March Reading Mini-Lesson Ideas

The groundhog told us it will be an early Spring, but it looks like Texas missed the memo. A winter storm is headed our way this week and I am thoroughly confused. But it wonโ€™t stop me from talking about all the Spring things in the classroom! March is next week (if you can believe it) and I am looking forward to fun reads on basketball, leprechauns, Mardi Gras, and much more! If youโ€™re a bit unsure of how youโ€™ll be transitioning your instruction for March, then I have a suggestion for you. Insert March reading mini-lesson ideas using a themed read-aloud, related directed drawing, and an easy reading response sheet.

Mini-lessons are used for introducing a larger lesson or skill by breaking it down into smaller sections. A great way to use them is by identifying an area your students may be struggling with, like finding facts and using a short amount of time to focus only on that skill. Using a simple reading response printable is a great way to focus on one important skill or topic. When you add the directed drawing, students are able to connect an object, place, or person with what theyโ€™ve read. And you keep their attention by breaking up the seriousness of what is being taught.

For reference, I want to show you how I would pair some of my favorite March picture books with a directed drawing and reading response, so you can:

  • Find picture books that are perfect for March.
  • Make the most out of your directed drawings.
  • Help students draw information from any text without overdoing it.

Iโ€™ll be using directed drawings from my March Directed Drawings pack and reading responses from my 90 Reading Responses for Any Text resource as references for these reading mini-lesson ideas! (P.S, surprise FREEBIE below!)

{Affiliate links have been used in this post.}

Asking Questions

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If your students need a little extra practice with forming questions about the text, in March, I love a good read-aloud about Spring! Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak is perfect for teaching this skill because students will want to know more and more about the changes that come in the new season. The Rain Cloud Umbrella directed drawing will help students visualize what happens with the weather when Spring arrives.

Fact-Finding

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If you need a themed idea for March, Mardi Gras is perfect! Especially when you need a fun way to keep students engaged in pulling facts from a story. This would be a great opportunity to introduce a nonfiction reader. Plus, Iโ€™m 100% certain that your students will love playing around with the Mardi Gras mask drawing. You could even cut it out and loop strings through for them to wear!

Making Connections

When making connections, using related directed drawings goes a long way! Directed drawings help the students connect the text to a certain object, place, or person. So, when itโ€™s time to build their own connections to the story, the drawings help prompt them on what theyโ€™ve seen in their own lives. In March, we go all in for March Madness! Salt in His Shoes is a great read about perseverance and working as a team, based on the life of Michael Jordan, it is perfect for helping your students identify their own experiences with not giving up and working alongside others. The Basketball drawing, in reference to teamwork, helps drive the idea.

Character Traits

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When it comes to describing characters, sometimes I like them to be loud, mystical, and bright! Leprechauns definitely tick the box and students are so intrigued by their pots of gold. For this example, we use the book Thatโ€™s What Leprechauns Do, a fun tale with a mischievous little Leprechaun that students are sure to love. Big personality characters are great for identifying character traits. And using a Leprechaun directed drawing allows students to express what that type of character looks like.

And just for you, Iโ€™ve included a bonus FREE directed drawing for St. Patrickโ€™s Day. The Leprechaun wouldnโ€™t be complete without his pot of gold! Grab it below.

If you need some additional St. Patrickโ€™s Day picture book ideas, check out THIS post.

Reading Summaries

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Sometimes you want students to reflect on books theyโ€™ve read. Having students identify their favorite book is a great way to assist students with writing small summaries about the text and how they make them feel. Itโ€™s also a great opportunity to learn a little bit more about them! This Student Reading a Book directed drawing is perfect because students can customize the title to the book theyโ€™re writing about. This is a great activity for celebrating Read Across America!

Celebrate the change of seasons with one of these fun March reading mini-lesson ideas! By building a lesson using a fun picture book, directed drawing, and reading response sheet, students can understand larger pieces of information and reading comprehension skills by consuming them in digestible chunks.

If youโ€™re looking for any of the directed drawings mentioned in this post, you can find them HERE. For even more reading response prompts, check out the Reading Response Printables for Any Text resource with over 90 templates right HERE.

Have a wonderful March, friends! But don’t forget Your FREEBIE!

pot of gold directed drawing

FREEBIE Pot of Gold Directed Drawing

Fill out the form below to grab your Pot of Gold!

Donโ€™t want to forget these March reading mini-lesson ideas? Pin the image below to save for later!

March Picture Books and Activities

Hi, I'm Amy

Hey, yโ€™all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.

FREE SAMPLE OF ROOTED IN READING!โ€‹

Sample a day of Rooted in Reading with these lesson plans and activities for Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Grammar!

2 Responses

  1. Hi Amy!
    I already bought your March Rooted in Reading and it has several of these activities with the exception of the basketball DD. Is there a way to purchase just the activities to go along with Salt in His Shoes?