Love That Dog
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
I selected this book as my first planned interactive read aloud with grand discussion to share because I have read it aloud at least 10 summers to many groups of teachers at writing institutes I have given. Also, this book is about a trauma—a serious one. Actually, all traumas are pretty serious. We are all living in a trauma right now with this Pandemic in our lives. Now more than ever kids need the permission to talk about these hard things. Another reason that I adore this book is because Miss Stretchberry is the kind of teacher I aspire to be. She loves all of her kids just as they are, she expects great things from all of them, and she allows and embraces failures knowing there is so much to learn and grow from those. I adore her. Also, this book is perfect for 4th grade but 3rd and 5th grade can use, too.
Big Skills Highlighted Across the Book:
Envisioning
Character Work:
· Traits
· Secondary character
Critical Literacy
Synthesis/Theory
Interpretation
(Before reading)
Skill: Critiquing
Method: T&T
Prompt:
Do you have a pet? If so, how do you feel about your pet? Why? If not, how do you feel about having a pet?
Turn and tell your partner.
After reading page 1 (Post it #1)
Skill: critical reading
Method: Think aloud
Prompt:
Jack has strong feelings about what boys and girls do – girls write poetry. I wonder why he thinks this.
Where did these ideas come from? Maybe he noticed that poetry comes easier for girls than boys.
Or could it be that someone has pointed that out to him.
After reading page 4 (Post it # 2)
Skill: inference
Method: T&T
Prompt:
What ideas are you getting about Jack? He seems to be the kind of person who…
T&T
After reading page 7 (Post it #3)
Skill: synthesis
Method: think aloud
Prompt:
Earlier Jack writes about the blue car but now he doesn’t want to write more. I wonder why?
Could it be that he doesn’t like what he wrote earlier.
OR
Could it be that it’s bringing something up for him
OR could it be that he feels someone wont like his writing
After reading page 10 (Post it #4)
Skill: synthesis
Method: T&T
Prompt:
How does this part fit with earlier in the story? What does it make you think?
T&T
After reading page 14 (post it # 5)
Skill: second char. Inference
Method: think aloud
Prompt:
Miss Stretchberry seems to be the kind of teacher who is patient, and believes the best in her kids. She accepts Jack for whatever he is willing to bring to his writing work. She is patient around his progress.
After reading page 19 (post it #6)
Skill: inference-bigger theory work
Method: S&J
Prompt:
What larger theories are you starting to have about Jack or Miss Stretchberry? Are you beginning to see any patterns?
S&J
Stop for today and have a GD: allow 10-15 min.
Grand Discussion:
Say: Let’s talk about the book. We are just going to have a conversation…a discussion. Here’s how it can go. You don’t have to raise your hand…just speak when there is silence. Simply say what you’re thinking about. We want to hear as many voices as we can. We also want to practice being good listeners. NOT easy. It helps if you look at the person speaking. Really hear it. If your mind is thinking of what you want to say instead of listening to someone else, make it stop. Try to add onto what the person just said. Also, CITE the text. As much as you can live in between the lines of the book. What is Sharon Creech trying to get you to think and feel?
After reading page 24 (post it #7)
Skill: inference
Method: think aloud –
Prompt:
hmmmm…interesting – they mention the ‘other kids’ here…I wonder why? Maybe to show how much Miss Stretchberry values her kids and their thoughts and opinions
OR Maybe to show how much their thoughts and opinions matter to Jack. Maybe he is becoming more confident with that feedback
After reading page 26 (post it #8)
Skill: Envisionment
Method: think aloud
Prompt:
I picture Jack and his dad walking along the path. Jack stops he walks over to the cage. I see him petting a few dogs and he stops at one. I hear him talking to him, saying things like, “You’re a good boy. I bet you have a lot of love to give.”
After reading page 27 (post it # 9)
Skill: Envisionment
Method: T&T
Prompt:
I see or picture…(T &T)
(Whisper in) Which makes me think…
After reading page 29 (post it #10)
Skill: synthesis
Method: S&J –
Prompt:
How does this part fit with earlier? What does it make you think about?
