This is an adorable book that goes along with the “fall” theme. I like to use it in November after we’ve finished all of the Halloween themed materials for October, and I’ve read it with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. This story is brief, BUT there are several goals we can target with this story! First off, it’s great for perspective-taking skills! It’s about an ugly pumpkin who doesn’t get picked at the pumpkin patch- he thinks he’s too ugly and gets very down about it. At this point in the story, we talk about different emotion words for how he feels (upset, depressed, lonely, abandoned, neglected, down, disappointed, hurt, etc.). At the end of the story, he discovers a garden full of squash, and he realizes he’s not just an ugly pumpkin- he’s a squash! He found where he belongs and enjoys a Thanksgiving feast with the other squash. Here, we talk about how the character’s feelings change (happy, relieved, reassured, excited, glad, comfortable, safe, etc.). Some big ideas from this story that you can build conversation around are:
1) individuality (it’s okay to be unique and different!)
2) kindness (don’t be a bully, just because someone doesn’t look like you doesn’t mean it’s okay to make fun of them/be mean…)
3) what’s on the inside is more important than what’s on the outside (outside appearances don’t matter! it’s what’s on the inside that counts…)
An extension activity for this story is to compare/contrast pumpkins vs. squash. Did you know students are expected to be able to compare/contrast as early as 1st grade?! CLICK HERE to read more. So this is a simple way to practice and prepare for that skill. I like to buy the cheap small pumpkins and squash from Trader Joe’s during the fall, and bring them in for the kids to see and feel.
*inexpensive fake pumpkins can be found at The Dollar Tree, Target, or craft stores
You can draw a Venn diagram for your students to fill out while comparing and contrasting squash and pumpkins. Use descriptive words and discuss basic concepts (round, long, short, bumpy, uneven, smooth, colorful, striped, etc.) Anybody working on complex clusters? Here is a great opportunity to target the complex cluster skw- during conversation 😉
For a list of comprehension questions, story elements, discussion topics, and “squash” sentences to use with your students, CLICK HERE.
Again, thank you for reading! 🙂
-Amanda, The SLP Girl