Go to the library to find books about New Zealand. Many libraries allow you to go online to search

and reserve titles.

WRITING AND READING

How to encourage your child to write:

Choose the level of your child:
Toddler/Preschool – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and have your child draw a picture of the answer

Preschool/Kindergarten – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and write the answer down for him/her leaving one word for him/her to write out himself/herself with your help. You could also encourage him/her to draw a picture as well.

Early Grade School – have your child either write out the answer himself/herself (encourage phonetic spelling) without your help, or offer to help with spelling each word out loud one word at a time.

Grade School – have your child write a sentence or two on his/her own and then read over and discuss the response. (You decide whether to correct the spelling or not)

Older Child – have your child write a longer response (paragraph).

As A Challenge – instead of a question ask your older child to write a story or poem about New Zealand.

New Zealand

JOURNALING Question Prompt:
Write out one or more of the following questions in your Family Theme Day Scrapbook or on a piece of paper to glue in your scrapbook:

What do you know about New Zealand? What would you like to learn about New Zealand?

NOTE: I like to do the journal prompt as a final activity for International Theme Days to see what my children have learned: Would you like to visit New Zealand? Why or why not? If you travelled to New Zealand what would you like to visit or do? What are three interesting facts you learned about New Zealand?

Here are some New Zealand based Children's Picture Books:

Harry Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy, by Lynley Dodd, Penguin, 1983 - This is a family favourite about 6 dogs from a New Zealand author. She has many other books featuring Harry Maclary and other animals.

Herbert: The Ture Story of a Brave Sea Dog, by Robyn Belton, Candlewick Press, 2010- When Herbert the dog goes on a fishing boat with Tim’s father they get caught in a storm and he falls overboard without the knowledge of the Fishermen. Miraculously he survived and they found him the next day still swimming!

Kapai's New Mates, by Uncle Anzac, Random House, 1995 - Another family favourite of ours, we have a number of books about Kapai the Kiwi bird who wants to fly!

To learn more about Harry Maclary check here: http://www.hairymaclary.com/

Here are some nonfiction/learning titles about New Zealand:
Countries of the World: New Zealand, by Barbara Jackson, Naiotnal geographic, 2008 – A great resource book with much easy to read information about New Zealand.

The Maori of New Zealand, by Steve Theunissen, Lerner Publications Company, 2003 – This is a great learning book with information about the history of the Maori but also of the land of New Zealand itself.

The Hobbit Motion Picture Triology Location Guidebook, by Ian Brodie, Harper Collins Publishers, 2014 – this is a book of gorgeous photographs of the various locations of the movies including shots with the actors.

Insight Guides: New Zealand, www.insightguides.com(I couldn’t find publication information), This is a travel guide but had lots of coloured photos and information, plus our library didn’t have many books on new Zealand.

Meet our New Student From New Zealand, by Ann Weil, Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2009 – written in story form with a teacher and students welcoming a new student this is a great book that highlights all that New Zealand has to offer.

New Zealand, by donna Walsh Shepherd, Children’s Press, - part of the Enchantment of the World Series this is another great resource for kids wanting to learn about New Zealand.

Statue of Harry Maclary and Friends in Tauranga

BOOKS