My Reading Garden: Early Learner Activity

This engaging reading activity invites children to explore reading, characters and story development. You can use popular children's book titles that you have already available to you. Activities like these can help children overcome reading challenges, discover new book titles and build an excitement for reading.

Instructions for the Reading Garden Challenge

• A bug, insect or worm
• An animal
• Flower, tree, plant or seed
• Fruits or vegetables
• A farmer or gardener
• 6^th box: You choose weather conditions: Rain, sun, wind

(Note: if time is an issue, 3 books that cover more than one of these themes could be used)

One fun way to do this is to read one book every day for a week and discuss the possible characters/objects they might want to choose.

Download the Worksheet

For example:

• Draw the insect from the bug book
• Draw an animal from a book with an animal
• Add a flower or tree from the plant book
• In the 6^th box, they can choose the weather condition. Is it sunny, rainy or windy in their story?
  
  

• Question: “What do you like most about your garden and story?”
• Kids can share their garden and story with their class or family.
• *Optional: Kids could draw their final garden on the backside of the page.

You can also Download These Instructions to share with a teacher or parent.

Here’s some fun book recommendations:

• Bug/Insect:
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
• Flower/Tree/Plant:
  • The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
  • The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• Farm Animal:
  • The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
  • Chicken Little (or one of the many fun re-tellings of Henny Penny)
• Fruits and Vegetables:
  • Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
  • Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens
• Farmer or Gardner:
  
  • Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
  • Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
  • Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Various Authors
  • The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone