Language is Everything!

The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is a statewide K-3 initiative committed to supporting the development of high-quality instruction that will prepare all students with the literacy skills needed to meet or exceed grade-level standards.

As the temperatures drop, it’s the perfect time to warm up with a good book! This winter, we’re celebrating the power of language, the foundation of every student’s learning journey. Discover engaging winter read-alouds, hands-on activities, and simple ways to strengthen oral language and literacy at home.

Keats, E. J. (1962). The Snowy Day. Viking Press.

📚 Step 1: Read Together

Cuddle up and enjoy The Snowy Day as a family. Pause to talk about what Peter sees, feels, and does. - What do you think Peter feels when he wakes up to snow? - What adventures did Peter have outside? - Have you ever had a day that felt special like Peter’s?

👀 Step 2: Explore & Observe

Take your own Weather Adventure Walk! If there’s snow, explore outside; if not, notice what makes your day special—maybe it’s sunshine, rain puddles, or colorful leaves! - Use your five senses: What do you see, hear, feel, smell, and maybe even taste? - Parents can help write down descriptive words their child says (cold, sparkly, crunchy, soft, etc.).

✏️ Step 3: Create Your Own Story

When you return home, make your own version of The Snowy Day!

Kindergarten – 1st Grade students: Draw pictures, tell your story out loud, and write the words.

2nd – 3rd Grade students: Write a short story titled My Snowy (or Sunny, Rainy, or Leafy) Day. Include: - Beginning – What did you do first? - Middle – What surprised or excited you? - Ending – How did your day end?

• Next, read the short informational passage, "What Happens on a Snowy Day."
• Point out that this text is different. It gives real facts about snow, not a story.
• Highlight vocabulary words: observe – to watch carefully, accumulate - to gather or pile up, melt – to change from solid to liquid.

When snow falls from the sky, it begins to accumulate, or build up, on the ground, trees, and rooftops. The more it snows, the thicker the blanket of snow becomes.

Children often like to go outside and observe what happens on snowy days. They might watch how their footprints press into the snow or notice how snowflakes land on their mittens and then disappear. By observing, they can learn how snow changes when it is touched or moved.

As the day warms up, the snow begins to melt. The solid snow turns into water and slowly runs down the street or into drains. This shows how weather and temperature affect what we see in nature.

Compare the story, The Snowy Day, and the informational passage.

• How did Peter observe the snow?
• What happened as the snow began to accumulate?
• What might happen to Peter's snowball when it starts to melt?

• If it's cold outside, let your student observe frost, ice, or snow.
• If not, fill a small cup with crushed ice and watch how it melts indoors.
• Talk about what they notice and what causes it to change.

Brett, J. (1989). The Mitten. G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

• After reading, ask your student to retell what happened in order.

Ask prompts to retell story:

• “Who found the mitten first?” (Ask your student to use it in a complete sentence. For example: “The ____ found the mitten first.”)

• “What animal came next?

• “What happened at the end?”

Use pictures to retell the story:

• Lay out pictures of the animals and have your student put them in order as they tell the story.

*Ask these questions before, during, and after reading.

• Before reading: “What do you think will happen when all the animals try to fit inside one mitten?”

• During reading: Pause and ask, “Who do you think will come next?” or “Do you think the mitten will stretch even more?”

• After reading: “Why do you think the animals wanted to get inside the mitten?”

• Focus words: mitten, stretch, squeeze, cozy.

• Activity: Say each word and ask your student to describe or act it out. Ask your child to use the word in a sentence. The student can even draw a picture to illustrate the meaning.

• Next, read the short informational passage, "The Mitten"
• Point out that this text is different. It gives real facts about animals during the winter.
• Highlight vocabulary words: discover – to find something that you didn't know was there, cozy -warm, comfortable, and snug, crowded – a place filled with many people or animals, leaving little space to move.

During the winter, many forest animals must find ways to stay warm and safe. In The Mitten by Jan Brett, the animals discover a lost mitten and use it as a cozy shelter. Even though this part is fictional, many animals really do look for warm places when the weather turns cold.

