Apples All Around

So we have done a lot with apples lately. We explored last week by making observations, weighing, measuring, and tasting. Monday, we compared our observations about apples and fresh, chunky applesauce. Wednesday, we tasted apples in their liquid form as apple cider. Today, we read a mini-book called "Apples All Around" in two of our small reading groups. The strategy was supposed to be "using picture clues" to figure out unknown words. Well, you have to be flexible when working with young people. They kept reading it as "Apples are"...here and there page after page. Page after page I reminded them to read the words that were on the page. Then a light-bulb comes on in my head. They are, unknowingly, using the "Does it sound right?" strategy. It didn't sound right because it was phrases instead of sentences. They wanted to hear it as sentences. So what do you think we did? Of course, we added the word "are" appropriately to each page and reread the book. It made me smile. Awesome day!