Cereal Box Book Report (Cute Idea!)

This is a great alternative to the traditional elementary book report ideas, and one that my students really enjoy.  It even includes measurement.  This should be included in lesson plans literature teachers will use from year to year with their students.

Students will need the following materials:  An empty cereal box; construction paper; scissors; paste or glue; ruler; colored pencils, crayons or markers; and a small toy that represents the story or a character.

Here are the steps for creating this really fun book report: 

After thinking of one of their favorite fiction books, or one they have just enjoyed reading, students will map out the narrative elements for the story which are: Title and Author, Characters, Setting, and Plot (problem & solution). 

Then, have them measure with a ruler all the sides, excluding the top, of their cereal box. 

Using light-colored construction paper, students will transfer those measurements onto the paper and cut so that the pieces will fully cover each side of the box. 

Next, students will transfer their narrative elements to the construction paper.  I have my students explain the characters on one of the narrow sides, and then the setting on the opposite side.  The front cover will consist of the title, author, and an illustration that depicts what the book is about.  Some students like to just copy the cover of their chosen book. At the top of the back cover is where they write a brief summary about the plot to the story, giving a good closing sentence that entices the reader to check out the book. 

Under that back-of-the box summary, students will create a puzzle or game that corresponds to the story.  For example, they could make a crossword puzzle (give them a hundreds chart for this so they don’t have to draw all of the squares) or a maze (example:  Help Fluffy Find His Way Home). 

Then, students will glue or paste the construction paper to the corresponding sides of the cereal box. 

The last thing they are to do, and the one they love the most, is to bring from home a small toy that represents the story or a character to put inside the box—the ‘toy inside’ idea that many children’s cereals have.  For example, this could be a toy spider for Charlotte’s Web.  Children have a lot of fun with this part of the project.

Have students present their cereal box reports to the class, ending with the ‘toy surprise’. 

Come back next Sunday (April 12th) for a thesaurus lesson plan that corresponds with Doris TheSaurus.

Celebrate Easter with this fun Easter Egg (or Spring) writing prompt and art project that lets students show off their descriptive writing abilities.

Prior to the project, you’ll need to provide each child with two copies of a large, blank egg drawn on an 8×10 piece of paper.   Also, put up privacy screens of some sort so the students can’t see each other’s work. 

Prompt: How to Design and Color My Egg

To celebrate Easter (or Spring), you are going to design and color a drawing of an egg, and then write a “How To” essay so detailed and descriptive that a classmate will be able to read it and duplicate your egg design. When you draw and color, try to be as creative and neat as possible. Make sure no one else can see your design. 

Then, follow the steps for a “How To” essay using transitional words such as:  first, then, after that, next, and finally or last.  Remember: The goal is to write in such detail that a classmate will be able to read your essay and duplicate exactly how you designed and colored your egg.

When everyone is finished you will get another blank egg, exchange descriptive writing with a classmate, and design/color your new egg based on their descriptive directions. The students whose egg drawings most closely match will be the winners!

When students are finished, display the original drawing to the left of the descriptive writing and the duplicate drawing on the right. Students will love seeing how close (or not) they came to matching their friend’s design. Sometimes it’s hilarious!  This truly is a writing prompt kids love. 

Teaching children to read doesn’t have to be a struggle.  Other than functional reading, children need to learn early on that reading is fun!  Yes, as adults we need to read road signs and maps; housing contracts and prescriptions; as well as necessary reading to get through school, but for the most part reading should be fun and self-selected.

1.  Choice, Choice, Choice!   Children should be allowed to choose the books they want to read.  In addition, they should be able to get another book if they don’t like the one they chose.   Nothing makes a child hate reading faster than forcing them to finish a book they don’t like.  Personally, if I’m trying to force my way through a novel and it’s just not grabbing me, I’m not going to punish myself and finish it to the end.  Don’t make your child do this, either.  Let your child choose a book from the shelf and bring it to you.  In time, he or she will learn which author or genre they enjoy (mysteries, fantasy, poetry, historical fiction, etc.)

