Pink Tiara Cookies for Three

Have you read any of Maria Dismondy‘s books?! If not, you are definitely missing out. As a former teacher, Maria writes amazing books that truly make a difference. Today I want to tell you about how I used her book Pink Tiara Cookies for Three in my classroom AND give you the chance to win a copy!

We all know that having new students join your classroom can be a difficult transition. You want the very best for your new friends, while at the same time hope that it doesn’t rock the balance that you already have going on. When we found out that we were welcoming two new students into our classroom at the same time, I knew this book would be perfect to read in preparation!

In the book, Sami’s life falls apart when a new girl moves next door. Sami is not interested in welcoming the new friend – and especially not interested in her joining the duo she already has with Stella. Sami has a difficult time welcoming the new friend and accepting her. Along the way, Sami begins to turn into a bully to the new girl before realizing that there can be room for three in her friendship.

The book has SO many teachable lessons in it revolving new friendships. I decided to use the book as the shared reading component in my classroom for one week. I found Maria’s Reader Guide so helpful when I was planning. I followed what she suggested and added my own twist!

On the first day I simply read the book to my students. We had some great natural discussion on it. They were excited to discuss throughout the week more though!

We reread the book and went through the Discussion Guide for Reading Comprehension in Maria’s packet I linked above. She included questions for before, during, and after reading. They were wonderful in guiding our thoughts and making sure we were fully comprehending what was going on in the book.

We followed up from Day 2 by retelling the story with Maria’s sheet. This was a great way for my students to take the thoughts we discussed and put them into their own words onto paper.

At this point my students were already familiar with the book. It was the perfect time to write down some Text-To-Self connections. I found this in Maria’s packet also. My students completed the sheet individually and then were given the opportunity to share with a partner or with the whole class. They connected even further when they realized that many of them had had the same experiences as each other.

On the last day of our shared reading, we created our own Friendship Triangle. I found the lesson to guide me in the packet and created my own headings for the actual triangle. After completing this, we left it up until our new friends arrived. It was the perfect reminder for my students!

Click picture to download!

Now that you have heard how I used this fabulous book in my classroom, would you like to win a copy of your own? Just leave me your name below! Giveaway closes March 10th!