Hedgehogs hid in leaves or logs. Owls hunt at night even when snow covers the ground. Rabbits grow thicker fur for warmth and sometimes stay close together when it becomes crowded in a small space.

Foxes use their strong sense of smell to find food. Bears sleep through most of winter in a safe den.

Moles stay underground where the soil is warmer.

This story helps readers imagine how animals survive winter by finding shelter and staying warm.

Compare the story, The Mitten, and the informational passage.

• Which animal behaviors in The Mitten are real, and which differs from the informational passage?
• How do the shelters animals use in the story compare to their real winter shelters?
• How does the story use imagination, and how does the informational text show what really happens?

• Using crayons, markers, or stickers, families draw their own "mitten shelter."
• Then add the animals they think could really fit together in real life.
• Encourage funny ideas too! This helps with creativity and storytelling.

Phonological Awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words. The activity below is an example of a phonological awareness practice.

Practicing and strengthening phonological awareness skills can happen anywhere. You can use these winter-themed picture cards as a fun way to engage your student with counting syllables or identifying beginning (first) and final (last) sounds in words.

Print and cut the cards.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UMpY-jbSBBhck_6qpVicuFXP3HKTPlR6/view?usp=sharing

Ask your student how many syllables are in each word:(penguin, ornament, reindeer, tree, snowflake, wreath, scarf, sweater, holly, elf, bell, skate, sleigh, peppermint, mittens, present). You can have them use a clothespin to clip the number of syllables, or they can just pinch the number of syllables while holding the card.

Ask your student, "What is the initial sound you hear in each word? You could also ask your student to identify the final sound in each word.

Examples:

• “Sweater has 2 syllables – swea (1) and ter (2)!” Now clip 2 clothespins to represent the two syllables.”

• “Peppermint has 3 syllables – pep (1), per (2), mint (3)!” Now pinch the number of syllables holding the card.

Phonics is instruction in the relationship between letters (graphemes) and the sounds (phonemes) they represent. It is an essential component of effective reading instruction and is necessary for decoding (reading) new words. Students need practice in reading text, spelling, and writing in order to consolidate their learning for long-term use. The activity below is an example of phonics practice.

Materials:

● Word list

● Paper or note cards

● Writing utensil

● Shaving cream, cornmeal, flour, rice, etc. for "snow"

● Flat surface, such as a paper plate, cookie sheet, container, or a table

Preparation: Before you start this activity with your student, you will need to write a list of words on notecards or paper large enough for students to trace them with their fingers. Try this activity using a list of words your student’s teacher has sent home for additional practice. If you do not have a word list, try asking your student’s teacher one of these questions:

● Do you have a list of words we could use to practice the phonics patterns you’ve taught?

● What phonics patterns does my student need to practice spelling?

● What high frequency words does my student need to practice?

Directions:

1. Say the word and use it in a few sentences orally.
2. Spell the word aloud with your student.
3. Ask your student to trace the word on the notecard or paper with two fingers while saying the name of each letter aloud.
4. Have your student write the word in the air, using their whole arm and pointing with two fingers. Have them close their eyes and form a mental picture of the word.
5. Cover the word and ask your student to write the word in the “snow” from memory.
6. Have your student check their spelling and correct any errors using the model you wrote on a notecard or paper.

Note: For students who are learning letter names and sounds, you can use letters

instead of words in this activity. Have your student say the letter’s name and the sound

it represents when they trace it, air write it and write it in the “snow.”

Fluency is defined as the ability to read with appropriate speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Fluency is "reading as we talk". To understand what they read, children must be able to read fluently whether they are reading aloud or silently. When reading aloud, fluent readers read in phrases and add appropriate intonation. Their reading is smooth and expressive. Until a student becomes a fluent reader, it is important for adults to model fluent, expressive reading through reading-aloud. One way to practice expressive reading is through the use of emojis.

