This was a fun activity to start the year with. I was able to fit in oral reading, a fun group activity, and a writing prompt! Score!
I began by reading The Toll Bridge Troll to my students. In this book, it's the troll that gets outsmarted by the little boy on his way to school. Ultimately, the troll decides he should go to school to get smart too. You can have this read for your students on You Tube too!
After reading the story, we played a game in which students worked in pairs to solve riddles and "cross the bridge". It was a fun way for students to work with new classmates. It also gave students a chance to show off their riddle solving skills. I have some outside the box thinkers this year!
Finally, I used this book as a way to teach summarizing and a little bit of response to literature. Phew!
What the Teacher Learned: A great story can go a long way!
