How to Catch an Elf is part of our Starts With a Story Collection, which includes more than 550 picture book companions based on high quality children’s literature that support you in delivering highly-engaging interactive read alouds with follow up activities. Learn more about this children’s book below! - Jodi and the Starts With a Story Team
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SUMMARY
"How to Catch an Elf" by Adam Wallace is a whimsical and entertaining children's book that takes readers on a thrilling quest to catch Santa's mischievous little helpers. The story follows a group of clever kids who devise elaborate traps and tricks to capture an elf on Christmas Eve. From creating candy cane lassos to constructing intricate snowball launchers, the children's imaginative strategies add a sense of excitement and fun to their mission. As the kids embark on their adventure, they encounter unexpected challenges and humorous escapades that keep readers engaged. Through vibrant illustrations and playful rhymes, the book showcases the magic of the holiday season while emphasizing the importance of teamwork, creativity, and the spirit of giving. "How to Catch an Elf" is a delightful read that sparks the reader's imagination and fills them with holiday cheer.
 USE THIS BOOK TO TEACH:
Our read aloud lesson plans for this picture book come with reading comprehension questions (with sample student responses), 30 writing prompts, teaching ideas for grammar skills, social emotional learning discussion ideas, and more. Check out our list below to get a sneak peek at some of the skills this resource teaches.
- Have students identify the point of view and discuss the benefits of the narrator.
- Discuss the author’s use of rhyme and rhythm in this book.
- Have students sequence the important events in the story. This is an important skill when it comes to retelling a story.
- Practice identifying the main idea and key details.
- Explore what onomatopoeia is and how authors use it in their writing.
- Teach a lesson on irregular verbs.
- Discuss the importance of teamwork and what a good teammate looks like.
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
- 30Â 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
This book is a must have for your school or classroom library. Your students are going to love completing these activities for the book and you will be impressed with how much they learn. You will want to read this book to your class every year.
GET THE PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES
ADDITIONAL BOOK SUGGESTIONS
You and your students will love the similar books listed below, which can all be found in our free picture book list.
- Memoirs of an Elf by Devin Scillian
- Elf by David Berenbaum
- Pig the Elf by Aaron Blabey
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!
