Winter Literacy Pack and Book Companion

Hands-on literacy and nature activities that invite your child to explore and celebrate the book “Winter Dance” by by Marion Dane Bauer. Read the story, lay out nonfiction resources about the animals we meet, think, wonder, and ask questions together!

The “Winter Dance” is a book- inspired, digital learning pack. This beautifully illustrated and written picture book “The Winter Dance” by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Richard Jones, enchants readers with repeated text and soft forest scenes. “Winter is coming, what should I do?” the fox asks. As he asks the different forest creatures, one by one, they tell him what they do in the winter, like make a chrysalis, burrow in the mud, gather and hide acorns. But it’s not until he sees another red fox that he learns what to do. “When a million snowflakes fill the air, twirling, tumbling, spinning, waltzing, you and I join them.” It’s absolutely a joyful celebration of winter with an exceptional use of vivid verbs. Along this beautiful story, our learning set is packed with 155 pages of hands-on activities, story sequencing, book reports, storytelling cards, 3-part cards, fun facts about red foxes, make your own book, anatomy of forest animals, and learning about animal life in winter. The unit contains many fun language activities, writing, phonics, pre-writing activities, games, nature play, a craft (make your own fox mask), coloring and painting pages, posters and more, that will delight and engage your children. It is geared towards children 5 to 10yo.
With the warmth and light of interest-led and child-guided reading fun, this learning pack is a wonderful resource to guide your child learning journey!

What We Learn in This Book

Through a diverse range of activities, students explore the following key areas:

• Zoology and Nature Study: Children delve into the biology of forest residents with detailed anatomy studies of the Black Bear, Fox, and Hare. They learn to identify animals through footprint and skin cover cards, explore fun facts about red foxes, and utilize Montessori-style 3-part cards for species recognition.

• Literacy and Language Arts: The guide builds foundational skills through letter “F” writing sheets, beginning sound clip cards, and sight word practice. Advanced literacy is addressed through vivid verb cards, word family sorting, and comprehensive book reports and story sequencing exercises.

• Practical Life and Fine Motor Skills: Following Montessori principles, the book includes pin punching, scissor strips, and threading pages to refine hand-eye coordination. Sensory play is encouraged with snowflake playdough mats and salt painting templates.

• Creative Expression: Students are invited to become authors by making their own books and engaging with watercolor animal figures, red fox masks, and various tracing and coloring pages.

• Critical Thinking and Logic: The curriculum includes shadow matching, story plot analysis, book quizzes, and classic games like Tic-Tac-Toe to challenge cognitive development.