I CAN'T SLEEP WITHOUT MY MONSTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

If a monster lived under your bed would it be sweet or scary? Would it have four eyes and green polka dots? Or would it have big terrible claws and crooked yellow teeth?

 

 I Need My Monster written by Amanda Noll and illustrated by Howard McWilliam is about a little boy named, Ethan, who can't fall asleep without his favorite monster, Gabe, under his bed. But one night Gabe left a note that he's gone fishing, so Ethan summons a series of substitute monsters to help him fall asleep. Ethan is very picky and rejects several monsters who would have loved to sub in for Gabe. None were quite up to his "monster" standards.

Noll's I Need My Monster is a great book to use while teaching the comprehension strategy of visualizing. Readers should be able to visualize a story by picturing in their mind what they are reading. Visualization is a proven way to improve reading comprehension. Having students draw a picture after listening to a story is a great strategy to teach visualization. Before reading aloud the teacher will offer students some suggestions, "While I read, close your eyes and listen carefully. Think about what happens in the story. Listen for describing words (adjectives) use those words to help paint a picture in your mind." The teacher will read I Need My Monster aloud once without showing the illustrations and have the front and back of the book covered up. He/She will stop reading throughout the story to model how they visualize the story. For example, "As I read, I thought about the words and I imagined what the characters look like, what they were doing, and what their surroundings were like."  After reading the book, the students will answer questions on a worksheet about their monster and draw what they visualize their monster would look like.  The teacher will emphasize that everyone's visualizations will be different. Students will then share and discuss their pictures with a partner and then as a class. Then, the teacher will read the book again, this time showing them how McWilliam pictures the night time monsters.  The physical act of drawing and discussing their picture can help students grasp the concept of visualization. These mental images help readers recall details and draw conclusions.

  

List of possible questions on the worksheet: 

What is your monster’s name?                           _______   _____
How old is your monster?                                  _______   _____
What color is your monster?                              _______   _____
How big/little is your monster?                          _______   _____
How many arms does your monster have?           _______   _____
How many eyes does your monster have?           _______   _____
How many legs does your monster have?           _______   _____
What does your monster like to eat?                 _______   _____
What does your monster like to drink?               _______   _____
Is your monster scary or sweet?                       _______   _____
Where does your monster live?                        _______   _____
What kind of hair does your monster have?       _______   _____

 Our monster is purple with green lips and yellow polka dots. What does your monster look like?