Things That are Most in the World

Well, right now if you asked me, "Hey, Denise - What's most in the world?" I'd probably say, "The time between now and the last day of freakin school already!!!".  I don't want to seem like I hate my job and can't wait to run for the hills on June 7, but something happens in an elementary school during the last two weeks that is enough to drive even the most sane person, well...insane!

It's a deadly storm. The kids know they're almost done, the assessments, recording of assessments, data notebook work, artic cards, forming classes, report cards, textbook counts, class party...ugh...Calgon take me away!!  I know you feel me. Unless you're already out for the summer. In which case I am extremely jealous. EXTREMELY!

So, as the year winds down and I begin to move things around to pack (oh, left that off the list, didn't I...) I've started to realize that I haven't had a chance to share some of my most favorite books with this class. I decided to share one each day and try to squeeze in at least a little activity to go with it.

Today I read the book Things that are Most in the World by Judi Barrett. It's a great book to introduce superlatives. It's also a great mentor text for word choice, fluency and ideas. It's a quick read, but the phrases and the illustrations are a big hit with the kids. Lots of laughs with this one. One of the pages tells the wiggliest thing in the world is a snake on ice skates. Click on the pic below to check out the book if you'd like.

After I shared the book, we brainstormed a list of other -est words - coldest, coolest, weirdest, funniest, etc. Then in their writer's notebooks they wrote a few ideas using an -est word of their choice following the pattern the author used on each page. Finally, we published it and added an illustration. Not a huge, deep lesson - but it was a great way get a little more out of the book than just a read aloud.

If you'd like the form to use with your own class, just click here to download from Google Docs.

I made one too: The happiest thing in the world is drinking coffee from a real cup on the first morning of summer. But I forgot to take a picture of it. ;0)