The Year we Learned to Fly 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
"The Year we Learned to Fly" by Jacqeline Woodson takes place on a rainy day, where a brother and sister listen to their grandmother’s advice to use their imagination when feeling bored. Their grandmother teaches them to use their creativity to fly away. They fly to different places with beautiful flowers and soft winds. This strategy helps them when they fight, fuss, and when they are bored. More importantly, we learn that their aunts, uncles, and cousins used this strategy as they were cuffed on ships to America. This skill of flying allows people to be brave and resilient, all with using their brilliant and beautiful minds. When the family moved and others were not accepting of them, they flew and in time, they lifted others to fly with them as well.
 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.
- Encourage students to use their summarizing and retelling strategies.
- Practice making inferences throughout the story and after reading.
- Read the book to students without showing the pictures. Encourage them to close their eyes and visualize the story. Discuss their visualization as a class.
- Introduce and act out action verbs.
- Introduce pronouns and practice using them.
- Discuss the importance of self regulation.
- Discuss a social emotional learning concept such as resiliency.
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.
- Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson
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!
