Read Aloud Books for December 3

Eric Carle's book, Today is Monday is a great review of the seven days of the week. As well, the students learned the names of some new animals (e.g., pelican) and followed and repeated aloud the growing word pattern of the text. The illustrations were also a talking point for the class as Eric Carle uses torn and cut paper for his collages (as did Leo Leonni in Little Blue and Little Yellow that we read last week) and the students also made tissue paper collages in class this week.

In this classic TV special, now on DVD, the story of Frosty the Snowman is told through animation and songs. Personally, I am quite fond of this video as I remember looking forward to watching it every year on TV when I was a child and then watching it with my own children at this time of year. The class talked about how a video is also a story but just told in a different way. There was a lot to discuss as the children realized the science of why Frosty couldn't be inside with his new friends (he would melt) and why he was trying to get to the North Pole (where it is winter temperatures all year round).

Frosty the Snowman, the book, was a new find for my teaching practice this year. I wanted to illustrate to my class the different ways to tell a story by watching the video of Frosty. Then I found this wonderful book that illustrates the lyrics to the song, "Frosty the Snowman" (which I learned was written in 1950). After reading the story, the students talked about how it was the same as the video and how it was different. When I pointed out that the words were actually the words in the song and then "sang the story" to them, they realised that a song is another way to tell a story.

The story, I Have a Little Dreidel, is a book about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. It is very accessible to young children as the focus in on how Jewish families celebrate this holiday over 8 days by lighting the candles on a menorah (candle holder), making potato latkes (potato pancakes) and playing the dreidel (spinning top) game. As my family celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas at our house, I was able to bring in a menorah, candles and dreidels to show the children. The students also learned that the words in this book are also the lyrics to "The Dreidel Song". Another example of song as a way to tell a story!