Tip #2 Post reading discussion questions

Here’s a way to see if your child or student understood the story (and was paying attention). After you’ve read the story, come up with a few questions you can ask your child or student to get them thinking about what they just heard. Using “Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa” again, here are a few of the post discussion questions in the teacher’s guide:

* Why do you think Mori is so sad?
* Would you be sad if your friends didn’t wish you a Happy Birthday?
* What animals are hiding in Mori’s exhibit?

Okay, your turn. See what you can come up with.

See you tomorrow with another fun and easy tip to take Books beyond reading.

Tip #1 Pre reading discussion questions

Read the book first. Then, think of 3-5 questions you can ask your child or students about the story. For example, my book, “Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa” is about a surprise birthday party for one of the animals in the zoo. In my teacher’s guide that goes along with it, these are some of the questions I listed:

* What do we call the day you were born?
* Did you know animals have birthdays too?
* Who could you plan a surprise party for?
* What would you do to make sure the person the party was for didn’t find out?
* How would you get them to the party?

Get the idea? Now, go pick out one of your child’s or students favorite books and come up with questions of your own.

See you tomorrow with another fun and easy tip to take Books beyond reading.

Reading and learning can be fun!

In this day and age there are many resources available to make learning easy and fun. This blog’s purpose is to explore different ways to do just that. To start things off, I’m going to share one tip or idea a day of things you can do to take a book, any book, beyond reading and have fun at the same time. I’m aiming for 30 tips, let’s see if I make it.

Do you have a favorite way to take stories beyond reading? You do? Please share it in the comments section. I’ll post it here, giving you full credit of course. (This could help me reach my 30)

Enjoy the ride, I know I am!

Still building, first official post arrives Monday, January 5, 2009

See you then!