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A Note to Teachers...

Here are some ideas on the theme of family and reading to help you use the Read Up On It kit. We hope that you will try some of them with students in your classroom.

We are continually modifying the Read Up On It kit to make it a more useful tool for teachers, group leaders and parents. This year, we have provided class sets of bookmarks in each kit for your convenience and to eliminate the need for a kit folder. This helps to reduce printing and distribution costs at our end. If you require additional kits please send us the enclosed reply card. Regardless, please take a moment to answer our questions on the reply card so we can continue to improve the Read Up On It kit.

If you have ideas you'd like to share with others on how to make use of this kit please send them along to us and we'll include them next year.

Suggestions for Using the Read Up On It Kit

Read some of the award-winning books and have a class discussion about why the books won and whether your students agree with the judges' choices.

Hold an awards ceremony of your own. Pick different categories, read the books and have the class cast their ballot for their favourites.

Have your students write and illustrate stories of their own and share them with their classmates. A shelf in the school library could be designated for students' works so that the entire school could enjoy them.

Choose a book that's a class favourite and have the class act out the story themselves, or make puppets and put on a puppet show version of the story.

Have your students write a sequel to one of the stories that they have read.

Read books on different family themes to your class and have them write a short story on a family event from their experience.

Lead a class discussion on all the different types of families there are.

Plan a class visit to the school library to find other books to read about families.

Lead a class discussion on different family traditions.

Plan a teaching unit on famous families (musicians, athletes, actors, inventors, etc.).

Have your students trace their family tree.

Have your students draw a family portrait.

Extend the family theme to animals and give a teaching session on animal families (their habitat, family organization, care of their young, etc.).

Identify animal families (for example: the cat family (Felidae) is made up of the lynx, bob cat, lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, etc.).

Have a different parent, grandparent or family member visit each week to read a story to the class.

Lead a discussion on how families have changed over the years (roles and responsibilities, size, etc.).