Did you make forts when you were a kid? I definitely did!
There’s nothing quite like that cozy feeling you get when you curl up with a book inside your very own fort.
Kitchen chairs + Bedsheets = Magic!
Today’s short fort and sweet summer idea is perfect for a rainy day!
What do I need?
- The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier and Sonia Sánchez
- Jasper and Ollie Build a Fort by Alex Willan
- Fort materials of your choice (blankets, pillows, chairs, etc.)
- (Optional) Venn diagrams – *Don’t miss the freebie at the end of this post!*
What do I do?
- Explain that you are going to read and compare two books today. Say something like: “These two books are similar, or the same, in some ways and different in others. After we read both books, we’re going to talk about how these books are the same and different.”
- Look at the cover of each book and ask: “What do you think each of these books is about?”
- Read The Little Red Fort and Jasper and Ollie Build a Fort.
- While reading, make predictions. Ask: What do you think might happen next? Were you right?
- (Optional) After reading, show the Venn diagram and explain that this tool can help us to compare two things. Explain that each circle will represent one book. We can write things that are different about the books in their own circles. The section where the circles overlap is where we can write the ways the books are similar.
- Ask: In what ways are these two books the same? In what ways are they different?
- (Optional) Work together to fill out the Venn diagram with as many ideas as you can.
- Build your own fort and have your own adventures!
What else could I do?
You want more, you say? Here goes!
- Ask: Do these books remind you of any other stories you have heard or read? (e.g. The Little Red Hen, The Fort that Jack Built)
- Use another Venn diagram to compare characters (e.g. Jasper vs. Ollie, Ollie vs. Ruby, Ruby vs. Rodrigo, etc.).
- Use another Venn diagram to compare forts (e.g. Jasper’s fort vs. Ollie’s fort, Ollie’s fort vs. Ruby’s fort, etc.).
- Write your own story about a fort…IN your fort!
- You can “co-write” the story with younger kids by having them dictate the story to you. Prompt them by asking “What happens first? Then what happens? What happens next? What happens last?”
- Older kids can write their own story! Encourage them to think about a problem and a solution. Then, prewrite by planning the beginning, middle, and end of the story. (Reading Rockets has a collection of printable graphic organizers you can use to get the process started! https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/story_maps)
Your turn! Get out there and build, and then send me a picture of your fort fun!
P.S. Celebrate life!