Whistle for Willie Unit Study & Lapbook

Sometimes growing up is hard. Peter desperately wants to be able to whistle so he can call his dog, Willie. Many preschoolers can relate as they have something they want to be able to do, but can’t (yet!).

As Peter explores the town, the opportunity for lessons spring to life. This Whistle for Willie unit study and lapbook are brimming with lessons for you and your student to explore.

Thanks to Kristina Johnson for preparing and submitting this Whistle for Willie unit study.

Whistle for Willie Unit Study Lessons

Here are a few sample lessons from the Whistle for Willie unit study:

Letter Recognition: The Letter “W”

Encourage your child to find things that start with “w” throughout the house and place them on a table or in a laundry basket. Examples: something white, whistle, wallet, water, watch, whale toy or picture in a book, etc.

Opposites and Positional Words

Teach or review opposites and positional terms using a cardboard box. In/out, on/under, in front of/ behind, next to etc. Let your child use his body to demonstrate knowledge of the words. You might also use a stuffed animal.

Introduction to Character

Peter is in several other of Keats’ stories: The Snowy Day, Peter’s Chair, Letter to Amy, Goggles, and Hi Cat. Check these titles out of the library and read them.

Math: Graphing

Visit a pet store. Do they have any dachshunds? How many other kinds of dogs (breeds) are there? Count the number of each breed. At home, create a bar graph or pie chart. Which breed did the pet store have more of? Less of?

Geography: Your Neighborhood and Your Town

We see much of Willie’s world in the story. Take a walk around your own neighborhood. What do you see? Are there houses? Apartments? Stores or other businesses? Do the homes look the same? What is different about them? Are there any traffic lights? Do you see any graffiti?

Take a walk around your town square or a downtown area. Are there homes? Encourage your child to look up. Many buildings have apartments or offices above street level stores. What kinds of stores or businesses does he see? Can he tell by looking at the sign what sort of business or store it is? What kinds of people does he see? Are they dressed alike? Can you tell what sort of job they do by the way they are dressed? Are there any traffic signals? If not, are there any other safety signs? Do you see any graffiti? What about a barber pole?

You can grab a copy of the entire Whistle for Willie unit study and printables in an easy-to-print file at the end of this post.

Whistle for Willie Lapbook Activities

The following lapbook printables are included in the free download:

• Shadow Matching Flapbook
• Graffiti Wall
• W Words Accordion
• I Am Growing Up Book
• Dachshund Dogs
• Traffic Light Flapbook
• Pets Shutterfold
• “My Shadow” Poem
• W Patterns Page
• My Family Portrait Simple Fold

How to Get Started

Follow these simple instructions to get started with the Whistle for Willie unit study and printables:

1. Buy a copy of the book, Whistle for Willie, or grab one from your local library.
2. Print the Whistle for Willie unit study and lapbook.
3. Choose the lessons you want to use with your student (a highlighter works great for this).
4. Choose and prepare the lapbook printables you want to use with your student.
5. Enjoy a week of fun-filled Whistle for Willie learning with your preschool student.

Whistle for Willie Lapbook Sample

Here is a sample lapbook. It was made with one file folder.

Download Your Whistle for Willie Unit Study and Printables

Simply click on the image below to grab the free Whistle for Willie unit study and printables.

Note: This file includes color printables AND black and white printables. Simply pick and choose the pages you want to print.

More Pet Themed Resources

Preschoolers love pets! Check out these other pet themed resources.