The Hat

THE HAT JAN BRETT

Jan Brett's The Hat is a yearly read aloud and book study I've always done in Kindergarten and First Grade. The story teaches so many lessons, is humorous, has a winter theme, and is written by a fantastic author! Check out some of the literacy learning activities and crafts we do with The Hat!

THE HAT BOOK ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING IDEAS

CHARACTER SORTING AND ANALYSIS

In these activities, students recall what characters are in the story (and sort which characters are NOT in the book). They consider what the characters see, think, feel, and do in the story.

 DESIGN A STOCKING

The Hat is actually a stocking that has come off of the clothesline and gets stuck on Hedgie's head in his prickles. Here students have fun designing their own stocking.

RHYMES WITH HAT

Using the book The Hat, have students practice their rhyming skills by sorting things that rhyme with hat and things that do not.

  STORY SEQUENCING

Students practice sequencing the story as they cut and paste the characters in the order in which they appear in the story The Hat. 

MAKING INFERENCES

This activity shows students' ability to inference, using the pictures in the story, and to dig deep into their own insights.

LABEL THE CHARACTERS

Students work with the story's vocabulary words as they label the characters that appear in The Hat.

TEXT TO SELF CONNECTIONS

Students practice making text to self connections as they compare various parts of the story to their own lives. These activities are so fun!

GIVING OPINIONS

In this literacy activity, students consider the question, then offer their opinions and provide reasons for their answers. They give such cute answers :)

READING COMPREHENSION

Assess students' reading comprehension of the story by having them mark the statements true or false.

STUDENT STORY NOTES

This activity offers students a chance to reflect on the story and share some notes about things that have stood out to them.

 CLASS BOOK TEMPLATE

This companion pack includes template pages that can be used for a class book! Add it to your classroom library, and it is sure to be a student favorite!

 WRITE THE ROOM

Students will work with vocabulary words while matching the story words to the pictures that are posted throughout the classroom. This scavenger hunt type of lesson is a great way to incorporate some active learning!

  THE HAT CRAFT

This craftivity fosters discussion about the book, allows students to make text-to-self connections, and makes a sweet bulletin board! The second craft option allows for more writing, where students can retell the story or write about their favorite part. Students love to see their work on display, to showcase their learning!

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

MORE BLOG POSTS ABOUT WINTER BOOK ACTIVITIES