Abe Lincoln The boy who loved to read by Kay Winters - Teaching Tips

This is such a beautiful story, written in such a way that just captures your attention. The illustrations are equally as captivating. This book chronologically goes through Lincoln's life emphasizing his love of books and learning.

A must read when learning about one of our most beloved presidents!

Here are some teaching tips that I have come up with to go with this wonderful book.

Reading level: 3.5

Theme: Presidency

Genre: Biography

Suggested Vocabulary: corn pone, leather hinges, peddlers, pioneers, politicians, traders, slaves, his ideas stretched, his questions rose, his dreams were stirred, charcoal stick, spun yarns, stout, makeshift, hack a trail, vowed, fell the trees, whittled, a year limped by, too-short buckskins, turkey buzzard quill, earnings, poled a flatboat down the river, auction block, unjust, prove his worth with brawn, politics,

Reading skills and strategies:

• purpose for reading – to learn more about Abraham Lincoln
• author's purpose – inform
• evidence
• Abe love to read
• Abe studied to become a lawyer without going to school
• Abe believed that a life for sale was unjust
• Cause and effect 
• Why did Abe Lincoln talk to the travelers as they passed by his cabin?
• Because their new cabin was so close to the Cumberland Trail.
• Why did Abe Lincoln write his letters in so many places?
• Because he loved to learn.
• Why did Abe and his family have to live in a half-faced camp of branches at Little Pigeon Creek?
• Because there was no cabin waiting for them when they moved there.
• Why did Abe’s mom die?
• Because she got the Milk sickness.
• Why did Abe have to spend 3 hot days pulling stalks of corn in his friend’s field?
• Because he had to pay him back for the book that got ruined from the rain leading through his cabin’s roof.
• Why did Abe’s neighbors call him lazy?
• Because whenever they saw him he was just reading a book.
• Why was he called Honest Abe?
• Because he went out of his way to make sure everything was fair to everyone.
• Character analysis - describe Abe Lincoln {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character, how others think/see the character}
• organization
• sequence
• When Abe was a baby he lived in a one room cabin with his mom and dad and sister.
• When Abe was 2 his family moved to Knob Creek.
• Growing up Abe talked to many people that traveled past his home.
• Abe went to school in Knob Creek
• Abe’s family moved again when he was 7.
• Abe missed school, he wanted to read and learn.
• Abe’s mom died of milk disease.
• Abe’s dad brought home a new wife.
• Abe’s new mom sent all the children back to school.
• Abe left home when he was nineteen.
• Abe saw slaves being sold and knew it was unjust to own another.
• Abe got a job in a general store where he got the name “Honest Abe”.
• Abe Lincoln studied to become a lawyer.
• Abe Lincoln became president.
• fact & opinion –
• fact
• Abe Lincoln’s mother died of milk disease.
• Abe Lincoln did not go to school to study to become a lawyer.
• Abe Lincoln thought that owning another person was unjust.
• Abe Lincoln loved to read books.
• Opinion
• Abe Lincoln should have gone to school to become a lawyer.
• Abe Lincoln was too tall.
• Abe Lincoln should have done a better job helping with all his chores.
• Abe Lincoln was too honest.
• main idea & details –
• Main idea – the story is mostly about Abe Lincoln and his love of books.
• Details
• Abe Lincoln always read after his chores were done.
• Abe Lincoln studied to become a lawyer without having a teacher.
• When Abe Lincoln didn’t have books with her he always yearned for them.
• predict –
• What do you think the story will be about?
• How much schooling do you think Abe Lincoln had?
• Do you think Abe will ever go back to school?
• What do you think Abe did to try to help those people that were treated unjust?
• story elements –
• title – Abe Lincoln – The boy who loved books
• author – Kay Winters
• topic – Abe Lincoln
• organization – by sequence
• KWL – have students give you this info.
• summarize main idea –
• author – Kay Winters wrote
• book title – Abe Lincoln – The boy who loved books
• author’s purpose – to inform readers of
• statement about topic – his love of books and learning.
• at least 2 detail – All Abe wanted to do was read and learn. He became a lawyer by studying books on his own because he wanted to help those people that were treated unjustly.

Here are some One Pagers I have created to go with this book.

You can find these activities in the growing Holiday Bundle. This bundle will continue to grow as I find more books to add.

Happy reading!