The Relatives Came

Cynthia Rylant is one of my favorite authors.  She writes great stories for children.   The Relatives Came was selected as a Caledecott Honor book in 1986.  Rylant writes about a family packing up the car and leaving their Virginia home to visit relatives.  The story shares the love of family and it has always touched my heart.  

Children tend to really enjoy The Relatives Came because it is very easy to connect with the story line. Children all have stories about traveling to visit relatives.  This is a great story to work on the strategy of schema.  Remember schema is all about background knowledge and making connections.  The Relatives Came allows children to make text to self connections.  The questions below will help you and your child have a conversation and make text to self connections.

Enjoy the story!  It is a good one!

1. Discuss the title of the story with your child.  What does the word relative mean?  Share some examples of your relatives with your child.  


2. Read the first three pages of text.  
Share with your child a memory you have of loading up the car, leaving really early in the morning, or driving all day into the night to get somewhere. Ask your child if they remember a time when they had to drive all day to get somewhere.


3.  Read to "They hugged us for hours."  
Ask your child if they remember a time we saw family members and did a lot of hugging?  Be sure to share a memory you have too! 


4.  Read to "It was different, going to sleep with all that new breathing in the house? " 
Ask your child if they can make a connection?  If they have trouble prompt them by asking if they remember a time they had to share a room with a lot of people when it was time to go to sleep.

Reading aloud to your child is a great way to spend quality time!