Charlotte Zolotow's books connect readers to so many of life's experiences. She wrote about emotional topics that allow readers to express their own feelings and to stretch their reactions into other areas of life. Being a big brother. Getting into arguments with others. Losing a loved one. Being afraid of things. Taking time to be quiet. There are many times when one of her books perfectly fits what readers need to consider.
Last week, though, the second graders played with language, thanks to Charlotte's 1969 book Some Things Go Together. Rhymed and rhythmic couplets form the text, and the readers were soon filling in the last words as I read the book aloud. Using Charlotte's word order, their task was to link a noun and adjective with the word with and then discover another combination that rhymed with the first. With the trusty Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary in hand, I circulated among the pairs and individuals in the computer lab, helping them find the words that finished their couplets. Most were incredibly thoughtful, but my favorite was composed by a pair who wanted to sign their names in a unique way:
Cara with Bella
Pizza with mozzarella
Julie, now I'll be reserving a book from MY library. A great language activity! I'd love to read more examples. Yes, if you can ask permission of Lauren, it would be fun to use the Story-gami (sp?) with her book, Thank you.
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