Houghton Mifflin's Reading Themes

We will begin Sunshine and Raindrops Monday, January 8. Listed below are the books we will be reading as a class during each week of the theme and a synopsis of each story.

Week 1

Read Aloud: Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Senkak

• A young boy explains what his favorite food is for every month of the year

Big Book: What Will the Weather Be Like Today by Paul Rogers

• A variety of animals talk about what kinds of weather they would prefer.

Science Link: Checking the Weather

• Different weather instruments are introduced.

Week 2

Read Aloud: The Sun and the Wind  A Fable by Aesop

• The sun and the wind fight over who is stronger.

Big Book: All to Build a Snowman by Samuel Tang

• Kim, Tim and their dog Slim make a snowman with some help from a series of mishaps.

Social Studies Link: What Can We Do?

• Activities are described for sunny, windy, snowy, and rainy days.

Week 3

Read Aloud: The Woodcutter's Cap  A Traditional Russian Tale

• This story is similar to Jan Brett's The Mitten. Different animals try to make a woodcutter's cap their home for the long winter.

Big Books: Review of both big books from the previous two weeks.

Content Links: Review of both content links from the previous two weeks.