Book of the Week: Rechenka’s Eggs

Every Monday, I highlight a book from our school bookroom along with lesson plan suggestions. I hope you find this useful, and please leave a comment with any suggestions or additions!

Rechenka’s Eggs, by Patricia Polacco

Watch the Reading Rainbow episode for Rechenka’s Eggs:

You can find this book and other texts by Patricia Polacco in the red book box labeled “Favorite Authors.” If you’d like to help expand our school’s collection of Polacco books, you might want to consider helping support this Donors Choose project.

There is a CAFE menu included with this mentor text, and I’ve highlighted these as suggested lessons:

Comprehension

• Summarize text, include a sequence of main events. This would be an excellent book to use to practice the GLAD strategy of a narrative input chart. Each double page spread of the book can be copied, printed in color, then used to sequence events in the story. For more information on GLAD strategies, check out this PDF. The art is clear and striking enough that it should work even if these color copies are relatively small.
• Recognize literary elements (genre). Would you classify this book as a folktale? What makes books fall into that category?
• Compare and contrast within and between text. What an amazing author study Patricia Polacco makes. Here’s one unit plan for making that happen. How is this book similar to and different from other Polacco books, particularly Luba and the Wren or Thunder Cake?

 Behaviors That Support Reading

• Select and read “Good Fit” books. If students like this Polacco story, they might also enjoy one of the dozens of other books she’s written. This might be a good choice for a student who avoids chapter book series, but is ready for more challenging text.

Please add any lessons or supplemental materials to the book bag so future teachers can utilize your good thinking!

Comments and constructive feedback are always welcomed. Please let me know if these lessons were useful in your class!

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