SYNONYMS
Most of the Mr. Men & Little Miss Books offer an opportunity to reinforce familiar words and discover their synonyms. For example, Little Miss Wise is called "sensible" and Mr. Busy is "rushing." Students may hunt for synonyms as they read each book, and teachers may prepare a synonym match when most of the books have been completed.
Synonym Match
1. neat
2. rush
3. noisy
4. chatterbox
5. small
6. giggle
A. chuckle
B. tidy
C. tiny
D. loud
E. talkative
F. hurry
ANSWERS: 1-B; 2-F; 3-D; 4-E; 5-C; 6-A
ANTONYMS
Students' vocabulary can be expanded by discovering words with opposite relationships within each of the books. For example, Little Miss Neat meets her match when Mr. Muddle and Mr. Messy come to visit. Students may search for antonyms independently, or teachers may prepare an antonym match based on the collection.
Antonym Match
1. neat
2. happy
3. brave
4. noisy
5. busy
6. small
A. scared
B. messy
C. tall
D. sad
E. quiet
F. lazy
ANSWERS: 1-B; 2-D; 3-A; 4-E; 5-F; 6-C
OCCUPATIONS
Many of the secondary characters in the Mr. Men & Little Miss Books have been given names that reflect their personalities or occupations. Students can be asked to match names with occupations.
Job Match Game
1. Doctor
2. Baker
3. Butcher
4. Librarian
5. Hat shop owner
6. Candy store owner
A. Mrs. Crumb
B. Mr. Bacon
C. Mrs. Page
D. Dr. Makeyouwell
E. Mrs. Sweet
F. Mr. Bowler
ANSWERS: 1-D; 2-A; 3-B; 4-C; 5-F; 6-E
Discussions about people and the jobs they do can conclude with a series of fill-in sentences such as these:
1. A doctor is someone who ______________________
2. A baker is someone who _______________________
3. A butcher is someone who _____________________
4. A librarian is someone who ____________________
5. A painter is someone who ______________________
USING THE THESAURUS
If there are students in the class who need extension activities, the Mr. Men & Little Miss Books can be used in conjunction with a thesaurus to expand vocabulary. Using a thesaurus in dictionary format, students can be asked to find as many words as possible that are synonymous with adjectives selected from each book.
In the book Little Miss Scatterbrain, the author uses the words "scatterbrain" and "forgetful" synonymously. Students should be asked to discover other words that mean the same thing. If some students have success using a thesaurus to find synonyms, they may then search for antonyms as well.
OVERWORKED WORDS
The Mr. Men & Little Miss Books provide an opportunity for students to expand and enrich their vocabularies. One of the most common overworked words is "said." As students read the collection, they can keep a chart of the various words used instead of "said." After they have completed their chart, students should be encouraged to use the thesaurus to find other substitutes for "said." They can decide which characters these new words are appropriate for.
Sample: Other Words for "said"
asked --- Little Miss Curious
shouted --- Mr. Noisy
joked --- Mr. Funny
giggled --- Little Miss Giggles
