Mr. Rover Takes Over
by Grace Maccarone
Illustrated by Meredith Johnson
About the Book:
This humorous Level 1 Hello Reader! is a funny story about an unlikely substitute teacher, Mr. Rover! When Mrs. Katz gets sick, the school principal announces that Mr. Rover is filling in for her. But Mr. Rover is no ordinary substitute teacher. He has four legs . . . and a tail! What’s the class to do when Mr. Rover takes over?
About the guide:
This guide will help teachers use Mr. Rover Takes Over in their classrooms- for small groups, whole class or individual students. Share the guide with parents and extend the learning to home!
Pre-reading:
Who do you think Mr. Rover is? Where do you think the story will take place? Why do you think this? What does it mean to “take over?”
Questions to consider:
- Why did Mr. Rover come to their class?
- What kind of animal is Mr. Rover?
- How was Mr. Rover like a regular teacher? How was he different?
- Who was missing after recess?
- What did they do?
- Were the kids happy when Mrs. Katz came back?
- What do you think the kids told Mrs. Katz about their day with Mr. Rover?
- Would you like to have Mr. Rover as your teacher? Why?
- Which scene was your favorite? Why?
- Which illustration is your favorite? Why?
Projects:
As a class write a new story about the next time Mrs. Katz is ill. Have your students decide what type of animal takes over this time and the adventures the class has together.
Create a class book to share and take home.
Language arts:
Play Mr. Rover Takes Over site word bingo!
Art:
Draw a picture of an animal you would most like to substitute for your teacher!
Math:
Take a survey about which pets or animal would be their favorite substitute teacher, and then graph the results.
Music:
Sing this song to the tune of “London’s Bridge is Falling Down”
Mr. Rover takes over, takes over, takes over
Mr. Rover takes over for Mrs. Katz
It started like a normal day, normal day, normal day
It started like a normal day, but then it changed!
Mr. Rover was not a man, not a man, not a man
Mr. Rover was not a man, but a doggie!
Mr. Rover was a great teacher, great teacher, great teacher
Mr. Rover was a great teacher, even at recess!
More on next page!
MEREDITH: this will work better if you add pictures next to (or even instead of the words in the chart:
MEREDITH: this will work better if you add pictures next to (or even instead of the words in the chart:
Developing Word Knowledge:
Phonemic Awareness Sound Board Game
Make a copy of the chart below for each student. Then, using the lists provided, have your students put a marker as they hear the sounds that match each word.
pet | ball | tag | class |
Match rhyming sounds:
pet: met, set, let, wet, bet, yet, vet, forget,
ball: call, small, tall, wall, haul, mall, stall, Paul
tag: bag, rag, sag, nag, flag, gag, lag, drag, brag
class: pass, glass, gas, bas, brass
Match beginning sounds:
pet: pig, pill, peanuts, people, poor, past, pen, pack
ball: beans, bored, brown, biscuit, baby, blue, bite
tag: teacher, tell, tank, tiny, tidbit, towel, torn, time
class: clean, clear, click, clack, clip, cloud, clam, clip
Match ending sounds:
pet: bat, part, pat, cat, brought, flat, fright, let, sat
ball: real, sell, bell, meal, shell, rule, bull, feel, smell
tag: flag, rhyming, sing, king, ring, jumping, flying, digging
class: blues, mass, vines, was, walls, his, lips, less, fishes
