Activity 1: Read Aloud Worksheet

As we read out loud, ask the group to jot down all the interesting words and phrases from the book. At the end of the each session, compare the notes in the group. Keep this worksheet handy as we will be using it for next week’s activity.

Download Read Aloud worksheet.

Learning new words

Learning new words is fun! We surely came across many interesting words when reading Charlotte’s Web. Learning words “little and often” is more effective than cramming up lots of words in one go. Here are four ways to learn new words in context.

1. By using the word in sentences.

2. By learning commonly used word pairs.

3. By using illustrations to understand word meanings.

4. By using word clusters.

List-group-label is a form of mapping words. The strategy encourages children to improve their vocabulary and categorization skills and learn to organize concepts. Categorizing listed words, through grouping and labeling helps children organize new concepts in relation to previously learned concepts. 

Why use List-Group Strategy

• It helps children organize their understanding of specific vocabulary and concepts.

• It builds on children’s prior knowledge about a topic.

• It actively engages children in learning new vocabulary and content by activating their critical thinking skills.

• It teaches categorizing and labeling skills.

As we read Charlotte's web, highlight all the interesting words and note them on the Read Aloud Worksheet. When we have enough words or are halfway through reading the book, practice the list-group-label strategy with the children. Choose words that suit the age group of the children you are working with.

Activity 2: How to use list-group label strategy

1. Select a main concept in a reading selection.

2. List: Have students brainstorm all the words they think relate to the topic. You can use the words you have noted on the Read Aloud Worksheet already and build on it.

• Visually display student responses.

• At this point do not critique student responses. Some words may not reflect the main concept, but hopefully students will realize this as they begin grouping the words in the next step.

3. Group: Divide your class into small groups. Each group will work to cluster the class list of words into subcategories. As groups of words emerge, challenge your students to explain their reasoning for placing words together or discarding them.

4. Label: Invite students to suggest a title or label for the groups of words they have formed. These labels should relate to their reasoning for the grouping.

Example: List-group-label strategy

Character Analysis

One of the fun activities to do while reading a book is to dig deep into the characters. Who are they? What motivates them? What can we learn from them?

S.T.E.A.L character analysis is a great way to learn about the characters. And most importantly, the analysis can be used for all kinds of books with characters for different groups.

Activity 3: S.T.E.A.L Analysis:

Ask the group to choose a character from the book and complete the S.T.E.A.L analysis worksheet. Discuss the answers with the group.

What do the illustrations in your book tell you?

If you are anything like me, illustrations are the best part when reading a book. Illustrations are the sketches, drawings, and pictures you see in a book and they transform the book into the fascinating stories that the author is trying to portray. The illustrator of the book we are reading Charlotte’s Web is Garth Williams.

This week let’s reflect on illustrations, while reading Charlotte’s Web. Ask the group if they have ever paid closer attention to who the illustrator is? Do they like the illustrations in the book? Or, have they ever wondered how you’d illustrate the book if you were the illustrator?

Activity 4: Illustrations

As we read Charlotte’s web, use the Illustration Activity worksheet to reflect on the illustrations from the book.

• Do you like the illustrations used in Charlotte’s Web? Write down what you like about them.

• How would you illustrate Charlotte or Wilbur? Choose your favorite character and draw your version of them.
  

We learned about feelings

In just one chapter, we learned about different feelings and emotions Wilbur felt. It is important to talk about feelings with children and help them identify and label their emotions. Children who learn to understand their own feelings and emotions and in others are better able to self-regulate their response to strong emotions.

Activity 5: It’s okay to feel your feelings activity

This little fun activity is well-suited for different age groups as the level of complexity in the conversations can be tweaked according to age groups. For this activity:

1. Go around the room and ask the group one feeling that they are feeling or have felt in the past. The catch is that everyone must share different feelings or emotions so that the group can introduce as many different feelings and emotions as they can.

2. Then using the Wheel of Emotions below, take turns to spin the wheel and share with the group what do you usually do when you are feeling this feeling or how can you usually identify this feeling or emotion? For example, when I feel embarrassed, my palms get sweaty, and my cheeks feel red and warm. 

3. Encourage the kids to talk and identify how they feel. Is it possible to feel more than one thing at the same time.

   
   Download Wheels of Emotion.

