Fall is one of my favorite times in the classroom! Autumn themes like pumpkins, leaves, and Halloween are fun themes to incorporate into your learning! In October, classroom routines are usually well-established so it is a great time to add in some new learning activities. Simple Book Companions are a great way to do it! Keep reading to learn all about one of my favorite fall book companions, “The Biggest Pumpkin Ever!”
What are Book Companions?
Simply Special Ed’s Book Companions are supplemental materials for already published books. The activities included with book companions help students to engage with picture books, extend their understanding of texts, and work on targeted skills.
All book companions come with these elements:
- Teacher planning guide
- Suggested materials list
- Story Map
- Story sequencing
- Vocabulary clip cards and matching activity
- Three levels of leveled comprehension worksheets
- Craft project with related sentence and sequencing worksheet
- Visual supports
The picture books/texts are not included with the companions. But, these books are easy to find in book stores and online, at the library, and even on YouTube read alouds! You can check out a FREE book companion for “My Brother Charlie” here!
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever
“The Biggest Pumpkin Ever” is a classic children’s book by Steven Kroll! Perfect for fall, this book was first published in 1984 and has been read ever since. You might even remember having this book read to you in school when you were a kid! The story is about two mice with different personalities who have to work together to grow a giant pumpkin! One thing I love about this book is the classic, cozy illustrations. They are simple pictures with muted colors, so it is very low-stimulation for kids.
Book Activities
Book companions include story mapping, vocabulary, craft, and comprehension activities. Read more about some of these elements!
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever Story Map
The story mapping activity helps students become familiar with the elements of a story. This is so helpful for promoting conversations about books. I love that every book companion utilizes a story map, because that repetition helps students master naming the title, character, setting, and what happened in a story. There is also a related sequencing activity to promote understanding of the story’s events.
Visual Craft
Making a craft is a fun supplement to a book. But crafting in the classroom can be functional as well! Visual crafts are a wonderful way to help students build independence! Students will use visual directions to complete a craft project. Each craft has step-by-step visual instructions, a cut-and-paste sentence, materials checklists, a craft sequencing activity, and a review survey. So, in addition to the creative and fine motor work students will do with the craft, they will also work on writing, sequencing, and self-monitoring skills!
Vocabulary
Each book companion comes with several vocabulary options. First off, there are three levels of vocabulary in the set. Level one uses pictures only. Level two has words with picture support, and level three is text only. There is a vocabulary chart to introduce and teach the meaning of the words. Then, there are vocabulary review activities including picture matching and vocab clip cards.
I like to review vocab words before our first reading of the story. Then, as we read I highlight the words as they come up. Finally, students do vocab practice activities throughout the week to help make these new words stick!
Comprehension
Helping students build comprehension is so important! Utilizing book companions throughout the school year is a great way to support comprehension goals and help students make gains. The leveled worksheets that come with book companions are a great way to check understanding! If you have ever used Simple Comprehension stories in your classroom, you will recognize these worksheets. Level one has picture comprehension, level two has lines for a written response, and level three has a blank response spot. I love that the format is familiar, so it is easy to add to my students’ routine!
Once you read “The Biggest Pumpkin Ever” with your class, it will become a fall tradition — and adding the book companion will make it educational as well! Do you have any favorite fall books to read to your students? Share them below!
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