I Need My Monster Activities

September 25, 2016
Storie Belden

I like to do a mini monster unit before the Halloween craze begins! One of my favorite stories to read is I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll. Today I want to share some of my favorite activities to use with this story.

I Need My Monster is a great book to read in the weeks leading up to Halloween. These comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, graphic organizers, and monster directed drawings work well with the story.

If you aren’t familiar with the story, it’s about a boy named Ethan who has a monster named Gabe. Gabe has gone fishing and Ethan is worried he won’t be able to sleep without a monster under his bed. Ethan decides to interview substitute monsters to see if they can fill in while Gabe is gone.

Monster Comprehension and Vocabulary

Prior to reading, I like to introduce my students to new vocabulary and then post the words in a pocket chart.

After our first reading, I grab some comprehension questions to guide our discussion and call on various students to answer.

I Need My Monster comprehension and discussion questions

For our second reading, I try to get another adult to read the story so my students get to hear the book read a different way. A great option for this is to use a video. Here’s a great one from Storyline Online:

After this reading we will discuss the story elements and plot. Then we usually complete a graphic organizer together and glue it into our composition notebooks.

Directed Drawings

Since we have monsters on the brain at this point, it’s a great time to stop and do a directed drawing.

After our third reading, the students are making great gains with their comprehension of the story. I like to partner up my students to work on the story elements together. Students take turns spinning and identifying the story element. If the partners agree, the student colors the wedge. If a student lands on a space that has already been colored, he can color a part of the monster. Students continue until the wheel is complete.

I Need My Monster story elements spinner

Near the end of the week I have my students choose one of four writing prompts and give them some monster-themed paper, too. These could be paired with the monster drawings, too!