Pig the Pug Series
One of our favorite book series for all grade levels is Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey. If you have read the first book in this series, Pig the Pug, then you know why these books are so amazing!
This series follows the life of Pig, the most selfish pug there ever was. Pig lives with a family who has another dog – the adorable sausage dog Trevor who is quite the opposite of Pig. Throughout the series, Pig learns several life lessons through the help of Trevor and others.
Not only are these books laugh-out-loud funny and have unforgettable illustrations, but they also teach life lessons in a way that resonate with young children. Therefore, helping kids remember these important lessons in their own lives as they connect with Pig in the story.
Even though Pig the Pug may be the most selfish pug around, he is the perfect pug to teach young readers students the importance of everything from sharing to telling the truth.
Pig the Pug Read Aloud
If you have already read the original Pig the Pug book AND used our ready-to-teach read alouds, then go ahead and jump below to learn about our read alouds for the other amazing books in the series: Pig the Elf, Pig the Fibber, Pig the Rebel, and Pig the Winner.
However, if this is your first time reading any of the books or you have never used one of our read aloud resources, then join us as we share more about this series and how to teach these books using our read alouds.
Did we mention that we have ready to teach read alouds for several grade levels?! Whether you teach PreK, kindergarten, 1st grade, or 2nd grade, there is a ready-to-teach read aloud for you to use. Even better, each read aloud follows the same tried and tested format that we outline below.
Pig the Pug Lessons and Activities
The lessons taught through Pig the Pug are applicable any time of year. However, we especially like to use the original title as part of a back to school read aloud bundle.
We like this book as a back to school read aloud because it helps build a positive classroom community by teaching sharing and kindness. In addition, we like to encourage teachers to use this as a way to teach students the expectations for read aloud time.
Since each read aloud follows the same structure, it helps teachers develop a familiar reading routine with students. Therefore, helping students know what to expect each time they read a new book.
Here is a quick overview of the basic structure for all of our read alouds:
- Comprehension Questions for before, during, and after reading
- Whole group response to text activities
- Response to text worksheets and/or graphic organizers
- Writing pages with prompts
- Vocabulary cards and worksheets
- Quiz
- Retelling puppets
- Craftivity template
Following this basic format, each read aloud provides teachers with three to five days worth of reading lessons. That’s right, each read aloud has enough activities to cover a whole week of reading lessons – with one book!
Let’s explore how to use these activities over the course of a week through our Pig the Pug read aloud.
How to Teach Pig the Pug as a Read Aloud
As mentioned above, all of our read alouds are designed to be taught over several days. What will you teach on each day though? Let’s take a look!
Before we dive into the details of each day’s reading lesson, we want to invite you to continue reading afterwards to see how you can use this read aloud format for ALL of the Pig the Pug books.
Pig the Pug Reading Comprehension Questions
On days 1-3 of the read aloud, students will focus on various types of comprehension questions. These questions will guide students through their reading from the beginning of the book. In fact, we provide questions that will get students thinking about the text before they even open the book!
Below is an overview of the types of comprehension questions your students will explore during the first three days of the read aloud. In addition, we have shared some examples of each type of question, as seen in our Pig the Pug read aloud.
Day 1 Comprehension Questions
Before Reading Questions
- What is the title of the story?
- What does the illustration/picture on the cover show?
- Does the picture give us any clues about what the story is about?
Story Element Questions
- Who is the story about?
- Where does the story take place?
- What is the conflict in this story?
Main Idea Questions
- What is the main idea of this story?
- What details support the main idea?
Day 2 Comprehension Questions
Cause and Effect Questions
- What caused Pig to flip his wig?
- Why did the pile begin to wobble?
- Why did Pig finally share his toys with Trevor?
Craft and Structure Questions
- Why did the author write the words this way?
- How do you think Pig would say, “No, they are mine. Didn’t you hear? Only mine!” (point out the punctuation)
Day 3 Comprehension Questions
Questions about Words and Illustrations
- On the first page, how does the illustration help you understand more about why the author named the pug Pig?
- On the page where Trevor suggests playing together the text says, “Pig flipped his wig.” What does the illustration on that page and the next page show you?
Pig the Pug Activities
The first three days of the read aloud are the core instructional days. However, you don’t have to stop engaging with the book after day three. If you want students to continue to explore the story of Pig the Pug we have provided additional reading activities.
The additional reading activities include opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding through writing, retelling, and crafting. In addition, there is a traditional quiz that can be used as well.
These additional activities are designed to be used as it fits each individual teacher’s classroom. This means you can use all of them, some of them, or none of them. Moreover, you can spread them out for two days to create a full five day read aloud or do all of them on day four. You could also add them on to days one, two, and three to extend learning earlier in the week. The choice is yours!
Pig the Elf Read Aloud
If you don’t get a chance to read the original Pig the Pug book at the beginning of the year, then you can start with our Pig the Elf read aloud during the holidays. And, if you do get to start the year with Pig the Pug, then Pig the Elf is a wonderful follow up picture book.
In this holiday book, author Aaron Blabey further explores the idea of selfishness by showing readers how greediness can ruin the joy of Christmas. All with the help of Pig!