S & J
After reading page 30 (Post it #11)
Skill: inference-theory
Method: think aloud
Prompt:
Jack seems to be changing (“you forgot”) – he seems to be gaining confidence. He’s standing up for himself.
After reading page 38 (post it #12)
Skill: synthesis-inference
Method: T&T
Prompt:
Jack seems to be changing. How is he different from before?
T & T
After reading page 41 (post it #13)
Skill: interpretation
Method: S&J
Prompt:
What do you think these characters are starting to teach us? What lessons are you learning?
S & J
Grand Discussion (allow for 10-15 min. for discussion):
· Repeat everything from the last time you had a GD
· Emphasis anything they struggled with. Ideas are the first thing to tackle. Are they retelling? Are their ideas weak? If so, in the middle of the GD, pause and add something for the group to talk about with their partner. A deeper idea. It might be a possible lesson Jack is starting to teach us (theme). Or Is this true, Jack’s ideas about boys and writing (stereotypes/perspectives/critical literacy)? Or the book started in September, it’s now March…why is that important? (structure/critical literacy). Select one of these questions and say the question, have them turn and talk to a partner, you listen in to as many as you can, and ask someone to start the conversation. You might select someone who hasn’t spoken much, has tried but can’t get her voice heard. Just be sure to get the reader’s permission.
After reading page 45 (post it #14)
Skill: critical reading
Method: T & T
Prompt:
Is there any significance to the words that are repeated…”love that boy” ”Love that dog”
T & T
After reading page 48 (post it #15)
Skill: critical symbolism
Method: think aloud
Prompt:
Dog’s name is Sky – why? What do you know about a sky (blue, bright, lots of possibilities)?
Hmmm…the sky is open and blue but sometimes it can be grey and scary. Thunder and lightening make the sky feel violent almost. Yet, the sky is open with lots of possibilities.
After reading page 53 (post it # 16)
Skill: prediction
Method: T&T
Prompt:
Think of all you know about Jack and how he is growing/changing. Think about Ms. Stretchberry. What do you think will happen next?
T & T
After reading page 54 (post it #17)
Skill: revise-prediction-critical
Method: S&J
Prompt:
Change/revise predictions. Think about Ms. Stretchberry and her name. Why do you think Sharon Creech named her that name?
S & J
After reading pg. 59 (post it #18)
Skill: Critical literacy
Method: S & J
Prompt:
What does society say about boys and writing poetry?
S & J
Grand Discussion:
· If ideas are flat, try an idea from last time (and the technique of interrupting and talking w partner). More ideas might be: What are your thoughts about Miss Strecthberry (Secondary character), Significance to the name Sky (critical literacy) The title is called Love that Dog, and the title of the poem Love that Boy why did Sharon Creech include those things? (critical literacy)
After reading page 63 (Post to #18)
Skill: character inference
Method: T&T
Prompt:
Why is he so negative and without hope? How does that go with earlier?
T & T
After reading page 65 (post it # 19)
Skill: synthesis
Method: think aloud
Prompt:
This reminds me of much earlier and even a week ago with W.D. Myers. Why is he so low?
He seems to still be judging himself. As if his words are nothing. He is nothing. He still is having a hard time believing he could be a good writer.
After reading page 73 (Post it #20)
Skill: critical
Method: S&J
Prompt:
People have certain feelings about how to deal with death – what does society say about how to best deal with death?
S & J
After reading page 79 (Post it #21)
Skill: critique-character change
Method: T&T
Prompt:
poetry, boys, death, upsetting others…why?? Why does Jack think all these things?
T & T
After reading the end of book page 86 (post it #22)
Skill: interpretation
Method: S&J
Prompt:
What is this story teaching us? Sometimes is life, people… Instead people should…
S & J
Grand Discussion:
· May want to emphasis listening here. One way to help with that is to transcribe their discussion and then share it back with them. Helping them to notice that they have different ideas.
· Words to help them connect are…I agree and want to add on...I was thinking that too and…Yes, the part on pg…. supports that idea…Hmmm…why do you think that? What makes you think that?