Has someone told you to add some Peter Reynolds books to your classroom library this year? With International Dot Day becoming more and more popular in classrooms here in the US and around the world, this is a suggestion we’re hearing more and more. But who is Peter H. Reynolds, and which books from the prolific author’s collection would make good mentor texts for your classroom?
The members of the Teach Starter teacher team have been using Reynolds’ books in our own classrooms for decades, and we’ve compiled our favorites to incorporate into your lessons this school year as mentor texts — and yes, we’ve got Dot Day covered!
Who Is Peter H. Reynolds?
So who is this author that teachers are buzzing about?
Peter H. Reynolds is a children’s book author and artist who lives in Massachusetts (although he was born in Canada) who’s created dozens of books on his own and in collaboration with other authors. He’s likely best known for The Dot, a book published in 2003 that’s become a cult classic among educators and parents alike.
Generally geared toward kids ages 5 to 9 years old, The Dot tells the story of a little girl named Vashti and her journey to self-discovery as her art teacher encourages her to look at a simple dot as a starting point for her art. The book celebrates the power of perseverance and the magic that lies within us all, and since 2009 it’s been the inspiration for thousands of celebrations in classrooms worldwide each September.
Teacher-Favorite Peter Reynolds Books
The Dot may be the best-known of all his books, but it’s far from the only one worth adding to your classroom book nook. Here are a few favorites from our teacher team, along with some ideas on how to incorporate them into your lesson plans:
Ish
In this story from The Dot creator, a little boy named Ramon loves to draw. One day, Ramon’s brother makes a negative comment about his artwork, and Ramon loses confidence in his abilities. Fortunately, Ramon’s sister helps him to see that art can be “ish” — meaning it doesn’t have to be perfect.
The story is a great mentor text to read when introducing resilience and encouraging them to embrace imperfections.
Ish Activity Ideas
- Use Ish as a mentor text for introducing the concept of positive feedback and how to give feedback to our peers that is both constructive and kind. Have students pair up and take turns giving compliments and constructive feedback on each other’s artwork using kind and encouraging language.
- Practice writing resilience acrostic poems with your students, demonstrating their understanding of the concept. Students can write a word or phrase for each letter in the word “resilience” that reflects their understanding of resilience or personal experiences of overcoming setbacks.
Say Something
In this final favorite Peter H. Reynolds book from our teacher team, you’ll find a motivational message you can use to teach your students the importance of using their voices to make the world a better place. The story of Say Something tells kids, “The world needs your voice!”
Say Something Activity Ideas
- Work with your students to create an anchor chart about all the ways you can “say something.”
- Make kindness rocks and set up a classroom kindness rock garden. Let your students know they can visit the rock garden throughout the school year, taking a rock when they need a boost of positivity. When students take a rock, they can decide if they want to leave behind a new one or return it after a while, creating a continuous cycle of sharing and spreading positivity.
Be You!
This Reynolds book is a favorite among our teacher team members for reading on the first day of school to set the tone for a positive and inclusive classroom.
Reynolds tells readers to “be your own work of art” in this colorful book that’s perfect for teachers from kindergarten through second grade.
Be You! Activity Ideas
- Gather students in a circle for your read-aloud, then go around the circle, having each student share one thing that makes them unique or special, inspired by the message of “Be You!”
- Hand out “You Are Wonderful, You Are You” bookmarks for each student to take home as a “back to school gift.”
- Create a classroom promise devoted to embracing differences. Write out your classroom promise on anchor chart paper and have each student sign the promise before posting it as a visual reminder.
Happy Dreamer
Happy Dreamer is another Reynolds book that makes a perfect mentor text when you’re introducing a lesson on self-acceptance and embracing individuality.
The story highlights the fact that not all learners fit into traditional molds. There’s beauty to be found in being a dreamer, a thinker and a creator!
Happy Dreamer Activity Ideas
- Create dream journals with your class, where they can write or draw about their dreams, goals and aspirations.
- Practice writing positive affirmations that students can repeat to themselves when they’re feeling negative thoughts and negative self-talk creeping in.
- Borrow from Dot Day, and have students design their own Dot Day shirts that celebrate their own creative ideas.
The Word Collector
The title of The Word Collector may have already given you the sense that this Peter Reynolds book could fit into a lesson on language and the power of words.
Indeed the story of little Jerome, a boy who collects words that inspire him and make him feel something, is a good one for ELA teachers to use to promote vocabulary development and appreciation for the richness of language.
The Word Collector Activity Ideas
- Create a favorite words wall in your classroom. You may already have traditional word walls, and this doesn’t have to displace those. Instead, create a special space in the classroom with sticky notes where students can add words they discover while reading (or listening to different media). Once a week, make a point to go over any new words with your class.
Looking for more activities that you can tie to Peter Reynolds’ popular books? Explore our favorite International Dot Day activities for kids!
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