Long, long ago in a faraway place, I used Cynthia Rylant’s If You’ll Be My Valentine with second graders. And then, I started teaching older children math and science and forgot how much I love this book…Until this year! Not only is this a fun, rhyming read-aloud, it is also a great discussion starter and mentor text to use with children of a variety of ages. So, how could you use it?
Use It In the Classroom…
(RL.2.4, RL.3.5, RL.4.5, RL.5.5, RL.5.7, W.2.5, W.2.6, W.3.4, W.3.5, W.3.6, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.6, W.5.4, W.5.5, W.5.6)
- Talk about “love languages.” Introduce the idea that we can show people love in different ways. Some people might feel most loved when we spend time with them. Some people might feel most loved when we tell them something we appreciate about them. Some people might feel most loved when we give them a hug. (See https://www.5lovelanguages.com/ for more info about the different “love languages.”) Then talk about how the boy in the book shows love to different people in different ways. Ask questions like: How does the boy show his brother he loves him? How does he show his mom he loves her? Why does it matter? What things do people do that make you feel loved? How can you show love to different members of your family in different ways?
- Explore rhythm, meter, and rhyme. For younger students, explore the concept of rhyme. Ask questions like: Which words have the same ending sounds? Write a few stanzas on chart paper and highlight the words that rhyme. For older students, talk about rhyme schemes. Ask questions like: What patterns do you see/hear in each stanza?
- Write rhyming Valentines and type them for someone you love. Using a stanza from If You’ll Be My Valentine, model how to write your own rhyming valentine. Then, take your students through the writing process. Have them plan 1-3 Valentines, write them, share and revise them, and produce them by typing them up on the computer either to be printed out or to be sent as a digital Valentine. Adapt this activity based on the age and maturity of your students by having more or fewer Valentines, having more or less assistance in planning and writing, and having more or fewer requirements for the structure of each Valentine (i.e. for younger students, allow the focus to be on choosing rhyming words – for older students, incorporate meter).
Use It At Home…
- Take the 5 Love Languages Quiz. For children from 9-12 and teens, there is an online quiz here and here (Scroll down and click “Love Language Profile for…” on the left hand side of the page). For younger children, use the tips found here to discover what makes your child feel loved. Take the test yourself, too, and once each member of the family has discovered his or her love language, talk about what you learned about yourself and each other at dinner.
- Plan ways to love each family member and/or friends. Using your new knowledge about each other, get creative! Think about ways you could show each family member that you love them in a meaningful way. Then do it!
Your Turn! Do you have any favorite Valentine’s Day books to use with students? How would you use If You’ll Be My Valentine with your students?
P.S. Celebrate life!