Stumpkin Rooted in Reading | Fall Reading Comprehension & ELA Activities K-2

Bring fall reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing together with this Rooted in Reading Special Edition for Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins! This week-long ELA unit includes 5 days of reading lesson plans, comprehension activities, vocabulary practice, adjective lessons, nonfiction reading, and pumpkin crafts designed for kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade classrooms.

In Stumpkin, a pumpkin sits at a stand in New York City, hoping to be chosen and taken to a new home. As the other pumpkins are picked one by one, Stumpkin begins to worry that his missing stem will keep him from finding a home. This heartwarming fall read-aloud provides opportunities to explore visualizing while reading, how mental images change, using illustrations, and similes.

Students also explore procedural writing with the included nonfiction reader, How to Carve a Pumpkin, and strengthen their descriptive writing skills through adjective activities.

Several activities include differentiated options to support students across K-2 classrooms.

What's Included in This Rooted in Reading Unit?

5 Days of ELA Lesson Plans

• 5 days of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar lesson plans
• Reading comprehension question stems
• Instructional posters for mental images, visualizing, illustrations, and similes
• Picture examples of activities

Reading Comprehension Activities

Students practice creating mental images as they read, noticing how their visualizations change when new information is introduced.

• Visualizing a Poem (2 options)
• Visualizing Flap-Ups (2 options)
• Using Illustrations activities (2 options)
• Similes in Action activity
• Fiction reading passage (2 options)
• Nonfiction reading passage: A Gourd Old Time! (2 options)
• Stumpkin comprehension check with answer key (2 options)

Interactive Anchor Charts & Reading Responses

• Our Mental Images Can Change anchor chart (2 options)
• Stumpkin directed drawing and writing activities
• Differentiated writing pages

These activities encourage students to share their thinking, discuss changes in their mental images, and respond to the story through drawing and writing.

Nonfiction Reading: How to Carve a Pumpkin

Extend the story into nonfiction reading with How to Carve a Pumpkin, an informational reader that introduces students to procedural text and sequencing.

• How to Carve a Pumpkin nonfiction reader (2 differentiated versions)
• How to Carve a Pumpkin sequencing anchor chart
• Jack-o'-lantern reading response craft
• Differentiated pumpkin writing pages

Students practice identifying and sequencing steps in a process while connecting informational reading to a creative writing and craft activity.

Vocabulary Activities

• Vocabulary word cards
• Vocabulary picture cards
• Vocabulary prompts
• Vocabulary flap-ups
• Vocabulary assessments (2 differentiated options)

Grammar Focus: Adjectives

Help students identify and use adjectives to make their speaking and writing more descriptive.

• Adjectives instructional poster
• Adjective picture and word cards
• Adjective sorting activities (2 options)
• Adjective printable
• Adjective picture puzzles
• Adjective sentence puzzles (4 options)
• Adjective flap-up sorting activities (2 options)
• Adjective assessment (2 options)

Daily Deep Dive: Mentor Sentence

Students work with a mentor sentence from Stumpkin throughout the week to explore grammar, sentence structure, and word choice.

• Daily Deep Dive student printable
• Whole-group mentor sentence cards
• Two differentiated instructional options

Reading, Grammar & Writing Skills Covered

• Visualizing text and creating mental images
• Recognizing how visualizations change
• Using illustrations to support comprehension
• Understanding similes
• Reading fiction and nonfiction
• Sequencing events and procedural steps
• Reading comprehension and written responses
• Vocabulary development
• Identifying and using adjectives
• Descriptive writing
• Mentor sentence analysis

Why Teachers Love Rooted in Reading

A Full Week of Connected ELA Instruction: Reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and writing lessons are organized around one meaningful picture book.

Differentiated for K-2: Multiple reading passages, activities, assessments, and writing pages provide options for different grade levels and learning needs.

Meaningful Comprehension Practice: Students learn to create mental images, revise their thinking as they read, and use illustrations to strengthen comprehension.

Fiction and Nonfiction Connections: Pairing Stumpkin with How to Carve a Pumpkin gives students opportunities to explore both literary and informational texts.

Perfect for Fall: The pumpkin theme makes this a great addition to September, October, or November reading lessons, fall literacy activities, and seasonal ELA instruction.

PLEASE NOTE: Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins is not included and must be purchased separately. This resource includes the accompanying Rooted in Reading lesson plans and activities.

Be sure to view the preview for a closer look at the differentiated reading activities, comprehension lessons, vocabulary practice, grammar activities, anchor charts, and pumpkin crafts.