Expand the Reading
Writing Connection
Writing in a different genre.
Say: I want you to think about how you could rewrite this story as if it were a series of entries in Hannah’s journal. Share with the group how you would start.
You may need to do a think aloud at this time if children are not used to this type of writing.
Say: If I were going to plan this piece of writing, I would start with thinking how many entries I would need to make. First I would count the days that the story covered. I would note this down. I could use the names of any of the days of the week because the text doesn’t name the days. What I do know is that I need to choose a school day, because Hannah comes home from school at the beginning of the story. I also know that it can’t be Friday because her mother suggested she have a day off school to visit Grandpa. I will then think about what happened on each day and how much of it I want to record. I think I would probably just record a couple of facts and my feelings. I will also make my writing style quite chatty, because it is just me talking to my journal. I won’t need to be too concerned about my spelling and punctuation because this is private reading for me alone unless I choose to share it. I might start like this:
Tuesday
When I got home from school today Laura was there, not Mom and Grandpa. I knew straight away something was wrong. I was right. Grandpa was in hospital. I felt so bad because he was sick.
Have children work independently or with a partner to write Hannah’s journal.
Science Connection
Have children use the library and the Internet to further research strokes. Have them find out more about strokes. Encourage children to write or e-mail the local hospital for information. Encourage them also to contact stroke support groups to find out about the rehabilitation of stroke victims.
Reading Independently
Invite children to reread the book, Losing Grandpa, independently or with a partner. They could then look for and read other books about children who have strong relationships with someone who becomes really ill and/or dies. Children should also read each other’s journal entries.
Go to "Losing Grandpa" main page
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