Are you looking for a cute yet simple holiday read aloud? Sometimes as Christmas gets closer, my kiddos just can’t sit through a story. No worries! Today we are spotlighting the book Christmas Wombat. Although it is a quick read, it is engaging for students and can be used for a variety of lessons. Plus, your students will be so excited to learn more about wombats! - Jodi and the Starts With a Story Team
SUMMARY
The book, Christmas Wombat, is a short funny read told from the perspective of a wombat. In the book, the wombat is describing his day, almost like a journal. He comes across some carrots and excitedly eats them. However there are some strange creates, Santa’s reindeer, eating his carrots! The wombat continues to follow Santa and the reindeer eating all of the reindeer’s carrots. He has never seen so many carrots in his life! By the time he returns home is he too full to eat the delicious grass he sees.
Students will love this funny story about a wombat that thinks the reindeer’s carrots are for him!
USE THIS BOOK TO TEACH:
You can teach so many skills and concepts even if a book is short. The book Christmas Wombat lends itself to more comprehension strategies and writing than you’d think. Check out some of the ways you can incorporate this read aloud into your lessons.
- Are you teaching point of view? Have students determine who is telling the story and discuss how a change of narrator would affect the story.
- Identify the author’s purpose for writing this story. Discuss how a different purpose would change the story.
- Students will be dying to learn more about wombats! Encourage them to research and write about what they learn.
- Practice persuasive writing by convincing characters in the book to do something.
- Review verbs and verb tense.
- Practice categorizing nouns.
- Teach students the meaning of greed and discuss what greed looks like in the classroom.
NO-PREP PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES:
If you are looking for “ready to go” activities for the first day of school, be sure to check out the book companion. With it you’ll receive all of the following resources to align with this specific book:
- comprehension questions
- 30 writing prompts with themed paper
- vocabulary activities
- word study print & go activities
- ideas for grammar lessons with focus sentence printables
- social emotional learning discussion topics
- graphic organizers to target specific comprehension skills and strategies
Let’s be honest, teachers don’t have time to plan detailed read aloud lessons as the holidays get closer. There is just so much to do! The Starts With a Story Team wants to help. Everything you'll need to teach the book is included in this one resource!
GET THE PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES
ADDITIONAL BOOK SUGGESTIONS
You and your students will also love these similar books:
- Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares
- Memoirs of an Elf by Devin Scillian
- Santa Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
- Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
TRY OUT A SAMPLE COMPANION
It's hard to explain how amazing the Starts with a Story book companions are because there is just so much goodness included in each one. It's best if you experience using one for yourself. Sign up below & we'll send you an entire book companion to try out for FREE!