Resourced by Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

Activity 6: How I Feel

Here is another activity to encourage children to talk about their feelings, how to identify them, take a pause and make a decision on what to do next using How I Feel worksheet.

Let’s talk about friendship

Friendships help children develop important life skills like getting along with other people and sorting out conflicts and problems. Wilbur has made friends with Charlotte. She has eight legs and spins webs to catch her prey. At first, Wilbur’s impression of Charlotte was that she is clever but also brutal and fierce, but Wilbur is now learning that Charlotte is kind-hearted, loyal and a true friend! Here are two activities you can ask the group to get involved in.

Activity 7: Find a friend scavenger hunt

Use the Find a friend scavenger hunt worksheet. Ask the group to go on a scavenger hunt! Ask them to a friend who shares below interests or have the same things in common with them. Encourage the group to add as much information as they can find out about each other. For example, what books do they like to read, what outdoor sports do they like to play, etc.

Activity 8: Let’s talk friendship

Ask the group to complete the Let’s Talk Friendship worksheet of one of your friends and write down words that would explain their character. You can use words beyond what the worksheet suggests.

Learning empathy

Charlotte decided to help her friend Wilbur, knowing that Wilbur is scared and worried. Empathy is a key ingredient in developing friendships and positive relationships in life. It is an ability to be aware of these feelings of others and the ability to imagine what it feels like to be in their shoes’. It is important to teach kids about empathy from an early age to help develop a growth mindset, resilience and understand managing conflicts. It should be encouraged to observe others’ emotions because there are many ways how people feel and show their emotions. The key is to help kids stay attuned and inspire the right intentions.

Here are some conversations to have with the children about learning empathy.

1. Learn to describe your own feelings and emotions. Look at activities, It is okay to be scared and How I feel.

2. Observe your friends and pay attention.

3. Check in on your friends. Remember there are many ways to show our emotions.

4. When you check in on your friends, sometimes you may not know what to do or say but that is okay. You can try listening and just being there for your friend.

5. Talk to an adult.

Activity 8: Learning about feelings

Ask the group to all recall a time when they may have noticed that their friend was acting different than normal. Perhaps they looked different or maybe they said something that made them wonder, “Hmm, is my friend okay?”

Using the Learning About Feelings worksheet, ask the group to write down some of the things that they may have noticed. Refer to our previous activities like How I feel and Wheel of Emotions. Go around the room and ask everyone to share their experience.

It is okay to be scared

Charlotte’s Web is coming to an end, and we encountered some bittersweet moments. While Wilbur has won the County Fair securing a safe future for Wilbur as Charlotte planned, Charlotte is growing old and tired and dying. This brought up some discomforting emotions, mostly fear and sadness among the children. It is important to teach our children how to cope with feelings of discomfort. We don’t let them sit with the discomfort alone but help them guide through the situation.

It is okay to feel scared and fear is not a bad emotion, it is just an emotion. Together, we need to help children learn to regulate themselves. Here are some dos and don’ts to help children cope with feelings of discomfort.

1. Avoid downplaying fear, like saying, “There is no need to be scared”. Instead encourage recalling experiences. For example, try saying, “Remember when you were nervous to see the dentist? You were scared but brave and we did it together!”

2. Avoid making fun or shame, like saying, “You are silly to feel sad about that”. Instead encourage talking about the feeling. For example, try asking, “How do you feel learning that your favorite character in the book is unwell?”

3. Avoid pressuring, like saying, “You are a big boy now, stop getting scared of the darkness”. Instead create opportunities. Try asking, “I see you are worried about entering the room when it is dark. Would it help if I go with you and stay right beside you?”

Activity 9: It is okay to be scared

Before talking about big emotions such as fear, create a safe in the group. Let the group know in advance that for this activity, we will be talking about a time they were scared and the group only needs to share if they feel safe to do so. Use the It is Okay to be Scared worksheet to use the strategies mentioned above and discuss the answers with the group.

Activity 10: Final reflection

Now that we have finished reading Charlotte’s web, using the Final Reflection worksheet, let’s reflect on the book.

• What do you think the author wants us to know?

• What is the main takeaway or the moral of the story for you?

• Back up your summary with examples and facts from what you have read.

I hope you enjoyed reading Charlotte’s Web and hope you enjoyed the activities listed in this reading plan. If you did, check out our reading plans for other classic books, Emil and the detectives and Matilda. Also keep an eye out on our latest blogs as we read other books together.