Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

 Chodos-Irvine, M. (2003). Ella Sarah Gets Dressed. China: Harcourt Books. Grades Pre-K-K
Written by: Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Awards: Caldecott Medal
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Re-reading/retelling the story
Subject Area: Language Arts

Summary:
Ella Sarah just wants to wear her favorite items of clothing even though they don't match. Everyone in her family tries to get her to match, but each time she refuses. So finally, Ella Sarah dresses in the clothes that she wants to wear. Her friends show up and love her outfit--her friends are in mix-matched clothes as well!

Initiating Questions/Activities:

1. How do you decide what to wear in the morning?
2. Who picks out your clothes?
3. What's your favorite thing to wear?
4. What do you think the problem in the story is going to be?

Activity:
Read the children a description of what Ella Sarah would like to wear. Have them draw each item of clothing that you read off. As you read the story have the children hold up the picture that you are talking about. For example, When I read the line, "My dress with orange-and-green flowers," the children would hold up the drawing of the dress. This story is very repetitive which is why I believe that it would be very helpful for the children to pick out the parts of this story by holding up a picture.

Extending Questions and Activities:

1. Did what Ella Sarah wanted to wear match?
2. Why did everyone want her to change?
3. What were her friends wearing?
4. Do you like to pick out your own clothes?

Activities:
Have each child draw a picture of themselves in their favorite outfits. Then have them write about their favorite outfit. Tell the students to wear their favorite outfit on the next day of school. Then take a picture of the child in their favorite outfit. Create a scrapbook call Miss Dever's (teacher's name) Class get's dressed. Each child will have two pages, one with a picture of themselves wearing their favorite outfit and one that they drew.