but he liked to tease
him sometimes, too. I promise, said Finn.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Dot and Sam shouted, On your mark, get set, go! Finn and Russ took off down the hill as fast as they could. They rode side-by-side for most of the way.
p. 6
Suddenly, Finn lost control of his sled on a slippery patch of ice. He flipped, he twirled, and he went flying through the air. Then he landed right in a
small creek near the hill - splash!
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 7
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Luckily, Finn wasnt hurt, but he was a little embarrassed. He stood up, brushed himself off,
and joked, Its a good thing frogs can swim! Finn and his friends laughed about the sledding
mishap all afternoon.
p. 8
NOISY NEW YEAR
RED APPLE READING 21
COLORFUL CONFETTI
RED APPLE READING22
Level B
COLORFUL CONFETTI W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Level B
A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
It was a cold winter morning. Finn woke up and jumped out of bed. It was snowing!
p. 1
Finn wanted to use his new red sled. After he ate, Finn put on his coat, hat, and boots.
Then he ran to the park with his new sled.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 2
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
His friends, Sam and Dot, saw Finn and waved to him. Sam had a yellow sled and Dot had a new red sled
like Finns. We match! he said.
p. 3
After going down the small hill, Finn wanted to do more. He saw Russ, his friend from school. Do you
want to race down the big hill? he asked Russ.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 4
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
OK, said Russ, but no tricks! Finn liked Russ, but he liked to tease him sometimes, too.
No tricks, said Finn.
p. 5
Dot and Sam yelled, Go! Finn and Russ went down the hill very fast.
They were riding next to each other.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 6
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Suddenly, Finns sled slipped on some ice. He flipped and went flying in the air. Then he landed in some water near the hill - splash!
p. 7
Finn was not hurt, but he felt a little silly. He got up and said, Good thing frogs can swim!
Then Finn and his friends had fun in the snow all day.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 8
SNACK TIME
RED APPLE READING32
SNACK TIME CROSSWORD
RED APPLE READING
from the word RESOLUTION.
ACROSS 1. To remember something, write a _____. 2. A hammer is a kind of _____. 4. Another word for relax or sleep is ______. 6. An elephant has a long _________.
DOWN 1. Birds build a ________ for their babies. 3. The opposite of win is _____. 4. One kind of flower is called a _______. 5. The car has a flat _____.
2
1
3
4 5
6
from the word RESOLUTION.
ACROSS 1. To remember something, write a _____. 2. A hammer is a kind of _____. 4. Another word for relax or sleep is ______. 6. An elephant has a long _________.
DOWN 1. Birds build a ________ for their babies. 3. The opposite of win is _____. 4. One kind of flower is called a _______. 5. The car has a flat _____.
2
1
3
4 5
6
from the word RESOLUTION.
ACROSS 1. To remember something, write a _____. 2. A hammer is a kind of _____. 4. Another word for relax or sleep is ______. 6. An elephant has a long _________.
DOWN 1. Birds build a ________ for their babies. 3. The opposite of win is _____. 4. One kind of flower is called a _______. 5. The car has a flat _____.
2
1
3
4 5
6
from the word RESOLUTION.
ACROSS 1. To remember something, write a _____. 2. A hammer is a kind of _____. 4. Another word for relax or sleep is ______. 6. An elephant has a long _________.
DOWN 1. Birds build a ________ for their babies. 3. The opposite of win is _____. 4. One kind of flower is called a _______. 5. The car has a flat _____.
2
1
3
4 5
6
33
Level C
A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
Level C
A SLIPPERY SLEDDING ADVENTURE
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 1
It was a cold winter morning in January. Finn woke up, opened his eyes, and jumped out of bed.
He looked out of the window. It was snowing!
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 2
Finn was excited to try out his new red sled. After a quick breakfast, Finn put on his winter coat, hat, mittens, and boots. Then he ran all of the way to the hills at the park, taking his new sled with him.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 3
The sledding hill was crowded. Finns friends, Sam and Dot, waved and called to Finn, Over here!
Sam had a yellow sled and Dot had a new red sled just like Finns. We match! he said.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 4
After a few trips down the small hill, Finn wanted more of a challenge. He spotted Russ and some of his other friends from school. Do you want to race
down the big hill? he asked Russ.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 5
Okay, said Russ, but no funny business. Finn liked Russ as a friend, but he liked to tease
him sometimes, too. I promise, said Finn.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 6
Dot and Sam shouted, On your mark, get set, go! Finn and Russ took off down the hill as fast as they could. They rode side-by-side for most of the way.
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 7
Suddenly, Finns sled slipped on a patch of ice. He flipped, he twirled, and he went flying through the air. Then he landed in a small creek near the hill - splash!
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
p. 8
Luckily, Finn wasnt hurt, but he felt a little foolish. He stood up, brushed himself off, and joked, Its a
good thing frogs can swim! Finn and his friends laughed about the sledding race all afternoon.
STORY FILL IN
RED APPLE READING
friends hill hurt jacket new
race skating sled slipped snow
on the ground. He wanted to try out his new red ________ at
the park. Finn put on his hat, gloves, and warm ________.
Then he walked to the park to meet his ________.
Finn rode down the small ________ several times on his
sled. Then he asked Russ to ________ down the big hill with him.
Finn was going really fast and then ________ on a patch of ice.
After sledding, Finn and his friends went ice ________ on
the frozen pond. What a fun winter day!
friends hill hurt jacket new
race skating sled slipped snow
on the ground. He wanted to try out his new red ________ at
the park. Finn put on his hat, gloves, and warm ________.
