Little Blue Truck's Christmas - Beyond the Book Resources
In an interview with author, Alice Schertle, she stated that, "reading with my children was something that I did with great pleasure from the time she brought them home." She never thought she'd be writing children's books, but she always knew that she'd be a writer. Additionally, like myself, she was an elementary school teacher.While she's written over 40 picture and poetry books, she is most known for her The Little Blue Truck series. However, those books didn't come along until well after her more serious nonfiction children's books and poetry.The original illustrator of the series, Jill McElway passed away in 2017 and there was a brief gap in the series. In 2019, Schertle wrote another "Little Blue Truck" book, Goodnight Little Blue Truck, and the publishers hired artist John Joseph to create the illustrations in the original style of The Little Blue Truck.
There are now 8 books in the" 'Little Blue Truck" series
Themes: Hard-work Friendship Family Kindness
Teachable Moments:
This book offers multiple opportunities for learning that go far beyond what's printed on the page or seen in the illustrations. Here's a small sample:
Rhyming Words
Character Traits - how are the different animals and their homes alike or different
Counting
Order of Events /Plot- Which house received a tree first, next, and last.
Examples Shown with Images are for Reference Only - Not Part of the Download
Extend the Learning with Story-Based Play
Adding an element of play is another way to deepen your child’s understanding of concepts within and beyond a story. According to Hall (1991), young children often develop advanced literacy skills when they engage in play related to a familiar story. Many complex literacy skills develop naturally when the story and play intersect, setting the stage for your child to learn to read and write.
It’s easy. Take a great story, gather toys that align with that story, and get out of the way. Your child will do the rest. The goal is to allow the play to evolve naturally. You’ll be surprised by the amount of learning transferred and reinforced through this type of play.
Here’s Why We Love These Specific Products:
They have direct connections to the book.
They reinforce new vocabulary.
They encourage imaginative play
They make it easy to re-enact parts of the story.
They often take learning beyond the confines of the story.
Few require batteries, screens, or electricity.
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