2.  Model, Model, Model!  Your child will learn that reading is a valued skill if they see you doing it, too.  Have a book on the table by your chair in the living room or on your nightstand.  Let them see you reading these, as well as the newspaper or magazines.  In other words, have a print-rich environment. 

3.  Practice, Practice, Practice!  Rome wasn’t built in a day.  If you had aspirations of your child being a basketball star, I guarantee you would be outside shooting hoops constantly with him or her.  You would have set up a supportive environment for that practice time.  So, daily reading to and with your child is vital.  Have a special reading area, chair, nook, etc., with book shelves lined with their favorites.  Encourage repetitive readings, as well.  Children love to read one page to an adult and then have the adult read the next page.  Or, read every page aloud together.

4.  Check it Out!  Every child should have their own library card.  First, they’re free.  Second, even if you don’t have transportation, most libraries are near a bus route.   Third, children will proudly show it off to their friends as if they had just gotten their first driver’s license.  And last, there are free summer reading programs that offer incentives and fun get-togethers for readers.

5.  “Oh the Noise, Noise, Noise, Noise!”  Dr. Seuss had the right idea!   Think about the things in your home that are limiting quiet reading time…the TV, computers, video games, stereo, etc.  TURN THEM OFF!  Have a set quiet reading time.  You’ll be surprised at how pleasant it will be for you, as well.  A “pet peeve” of mine is to drive around and see movies blaring in kids’ faces in the back the family SUV.  Children should have books in the car, too.

6.  Talk, Talk, Talk!  One thing that all of my more intelligent students have in common is that their parents discuss things with them.   While children are silently reading (Remember:  they need this practice time), ask every now and then what they are reading about and what has happened in the story so far.  Or if it’s a nonfiction book, help your child find other books about that topic.  Let them share interesting facts they’ve discovered.  Maybe extend that learning by taking a little family field trip.  There are many children who read well, but are lacking in comprehension skills.  Talking about literature helps.

7.  Not Just for the Hearing Impaired!   Most TVs come with a ‘closed caption’ control in the set up menu that allows the hearing impaired to read what the TV is spewing.  Use this to your advantage.  When your child wants to watch his or her favorite television shows, tell them you have a fun game:  Mute the show and see if they can keep up with the scrolling words.  They will have to read what is happening in the show, which will help immensely with their reading fluency.  When a child is focused only on phonics, they sometimes get bogged down in reading every…single…word…one…at…a…time, instead of looking ahead as they read and predicting what might come next.  Closed caption reading will help because the kids want to know what is happening in their favorite show, AND the scrolling words will not slow down to wait for them to figure it out!  Great resource!!

8.  Scene One–Take One–Action!  One of the most fun reading activities for children is to act out their stories.  Encourage your child to explain what their story was about by creating a play for you.  They can use finger puppets, stuffed animals, siblings and friends, and even the old-fashioned cardboard-box TV with the paper towel roll scrolls.  Oh come on…you remember those!  Wasn’t that a blast?!

9.  It’s all in the Words:  Vocabulary is Key.  When a child doesn’t understand a new word, make sure they understand that skipping it is not the way to increase their reading skills.  Explain that they can ask you for a definition or reference a dictionary.  (Which leads me to remind you to make sure you have a children’s dictionary readily available.)  Make sure your child knows how to use it.   In addition, help them use ‘context clues‘ to figure out what the word might mean based on the surrounding text. 

10.  Make the Connection:  Reading to Writing!  In my book, Doris TheSaurus, I have an illustration of the actual bulletin board in my classroom which says, “Make the Connection: Reading to Writing”, on which I post my students’ response to literature.  If you read a book with your child, let them write a letter to their favorite character explaining what they liked about the story or what they would like that character to do in the next book.  Let then compose an old-fashioned book report.  The sky’s the limit on this one.  Of course, when a child is writing, they should have the same sort of environment for reading…a comfortable place with needed supplies, which definitely should include a children’s thesaurus so they can find words for powerful meaning in their writing.  Make sure Doris TheSaurus is on the shelf too! 

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST… Did you notice that the ONE thing all of these 10 tips have in common, other than your child, is…Drum roll, please…YOU!