Read aloud "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss. Prepare a box filled with magnetic alphabet letters. Attach a note to the outside of the box from the Cat in the Hat himself. The note should describe a reading game the children can play where you use the word family "-at" to make as many words as possible. First, pull each letter from the box one at a time, asking children what sound each letter makes. Then pull the letters "a" and "t" away from the rest and ask students what sound they make together. Ask a student to choose a letter to go at the beginning of the word "at." Ask the students what word it is now (maybe the student chose an "h," so now it is "hat.") Continue adding different letters to the word family "-at" to make new words. Emphasize for children that because they know how to read the word "at," they can read many more words just by changing the first letter.
After reading the story, discuss the mess the Cat in the Hat made in the house. Review the page where the Cat in the Hat returns with his cleaning machine. Talk about how it may have worked. Get students thinking with questions like, "Do you think the machine runs on batteries? Gas? What are all those hands doing?" Ask students to brainstorm other ideas for cleaning machines. As an example, sketch a machine on the board that you would use to clean. Ask children to use their imaginations to design and draw a machine that would clean their bedroom or house. Remind students that it is imaginary, so it doesn't really have to work in real life. Allow children to share and describe their machines with the class.
Write a short rhyme on large chart paper and display. Teach children the rhyme by reading it all the way through one time and showing the movements. Point to each word as you read. Then ask children to echo you as you read it one line at a time. Recite several times in a row and throughout the day until students know it from memory. Review the rhyme in the future and continue learning by circling rhyming words or writing a new verse as a class. One possible rhyme to use is: I see the cat (point to eyes, then use the thumb and forefinger to make whiskers at mouth), the cat in the hat (make whiskers and hands on head for a hat), he is very naughty (shake pointer finger), that cat in the hat (make whiskers and hat), so I'll keep my ears listening (hands to ears), and my eyes open wide (hands to eyes), I'm not going to let that cat come inside (point to self and shake head, "no").
Create templates from construction paper for children to cut out, or make a few card-stock templates for children to trace. Make a tall red paper hat and bow. Use white paper to make a cat-shaped face. Cut 1-inch by 5-inch white paper stripes for the hat. Cut 1/2-inch by 3-inch black paper strips for whiskers. Let the children add their own face and other details as desired.