Pig, just like most pups and people can’t wait for Christmas! However, it is not because of the opportunity to spend time with family or to give to others, but the opportunity to get lots and lots of presents!
He is so excited about getting presents, presents, presents, that Pig decides he will stay up all night long on Christmas Eve. However, just like he had to learn his lesson about being selfish by not sharing his toys with Trevor in the original book, there is a lesson waiting for her for him too.
Activities for Pig the Elf
Just like the activities in the read aloud for Pig the Pug, these Pig the Elf activities help students dive deeper into the book over the course of several days. Moreover, ending with similar follow-up activities to assess students’ understanding of the book.
While Pig the Elf is a Christmas book, the lesson it teaches about not being greedy is one that ALL students can benefit from. Therefore, even if you don’t want to do a full Christmas-themed unit this book is a fun addition to any winter theme activities for first and second grades.
Pig the Fibber Read Aloud
In addition to the selfishness and greed Pig displays in these two earlier books, Pig also struggles with telling the truth. In Pig the Fibber, our favorite pug finds himself constantly telling lies. Not only that, but when he gets caught in a lie he puts the blame on poor Trevor.
Just like the other Pig the Pug books, the lesson Pig learns about honesty in Pig the Fibber is another great life lesson to explore with young students. Moreover, it is a lesson that can be taught at any time of the year.
Reading Activities for Pig the Fibber
All of the activities in our Pig the FIbber read aloud packet follow the same structure as our other Pig the Pug reading activities:
- Comprehension questions
- Whole group response to text activities
- Response to text worksheets
- Writing pages
- Vocabulary cards and worksheets
- Quiz
- Retelling puppets
- Craftivity template
It also includes detailed lesson plans to help guide you through each activity for the week.
Pig the Winner Read Aloud
In Pig the Winner, author and illustrator Aaron Blabey introduces early readers to the theme of winning. More importantly, why humility and teamwork are more important than winning. As well as how important it is to be a gracious winner.
Readers get to explore these important themes through Pig as he strives to be the best at everything, whether it’s a game of fetch or a talent show. Moreover, students see how Pig’s competitive nature leads him to boast and gloat – things that his friend Trevor does not appreciate.
As with all of Pig’s adventures, his selfish pursuits take him on a journey of humorous misadventures. Students will delight in the comical and humbling predicaments that Pig endures with each mishap that leads to the valuable lesson on the true meaning of success.
Pig the Winner Activities
Throughout this read aloud for Pig the Winner, students will engage with various reading activities. Each activity follows a common core standard and helps develop literacy skills.
These activities are all part of the same read aloud structure mentioned above. Therefore, if you have already taught one of the other Pig the Pug books students will be familiar with the expectations of each activity.
Pig the Rebel Read Aloud
Pig the Rebel is another picture book that follows our favorite mischievous and self-centered pug Pig as his owners attempt to teach him manners and good behavior. However, Pig refuses to listen and instead rebels against every rule.
Pig refuses to share, play nicely, or follow instructions. All of these incidents lead to a series of
chaotic situations for Pig, but are quite entertaining for the reader to witness. After several mishaps, Pig’s rebellious behavior eventually catches up with him when his antics leave him in an embarrassing and sticky situation. In the end, he learns valuable lessons about behavior and consequences.
Just like all of Pig’s adventures, this one teaches young readers an important life lesson. Moreover, the story provides students with an engaging and grade appropriate text to help them further develop their reading skills.
Pig the Rebel Reading Activities
The reading activities for Pig the Rebel once again follow our tried and true read aloud method. Providing students with several opportunities to engage with the text through a variety of comprehension questions and literacy activities.
As with all of the other Pig the Pug read alouds, each of these activities can be completed as a printable or digitally. This provides you with additional flexibility in how you choose to use the read aloud activities in your classroom.
Pig the Pug Series Lesson Plans
Above, we shared with you a brief summary of the Pig the Pug books and the read aloud activities you will find in each read aloud resource. Now, we are going to provide you with some different suggestions on when to teach the Pig the Pug series in your classroom.
One way to use this series is to teach them as part of a unit. This would provide you with up to five weeks of reading lessons. If you choose to teach these books as one big unit, we suggest planning out your unit so that you can teach Pig the Elf the week before you go on Winter Break.
If you want to finish the unit with Pig the Elf before you go on winter break, then start the other books early in November. However, if you want to include some Thanksgiving read alouds in November, then start with Pig the Pug after Thanksgiving. This means you will most likely need to finish this book series when you return to school in January.
If you choose to wait until after Thanksgiving to introduce this series, we encourage you to introduce the read aloud structure earlier in the year. We have several back-to-school read alouds that are wonderful and will help students get familiar with read alouds. You can continue to build this familiarity with read alouds with our October themed read alouds and even a Thanksgiving read aloud before starting Pig the Pug.
Another option is to spread these out over the year. One way to do this is to begin the school year with Pig the Pug as a back to school read aloud. Then, read Pig the Elf in December to lead up to the holidays and winter break. The other three books can be spread out throughout the year at times when you want to focus on the lessons in each book.
Whether you choose to teach these books back to back or spread them out, your students will love hearing the stories of Pig the Pug all year long. Moreover, you will love seeing your students become more independent in their reading and learning with each of these fun read alouds.
