BOOK STATS

Grade Level Equivalent: PreK–K Ages: 3+

Lexile Measure®: AD610L Pages: 24
Genre: Traditional Song
Subject/Theme: Spiders, Songs

Common Core Reading Writing Listening & Language

State Standards Speaking
Grade K RL.K.1, RL.K.2, W.K.3 SL.K,1, SL.K.2, L.K.4
RL.K.3, RL.K.4, SL.K.5
RL.K.7, RL.K.10

Teaching the Book

The itsy bitsy spider is climbing up that waterspout
OVERVIEW
again. Only, this time, the spider brings along a bag
of tricks! Use this colorful and surprising version of
The Itsy Bitsy Spider to teach students how to retell
Book Summary
a story with sequence words and how to listen for This itsy bitsy spider wears bright pink sneakers, a
rhyming words. Activities engage students in learn- backpack, and climbs up a rope! Students will recog-
ing more about spiders, making a spider web, and nize the opening rhyme of the traditional tale as the
creating a variation on the traditional song. spider gets washed out of the waterspout by the rain.
Theme Focus: Traditional Song But as soon as the sun comes out again, the spider
Comprehension Focus: Retelling With climbs back up to the roof and sets to work building
Sequence Words a home. With the help of blueprints and tools pulled
Language Focus: Rhyming Words from her backpack, the spider creates a sturdy and
rainproof web.
And, then—not again—clouds cover the sun and
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR the rain comes down! The itsy bitsy spider doesn’t
Constanza Basaluzzo was born in Argentina and worry though, because she is prepared. She pops
graduated from the Universidad of Buenos Aires. She open her purple umbrella, climbs the spout again,
has concentrated her career as an artist on graphic and settles into her fine new home.
communication for students. Her style interprets the Young students will have fun singing along with the
world from a child’s point of view with bright colors,
story, practicing the finger play for the song, and
humor, and attention to details. She works in a digi-
meeting this engineering spider.
tal format, creating whimsical worlds that delight
students around the world.

© 2012 SI ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TEACHER GUIDE 1

 Get Ready to Read
Pre-Reading Activities
A Favorite Traditional Song Introduce students
to the traditional song of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” by
singing it or by playing a video of the rhyme with the
BIG QUESTION
accompanying finger play. You can find several rendi- Critical Thinking Ask students to
tions of the rhyme on the Internet. Show students the think about this question as they
Kids Library website to see this animated version of read. Write the question on chart
the rhyme which includes the finger play set to lively paper and display it. Explain that
music, by visiting: http://bit.ly/YRwVTS. you will ask them to answer the
question after they have read
As students listen to the rhyme, encourage them to
the book.
add the finger play motions. Then review the finger
play motions with them. What is clever about this spider?
• Show me how the itsy bitsy spider climbs up the
waterspout.
• Show me how the rain comes down and washes
the spider out.
• Show me how the sun comes out and dries up
all the rain. STORIA ENRICHMENTS
• Now show me how the itsy bitsy spider climbs This book will be available as a Storia
up the spout again! enriched e-book in June 2013.
Preview and Predict Ask students to look at the
cover of The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Ask them what is spe-
cial or unusual about this spider. Discuss the picture
including the spider’s shoes, ruler, and hammer.
Vocabulary
Rhyming Words Encourage students to
listen for the following words—and the words
they rhyme with—as you read the book.
Encourage them to look for clues in the
illustrations for the words’ meanings.
Use Resource #1: Vocabulary Cards on page 7
and distribute copies to students.
out away
found sun
long scared

