Winter Words of Wonder: A JOYcabulary Book Pairing for January
Just like you might pair a fine wine with a gourmet meal, JOYcabulary pairs together read aloud books: usually a narrative text with an informational text, or sometimes two narrative texts around a similar topic. When we pair these together, comprehension is deepened as students make connections between the two books.
Two Winter Read-Alouds That Build Vocabulary and Wonder
Winter invites wonder—outside and on the page. This month, we’re leaning into two books that celebrate snowy joy while strengthening vocabulary, discussion, and craft. One is a lively narrative in verse that captures the build-up and burst of a snowball fight. The other reads like poetry while teaching the science behind a snowstorm.
Together, they help students do something powerful: feel the beauty of winter while building language for it.
Flurry, Float, and Fly: The Story of a Snowstorm
By Laura Purdie Salas
Stars and columns fill the sky
with dreams to flurry, float, and fly.
When the first flakes of snow swirl toward the ground, it almost feels like magic. But in fact, it's science: a delicate process where cold air and moisture high in the sky work together to create tiny crystals that grow into sparkling snowflakes.
The Snowball Fight
By Beth Ferry & Tom Lichtenheld
One wintry morning, the snow begins and so does . . . a snowball fight!
In her signature verse, Beth Ferry recounts a day spent behind snowbanks and on sleds, while Tom Lichtenheld’s cinematic art delights readers with sly and snowy twists.
