If your third grader is having difficulty sequencing events in a story, try creating this book square. It's a fun way to highlight important story details and put them in a logical order. She can even use the Book Square as a bookmark, and add information to it as she reads!
What You Need:
- White paper (construction paper or computer printer paper)
- Scissors
- Markers
What You Do:
- Cut an 8 1/2” square out of construction or printer paper. Fold the paper in fourths and open it. Then fold in each corner toward the center. Write the numbers 1 through 4 on the outside of the flaps. Open the square. In the center, write the title of the book and a sentence describing the main idea of the book.
- During reading, ask your child to stop at the end of a chapter or an appropriate place where a main idea is shared. One way to sequence is to have her think about the “beginning, middle, and end.” Under flap #1 of the book square, she should write an important event that happens in the beginning of the story. Under flaps #2 and #3, have her write important events that happen in the middle of the story. Under flap #4, have her write important events that happen at the end of the story.
- Your child did a lot of work creating the Book Square and filling in all the details! Have her share it with someone such as a friend, grandparent, or teacher.
What's going on? This year, students make an important leap from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." As their books become tougher, they can also have a hard time following key information. The Book Square is a way for your child to keep track of it all, and to get past initial frustrations with difficult text.
By Jeanne Lowe
Jeanne Lowe is an elementary school teacher from Virginia.
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