Fountas & Pinnell Blog

Talk with the student about animal migration. Discuss how the specific types of food that animals eat and changing weather patterns affect migration.

Have the student think about how they can make their community more inclusive. Encourage the student to brainstorm ideas and to create an action plan for each goal.

Heinemann Publishing, in partnership with Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, is excited to announce the release of these exceptional new literacy resources for your Prekindergarten classroom!

Together with a student, research to identify an animal in their area that migrates. With craft supplies and a map, trace the journey of that animal to create a migration map.

Have the student gather information on a local event and write a brief, factual account of the event, using the elements of narrative nonfiction.

Invite the student to research one aspect of their family’s culture of origin (for example, traditions related to food, music, or art). Invite them to share their findings.

Choose a traditional fairy tale and a fractured fairy tale counterpart. Talk about how knowing the traditional versions of the tales helps make the fractured versions more interesting.

Have the student make a time capsule with a letter inside telling something about the current time period and the significance of the objects in the capsule.

Pourquoi tales are fables that explain natural phenomena, like why lions roar or why snow falls. Talk about how the stories teach a lesson or have a message.

Have a conversation with the student about the ways heroes respond to different situations with kindness and empathy. Invite them to share this person’s kind actions through a medium of their choice.

Have the student gather 2-3 facts on a topic and create a brief fictional narrative that includes the facts. This creates a hybrid text.

Have the student list all of the ways they are similar or different to one of their friends. Invite the student to write a poem that captures the differences and similarities in their friendships.

Invite the student to research some local charitable organizations or nonprofits and encourage the student to think of ways that they might be able to help that organization.

Assign a specific historical era and invite the student to research the art of the time period. Encourage the student to think of why the artists made the art they did.

Invite the student to select 3-4 photos showing family members or an event from their lives. Have the student write a brief nonfiction text using the photos as illustrations.

Invite the student to think creatively about what friends mean to them. Encourage them to create a visual representation (such as a collage) of their feelings about friendship.

Invite the student to create a short theatrical performance about responding to situations, both small and large, with kindness.

Talk briefly about what makes a subject a good choice for a biography as well as the characteristics of biography. Invite the student to choose a person and gather sources for a biography project.