Book Companions!

Hello, Friends! I hope you are all surviving the Christmas hype in your classrooms…. You would know that Mother Nature has now decided to visit the south, and it appears that we will have indoor recess this week due to rain….. #prayersappreciatedinadvance

I wanted to share with you a little of what has been going on in Mrs. Avery’s Island! My latest interest has been creating book companions. These book resources have been created to assist teachers as they cross the curriculum by providing a plethora of math and ELA skills.

The first book companion that I have created is one that is probably safe to say is an all time Christmas favorite, The Polar Express. Included in this product are over 50 pages of thematic activities including ELA graphic organizers, math activities, and writing activities! These activities are guaranteed to motivate and excite your students as they begin their Christmas countdown!

My second book companion (which is fresh off the press) is another winter favorite that will be perfect to use during the month of January! Inspired by the amazing author, Jan Brett, The Mitten is an incredible book which opens the door to cross the curriculum in so many ways. Regardless of the age of your students, this book is a perfect way to even hit some of your social studies standards such as animal habitats or seasons of the year. If your district is like mine, social studies textbooks/materials are simply not provided to teachers in grades K-2, yet we are still expected to meet the standards. Therefore, it is up to the teachers to come up with our own materials and curriculum resources…. Oh yea, and social studies seems to be the area in our district that students score the lowest on when it comes to standardized testing for grades 3-5. #gofigure

Soooo….if you are seeking for ways to keep your students engaged during December and January when indoor recess seems to be holding all of us hostage, I encourage you to check out these book companions! I can promise you that the thematic resources will fit perfectly into your lesson plans for morning work, RTI, literacy groups, Daily 5, Daily 3, whole group instruction, and even INDOOR RECESS activities! The most exciting news for YOU, the teacher, is that very little prep work is required, AND they are ink friendly too! #iteachtoo

I encourage you to become a follower of my TPT store so that you can be the first to know about my upcoming products, sale promotions, and when my Follower Freebies are available for you to grab!!! However, in order to be aware of these monthly Follower Freebies, you will want to visit my Facebook page and be sure to “LIKE” my page. (Facebook is where I post my monthly Follower Freebie announcements!) Within a week or so after the FB post, you will receive a SURPRISE message via TPT’s inbox messaging system along with the directions on how to grab the freebie!

To be sure I am reaching all grade levels for my followers, the last two months I have given away a FREE month of writing activities valued at $6.50! These thematic writing activities include an entire month’s worth of writing prompts, menus, word work cards, and more! I encourage you to go check out some of my monthly writing activities to see what other teachers have commented and said about them! (I currently have August-February completed, and I will soon be adding March, April, May, and a Spring Bundle!)

Now…..I am already trying to decide on my next book companion, and would LOVE your input! If you have a favorite book that you would like to recommend, please comment to this post and let me know what it is…maybe even include some skills that you would like to see in the product! I am always open for suggestions, and LOVE for my teaching friends to have input in my products! 🙂

Holiday hugs from Louisiana,

Kelly