How do you use picture books in your classroom? I use them for a variety of reasons, including teaching some important life skills and lessons. Maria Dismondy is an amazing author that writes children’s literature that focuses on making a difference in the lives of our students. This includes her newest release, The Jelly Donut Difference.
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The Jelly Donut Difference is a sweet story about two siblings that learn that kindness is important! They work together to make a special dessert to share with their elderly neighbor, they work together to build a snowman family in front of her house and more! Throughout the book we see these two siblings’ relationship grow and change from always fighting to finally getting along and showing kindness! It is a wonderful read that should be shared in every classroom!
Using the Picture Book:
I decided to use the book to review some important reading skills including sequencing and character traits. We used a few pages from the reader’s guide to focus on sequencing and characters!
The first sheet we used had my students summarizing using first, then, next and finally. Students were using these transition words, as well as, many others to describe the sequence of events within the text. It was a great lesson to help strengthen their summarizing skills!
After discussing sequence of events, we then transitioned to character development. We talked about how Dexter and Leah changed from the beginning to the end of the story. Students were really able to dive in to compare and contrast differences the characters had throughout the story. It was the perfect way to discuss the book and review some skills we have been working on all year.
The various graphic organizers really helped my students visualize the exact reading strategy that we were reviewing! If you don’t already use graphic organizers with your students, I highly suggest it! Graphic organizers allow you to break down the main concepts into smaller parts so that students can learn the overall concept more quickly.
At the end of unit, we dug even deeper and discussed the theme of the book! Students were able to review the difference between theme and main idea (they always get confused!) and have conversations on how the book can have more than one theme.
You can find this book and many all of Maria’s other books on Amazon by clicking HERE. Want to read more reviews or see how other bloggers used the book in the classroom?