How do I use the Poodle books?
How often should we use them?
Are they read-alouds?
Are there assignments that go along with them?

We’re proud of Michael Clay Thompson’s outstanding grammar and poetics books for young children, the Poodle books, featuring Poodle the chicken and a variety of colorful characters who are his friends. But the books are so different from what people expect when they think of a language arts text that sometimes we get questions about the best way to use them.

So Michael has recorded video of himself discussing his intent for the entire Poodle project and his recommendations for the most effective way of implementing the books with children. Now we’ve taken his recording and turned it into a helpful video.

But Michael doesn’t just talk about implementation strategies; he also explains his thoughts on the significance of reading, the importance of enthusiasm in learning, and so much more. If you’ve never had the pleasure of listening to Michael talk about learning and language, this is a can’t-miss opportunity to see, first hand, his creative genius.

Explore our website to learn more about the Poodle books, about the other levels of the MCT language arts curriculum, and about Michael himself. It’s not too early to start building a solid language arts foundation with the Poodle books. Michael makes learning the fundamentals of grammar and poetics fun!