As first and second grade teachers we often connect read alouds to fiction books. However, read alouds are also an excellent way to help students access informational texts!
Just like read alouds for picture books, informational text read alouds provides students with activities that guide them through the book and help them develop literacy skills. To help engage students in these learning activities it is important to find engaging books.
While it may seem easier to engage students in fictional stories there are several wonderful non-fiction texts as well – like the Fly Guy Series! This series of informational texts are written to be just as fun to read as a fictional book while still providing students with opportunities to explore important literacy skills.
Fly Guy Insects Read Aloud
If you are not familiar with the Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold, this series of kids books are designed to help support independent reading in ages 4-8. Arnold does this by writing books that teach about interesting real world topics through the lens of Buzz (aka Fly Guy).
One of our favorite Fly Guy books is Fly Guy Presents: Insects. This book is perfect for introducing first and second graders to the world of insects or to help them explore this topic in more depth.
In addition to teaching young kids about insects this book is perfect for introducing or reviewing text features with your students. Therefore, providing you as the teacher with a text that engages students and supports their literacy development.
One key difference between fictional read alouds and informational text read alouds is the focus on text features. Teaching students about text features is important because it helps students to navigate nonfiction texts.
In addition, when students have an understanding of text features they can explore a text more in depth. For example, students can use pictures and captions to make predictions or connections.
Fly Guy Informational Read Aloud
Even though Fly Guy Presents: Insects is an informational read aloud it follows a similar structure to our traditional fiction read alouds. Therefore, if you have used one of our read alouds before you (and your students) will already be familiar with the format.
Like all of our interactive read alouds, this nonfiction read aloud is designed to be taught over several days. This is intended to give students several opportunities to revisit the text.
When students have multiple opportunities to revisit a text it helps them dive deeper into different features of the text. In addition, it teaches students the importance of returning to the text to demonstrate comprehension.
While our primary goal of creating a read aloud that invites students back to the text over time was to support student learning it is also a benefit to you as the teacher. We know how much time it takes to plan lessons! With this informational read aloud you have all of your lessons planned for an entire week!
Let’s take a look at all of the engaging and informational learning activities included in this read aloud!
Read Aloud Format for Fly Guy Insects
Below is an overview of all the activities included in this read aloud. In addition to the ready to teach resources this packet also includes detailed lesson plans.
Comprehension Questions for Fly Guy Presents: Insects
Throughout this read alouds students are provided with several opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the book. These comprehension activities invite students back to the text and teaches them to use the text for evidence.
In addition to checking for understanding in regards to the information presented, we have also included comprehension questions related to text features.
Here are some of our comprehension and Response to text activities for Fly Guy Presents: Insects:
Sorting Facts
Life Cycle of a Dragonfly
Facts from Photos
Insect Senses
Speech Bubbles
Worksheets for Fly Guy Presents:Insects
Along with the interactive comprehension activities we have provided in a digital format, we have also included response to text worksheets in this read aloud. These worksheets cover the same information in the digital format but just as printables.
Writing Activity for Fly Guy Presents: Insects
Students get additional opportunities to demonstrate their understanding using the writing activities. One activity gives students time to write down connections they made between this text and other texts using their Note Catcher worksheet.
In addition, students get to move beyond the text by using the writing what they learned about insects.
Vocabulary Worksheets for Fly Guy Presents: Insects
Whether you choose to use the printable worksheets or the digital format, our vocabulary cards will help your students better understand the text by focusing on key vocabulary words:
- Proboscis
- Exoskeleton
- Protect
- Metamorphosis
Fly Guy Presents: Insects Quiz for 1st and 2nd Graders
At the end of this read aloud there is a short quiz. This quiz can be completed digitally or as a printable and is a way to assess student understanding at the end of the week.
Fly Guy Presents:Insects Craft Activity
Just because this is an informational read aloud doesn’t mean students can’t still be creative! Therefore, we have provided a crafting activity to use after the quiz.
This provides students with an additional opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the text, but in a creative way.
Insect Lessons for Kids
Just like with all of our read alouds this informational read aloud can be paired with other learning activities to dive even further into a topic. If you are interested in creating a longer unit around insects, check out the other insect lessons we have created.
Build and Insect STEM Challenge
Everything Insects Themed Bundle
Whether you choose to create a full insect unit or only focus on the book we know that your students will love learning about insects!
