Step 1: Pre-read

The Day You Begin is an inspiring book written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López. When a little girl feels like she doesn’t fit in, she discovers that sharing her story can be a way to celebrate her experiences and build friendships with her classmates.

Think about a time you shared something about yourself and it helped you connect with someone new. Write a few sentences or draw about that experience before you read.

Step 2: Listen and Read

Listening to a story be read is a form of reading. As you listen to this book, your eyes should be focused on following along as it is read to you. Pause if you need to. It may be helpful to draw a Venn diagram and write ideas about how you connect to the main character while you listen. It is okay to listen to it many times!

Step 3: Answer Essential Question

How does this story connect with my own life?

Write at least 5 sentences to talk about how this story connects to your own life. Consider the experiences of the main character. Have you had similar experiences? What emotions did you feel? What ways did you use to connect with others?

Use evidence from the text to answer. You will have to go back and listen, read and pause the video to do this well.

Some sentence starters that might be helpful:

• The text reminded me of a time in my life when...

• I connected with the character when...

• I remember a time I also felt...

• When I first shared my story of...

• Angelina reminded me of myself when...