2 TEACHER GUIDE
As You Read After You Read
Reading the Book Questions to Discuss
Modeled Reading Model a fluent reading of the Lead students in a discussion of these focus story
book, emphasizing the rhyming in the text that elements.
creates humor and also cues students to remember 1. Traditional Song Have you heard the song about
the sequence of events in the song. Project the pages the itsy bitsy spider before? Where did you hear it?
onto a whiteboard or screen and guide students to Why do you think children sing and like the song so
follow along as you read. much? (Sample answers: My babysitter sang it to me. I
Shared Reading Reread the book, this time encour- like it because it rhymes and the hand motions are fun.)
aging students to say or read the rhyme aloud. When 2. Using Sequence Cue Words What happens after
reading aloud, pause so students can fill in missing the itsy bitsy spider builds a web on the rooftop? (Sam-
words. Project the book, and point out the illus- ple answer: The web helps keep her safe from the rain.)
trations to help them locate clues. Read the book 3. Rhyming Words Which of the vocabulary
another time to repeat the exercise. words rhymes with say and day? (away) Which word
Comprehension Focus rhymes with bun and run? (sun) Which word rhymes
with song and wrong? (long)
Retelling With Sequence Words Explain to stu-
dents that in the song things happen in a sequence,
or order. Words like first, then, next, and finally are
called cue words because they help describe the
sequence of a story in time order.
WORDS TO KNOW
Use the graphic organizer on Resource #2: Retell- Rhyming Words
ing With Sequence Words to model for students Ask students the following riddles based on
how to use sequence cue words to retell the events the vocabulary words. The riddles include a
of the rhyme. Project the page on a whiteboard or rhyming clue and a meaning clue. Have stu-
pass out copies to students. Then lead the students dents volunteer the answers or hold up the
through a retelling of the first rhyme in the book us- vocabulary card that answers each riddle.
ing the sequence cue words.
It rhymes with spout and means the opposite
of in. (out)
Model: We’re going to retell the rhyme togeth-
er. You can look at the illustrations in the book It rhymes with done and shines during the
to help you remember the order that things day. (sun)
happen. How will we begin telling about the It rhymes with stay and means to be gone.
itsy bitsy spider? We’ll start with the word first. (away)
First, the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the what?
The waterspout! Then, down came the what? It rhymes with strong and is the opposite of
Rain . . .” short. (long)
It rhymes with ground and is the opposite of
Have students volunteer the remainder of the se- lost. (found)
quence of events in the rhyme. Ask them to repeat It rhymes with prepared and means
the cue word at the beginning of each line as they fill frightened. (scared)
in the missing words.

TEACHER GUIDE 3
 Questions to Share a tree. Model for students how to write the song by
first brainstorming with students to create a list of
Encourage students to share their responses with a
words that rhyme with tree. Then create the song
partner or small group.
together on chart paper or the whiteboard.
1. Text-to-Self What is your favorite illustration in
the book? Explain what you like about it.
2. Text-to-World Have you ever seen a real spider?
Where did you see it? Where do real spiders live?
3. Text-to-Text What other rhyming songs do you Don’t forget the
know? What other songs do you know that have
finger or hand motions? BIG QUESTION
Critical Thinking Give each student
Extension Activities an opportunity to answer the big
question. Encourage students to
Reading/Writing Connection
support their answers with details
Teeny Weeny Monkey Encourage students to make and evidence from the text. Tell
up a song about another animal to the music of them there is more than one
“The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” You may want to lead the right answer.
whole class in the activity or have students work
What is most clever about
with partners or small groups. One fun variation on
this spider?
the song is about “The Teeny Weeny Monkey.” In-
stead of climbing a waterspout, the monkey climbs

Content Area Connections

Language Arts Rhyming Games Play games with Arts A Big Spider Web Provide students with the
students to build their auditory discrimination of rhym- materials needed to create a giant spider web in one corner
ing words. Depending on their developmental level, have of the classroom. Help them anchor points for the web, then
students match pictures that have rhyming names or display give students yarn or string to spin a spider web. Encour-
objects like a ball, a book, and a block to match with a rhym- age them to study the itsy bitsy spider’s web in the book’s
ing word that you say aloud. illustrations. With black construction paper and pipe cleaners,
Science How are Spiders Different? Explain to guide students to make spiders to add to the web.
students that spiders are different from insects. Spiders have
eight legs; insects have six legs. Project photographs of dif- B I G AC T I V I T Y
ferent spiders and insects on the whiteboard or screen. Have
students count the number of legs and tell whether it is a
Spider Legs! Make copies of the printable, Big Activ-
ity: Spider Legs! on page 5 and distribute to students.
spider or an insect.
Explain that they will draw eight legs for the itsy bitsy spider
Reading Retelling with Illustrations Pair students and then number the legs. They can also add shoes for the
with a partner to retell the story using the illustrations. spider’s feet!
Have one partner tell what happens on the first spread,
Go over the activity directions with students and clarify any
pointing out details in the illustrations. Then ask the second
questions. After they have finished the activity, have students
partner to explain what happens on the next spread. Have
share their spiders with a partner.
students take turns until they read the entire book. Encour-
age students to describe details in the pictures that are not
mentioned in the text.

