I'm sure I must have read this book as a child. It seemed quite familiar as I read it again at my local book emporium. I wish I had my own little person to read it to right now, but, alas, I don't. So instead I'll tell you what I'd do as I read the story.
Many kids aren't too fond of baths. Harry really isn't! As his family is preparing to bathe him, he steals the scrub brush that they intend to use on him and buries it in the back yard. (I don't blame him...I've washed a lot of dogs and never used a scrub brush. I'm sure it was soft bristled and that they wouldn't have been too rough. But I digress.) Then he runs away. And gets dirty, dirtier, and, finally, dirtiest of all.
That's something I would emphasize with my little reader. The degrees of dirty that Harry gets. They can see it in the pictures and it's a nice way to emphasize -y, -ier, -iest. They will encounter words that follow that pattern repeatedly.
I also think it's important, as you near the story's conclusion, to emphasize and discuss Harry's change of mind/attitude. He missed his family. Why? What does he do about it? Why does he do it? What would you do in a similar situation?
But you know what the most important thing to do with Harry the Dirty Dog is? Read it with the children you love. After the first 50 million times or so, ask them to read it to you.
Happy reading! It feels good to be back.
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Excellent suggestions, Kristen. I will be sure to use them!
ReplyDeleteGlad we're back :)
xoxo,
leggy
Yeah, I'm so glad you guys are back. And yes, Kristen, thanks for the suggestions. Sometimes I get so caught up with the "reading" that I forget that there are things can actually be learned by reading these stories. And I am finally enjoying the payback of getting to sit back and be the audience while being read to.
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