Charlotte’s Web
I’m baaaaaaack! Well, at least for a day or two. This illness has been kicking my arse and I’ve spent much of the last week in bed.
But the encouragement, comments, and followers ( !! ) I’ve received in the last week has more than made up for my blogging-funk. I swear that I’d have 50 followers around the time that pigs fly. At least at the time of this writing, that is exactly the number of followers that I have. What does this mean???
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I thought I’d start back with a Marvelous Monday Children’s Book which is the counter-part to my entry about The Plump and Perky Turkey. Another animal attempting to avoid becoming a holiday entree: The Somewhat Depressed and Overly-Stressed Pig.
Or, as you might know him, Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 50 years, there is no need for me to summarize the plot of this story. I will, therefore, go straight to the important stuff. The speech stuff.
Speech Therapy Ideas:
1. Articulation practice:
Practice the /sp/ in “spider” for children who reduce this sound cluster. Every time Charlotte comes up in the story (which is often) practice saying “spider” 5 times.
For children working on /r/, practice /r/ in “rat” whenever Templeton enters the scene. Advanced /r/ students can practice that sound in “Fern”, “spider” and “Wilbur”. However, only practice this word if the child can successfully make the sound. Do not incorrectly repeat “spid-uh” (unless you truly have a New England accent).
2. Compare and contrast the book to the movie. The movie creators did an excellent job of recreating the story. My son could “read” lines of the book straight from his memorization of the movie. There are a few points of contrast to talk about: the music, the barn swing, the “love interest” (bwhahaha).
3. Retell parts or all of the story. What happened first, next, last? Who are the main characters? How are they like you and your pets? How are they different.
4. Draw and imagine life at the Zuckerman farm. Talk about a “typical” day on this farm using descriptive language.
5. Speculate on the unanswered questions. Why does Charlotte want to save Wilbur? How is Charlotte able to write words but other spiders cannot? In what ways do the words in Charlotte’s web describe Wilbur?
6. There are a wide array of lessons, worksheets, and online quizzes available for this book. Many contain great vocabulary, writing prompts, and themed activities.
7. And crafts? You can make an adorable piggy bank to accompany the award winning book.
Although I cried throughout the last 10 pages of the book, I maintain my twisted sense of humor. You must know about a new tableware delight: The bacon bowl, which I’ll make sure to eat after waking up to my bacon alarm clock. Wow. That is some terrific pig!
Hope you’re 100% better very soon!
WOW! You have heaps of followers and all you did was ask. I wonder if that would work for me (only I don’t think I even have half that number of people who read my blog)
Oh! I hope you’re better soon.
I don’t know what is a follower either!?
The bacon clock? Awesome, although probably not something Fern Arable would have liked. 😉
Hope that you are all feeling better!! We have started with the head colds this weekend…YUCK!!
Have always loved this book…one of my favorites as a child!!
Love the bacon bowl….I will have to try that!!
Have a great week!
Lisa
PS. Love your new Christmas look:)
So happy you are back and hopefully better quickly!
I love this book–I don’t know how many times I have read it to the kids or had them read it–and bacon YUM 🙂 (sorry Wilbur, it’s a fact of life that bacon is the greatest food on the planet!)
Lovely Wilbur! He is one our favorite characters.
hope you feel better!
OMG I almost have as many followers as you!
Well..only 48 less…HAHA
LOVE the new Christmas look! The Santa hat rocks!! 🙂
That Piggy Bank is such an awesome idea!!
And I absolutely ADORE Charlottes Web! One of my favorites 🙂
You’re blog is all Christmasy!!! LOVE IT!
Oh you are twisted!
Bacon bowl. HAHAHA!!! You are so sassy. It does look tasty though.
I sincerely hope you are feeling better very soon. I was starting to really worry about you!
Ugh — a bacon bowl. Yuck!
I love Charlotte’s Web!!! What a great book!
Feel better!
Blessings,
Lacy
for some reason, bacon freaks me out. who knows.
WELCOME BACK!!!!!
This is just outstanding!
Oh, feel better!
I LOOOOVE me some Charlette’s Web!
I lurrrve Charlotte’s Web.
And you get better soon, ya hear? :o)
What an amazing Christmas look!
LOVE the bacon bowls.
I thought I was already following you! My bad! Well, I LOVE your blog and you give me so many great ideas for helping my son…THANK YOU!
(hope you feel better)
How I love Charlotte’s Web! It’s part of the reason I became a writer!
I hope you feel better soon!
Becky
I LOVE the new header, and this book! I totally wish I could sic you on my two nephews who are struggling with speech issues because that was a great list of ideas.
That pig is adorable…and since you’re in the mood for some bacon, why not add bacon cookies to the list?
I love Charlotte’s web.
Bacon bowls, though… not so much (at least I think not so much – I’ve never actually tried one).
Hope you feel better soon!
Love Charlotte’s web!
Feel better soon!! I think these are such great ideas and Charlotte’s Web is one of my favorite children’s books still to this day!
This is a great idea – and I’ve always loved this book (I’m such a softie).
I hope you get better soon, and it’s nice to see you blogging again. I’m surprised you don’t have a hundred followers just because of the title of your blog — it’s one of the best I’ve come across.
Love the book.
Love the new bloggy layout.
The end:)
It MEANS, Super ST, no more blegging for attention, using up space and time when you could be doing other more wonderful things like singing to us and showing us your humanity via cooking – which works better to increase readers than anything else. That is all.