The Crayons Go Back to School – Literacy Activities and Printables

Bring The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers to life with this engaging and versatile activity pack! Whether you’re kicking off a new school year or diving into a character-rich book study, these printable tasks help your students connect deeply with the story while building key literacy skills.

Start strong with Pre-Reading Tasks that spark curiosity and prediction skills:

• Make thoughtful predictions from the book cover
• Explore what might happen next after the first two pages
• Record thinking with an interactive flap page

Move on to Vocabulary Building using hands-on strategies:

• Create an Alphabet Key to highlight key terms
• Set up a vibrant Word Wall
• Use an Is-Have-Can chart focused on a crayon
• Display a colourful banner
• Choose from a full or half-page vocabulary template

Encourage students to reflect and summarise the story with multiple Summary Tools:

• Identify and list important facts
• Sequence events using Beginning, Middle, End (two differentiated versions)
• Use "Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then" and timeline strategies like "First, Next, Then…"
• Write a Recount or find the Main Idea with supporting points

Save time with our Print-and-Go Section, packed with versatile comprehension tasks:

• Venn Diagram comparisons
• Explore Problems and Solutions or Complications
• Compare two characters
• Use “I See, I Think, I Wonder” to dig deeper
• Sort facts and opinions using 3-2-1 and other graphic organisers
• Try Plus, Minus, Interesting and Text Connections (Text to Self, Text to Text, Text to World)
• Analyse how the author keeps readers interested
• Pose Interview Questions or design a brand-new book cover
• Use Speech Bubbles for character thoughts
• Identify the Author’s Purpose
• Encourage creativity by writing a sequel, changing the ending, or swapping characters
• Write a letter to a character or author
• Draw and label a Story Map
• Explore core Story Elements

Wrap it up with a Book Report tailored for fiction texts.

This resource supports comprehension, vocabulary, and creative response skills while giving your students multiple ways to explore the text. Teachers love how easy it is to differentiate and how seamlessly it fits into literacy blocks, guided reading sessions, or whole-class read-alouds.

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