Where the Wild Things Are

When I decided to start this blog, I thought long and hard about what story I would share first.  I think it is best to start with my favorite childhood story.  Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak started my love of stories when I was a little girl.  It is a story that is timeless and children love it.  It inspires children to use their imagination!  Most children can empathize with Max, the main character.

Children are never too young to learn about inferences.  It is a great story to help your child learn how to make inferences because it is a simple story with which children can relate. Remind children they need to use clues from the story and then add their own thinking to make an inference.  So, pull your child next to you and enjoy the story.

When reading think about asking a few of the questions below to help you child learn how to infer.  Unfortunately, the book does not have page numbers.  So, I have shared where in the story the questions arise.

1.  Why would Max's mom call him a Wild Thing?  How do you think she feels toward Max at the beginning of the story?  Why do you think this?     (beginning of story)

2.  Since the Wild Things made Max their King, how do you think they feel toward Max? (middle of story)

3. At the end of the story, there is food in Max's room.  How do you think the food ended up in his room? (end of story)

4.  Was Max's journey real or was it a dream?  What clues from the story can help us determine if it was real or a dream? (end of story)

Remember, do not focus too much on the questions. The goal is to start a dialogue between you and your child to help enhance their understanding of the story.  Enjoy story time with your child!