Strictly No Elephants Belonging in Books™ Reading Comprehension Week-Long Unit

Belonging in Books | PreK–2nd Reading Comprehension Curriculum for Close Read and Read-Alouds

If you’re looking for a low-prep, high-impact way to bring purposeful comprehension instruction into your PreK–2 classroom or homeschool, this resource is for you! Part of the Belonging in Books curriculum, this unit supports deep thinking, joyful reading, and inclusive discussion using a powerful anchor text:

Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev

This week, students will read and explore Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev as they learn about acceptance, belonging, and including others. Through discussion, vocabulary, and story analysis, students will focus on making text-to-self and text-to-world connections while reflecting on experiences of friendship and inclusion. Learners will explore how communities become stronger when everyone feels welcome and recognize the importance of standing up for others when they are left out. Students will also read The Someone New by Jill Twiss as a connected text, exploring themes of welcoming differences, friendship, and creating inclusive spaces for everyone.

Each Belonging in Books unit is built around a high-quality read-aloud and carefully designed to:

✔️ Teach comprehension through rich, age-appropriate conversations
✔️ Build vocabulary and language skills in context
✔️ Explore story elements and text structures
✔️ Practice key comprehension strategies
✔️ Support synthesis using a paired companion text
✔️ Center student voices and diverse perspectives

What’s Included:
5-day lesson arc (20–30 minutes/day):

• Day 1: Connect & First Read
• Day 2: Vocabulary Exploration
• Day 3: Story Elements or Text Structure
• Day 4: Comprehension Skill
• Day 5: Paired Text & Synthesis Discussion

+Semi-Scripted daily lesson plans
+Thoughtful discussion questions
+Printable graphic organizers
+Visual Vocabulary and child-friendly definitions
+No Prep student practice sheets
+Anchor chart templates
+CCSS Alignment
+Student “I Can” statements
+Lesson plans for a culminating project or hands-on response
+Companion text suggestion and extension ideas

Each book in Belonging in Books can be a stand alone week of learning, or you can dive into an entire thematic unit of quality mentor texts that connect through themes, character experiences, comprehension strategies, and text structures.

Check out the rest of the Belonging in Books Curriculum!

This unit is part of the Unit 11 Bundle.