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School’s First Day of School Activities

July 29, 2019

School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex is a great story to read while welcoming your students to a new school year. In this story, it’s the first day of school and everyone is feeling nervous – even the school! This book is a great way to jump start a conversation about those first day jitters. Here are some activities you can use with this story.

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex is a great story to read while welcoming your students to a new school year. In this story, it's the first day of school and everyone is feeling nervous - even the school! This book is a great way to jump start a conversation about those first day jitters. Here are some activities you can use with this story.

 

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ABOUT THIS BOOK

It’s the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone’s just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him?

The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he’s not the only one going through first-day jitters.

This book is great for discussing feelings about the first day of school!

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex is a great story to share at the beginning of the school year. This story can help start a discussion about how students feel about the first day of school.

 

SCHOOL’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

This resource includes several ways to work on comprehension. These graphic organizers help students retell or summarize the story. When working on story elements, I like to use these spin-a-story pages. As students spin and identify each element, they can color that section of the wheel. If students land on that space again, they still identify the element, but can color another small section of the picture.

After reading School's First Day of School, you can check student comprehension with these activities. There are graphic organizers to work on summarizing and retell and this spinner activity helps students focus on story elements.

 

Here’s a closer look at the comprehension and discussion questions. There are 12 cards in all to help students think and talk about the story as they read. There is also an option to have students respond to these questions in writing.

These 12 question cards can help guide your discussion while reading School's First Day of School. There is also an option to have students respond to these questions in written form.

 

I chose 12 vocabulary words to focus on for this story. Each vocabulary word has a matching definition card. These cards can be put in a pocket chart display or used in a memory matching game. You could also have students glue these into a notebook where students can draw a picture or write an original sentence with the words. I have included a vocabulary match-up page to help check for understanding of these words.

I selected 12 vocabulary words from School's First Day of School. Each vocabulary card has a matching definition. You can check for student understanding of the terms using this vocabulary match-up page.

 

The main character of this story is the school. As you read the story, it’s important to point out how the school feels before the first day of school, on the first day of school, and after the first day of school. Then students can focus on why the school’s feelings and actions changed during the story. I added this graphic organizer to help students track their thinking.

While reading School's First Day of School, students can track how the school feels before school starts, on the first day of school, and after the first day. It's important for students to reflect on why the school's feelings changed during the story.

 

SCHOOL CRAFT & WRITING

Because the school is the main character in this story, I wanted to include a school craft with this resource. These writing booklets are created using a red sheet of paper folded hamburger style. There are templates included to add all of the details to the school. You can choose whether your school craft has the same name as the book or is simply labeled ‘SCHOOL’.

School's First Day of School - This school craft doubles as a writing booklet. Students can respond to the story or to one of the included writing prompts.

 

When the school booklet is opened, it reveals a piece of student writing. I have included several suggestions for writing prompts, but you can always choose your own. One of the templates is a blank rectangle so students can draw and color a picture to match their writing and place inside of the booklet.

School's First Day of School - This school craft booklet opens to share student writing. I have included several suggestions for writing prompts, but you can also choose your own.

 

FUN FACT FREEBIE

After reading this book at the beginning of the school year, students can complete these fun fact pages. One page helps students learn more about their school and the other is more of an all about me page. There is room for students to add a colorful drawing on each page. Or, you could print these pages on Astrobrights paper and attach a photo or drawing into the picture space.

After reading School's First Day of School, students can complete these fun fact pages. One page helps students learn more about their school and the other is more of an all about me page.

 

Want to try these fun fact pages with your own students? Sign up below.

 

SCHOOL’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

If you can’t find a copy of this book in your school or local library, you can find it on Amazon.

 

 

All of these activities are included in my book companion for School’s First Day of School.

This book companion for School's First Day of School by Adam Rex contains comprehension and vocabulary activities along with a school craft and writing booklet.

 

If you like this resource, you might also like these book activities.
Also, be sure to check out this list of books to read on the first day of school.

Here is a great list of books you can share with your students on the first day of school.

 

Happy Reading!

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex is a great story to read while welcoming your students to a new school year. In this story, it's the first day of school and everyone is feeling nervous - even the school! This book is a great way to jump start a conversation about those first day jitters. Here are some activities you can use with this story.

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Filed Under: arts & crafts, book activities, freebies, reading 6 Comments

Comments

  1. Nicole Lee says

    January 4, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    Hello!
    I’m interested in using your ‘fun facts about me’ worksheet for my reading programme. Where can I find the printable version? Or do I subscribe to your mailing list?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Storie Belden says

      January 5, 2021 at 7:23 am

      Hi Nicole,
      Yes, you will need to sign up for my email list to grab the Fun Facts pages.
      Let me know if you have any other questions.
      Storie

      Reply
  2. Judy Lande says

    August 27, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    I signed up for your email list and I would like to grab the Fun Facts Pages that go with the book School’s First Day of School but I don’t yet have a password. I need this for Monday! Can you please advise how I can get these pages.

    Reply
    • Storie Belden says

      August 27, 2021 at 2:08 pm

      Hi Judy,
      The Fun Facts freebie should start downloading as soon as you confirm your email subscription. If that didn’t happen, another email should follow up shortly after with “Welcome to the Free Resource Library” as a subject line. Did you get either of those emails?
      Storie

      Reply
  3. Beth Ann says

    September 8, 2021 at 4:40 pm

    I did not get the freebie

    Reply
    • Storie Belden says

      September 8, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      I just checked with my email provider. It looks like an email to confirm your subscription was sent this afternoon. Be sure to check all of your folders (inbox, spam, junk, promotions, etc). Sometimes these emails end up there.
      Storie

      Reply

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