Have you read this sweet book?
Leo the Late Bloomer is all about a tiger that can’t read or write like all his friends. It takes him awhile to “bloom”. We have been talking about seeds and plants so this is a great way to talk about figure of speech and also to allow the students to talk about what it means “bloom”. It led to great discussions about what the kids couldn’t do at the beginning of the year and what they can do now! They figured out pretty quickly that the author wasn’t going to turn Leo in to a flower 🙂
I keep some of their work from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. We all know, especially in Kindergarten, these little babes make unbelievable growth. The kids were remembering back to testing and thinking about how they didn’t even know all their letters and sounds until they “bloomed”.
A teacher in another class told us that a student said, “I thought that all those words were in Spanish until I learned how to READ!!!”
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Here is my affiliated link to Amazon if you would like to purchase the book!
This is a great way to spark discussion among your Kindergartners. They are amazed when they see their work from the beginning of the year to what they know now! I love the comments about the monkey bars…ha! I love their sense of accomplishment. I couldn’t read or write but I sure can do the monkey bars like a pro!
I know I am doing the countdown dace like everyone else but a little part of me is really sad to see this group go 🙁 This is a book that makes me nostalgic and a House for Hermit Crab is the worst. I can’t read it at the end of the year anymore…(hash tag: I have issues)
What book do you love to read at the end of the year?
Do you have one that makes you boohoo too!?
Elizabeth, this is a great one for kindergarten! We usually show our kiddos work samples from the BOY and EOY. It is fun to see them realize how much they have grown! Hard to believe it is already this time of the year!
🙂 Tamra and Sarah
First Grade Buddies
Time has flown this year! I love watching them open up their little books I make for them and they see what they were doing in August. They can’t believe it!
This book sounds adorable and a perfect idea for end-of-the-year activities! Thank you so much for sharing!
P.S. I completely understand the tears in the final school days. Every. Single. Year.
-Liz
Love, Live, and Teach
I know…I thought I would only be that way my first year. It’s every year :-/
Thanks for the freebie! I will definitely be doing this next week! I always read the last chapter of Junie B. Jones is a Graduation girl on the very last day. ALWAYS makes me tear up and appreciate the time I had with the group. The can drive me nuts sometimes, but boy do I love them 🙂
Sara
Polka Dot Kinders
I haven’t read that Junie B. Jone…I’ve read all the other ones but maybe I’ll have to pul that one out 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion!
I love Leo. Every so often in my class, I like to sniff the air and say, “Can you smell that? It’s the smell of blossoming readers (or writers, mathematicians, etc.).
❀ Tammy
Forever in First
I love that!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I love meeting awesome bloggers like you. I also L-O-V-E Leo the Late Bloomer! It’s such a wonderful story for so many reasons! Don’t forget to check out my giveaway that I have going on too 🙂
Jennifer
Teaching with Grace