Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg - Teaching Ideas | The Picture Book Teacher's Edition

Do you have a Crazy Hair Day at your school? Do the kids come to school with their hair completely crazy? My daughter Madison had a Crazy Hair Day and we did her hair to look like Cindy Loo Who (well...sort of) from the Grinch! - that was 8 years ago :(

This story is about Stanley and the Crazy Hair Day. Stanley is so excited for this day, he can't wait to get to school so everyone can see his crazy hair. Unfortunately for Stanley he got Crazy Hair Day and Class Picture Day mixed up, so now he has crazy hair for his class picture. Stanley is so upset and embarrassed he runs to the bathroom and won't come out. It is finally class picture time and his best friend talks him into coming to class for the picture. To his delight the class has a surprise for Stanley...you will have to read the book to find out what it is (or I am sure you will figure it out when you read the rest of this post).

I hope you have this book because I have some reading skills and strategy questions and ideas for you. I hope something here inspires you to create an amazing lesson.

Reading level: 2.9

Theme: friendship, school

Genre: fiction

Suggested Vocabulary: peacemaker, suggested

Reading skills and strategies:

asking questions - {possible questions before} How did he make his hair that way? What is in his hair? Did he do his hair by himself?{possible questions during} Why does Larry tease Stanley too much? What is a peacemaker? How come they let Stanley stay in the bathroom for so long? How come Stanley didn't get into trouble for playing in the bathroom? {possible questions after} Why was everyone wearing stuff on their head? Did they really take the picture?
author's point of view - 3rd person point of view
author's purpose - entertain{evidence} Stanley looks silly with his hair all crazy. Stanley made up a silly song about his crazy hair. The whole class put crazy things on their head for the class picture. All these things are silly so the story is entertaining.
beginning, middle, end - {most important event from beginning} Stanley got to school and realized it was not Crazy Hair Day. {most important event from middle} Stanley ran to the bathroom at school because it was not crazy hair day. {most important event from end} The class put crazy things on their head for the class picture so Stanley wouldn't be the only one.
cause and effect - Why did Stanley have crazy hair? because it was crazy hair day at school. Why did Stanley run to the bathroom when he got to school? because it was not crazy hair day and he was the only one with crazy hair. Why did Larry tease Stanley? because Stanley was the only one with crazy hair. Why did Stanley stay in the bathroom for so long? because he was too embarrassed about his hair. Why did Larry come back to get Stanley? because it was time to take the class picture. Why did the class have crazy things on their heads? because they didn't want Stanley to be the only one looking crazy in their class picture.
characterization - describe Stanley, {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character}
classify & categorize - the proper way to dress for school and the wrong way to dress for school.
compare & contrast - Stanley and Larry. You and Stanley. Your teacher and Mr. Winger.
connections - {possible text-to-self connections} Being embarrassed at school. Having a crazy hair day at school. Being teased at school. Forgetting something special was happening at school that day.
drawing conclusions & inferencing - Why do you think the class put crazy things on their head for the class picture? {what I know} if I am the only one wearing something silly and people laugh at me I feel bad. I also wouldn't want to be the only one in a class picture wearing something silly, it would be embarrassing. {my conclusion} Since it would have been embarrassing for Stanley to be in the class picture with crazy hair and he couldn't make his hair normal looking for the picture the class decided to all look silly so Stanley wouldn't be the only one.
plot - the turning point or climax of the story is when Larry reminds Stanley that the class picture wouldn't be the same without him. This made Stanley get enough courage to go to class for the picture.
predict - Do you think Stanley will go back to class? Will Stanley be in the class picture?
problem & solution - {problem} Stanley mixed up his days and came to school with crazy hair on class picture day. {solution} The class decides to put crazy things on their own head for the class picture so that Stanley would not be the only one looking crazy.
sequencing - Stanley gets his hair ready for crazy hair day. Stanley gets to school and hears that crazy hair day is next Friday. Larry teases Stanley about his hair. Stanley runs to the bathroom. Larry tries to get Stanley to come back to class. Stanley stays in the bathroom. Larry finally comes back to the bathroom and talks Stanley into coming back to class for the class picture. Stanley gets to class and sees everyone with crazy things on their head for the class picture.
story elements - list title, author, character's, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.
summarize- {someone}Stanley {wanted} went to school with crazy hair for Crazy Hair Day{but} but it wasn't crazy hair day it was class picture day {so} so he ran into the bathroom and {then} then Larry came to the bathroom to have him come back to class. {finally} Stanley finally came back to class and found everyone had put crazy things on their head for the class picture.