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If your students love the How to Catch books, How to Catch a Snowman by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton will be a winter favorite. It’s silly, it rhymes, and it’s full of traps, which is exactly the kind of read aloud that keeps students leaning in. Here are five How to Catch a Snowman activities adapted for students in special education, plus a simple plan for teaching them across one week in December or January.
What is How to Catch a Snowman about?
A group of kids builds a snowman for a contest, but their snowman has other plans. He comes to life and slips past every trap the kids set to catch him, all while gathering supplies for a surprise of his own. The rhyming text and busy, funny illustrations give students lots to point at and talk about on every page.
For special education classrooms, it’s a great pick because:
- Kids setting traps and a snowman escaping them is easy to follow, even for students who are new to listening to a full story.
- The rhyme and rhythm help students anticipate words and join in with the reading.
- Talking about each trap is a natural way to practice wh- questions: what did they use, where did they put it, and why didn’t it work?
- It leads straight into a hands-on craft and a sentence students can write themselves.
5 How to Catch a Snowman activities for special education
1. A whole group read aloud with story visuals
Read the book whole group and stop on each page to talk about the title, the setting, the characters and what happened. Holding up a visual for each story element helps students follow along and gives nonspeaking students a way to answer by pointing. Then fill out a story map together so the whole story is on one page. Keep the visuals out all week, because you’ll come back to them for retelling and the quiz.
2. Vocabulary cards and clip cards
Pick out the important words from the story and teach each one with a picture and a simple definition. Practice with matching cards and clip cards, which double as fine motor work. Once students know the routine, clip cards make an easy independent center or a quick activity for a para to run at a small group table.
3. Sequencing the story
Use first, then, next and finally to retell what happened: the kids build a snowman, they set traps, the snowman escapes, and the surprise is revealed at the end. Students put picture cards in order, and students who are ready can add a word or sentence under each one. For students who need more support, start with two or three pictures instead of four.
4. “I caught the snowman in a…” trap craft
This is the activity students remember. After reading, students design their own snowman trap and finish the sentence “I caught the snowman in a ___” with a picture choice. A sentence builder with real picture visuals means every student can write a complete sentence, even students who aren’t writing independently yet. Pair it with a simple paper plate snowman and you have an easy winter bulletin board.
5. A leveled comprehension quiz
End the week by checking what students remember. A leveled quiz lets everyone answer the same questions in the way that works for them:
- Level 1: picture answer choices to circle or point to
- Level 2: written answers with picture support
- Level 3: blank responses for students who are ready to write on their own
It’s also quick data for IEP goals around answering wh- questions, recalling details and retelling.
A simple week with How to Catch a Snowman
Here’s one way to spread these activities across a week so there’s very little to prep each day:
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday | Read the book whole group with story visuals and fill out the story map together. |
| Tuesday | Reread and introduce the vocabulary words with picture cards. |
| Wednesday | Practice vocabulary with clip cards and matching, then start the trap craft. |
| Thursday | Finish the craft and sentence, then sequence the story. |
| Friday | Review the story and give the leveled comprehension quiz. |
Each day they understand a little more of the story, and the repetition builds confidence.
Tips for students who need more support
- Bring in real objects. A scarf, a carrot and a few blocks for building a “trap” make the story concrete and give students something to hold.
- Use a choice board. Let students answer “What would you use to catch a snowman?” by choosing from three pictures.
- Build a class trap together before asking students to design their own, so they have a model to look at.
- Pre-cut craft pieces for students who are still building scissor skills, so the focus stays on the story and the sentence.
Get everything ready to go
Everything above is included in the How to Catch a Snowman Book Companion: a teacher planning guide with a suggested schedule, whole group visuals, a story map, vocabulary cards, clip cards and matching cards, the craft with real picture visuals, sequencing, and leveled comprehension quizzes. Every activity is differentiated, so you can use it with your whole class.
Planning more than one winter read aloud? The Winter Book Companions Bundle includes How to Catch a Snowman along with three more winter books, which is a full month of read alouds for less than buying them separately.
Do I need the book?
Yes. Book companions go alongside the book and don’t include any of its text. You can find How to Catch a Snowman at most school and public libraries. You can also find How to Catch a Snowman on Amazon.
More winter read aloud ideas
Teaching all of the winter books? See our Snowmen at Night activities, Tracks in the Snow activities and The Biggest Snowman Ever activities, browse every month’s books on the Book Companions page, or add a few winter crafts for special education.
The post How to Catch a Snowman Activities for Special Education appeared first on Simply Special Ed.