If you’re looking to start the new year off with making resolutions and goal setting, you should read Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller. I have a fun resolutions craft and other activities you can pair with this story.
Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution
In this book, Squirrel hears about making New Year’s resolutions on the radio, but she doesn’t know what they are. So she visits her friends to find out what they resolve to do in the new year. Bear wants to help others learn to read. Porcupine decides to be less grumpy. What will Squirrel choose to do for her resolution? If you don’t have a copy of this book in your school or classroom library, you can find it on Amazon.
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Resolutions Craft
Many teachers start the new year with students writing resolutions and setting goals. I thought it would be fun to combine these resolutions with a kid craft. These crafts can be placed on a bulletin board display to encourage students to keep working towards their goals.
Comprehension Activities
To help guide student discussion, I have written 12 comprehension questions. These can be placed onto a ring and kept with the book during your read aloud. If you have older students, they can also respond to these questions in writing to check for comprehension.
Another key part of the story is how the characters interact with one another. Students can track how Squirrel gives and receives help from each friend throughout the book with this graphic organizer.
This spinner activity is a fun way to practice story elements, too!
Vocabulary and Extension Activities
To practice vocabulary, students can play a matching game with the words and definitions. I like printing them on different colors to help younger students.
Students can practice their calendar skills with these extension activities for Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution. They will work on putting the months of the year into calendar order, ABC order, and telling which month comes next in a sequence.
You can find all of these activities and more in this book companion for Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution.
What books do you read to help your students ring in the new year? I’d love to check them out!
If you’re looking for some ways to set goals with your classroom for the new year, be sure to check out this post.
Happy New Year!
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