Showing posts with label Early Reader. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Early Reader. Show all posts

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Breakout at the Bug Lab



Let’s have some fun with bugs, shall we?

Breakout at the Bug Lab by Ruth Horowitz is fun easy reader that will especially appeal to boys.
The bug lab features robber flies,

dung beetles,
grubs,
gold beetles,
and the star of the show: the hissing cockroach.
Ever seen one?  Come on! You’ve got to see this!



Before reading the book, review your sight words with this free bug game.

Do a little math. Learn to shoot a rubber band and aim for the paper bugs mounted on your wall or other surface.  Decide how many points each type of bug is worth, earn points for each bug you hit and add up your points.  Create a graph to show how many times each type bug was hit during the entire game.

Have snack of bananas: Spit them down the middle and spread on some peanut butter so your bugs will stick to the treat. (raisins, dried fruit bits, granola, chocolate chips, etc).  Don’t forget to leave your banana peel in an appropriate place for it to compost and be eaten by animals and insects in your area.  How long does it take for your peel to disappear?

Go on a bug hunt and create a discovery book documenting what you find and fun information about them.

The bug lab is located in a large environmental science building.  “The people who work there help keep our air, water, fish, and plants healthy.”  Take your learning a little further.  If you were to work in such a building which area would you want to study? Air, water, fish, plants or bugs?  Choose one category and think of a way you might help keep that part of our world healthy.

Need more ideas? Check our pinterest board.

And of course, here are some more awesome bug books:
Hi, Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold
Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs by Megan McDonald 
Bean Thirteen by Matthew McElligott
The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields 
Ultimate Bugopedia by Darlyne Murawski
Hissing Cockroaches: Cool Pets! By Alvin Silverstein

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

Today is all about flies.  Read Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold together, or view a video of the story being read 
here
(FYI: Hi! Fly Guy’s AR reading level is 1.5)
Discuss aspects of the book with your child:
What did the fly want?
What did the boy want?
What kinds of considerations should be addressed when thinking about getting a pet?
What kinds of responsibilities would different pets carry?
What does it mean to be a pest?
When is it important to consider the thoughts of others on what you should and shouldn’t do?  When is it less important?
Learn to draw Fly Guy and focus on a little math with this link from Fairy Dust Teaching.
Check out all the free printables available from Scholastic here.
How about pretending your really do want a fly for a pet?
Color and name your fly with this online coloring page.
Take a closer look at his anatomy here.
Learn about the life cycle of a fly here.
Learn how to catch and train your pet fly with these pages:
Figure out what your new pet will eat and watch what happens when a fly actually eats here.
Look at the world through fly eyes.
Organize a pet show of your child’s stuffed animals and make awards for them, similar to those earned by the animals in the pet show in Hi! Fly Guy.
Want even more fun?  Don't forget to check our Pinterest page!
PS. Consider adding this adorable plush to your child’s collection. 
PPS. Hi! Fly Guy received an honorable mention from the Thoeodore Seuss Geisel Honor Book Awards. You can see all the winning titles for this award here.

Love Fly Guy?  Here are some more titles to check out:
Fly Guy Presents Space by Tedd Arnold
Fly Guy Presents Sharks by Tedd Arnold
Fly guy and Franken Fly by Tedd Arnold
Super Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman
A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock
The Fly by Elise Grave
Freaky Flies by Greg Roza