4 TEACHER GUIDE
Name: _________________________________________ Date: _ ____________________

BIG ACTIVITY: Spider Legs!

First, draw legs on the spider’s body. Next, write numbers to count the legs. Then, draw shoes on
the spider—just like itsy bitsy spider!

© 2012 SI ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TEACHER GUIDE 5

 READ MORE AND LEARN MORE
Use these books and other resources to expand your students’ study of the book or theme.

Series Connections
Sing and Read: B-I-N-G-O!   Sing and Read: We’re Going on a
Hans Wilhelm Ghost Hunt
Ages: 3–6 Grades: PreK–1 Pages: 32 Kris Hirschmann
There was a farmer who had a dog, and Bingo Ages: 3–6 Grades: PreK–1 Pages: 24
was his name-o! This book’s simple, repetitive verses and Based on the familiar “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” this
funny illustrations will have kids singing and clapping along. jaunty rhyme finds two brave trick-or-treaters setting out
Beginning readers will want to turn the pages and sing on a moonlit night through the dark woods. They crunch,
along to this classic song again and again. The book includes crunch through leaves, they squish, squish through mud—
complete notation and lyrics, making it a great pick for the right up to the front door of a haunted house. Will they dare
youngest music fans. Available as a Storia e-book to go inside? Available as a Storia e-book

Theme Connections
Smooch Your Pooch Spiders Everywhere
Teddy Slater Gail Herman
Ages: 3–7 Grades: PreK–2 Ages: 3–6 Grades: PreK–1
Lexile Measure: 500L Pages: 32 Lexile Measure: BR Pages: 32
Guided Reading Level: L Guided Reading Level: G
Funny and sweet, this rhyming ode to dogs reminds us to Ben loves playing in the front yard in the dirt and rocks. But
show our love every day; in small ways, in silly ways, in soft when a spider appears and gives him a fright, he races back
and warm and wise ways. The cartoon illustrations, in black inside. The trouble is, once he’s in the house, Ben starts to
line and watercolors, pair perfectly with the text in their think that he’s seeing spiders everywhere. An old mop looks
movement and energy and are sure to cause many giggles. like a spider, and so does a crack in the wall. How can he get
Available as a Storia e-book away from these creepy-crawly guys?
Available as a Storia e-book

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed

a Chick! Hi! Fly Guy
Lucille Colandro Tedd Arnold
Ages: 4–8 Grades: PreK–2 Ages: 3–6 Grades: PreK–1
Lexile Measure: AD580L Pages: 32 Lexile Measure: 280L Pages: 32
It all starts when the old lady swallows a chick. One thing Guided Reading Level: I
leads to another, and she gulps down warm straw, an egg, Some kids have dogs and some kids have cats, but Buzz has
some candy, a brightly colored basket, and a bow. Put to- a pet fly! In this first book of the hilarious series, Buzz enters
gether, what could all these items make? Kids will be calling his winged buddy in the Amazing Pet Competition. The
out with excitement, guessing what’s coming next! Guess judges scoff—until they see all the extraordinary tricks the
what all these items make! Available as a Storia e-book little fly can do! Using simple words and humorous illustra-
tions, Tedd Arnold creates stories that are a little gross, very
funny, and easy to read. Available as a Storia e-book

To find PDF versions of the Storia teacher guides

and links to purchase the related books, visit:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/ereading-resources/.

6 TEACHER GUIDE
 Resource #1: Vocabulary Cards

out away

found long

sun scare

© 2012 SI ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TEACHER GUIDE 7

 Name: _________________________________________ Date: _ ____________________

RESOURCE #2: Retelling With Sequence Words

Read the sequence cue words and then fill in the missing words to the rhyme. Then draw a
picture of the spider from your retelling.

First, the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the _______________________________________.

Then, down came the __________________________

and washed the spider _________________________.

Next, out came the ________________________

and dried up all the _____________________________.

Finally, the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout

______________________________________________.

Draw a picture of the spider to show us something she did.

8 TEACHER GUIDE © 2012 SI ALL RIGHTS RESERVED