I chose to read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle with my kiddos because it was light, short, and funny. I also discovered that through each chapter, we could have great discussions about good and bad behavior.
I developed a Read Aloud Experience to go along with the novel. If you are not familiar with the Read Aloud Experience, check out this post.
In short, it includes the following: chapter summaries and questions, optional crafts and activities for each chapter, and library topics to guide you in checking out books that go along with the themes.
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There was something special about this book that made me take it a little further.
Every chapter follows a child that is making bad decisions or forming bad habits. The parent calls Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to ask for a “cure” for their child. It is all very fictional and humorous but the behaviors are applicable to real life.
The best part was we could giggle about the silliness, but then have real discussions about good character. We talked about behavior and responsibility in our own home – and most importantly we backed it all up with scripture.
Every chapter in this Read Aloud Experience includes a bible verse to use as a devotion with your family.
I love when a book leaves an impression on you, and to this day we refer back to the characters in the chapters and what we learned from them. We even memorized a few of the verses and can recite them in certain situations.
There are 8 chapters in Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and I’ll outline the biblical focus points below:
- Obey your parents
- Generosity
- Use kind words
- Greed
- Patience
- Rest
- Thankfulness
- Arguing
Sound like topics you might want to discuss in your family?
My oldest two children were 6 and 4 when we read this. So, don’t assume your children are too young! I have even thought about doing this again in a few years. It’s great for all ages! All of these topics come up in our home on a regular basis and it was so nice to be able to sit down and discuss them together.
We homeschool our children and loved using the verses as our devotion, reading a chapter a day, and completing the optional crafts and activities. If you do not homeschool, you could still easily use this book to talk about the character traits listed above.
Everything in the Read Aloud Experience is optional and it’s meant to be flexible for all families.
Think of it as your guide. There are so many ways you could make it work in a way that fits your family. Simply read a bible verse at dinner and a chapter before bed.
Save it for the weekend! The chapters are short. Read two on Saturday and two on Sunday and you’ll be done in two weekends!
Download the unit for a spring break or summer activity. It would be the perfect thing to add a small bit of structure/routine to your day.
If you wanted to use it to its full potential, check your local library for books that go along with the topics listed in the unit. Use the supply list to make sure you have the ingredients for recipes and craft supplies. Since this book is so short, you can get everything you need in one swoop so you’re ready to go!
In our family, we used the bible verse as our daily morning devotion. I read a chapter a day (usually while the babies were napping). Then, we would complete the activities we had time for. I usually save library books for after dinner/before bed. It’s the easiest way to add them into our day.
I always randomly select library books based on a specific topic. I love the fun and surprise in this. We did come across some great ones and I will share them below if you’d like to search for them specifically:
“The Berenstain Bears: Patience, Please” by Mike Berenstain
“The Berenstain Bears: Get in a Fight” by Stan and Jan Berenstain
“Dragon Sibling Rivalry” by Steve Herman
“ABCs of Kindness” by Samantha Berger
“Bedtime is Canceled” by Cece Meng
“Topsy-Turvy Bedtime” by Joan Levine
“Katie and the Starry Night” by James Mayhew
“Vincent Can’t Sleep” by Barb Rosenstock
We read many more throughout the unit, but these were our favorites.
If this Read Aloud Experience sounds like something you’d like to look into for your family, you can download the entire unit for FREE in my store.
Pick and choose how you want it to work for your family and enjoy digging deeper into a book. (Download the unit here.) I love how my children and I really become a part of the book when we do this. We get to know the characters as if they are a friend. We experience new things and get to be creative. You could say it’s almost like we are in the book ourselves!
You can also check out another free Read Aloud Experience for The Secret Garden.
If you’ve completed a Read Aloud Experience from me, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and let me know.
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