Use a Lima Bear Book as a Resource For a Homeschooling or Anytime Lesson | Ages 4 to 8

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Cave Monster_front coverOne of our reviewers, Sara at Classically Homeschooling, is such a fan of the Lima Bear Series that she details how to use the Lima Bear Book, The Cave Monster as a resource for lessons that last can an entire week!  This clever, thoughtful “lesson plan” is great to use for non-homeschooling parents and caregivers as well.

Below is an excerpt from Classically Homeschooling‘s blog post.  You can read the entire post here.

Sara says,

The Cave Monster is an awesome book for a unit study.

Monday

Discuss what caves are.
Read The Cave Monster
Color a coloring sheet on caves, stalactites, and stalagmites
Begin a science experiment creating stalactites and stalagmites
Tuesday

Discuss monsters and creatures that live in caves
Read The Cave Monster
Talk about how the friends worked together to defeat the monster
Chat about ways to work with friends to achieve goals
Create a monster project following the directions in the activity section of The Cave Monster
Wednesday

Talk about big, bigger, and biggest and small, smaller, and smallest
Read The Cave Monster
Discuss the sizes of the Cave Monster
Count the number of friends who came to rescue L. Joe Bean
Draw a picture a favorite scene and count the characters in the picture

Thursday

Introduce the term homonym to your children
Read The Cave Monster
Count how many homonyms you found
Copy them onto a sheet of paper
Check and see how your science experiment is going
Friday

Introduce the concept of plot to your children
Read The Cave Monster
Discuss the plot
Act out the climax with a sponge ball target practice by following the directions in the activity section of The Cave Monster
Did you create a stalagmite or stalactite?

Classically Homeschooling does such a great job with her lessons ideas.  You can use her example to create a “lesson plan” for any of your own children’s favorite books, too.  If you have come up with a similar “lesson plan” for any of the Lima Bear Series, let us know, we would love to share your ideas with our fans. Use our “extended the learning” pages at the back of each book for a jump start on your own lesson plan.

Children Can Learn More Through Reading Than You May Think

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Lima Bear_sleeping plus logo_copyLearning While Reading Is Easy Once You Get Started

The key to learning while reading is to include your child in the reading process.  You are not simply reading to your child, you are reading with your child.  Enjoy watching your child’s excitement as he/she figures out the answers to your questions.  For example, after reading the whole book through one time, go back a re-read the book, asking your child to reason out how a picture on the page relates to the story.  On the very first page of  How Back-Back Got His Name, Lima Bear is shown asleep with a candle next to his bed.  The wax has dripped down the sides of his end table (a thimble – too cute, I know). You could ask your child, “why do you think the candle wax is drooping?” Could it be that before it was blown out that it was burning for a long time?

Additional Activities Stem From the Questions that Pop Up While You Read 

While you are talking about candles, why not create a little project where you both research how the first candles were made. You could try to make your own candle or visit a candle making shop.  See how easy it is? We’ve read just one page of one book and we’ve come up with several great questions and activities already!  You can do it too!

Lima Bear Resources to Keep the Learning Going

“Extend the learning” pages, found in the back of each Lima Bear Book, are available to give you a jump start! Interactive reading ideas are also for you in the back of each book.  With a little practice, you and your child will be coming up with your own great ideas for additional learning.  Feel free to share your own tricks to help your child learn as he reads.