In This Section
Introducing Red Bags
to Children
Learning From Example
Explain how we hold and care for books to children, so that we can preserve a shared resource.
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Everything In Its Place
Introduce the concept of the Red Bag and prompt children to think about a responsible place for their books.
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Create Excitement !
Incentive Trackers
Encourage children to return their red bags with an incentive tracker. After 10 on-time returns, offer a prize (free books, bookmark, etc). Be creative!
#RedBagSelfies
Use photos to provide positive reinforcement and highlight children who are doing a great job by sharing successes with families and other children.
Red Bag Songs
Keep children excited about red bags by singing these songs together based on popular songs you may already know.
Lanyard Tag Recognition
Use lanyards or “brag tags” to incentivize child engagement in the red bag program, such as returning books, completing activities, etc.
Favorite Book Handout
Send home activities in the red bags like this one that comes in English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese. Let children share with others in class.
Book Review
Let children share their opinion of the books in their Red Bag with the class and start conversation about their books.
Give Responsibility
Assign children to pass out and collect Red Bags. Have children check their own bags or rotate a few helpers weekly. This builds self-efficacy in children.
Circle Time Sharing
Let children share reading routines, favorite books, and why they like reading. Choose a reader of the week or leave a special bookmark in a different Red Bag each week to choose.
Fun Ideas To Drive Engagement
Monthly Reward for On-Time Book Returns
End Of The Year Certificate
End Of The Year Certificate, Spanish Version
Earn Prizes By Returning Books On Time
Story
Times
Story times are the perfect way to build the Red Bag program into your routine! It also develops to touch on many important areas of learning at once. Check out this resource explaining the importance of story time in a child’s development.
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We Can Help You Get Started
We can arrange for an introductory Story Time from Raising a Reader MA, at your request and our availability.
We’ll work with you to train parents and caregivers in dialogic reading strategies, so you can invite them to be your story time volunteers! This can help increase the number of story times while building strong connections with families.
Ideas For Story Time
Close story time with a Red Bag reminder (especially the day before rotation days).
Read a Red Bag book and follow story time with extension activities (see below).
Remind children that they might see the Red Bag book that is read during story time come home to build their excitement.
Hold story time discussions where children can share about their books and at-home reading. You can also mention children with perfect bag returns.
Story Guides
For Red Bag Books
Use our Dialogic Reading story guides for a wide variety of books to engage children during your story times and easily share reading questions and strategies with families!
STEAM
Story Guides
Bippity Bop Barbershop Story
E.B. Lewis
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Eric Carle
Busy Fingers
C.W. Bowie
Carry me (Babies Everywhere)
Rena D. Grossman
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Bill Martin Jr.
El Loro Tico Tango
Anna Witte
From Head to Toe
Eric Carle
Good Night, Gorilla
Peggy Rathman
Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown
Gossie
Olivier Dunrea
How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?
Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
In the Tall, Tall Grass
Denise Fleming
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Deborah Guarino
Lola Loves Stories
Anna McQuinn
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens
Denise Fleming
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
Joseph Slate
My Friends
Taro Gomi
No, No, Titus!
Claire Masurel
Pancakes for Breakfast
Tomie DePaola
Quiet LOUD
Leslie Petricelli
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Annie Kubler
The Bus for Us
Suzanne Bloom
The Snowman
Raymond Briggs
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
We’re Roaming in the Rainforest
Laurie Crebs
Where’s My Teddy?
Jez Alborough
Have Your Own Story To Share?
Use our template to create your own story guide! Feel free to share back with us when you’re done.
Continue Learning
After Story Time
Continue children’s learning after story time with extension activities! These can be done after story time or sent home for children to do with their families.
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Supporting Language-Rich Environments
Impacting Success for English Language Learners and Special Need Students
Raising A Reader Massachusetts works to encourage the creation robust literacy habits and language-rich environments to support children from birth to age six. We equip parents to be their child’s first teacher, empowered to be active participants in their child’s education, impacting success in school and beyond.
Resources for English
Language Learners
Basics of Bilingualism
Explains types of bilingualism, bilingual child development, and how to differentiate between typical and atypical bilingual development.
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DLL Myth or Fact
A useful graphic for teachers to use that spells out the common misconceptions versus the facts about bilingual language development in children.
Link
Special Needs Red Flags in DLL
A resource from CELE to differentiate between the Dual Language Learning process and possible special needs in Dual Language Learners.
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Supporting ELLs
Strategies for teachers to use in the classroom to support English Language Learners in their acquisition of formal classroom language.
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Resources for Special Needs Learners
Adaptive Kit Instructions
and Introduction
Tips and strategies for teachers to use the RAR-MA Red Bag Adaptation Kit with special needs children.
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PECS Cards
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) cards help children express thoughts, requests, etc. This set includes body parts, opposites, and STEM.
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Reading with
Special Needs Students
Notes and tips on implementing Raising a Reader MA – red bag rotations, story times, and dialogic reading – in special needs classrooms.
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Number Line
A number line with both the number and a visual representation of the number with dots.
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Reading Focus Frame
A number line with both the number and a visual representation of the number with dots.