Waiting is hard. In the classroom setting, many students have trouble waiting their turn, which often leads to interrupting. So how do you tackle this issue? I tend to turn to picture books. One of my favorite books to share is My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook. Here are some of my favorite activities to pair with this story.
About My Mouth is a Volcano
Written by: Julia Cook
Illustrated by: Carrie Hartman
Louis always interrupts! All of his thoughts are very important to him, and when he has something to say, his words rumble and grumble in his tummy, they wiggle and jiggle on his tongue and then they push on his teeth, right before he ERUPTS (or interrupts). His mouth is a volcano! But when others begin to interrupt Louis, he learns how to respectfully wait for his turn to talk.
If you don’t already have a copy of this book in your school or classroom library, you can find it on Amazon.
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My Mouth is a Volcano Activities
This book companion has a large focus on comprehension and vocabulary. This resource has 12 comprehension questions to help guide the discussion as you read. Students can also respond to these questions in writing.
After reading the book, students can put the story back together with this sequencing activity.
Once students have practiced sequencing the story, they are ready to retell or summarize. There are several different graphic organizers to choose from. Students can also focus on the story with this story elements spinner.
In the story, Louis gets advice from his mom on how to control his volcano. Students can use this activity to review those tips and put them into the correct order.
For vocabulary, I selected 15 words for this story. Each vocabulary card has a matching definition. Students can play a memory matching game or use the cards in a pocket chart center. To continue working with these words, students can complete the fill-in-the-blanks page or vocabulary match-up activity.
My Mouth is a Volcano Craft
After reading the story, students will create this volcano mouth kid craft. Students can respond to the book in writing, or use the blank template to draw a picture.
Happy Reading!

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