Mentor Text: Snow Dog, Go Dog…Rhyming as We Grow Dog

Snow Dog, Go Dog and I love Tinka and his excitement about the snow.  He reminds me of kindergartners…except, we all remember how long 5-year-olds actually play in the snow.

As soon as they are cold, or slip in the snow, or get hit with a snowball, they are done.  It took longer to dress my son for his first outing in the snow…than his actual outing lasted. 

Tinka loves the snow.  From the first flurries to the piles of snow, he is ready to go, go, go. Along with his boy, he runs, slides down a hill on a sled and on his belly, and even plays with another dog in the snow.  

Unfortunately, he doesn’t pay attention to wear he’s running…and soon he’s lost his boy.  Will the boy find him?  (Of course, he will.)  

Will they get warm and cozy at the end?  (Of course, they do.)  You’ll be all warm and cozy at the end, too.  BUT, my favorite part of the book is the language.  

The text is rhyming, but it’s a fun rhyming.  

Snow Dog Lesson

Snow Dog, Go Dog is such a fun mentor text for winter and rhyming. Tinka the dog helps us get excited about both. This book is perfect for rhyming fun.  Introducing real rhymes like, “A glide dog, a ride dog, a body-sledding-slide dog.”

The rhymes are initially single word rhymes like chilly and silly, while the final rhyme is a multiple linked word rhyme like “a wants-to-romp-with-Millie dog.”  

This can set the students on a rhyming frenzy.  My freebie includes “paint chip” rhymes from the story.  I LOVE paint chips.  

I even wrote a whole blog about paint chips, Obsessed with Paint Chips.  Using the paint chips, students need to find new rhymes for the rhyme string in the story.

To kick up the rigor of this activity, your students can try to make a hyphenated rhyming phrase for the ending rhyme.

“A fun dog, a run dog, a run-until-we’re-done dog.”

snow dog More

Snow Dog, Go Dog is such a fun mentor text for winter and rhyming. Tinka the dog helps us get excited about both. There are 2 other activities in the FREEBIE.  Writing Papers can be a fun addition to the rhyming phrases or students can tell about their day in the snow.  

A summer paper is also included.  Why not move Tinka to the sand? What could be more fun.

“A sandy dog, a dandy dog, a keep-a-bucket-handy dog.”

Using the graphic organizer can help your students sequence the story.  What did Tinka do in the snow?  

It will help with a retell or a summary.  They could also use Tinka’s organizer to decide what they like to do in the snow.

If you would like the Snow Dog, Go Dog FREEBIE, click the link or click the image below.

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