A RIF GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY COORDINATORS
TIME TO READ!
RELATED ACTIVITIES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
More Than Anything Else
Themes: Hard Work, Goal Setting,African American History Grade Level: 3rd to 5th grade
Book Brief: The story of a young boy and his dream to read.
Before reading:This story is about a boy who wants to learn to read. He does not give up on this goal. Ask if anyone has ever had something they wanted so badly they would not give up until it happened.
Author: Marie Bradby Illustrator:
Chris K. Soentpiet
A BANNER DAY (AGES 5-12)
Materials: bulletin board paper, markers, tape Have children write or draw a goal for themselves and sign their names. Title the banner, “Go for the Goal.” Hang it up to remind them of what they want to achieve.
SALT DOUGH (AGES 5-8)
Materials: 1 cup salt, 4 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups warm water, medium bowl
Mix flour and salt together. Add water. Knead dough, adding a little flour if it is too sticky. Roll it out like cookie dough. Use cookie cutters to
make fun shapes or letters.
SALT ART (AGES 9-12)
Materials: paper, pencils, glue, paint brush, tray, colored salt*
*Make colored salt the day before. Put salt in a plastic baggie for each color. Add food coloring. Shake until coated. Lay out on newspaper to dry.
Create a picture using colored salt. 1. Have kids draw a picture in pencil first. 2. Place picture in a tray. Brush on glue mixture
(1/2 glue, 1/2 water), following the lines of the drawing.
3. Sprinkle with salt. Shake off extra into tray. 4. Continue to paint and sprinkle until picture is
finished.
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR
Some Friend(2007),Once Upon a Farm(2002),Momma, Where Are You From?(2000).
TECHNOLOGY LINK FOR KIDS
A RIF GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS
TIME TO READ!
LET’S THINK ABOUT
More Than Anything Else
Themes: Hard Work, Goal Setting,African American History
Grade Level: 3rd to 5th grade
Book Brief: The story of a young boy and his dream to read.
BEFORE WE READ, LET’S LOOK AT...
The Cover:Have students make predictions about the time period in which the story is set and what they think the little boy on the front cover is thinking about. What could the title mean?
The Pictures:Show the picture on the dedication page. Discuss what students see here: “Where is the little boy?” “What do you notice about him?”
Author:
Marie Bradby
Illustrator:
Chris K. Soentpiet
Content Connections:
Social Studies
Our Purpose:Revisit the purpose: “How do Booker’s feelings change as he learns to read? What evidence can you find in the text to support your answer?”
Extending Our Thinking:Encourage students to explore the text more deeply by asking critical thinking questions.
NWhat do the pictures tell us about Booker’s family?
NWhy do you think Booker wanted to learn how to read?
NIn the story, Booker says, “I have jumped into another world and am saved.” What does he mean by that?
NHow would being able to read change Booker’s life?
Prior Knowledge:Explain that this story takes place around 1865 in West Virginia (show on a map). In 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and former slaves were granted freedom. Use a KWL chart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KWL_table) to find out how much students know about this time period. List any questions they have.
Vocabulary:tales, barrels, coopers, lantern, saltworks
Purpose for Reading:“As we read today, think about how Booker’s feelings change as he learns to read.”
WHILE WE READ
MONITORING COMPREHENSION
NWhy is the salt so important?
NWhat do you notice about the workers at the saltworks?
NWhy is the frog important? Why do you think the author included it?
NOTE TO EDUCATORS
NExtension Activities for Educators also available.
NVocabulary Scaffolding Sheet also available.
NWhat types of stories do you think the people in town are telling?
NWhy are the people gathered around the man with the newspaper?
NWhere do you think Booker’s mom got the book?
A RIF GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES
TIME TO READ!
More Than Anything Else
Themes: Hard Work, Goal Setting, African American History
Grade Level: 3rd to 5th grade
Book Brief: The story of a young boy and his dream to read.
Before reading, make connections:Discuss what it means to want something very badly. What does your child think the boy in the story wants “more than anything else”?
While reading, look at the pictures:Notice what the pictures tell you about Booker and his family. How did they live? What was important to them?
Author:
Marie Bradby
Illustrator:
Chris K. Soentpiet
After reading, ask questions:
NWhy do you think Booker had to work all day at the age of 9?
NWhy was Booker not in school?
NWhy does he want to read?
NWhere do you think his mom got the book?
NWhat might have happened if the newspaper man hadn’t come?
RELATED ACTIVITIES
EASY CORN CAKES
Ingredients: 2 c. sifted flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 2 eggs (beaten), 1 can cream style corn, 2 c. milk, 1/4 c. melted butter
1. Combine dry ingredients; set aside.
2. Combine eggs, corn, milk, butter. Mix wet and dry ingredients.
3. Fry on slightly greased skillet until golden brown, turning once.
OUT AND ABOUT
In Booker’s time, some children worked as hard as adults. What type of job could your child do to help someone out? Cut the grass? Water plants? Carry groceries?
CREATE A LAYERED BOOK
Materials: 4 sheets of paper, stapler
1. Stack 4 sheets of paper so the bottom of each sheet is 1 inch higher than the sheet below it. 2. Fold the sheets down and line up the edges so
all layers are the same distance apart. You should have 7 1-inch strips and a big strip on top.
3. When your layers are lined up, crease the paper. Staple at the top near the crease. Fill the book with pictures and your own story.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR
Some Friend(2007),Once Upon a Farm(2002), Momma, Where Are You From?(2000).
A RIF VOCABULARY SCAFFOLD
More Than Anything Else
slippery:
hard to
catch, slimy
linger:
to spend a
long time on
cooper:
someone who
makes barrels
doubt:
something
you’re not
sure about
crystal:
sharp,
rock-like
object
lantern:
old-fashioned
light
wiggle:
to move back
and forth like a
worm
worn-out:
tired or old
baptize:
to dunk in water,
to name, or to
clean the spirit
midnight:
12:00 AM,
the middle
of the night
RIF EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR EDUCATORS
More Than Anything Else
More Than Anything Elseis a fictional story about Booker T. Washington. Go online to
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/washington/ cover.htmlto read his autobiography,Up From Slavery. Chapter 2 is about Booker’s childhood.
Read it aloud or print it out for student use.
Create a chart to compare the two
versions of Booker’s life story. Make sure children know the difference between biography and fiction based on biography.
What was it like to be a young boy in 1865? Put yourself in Booker’s shoes. Using the
Booker-T-Washington-Thought-Bubble.pdf
activity, fill in what Booker might be thinking about. Tell when and where the thoughts are taking place.
Pick another character from the story. Retell the story from that character’s point of view. Characters to choose from include: mama, papa, brother, little sister, man with newspaper.
COMPARE/CONTRAST
CREATIVE WRITING
LAYERED GOALS BOOK
NARRATIVE WRITING
Create a layered foldable book for students to record their goals. Stack 4 sheets of paper so the bottom of each sheet is 1 inch higher than the sheet below it. Fold the sheets down and line up the edges so all layers are the same distance apart. You should have 7 1-inch strips and one big strip on top. When your layers are lined up, crease the paper. Staple at the top near the crease. Have students write one goal on each visible strip. Under
each flap students can list what inspired the goal or how they plan to accomplish it.
