Meaning Miners: Digging Deeper Into Books

Learners will embark on a wonderful journey though the world of children's books. They may bring a reading buddy to class. 

Each class will feature a different book or books that target a specific reading comprehension skill.  I will perform a dramatic reading that engages children and captures their attention. Learners will improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension through asking and answering questions. Learners will explore the world through books and conversation. 

After the reading, learners will complete a graphic organizer that reinforces the skill we are working on that week. Learners will be encouraged to draw and write to help them understand the text better and share their thinking with others. Learners will be encouraged to share their graphic organizers with the class. 

Depending on time, we may read multiple books to practice the skill multiple times.  An online game or multiple online games will be posted in the classroom for additional fun practice! 


Summer/Fall 2025 Schedule

Week 1 June 1: Character Traits	
Possible Books:  Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box by David Goodner, The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, Verdi by Jannell Cannon, Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester, Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy, Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, After the Fall by Dan Santat, Swimmy by Leo Lionni, Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang, The Bad Seed by Jory John, Thundercake by Patricia Polacco, Lon Po Po by Ed Young, The Thing Lou Couldn't Do by Ashley Spires 

Week 2 June 8: Setting
Possible Books:  Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, Pigs by Robert Munsch, Thundercake by Patricia Polacco, Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ronald Barrett

Week 3 June 15: Sequencing	
Possible Books: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, The Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall, The Forever Tree by Donna Lukas, Pancakes for Supper by Anne Issacs, The Napping House by Don and Audrey Wood, The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond, The Mitten by Jan Brett, The Hat by Jan Brett, Bear Snores on by Karma Wilson, The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt, Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon, Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano, Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright, A Beach Tail by Karen Williams, King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Don and Audrey Wood, Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaolo, Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman

Week 4 June 22: Visualizing	
Possible Books: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, Bedhead by Margie Palatini, On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex, The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Week 5 June 29: Asking Questions	
Possible Books:  The Empty Pot by Demi, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, I Want My Hat Back by Jan Klassen, If You Were Night by Muon Thi Van, A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams, The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater, Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco, Going Places by Paul and Peter Reynolds, Just Because by Mac Barnett

Week 6 July 6: Making Predictions
Possible Books: Little Owl's Night by Divya Srinivasan, Duck on a Bike by David Shannon, Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat, Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood, The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, Enemy Pie by Derek Munsen

Week 7 - July 13: Making Connections
Possible Books: I Don't Want to be Frog by Devorah Petty, Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall, The Bad Seed by Jory John, Giraffes Can't Dance Giles Andreae, Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, The Dark by Lemony Snicket, Alexander the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, Nerdy Birdy  By Aaron Reynolds, Wemberly Worried  By Kevin Henkes, There’s a Nightmare in My Closet  By Mercer Mayer

Week 8 July 20:  Making Inferences
Possible Books: The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Hungry Bear by Don Wood, My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza, Small in the City by Sydney Smith, They All Saw a Cat by Brenden Wenzel, Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini, Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg, AAAlligator! by Judith Henderson, The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach, Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis, Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Flotsam by David Wiesner, Fossil by Bill Thomson, I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, Pigeon P.I. by Meg McLaren

Week 9 July 27: Central Idea	
Possible Books: A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hunts Aston, Spoon by Amy Krouse, Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski, Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev, Because by Mo Willams, After the Fall by Dan Santat, A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, Pig the Pug by Aaron Babley, Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers, An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hunts Aston, A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hunts Aston.

Week 10 August 3: Theme
Possible Books: Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, Spaghetti In a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy, The Dot by Peter Reynolds, The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, Giraffes Can's Dance by Giles Andrea, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, Spork by Kyo Maclear, Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester Laminack

Week 11 August 10: Author's Purpose
Possible Books: The Watcher by Jeanette Winter, Rotten Teeth by Laura Simms, I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School… by Davide Cali, Beegu by Alexis Deacon, Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers, I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff, I Wanna Go Home by Karen Kaufman Orloff, Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating

Week 12 August 17: Summarizing
Possible Books: Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola, The Dog Who Cried Wolf by Keiko Kasza, Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak; We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan Higgins, Miss Rhumphius by Barbara Cooney, The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio

Week 13 August 24: Compare and Contrast	
Possible Books: The Three Little Pigs, No Lie! Pigs and their Houses Can Fly!, Cinderella, Seriously, Cinderella is So Annoying, Little Red Riding Hood, Lon Po Po, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks, Goldilocks and Just One Bear

Week 14 August 31: Cause and Effect	
Possible Books: , If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff, A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, The Lorax by Dr Seuss, Pinduli by Janell Cannon, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Week 15 September 7: Text Features
Possible Books: Volcanoes, Frogs by Gail Gibbons, Ladybugs by Gail Gibbons

Week 16 September 14: Point of View
Possible Books: , The Three Little Pigs, No Lie! Pigs and their Houses Can Fly by Jessica Gunderson, Neighbors by Kasya Denisevich, A River by Marc Martin, The Rock From the Sky by Jon Klassen, Voices in the Park by Anthony Brown, A Perfect Day by Lane Smith, They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel, Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

Week 17 September 21: Synthesizing
Possible Books: The Empty Pot by Demi, The Littlest Matryoshka by Corrine Bliss, Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein