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in the barn...
heard a bark
The boy

26 Read & Write Mini-Books © Nancy I. Sanders, Scholastic Teaching Resources

The Boy

asket
barn

arn
ark
oy
Page 1 • The Boy

7
4
1

2
1

heard a bark...
The boy

Page 2 • The Boy

26 Read & Write Mini-Books © Nancy I. Sanders, Scholastic Teaching Resources
bark
basket

from a basket.
heard a bark
in the barn
The boy

5
6
6
 Making the Mini-Book
•••••••••••••••••••••••••• h Page 4 Page 3 Page 5 Page 2
Follow these steps to copy and put together the mini-book. ✁
h Print the mini-book pages. Make a double-sided copy Page 7 Title Page
Page 7 Title Page
on 8 1/2- by 11-inch paper.
h Cut the page in half along the solid line. Page 1

h Place page 2 behind the title page.

h Fold the pages in half along the dotted line. Check to be sure that the pages are Title Page

in the proper order, and then staple them together along the book’s spine.
NOTE: If you do not wish to make double-sided copies, you can photocopy single-sided Title Page

copies of each page, cut apart the mini-book pages, and stack them together in order,
with the title page on top. Staple the pages together along the left-hand side.

Inside the Mini-Book

••••••••••••••••••••••••• h
This book tells a humorous one-sentence story that incorporates four key words beginning with the same
letter of the alphabet. Clear illustrations are included to aid in comprehension.

h The cover introduces children h Pages 3 and 4

to the first key word that begins An Alligator extend the story, An alligator apples
and an ape
with the featured letter— introducing and share their apples ...
Alligator, representing the reinforcing a third 3 4

short-a sound. Children can key word, apples.

practice writing the letter by h Pages 5 and 6
tracing the dotted lines, in this introduce and
An alligator ants
and an ape
case, capital A. reinforce the fourth share their apples
h Pages 1 and 2 key word, ants, and with the ants.
ape
5 6

introduce the An alligator complete the story.

and an ape ...
second key word h On the back cover, children lligator
in the sentence, revisit the four featured words. pe
ape, an example
1 2

They write the missing letter on pples

of a word beginning with the long-a sound. nts
each blank line and trace the 7

Again children trace the letter. remaining letters of each word.

Teaching Tips
•••••••••••••••• h
h Begin by first reading aloud the mini-book to children so that they can listen to the alliteration and rhythm
of the words in the stories. Then encourage children to read aloud the story in unison, with partners, or
individually. Repeated practice will help them build automaticity and fluency and gain confidence in reading.

h Let children use colored markers to trace the letters in their mini-books to help their writing show up better.

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26 Read & Write Mini-Books © Nancy I. Sanders, Scholastic Teaching Resources