Editor's Note: This blog was previously published, we're re-sharing it as part of our 'Best of' series, a look back at some of our most popular blogs.

This is a guest post from blogger Elizabeth Hall.  

My students and I have loved Mrs. Wishy-Washy these past two weeks! What better way to get little readers confident and excited about reading than introducing them to Mrs. Wishy-Washy? I am a big Joy Cowley fan—what kindergarten teacher isn’t?—and I was so excited to see these new books featuring Mrs. Wishy-Washy!

Mrs. Wishy-Washy is always the first shared reading that I do with my kiddos. We read the original Mrs. Wishy-Washy book, of course, but they love the new books. When I first got the new stories, I thought about having them do a character comparison, but the cow, pig, duck, and Mrs. Wishy-Washy are in all of the books, so I came up with other activities.

There are so many purposeful activities that you could incorporate in your classroom to accompany these books! I came up with one based on Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Birthday, which the kids loved the most out of all of the stories. In it, Mr. Wishy-Washy makes a cake for Mrs. Wishy-Washy's birthday, and the animals have a hard time coming up with a present to get her. So I asked the students what they would get Mrs. Wishy-Washy for her birthday, and we brainstormed items that she might like based on our schema: she likes to clean, she's tidy and loves her animals, etc.

Look how cute they turned out! We have been working on labeling, and it looks like it stuck with them. They came up with a hose, a washing machine, a cake, a new scrubbing brush, and a new animal.

These books are the perfect addition to your Wishy-Washy study! They are engaging, and there are comprehension activities and questions right in the book. My kids and I both loved these new books, they have been the perfect addition to our classroom! You can download the worksheet here.  

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This is my fifth year as a kindergarten teacher. The best part of kindergarten is watching a child fall in love with reading. It has become my passion to show children the possibilities and amazing adventures literature can offer. I love watching their eyes light up when they tell me they can read their favorite book, or they can’t wait to go back to the library! I have the best job in the world!

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful support system in and out of school. My family lives close and I get to spend a lot of time with them! While I am not at school, I enjoy running, teaching spin class, swimming, playing kickball, spending time with my husband, and traveling. I also have a sheltie named Maggie, which is spoiled rotten. I am married to the best guy in the world, work with wonderful people, and have fabulous students! I am looking forward to another great year doing what I love! If you like what you see here, check out my blog, Kickin' It in Kindergarten, for more of fun, entertaining activities! 

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Download our brochure and learn more about the variety of Joy Cowley titles that you can incorporate in your classroom below. Every Joy Cowley story will capture the hearts and minds of young readers with the magic of Joy's signature 'learning through laughter' storytelling style!