Back to School with Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

 

Kevin Henkes is one of my favorite author/illustrators.  Making connections to his books comes naturally to my students.  He really seems to understand the feelings of many young students, such as pride, embarassment, anxiety, loneliness, and excitement.  These are all feelings students might experience as they head into your classroom in the first few weeks of school. 

Books like Wemberly Worried, Chyrsanthemum, and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse are great books to use at the beginning of the school year in kindergarten, first, or second grade. I personally make soooo many text-to-self connections with Wemberly Worried!!!  Not only are they good for students to use to make connections, but they also lend themselves well to many cross-curricular skills. 

I have created a packet of five activities to use with Chrysanthemum and posted it in my TPT store.  These are unique activities which focus on graphing, the alphabet, comparing/contrasting, and more. Included is a parent letter and class book page for each student to complete to tell the story of how their name was chosen.  What a special book this is for the class to treasure!  It makes EVERYONE feel special.  I include a page for myself to help my students relate to me on a personal level.  Check out a free preview of this packet HERE.  It includes a usable freebie page.  If you like what you preview, download the packet today, so you'll be ready to head back to school with a packet of activities that are engaging and ready-to-use.

Keep sparkling!

For this post, I've linked up with Chrissy at First Grade Found Me.