Grade K - 1 Students-After reading the book, The Snowy Day, with your family, ask someone to reread your favorite page. You choose one of the emojis and ask them to read using the facial expression of the emoji you choose. Ask them to reread that page 3 times, choosing a different emoji each time. (Emoji Key: From L to R-happy, sad, sleepy, angry, shocked, scared, worried, silly, love)

Grade 2 - 3 Students-After reading the book, The Snowy Day, with your family, choose your favorite page from the book. Reread that page using the facial expression of one of the emojis and continue to reread that page 3 times, choosing a different emoji each time. (Emoji Key: From L to R-happy, sad, sleepy, angry, shocked, scared, worried, silly, love)

Vocabulary is defined as knowledge of, and memory for oral word meanings. We can further define vocabulary as either receptive vocabulary (words whose meanings one can recognize when reading or listening to others speak) or expressive vocabulary (the words we use when speaking or writing). Extensive research has revealed that vocabulary is the biggest factor in understanding text once a person has learned to read the printed word. Activities that focus on vocabulary acquisition through understanding the various layers of words increase the likelihood that students will learn new words deeply. Vocabulary knowledge is important to a student’s ability to read and comprehend what is read.

How it works:

1. Choose a target word for the week.

2. Everyone in the family becomes a “word detective.”

3. Look for the target word in books, signs, TV shows, or conversations.

4. Celebrate each time the word is used!

Example:

Word: Community

“I heard the word community on the news when they said, ‘our community center!’”

Extension:

You can encourage your students to use the word in a full sentence.

Example:

Word: Community

“I heard the word community on the news when they said, ‘There will be a Winter Light Show at our local Community Center!'"

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nI09JKQW7FZ4SX2yPdgaFX462DBeY7sz/view?usp=sharing

Comprehension is understanding what you read. It is the goal of reading. It is the thinking process readers use to understand what they read. Strong vocabulary, background knowledge, and an understanding of how language works are keys to comprehension.

Winter is a fun time of year for making memories and staying warm and cozy inside. Oftentimes our students can get cabin fever and get anxious to get outside. So, what can you do to have fun inside and outside during our winter break. A winter scavenger hunt will be great for comprehension and recall. The benefits of comprehension and recall for elementary students include improved writing skills and better grades in school.

Have your students practice reading and writing while completing this fun Winter Scavenger Hunt. They'll get some fresh air, too!

Directions:

1. Read one of our winter books and have your student recall interesting details about the book.

2. Using notecards or small squares of paper, write the following winter words on the cards or paper: pinecones, animal tracks, mittens, a sweater, a hat, hot cocoa, snow, icicles, squirrel, shovel, interesting rock, holiday lights, boots.

3. Take a walk in your neighborhood and see how many items you can find on your scavenger hunt.

4. Give your student 1 point for each item found.

5. When your student has found 5 or more items, take your fun inside and have a warm cup of hot cocoa. Have your student to recall where they saw the item and if the item was in the book, as well as any other interesting details.

6. Feel free to add more winter words to your list and play this game all winter season.

According to the Reading Rockets website, "...writing is an essential skill that can help students become stronger readers; it can provide the means to enhance vocabulary, comprehension and spelling abilities."

Kindergarten - 1st grade writing activity - After reading The Mitten, discuss the animals that crawled inside. Have your student draw a big mitten on a piece of paper. Inside the mitten, they can draw something or someone new that could fit inside (a puppy, a snowman, a toy, etc.).

Students would then write a simple sentence: “A ___________ went inside the mitten.” or “I would put a ___________ in the mitten.”

• Extension- Have your student read their sentence aloud and share their picture.

2nd - 3rd grade writing activity - Review the story’s sequence together (who went in the mitten first, next, last). Ask: “What if the mitten didn’t pop?” or “What if new animals came along?”

Have your student write a short story with a new ending to The Mitten. They can describe new animals entering the mitten, how it might stretch, or what happens next. Encourage the use of transition words (first, next, then, finally) and descriptive details.

• Extension: Have students draw one scene from their new ending.

If you are looking for more activities and ideas, be sure to check our previous Winter newsletters and our Family & Community YouTube Series!

Back to School Literacy Champions - 2025

Spring Break Literacy Activities - 2025

Winter Newsletter - 2024

Family & Community YouTube Series

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMek3mTdCU8jUuM_MuxeYjOzDJohkmFg2