Then he walked to the park to meet his ________.
Finn rode down the small ________ several times on his
sled. Then he asked Russ to ________ down the big hill with him.
Finn was going really fast and then ________ on a patch of ice.
After sledding, Finn and his friends went ice ________ on
the frozen pond. What a fun winter day!
43
SINGULAR OR PLURAL?
RED APPLE READING
Do you need one (singular) or more than one (plural)? Read the beginning of each sentence. Decide how you
Make up your own sentences and decide how theyshould end do you need a singular word or aplural word? How silly are your sentences?
On my hands, I wearone mitten.
mittens.
To skate, I needone skate.
skates.
To sled, I needone sled.
sleds.
one snowball.
snowballs.
In my hot cocoa, I likeone marshmallow.
marshmallows.
THISTRY
Do you need one (singular) or more than one (plural)? Read the beginning of each sentence. Decide how you
Make up your own sentences and decide how theyshould end do you need a singular word or aplural word? How silly are your sentences?
On my hands, I wearone mitten.
mittens.
To skate, I needone skate.
skates.
To sled, I needone sled.
sleds.
one snowball.
snowballs.
In my hot cocoa, I likeone marshmallow.
marshmallows.
THISTRY
Do you need one (singular) or more than one (plural)? Read the beginning of each sentence. Decide how you
Make up your own sentences and decide how theyshould end do you need a singular word or aplural word? How silly are your sentences?
On my hands, I wearone mitten.
mittens.
To skate, I needone skate.
skates.
To sled, I needone sled.
sleds.
one snowball.
snowballs.
In my hot cocoa, I likeone marshmallow.
marshmallows.
THISTRY
44
12
3
4
5
How does Finn know it is a good day for sledding?
What color is Finns new sled?
Who does Finn want to race?
What happens to Finn as he sleds down the hill?
Where does most of the story take place?
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
SINGULAR OR PLURAL?
45
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
LITERACY TIME
46
W W W . R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M
LETTERS IN THE SNOW
When it snows, enjoy the chill and learn about letters at the same time. Use a stick to write letters in the snow, make giant pathway letters by dragging your feet in the snow, or shape the snow into letters by packing snow together on the drive-way. You can even use a spray bottle with food coloring and water to make letters! Listen for letter sounds and ask your child to tell you the beginning sound for the words: ice, snow, sled, ski, skate, cold, chill, wet, freeze, boots, mittens, and coat.
WINTER BOOK READING AND LITERACY
We recommend books like The Snowy Day, The Mystery of the Missing Red Mit-ten, and Snowmen at Night. Talk about the setting, the characters, and what hap-pens in the story. As you read, have your child identify specific letters or words on a page. Ask your child to guess what might happen next in the story. Ask your child to come up with an alternate end-ing for the story. Have your child draw a picture of something fun he or she likes to do in the snow.
LITERACY TIME
Prices are dropping lower than the temperature!47
SHAVING CREAM LETTERS AND WORDS
You will need a can of shaving cream and a cookie sheet or easy-to-clean table. Spray some shaving cream and encourage your child to move it around on the table. Ask your child to write different letters, words, or short sentences. Say a word and ask your child to identify the beginning letter sound by writing the letter in the shaving cream. Say a high-frequency word and ask your child to spell it. For extra fun, add some food coloring or glitter to make snowy shaving cream!
INDOOR SNOWBALL TOSS
Make a snowball with a rolled up pair of white socks or use a soft ball. Stand about five feet away from your child. Say a word, toss the ball, and have your child catch it. He or she must say a rhyming word then toss it back to you. How many words can you rhyme without dropping it? Change it up: Choose a beginning sound, a letter blend, a short or long vowel sound, or a vowel team. Toss the ball and identify a word in that category.
48
LITERACY LINEUP
JANUARY 2016
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
NEW YEARS DAY
J.R.R. TOLKIEN
PHYLLIS R NAYLOR
W. VAN DRAANEN
LEWIS CARROLL
MARJORIE PRICEMAN REMY CHARLIP
JACK LONDON
SHANNON HALE
HUGH LOFTING HAT DAY
NATIONAL POPCORN DAY
NATIONAL HUGGING DAY
NATIONAL PIE DAY
NATIONAL PUZZLE DAY
HOT CHOCOLATE DAY
M.L.K. JR. DAY
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
31
1 2 3
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
20 21 23
30
24
25
18
26 27
22
29
19
28
Written by Carley Bennecke, In-house book critic
S P O T L I G H T O N
RED APPLE READING
The Harry Potter series is a magical gift from J.K. Rowling to parents of adolescents. Her writing is suitable for children and adults alike, a magic that is very hard for wizarding authors to achieve. The series has bonded fami-lies all over the world because of its page-turning plot, character devel-opment, and heroic main character. In third grade my father read to me the first three books of the series. It was so enchanting to have him read a chapter every night before bedtime. We both fell in love with the story and characters.
J.K. Rowling
Rowlings creativity is painted on every page of each of the seven books. With her words, she illustrates a scene in the read-ers mind so vivid that it is easy to get lost in the story. It is captivating to read as an adult, but especially fun to read aloud to children.
My personal favorite from the series is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, be-cause of its addition of many new charac-ters and its exciting, appealing setting of the tri-wizard tournament.
If you are looking for a magical adven-ture to read for yourself and/or your chil-dren, Rowlings Harry Potter series is the way to go. Board the train to Hogwarts and dont forget your wand!
and the
Book Series
WWW. REDAPPLEREADING.COM
RED APPLE READING
JANUARY 2016
Serious Learning thats Seriously Fun.