Go, Dog. Go!

Last week I read the classic book Go, Dog. Go!, by P.D. Eastman.  I have had it sitting in our book area for awhile, and several children have been asking me to read it.  Some of the children know the book and were able to “read along” with me.  The ones who did not know it were charmed by the humorous illustrations and text.  It was definitely a hit.  I decided to extend the story by transforming our loft into a tree filled with dogs.  The children helped paint the tree, and I added as many stuffed dogs as I could find.  They have since had a wonderful time developing their imaginations and creating their own dog parties up in the “tree.” This was not in my lesson plans for this week, but I have found that sometimes it is best to scrap existing plans in favor of something that spontaneously arises in the classroom. It is hard to match the level of enthusiasm for an activity that is generated by the class!