September 28, 2026
Fall is the perfect time to bring Pumpkin Jack into your classroom! This Pumpkin Jack book companion makes it easy to turn this fun fall story into meaningful literacy, math, writing, and science activities. From sequencing the story and practicing CVC words to exploring counting, addition, and the pumpkin life cycle, students can keep learning long after the read aloud is finished.
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Read Pumpkin Jack together and talk about what happens to Tim’s pumpkin after Halloween. The story gives you lots of opportunities to discuss change & sequence.
Students can notice that Jack starts as a pumpkin, begins to rot, eventually breaks down, and leaves behind seeds. Those seeds grow into a new pumpkin plant that produces pumpkins in the fall. This makes the story especially useful for connecting literacy and science.
After reading, use the companion to help students practice comprehension and retelling.
Students can put the story events in order using sequencing cards or practice retelling using a story sequence wheel. These are great ways for students to identify the story structure.
Teacher Tip: Place the sequencing cards in a literacy center for students to sequence independently or with a partner.
Students can identify the setting, problem, solution, main character, and favorite part of the story. They can also draw and write about their thinking.
The companion includes a variety of early literacy printables and center activities.
For the CVC word cards, students can build words with letter magnets, write words with dry-erase markers, or use color chips to represent sounds.
The Pumpkin Jack picture puzzles give students a chance to match pictures and words to build a complete picture.
The Pumpkin Jack Book Companion includes a large collection of math activities for practicing foundational number skills.
Students use the cards to count set of objects and write the number on the recording sheet.
Students identify different ways to represent numbers on clip wheels.
Add a little extra fun to your Pumpkin Jack book companion with the included craft activities!
The craft hat is an excellent way for students to show their excitement about the story while creating something they can wear and share. Students can color and assemble their pumpkin themed hat after reading Pumpkin Jack.
Tip: Incorporate the hats into your story sequence practice.
The bulletin craft gives students a creative way to respond to the story while creating a classroom display. Incorporate a writing prompt or reading response to enhance the craft.
Extend the read aloud by observing what happens to your own Pumpkin Jack in the classroom. Read HERE for more information on how to conduct Pumpkin Jack.
Students can complete a Pumpkin Jack observation journal as they watch what happens to your classroom pumpkin.
The Pumpkin Jack book companion makes it easier to combine the fun of the season with meaningful learning. Choose a few activities that fit your classroom, add in some hands-on pumpkin learning, and let Pumpkin Jack become the starting point for a whole season of discovery.
Get started with the Pumpkin Jack Book Companion from Simply Kinder + HERE!
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