Lead a discussion about friendship. Lisa seems to fall in love with Corduroy the moment she sees him. Ask children to recall their own experiences finding their stuffed friends. What does Lisa do in the book to show her love for Corduroy? Guide students' thinking by pointing out how Lisa spent all her money to buy him, carried him home in her arms, prepared a special little bed for him and fixed his shoulder strap. Request that every child bring a beloved stuffed animal or doll to school and allow the children to keep their "friends" nearby throughout the school day. Sit individually with the children, engaging them in conversation about their stuffed friends. To reinforce letter recognition and exercise fine motor skills, lightly print every friend's name on a name tag and instruct the children to trace over the names. After pinning name tags to every friend, help build self-confidence and encourage social interaction by allowing children to circulate around the room, introduce their stuffed friends to one another and answer their peers' questions.
Corduroy waited day after day for someone to come to the department store to take him home. Discuss what it feels like to wait for something special to happen. Ask the children to describe occasions in the past when they had to wait. Make a chart of their answers. Arrange for a visitor to come to the class and speak to the children about how the visitor promised to share a special treat if the children wait for him patiently. Introduce a bit of dramatic play into the classroom by asking the children to demonstrate what it looks like to wait impatiently. If students seem unsure about what you mean, model impatient behavior by jumping up and down in your chair and repeatedly asking when the visitor is coming. Ask the children to copy you. After several minutes of lively, impatient waiting, ask the children to settle down and sit patiently. On cue, the guest arrives and rewards the students' patience with a special treat.
Lisa's mother was unable to buy her the bear she so desperately wanted. Lisa returned home sad and decided to find a way to buy Corduroy. When Corduroy learned he had lost his button, he decided to search for it. In "A Pocket for Corduroy," he realized he had no pocket and immediately set out to find one. Discuss what it means to be determined and the rewards for determination. Using small index cards, sketch between five and eight pictures representing scenes from "Corduroy." Prepare similar cards representing scenes from "A Pocket for Corduroy." Divide the class into two teams, the "Buttons" and the "Pockets," and give each group its respective story cards. Children must work as teams to arrange their story cards chronologically. Reward each group's determination to complete the task with a small prize, such as a teddy bear sticker or eraser.
In "A Pocket for Corduroy," the artist suddenly discovers an idea for his next picture as he observes the clothes swirling around in the dryer. He quickly pulls out his sketch pad. Distribute small booklets of plain paper to serve as drawing journals and explain that everyone can be an artist. Over the course of a week, lead the children around the room, into the playground and on short walks around the neighborhood. They should carry their journals and simple writing implements with them and draw what they see. When they return to the classroom, children can use different art materials to add color to their pictures. Hold brief, individual conferences with the children to discuss the journals and to add simple descriptive text to their pictures.