If The Grinch and Scrooge Ate Dinner Together.....

One of our big objectives in Kindergarten is studying characters and the reasons for their actions. The Grinch and Scrooge are great examples of characters with depth to study. We read the story of The Grinch and a children's version of A Christmas Carol. There are different ways we compare the characters-how are they the same and different. Can a person change? Some deep conversations. :)

Then I ask them to imagine a dinner between the two characters. What would they discuss? Would they get along with each other?

If Cindy Lou Who....

I LOVE using the Grinch with the students because there are just so many connections you can make to Depth and Complexity.

This one goes along with Details. If Cindy Lou Who didn't just let the Grinch take all their stuff-what other details of the story would change.

Dear Santa-Multiple Perspectives

I don't believe in harping too much on holidays in the classroom. However, I as a way to tap into their excitement and to apply comprehension strategies there is a writing prompt I employ every December. 

The students write from another perspective and write a Dear Santa letter from a character. We read a chapter a day of chapter books throughout the year so that's one place I start. Dear Santa from Charlotte (or Charlie/Willy Wonka or Matilda). You could also use characters like the Grinch or Santa himself-what would Santa ask for.

I asked them to write Dear Santa letters from me. What would a teacher ask Santa for?

This one broke my heart a little bit-I have a very challenging class this year so most of the day I am fussing at them to redirect behavior.

Well, teachers smell good, don't they?

I'd take that. :)

Putting yourself in someone else's shoes and applying details about the characters in a different way. In my instructions, I make it clear that they aren't asking for what they want-Charlotte does not want a PS5. :)

Stopping By the Woods

My all-time favorite poet is Robert Frost. His poems are simple but complex. They are beautiful and meaningful. I read Stopping By the Woods to my students every day for a week-this helps with fluency as well as vocabulary. And then on Friday I ask them to illustrate the poem. I know with the push for Science of Reading that most poems in reading programs are decodable text. But I think there is value in reading actual poetry as well.

Perspective of an Ornament

Multiple perspectives is one of my favorite concepts of Depth and Complexity to use with young students. They learn the world does not revolve around them. ::)

I asked the students to pretend they were an ornament. What would they see, feel and wish?