Little Ghost by Vivian French - Teaching Ideas

This is a cute little tale about a Little Ghost that wants to learn how to fly. Unfortunately for him everyone is too busy to teach him. To occupy his time he plays a rousing game of hide-and-seek with Big Mouse. As the game continues, Little Ghost is headed for a big surprise! Your students will enjoy this little story and delight in Little Ghosts big surprise!

There are many skills and strategies that work well with this book, take a look to see if there is something you can build a lesson around.

Reading level: 2.0

Theme: Halloween

Genre: holiday

Suggested Vocabulary: lamppost, swirled, heap, cookie tin, peered, trickled, wailed

Reading skills and strategies:

• asking questions - {possible questions before} I wonder what Little Ghost is going to do? {possible questions during} I wonder why the other ghosts wont help Little Ghost learn to fly? It seems like the other ghosts left Little Ghost, I wonder why they did that? {possible questions after} I wonder if that is what the other ghosts had planned all along. **Remember to have your students answer/reflect their questions.
• author's point of view - 3rd person point of view. Find 3 pieces of text evidence to support this.
• author's purpose - entertain {evidence} There are no such things as ghosts. Ghosts don't play games. It was funny when Quake floated through the wall. All these things made the story entertaining.
• beginning, middle, end - {most important event from beginning} Little Ghost asked the other ghosts to teach how to fly. {most important event from middle} Little Ghost played hide-and-seek with Big Mouse and the other ghosts. {most important event from end} Big Mouse and the other ghosts scared Little Ghost enough to make him fly in the air.
• cause and effect - Why did Little Ghost want to learn how to fly? because he didn't know how. Why did Little Ghost play hide-and-seek? because the other ghosts were too busy to teach him how to fly. Why was big mouse found when he hid? because he left his tail hanging out. Why did Little Ghost start to cry? because he couldn't find anybody. Why did Little Ghost start to fly? because the ghosts and Big Mouse scared Little Ghost and he flew into the air.
• characterization - describe Little Ghost {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character}
• compare & contrast - you and Little Ghost
• connections - {possible text-to-self connections} Needing help with something but others are too busy to help you. Playing hide-and-seek.
• predict - What do you think the story is going to be about? Will Shiver help Little Ghost learn to fly? Do you think Big Mouse and the other ghosts left Little Ghost? Do you think Little Ghost will be able to fly all the time now?
• problem & solution - {problem} Little Ghost wants to learn how to fly but everyone is too busy to help him learn. {solution} Little Ghost plays hide-and-seek instead.
• story elements - list title, author, character's, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.
• summarize - {someone} Little Ghost {wanted} wanted to learn to fly {but} but the other ghosts were too busy to help him {so} so he played hide-and-seek with Big Mouse and {then} then the other ghosts asked to play. {finally} Finally Little Ghost learned to fly when all the ghosts and Big Mouse yelled "Boo!". 

As an added bonus I have created a  FREEBIE for you and your students. This character activity will get your students thinking about Little Ghost and what kind of ghost he really is.

IT'S FREE!!

Happy reading!