Will you be reading The Very Very Very Long Dog in your classroom this year? If so, be sure to grab this set of free The Very Very Very Long Dog activities to go with your lesson!

This post not only includes a video read-aloud, but also several free printables to use right alongside the book. You can use these ideas and activities for distance learning with preschoolers, kindergarteners, first graders, or second graders!

For more wonderful activity ideas to pair with popular children’s books, check out my FREE READING ACTIVITIES FOR PICTURE BOOKS post.

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The Very Very Very Long Dog Picture Book

This story is a fan favorite at our house! My little ones absolutely LOVE to read The Very Very Very Long Dog, and it’s one that we’ve read a few  LOTS! of times.

It tells the tale of sweet Bartelby, a sweet Dachshund who lives in a bookstore. He’s a wonderful dog, with a very problematic rear end. It’s always causing all kinds of trouble (unbeknownst to him). His friends are constantly apologizing for his mishaps, and ultimately help him figure out a solution. You can purchase it HERE or by clicking the cover below!

Video Read-Aloud of the Book

I created these activities when many of us were distance learning during the pandemic, and couldn’t access our friendly neighborhood libraries. So I recorded The Very Very Very Long Dog for your students to watch and listen to.

The Very Very Very Long Dog Activities

There are so many different ways to use this story. I used it at home with my preschoolers and incorporated the following math and reading activities alongside it.

Developing Problem-Solving Skills

Naturally, this story lends itself to teaching about problems and solutions. 

What you’ll need for this activity:

• Printed copy of the problem/solution worksheet

How it works:

I set the story up by telling my kiddos that we were going to try to figure out what the problem was. At the end of the story, we talked about how the problem was solved.

This is a GREAT story for teaching this skill because the problem and solution are very obvious. While I only discussed this with my 4- and 6-year-olds, you could have older children write and/or draw about it.

Making a Dog-Themed Number Line

My 6-year-old is headed to preschool in the fall. We are working on recognizing numerals 1 to 30, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to make a dog number line!

What you’ll need for this activity:

• Printed and cut-out copies of the number line cards

How it works:

At first, we made our dog number line from 0-10. I put the number cards into a pile and my kids took turns putting the numbers in order. 

Then, we added more cards to 20 and repeated the process. We’re going to continue doing this until we get up to 30. 

Afterwards, we used our Bartelby cut-out to identify numerals along the line:

A Scaffolding Math Activity

This activity is perfect for building upon what your student knows and learns. If your child is just starting to recognize numerals, begin by making a dog number line from 0-5. Then, as they master the number recognition and order of these numerals, you can add additional numbers incrementally to the number line and help them learn first 1 to 5, then up to 10, then 20, and finally 30!

Pro Tip: Visually point out the pattern of numbers that occurs from 0 to 9 for each set of tens.

Weiner dog non-standard measurement activity

Another math activity you could do with your kiddos, would be measuring with the Bartelby cut-outs! 

What you’ll need for this activity:

• Printed copy of the “How VERY long?” recording sheet (in the version that works best for you)
• Printed and cut-outs of Bartelby (in both size options)
• Pencil

How it works:

There are two different sizes of cut-outs, as well as two different recording sheets. One recording sheet has prefilled objects to measure, and the other allows the child (or teacher!) to choose the objects.

Pro Tip: To make it a little more attractive to your kids, you can print the recording sheet on colored paper.

Hot Dog & Hamburger Patterning Activity

Another skill I’m working on with my preschoolers is patterning. 

What you’ll need for this activity:

• Printed copies of the hamburger and hot dog pattern cards (on cardstock works best; laminating is optional!)

How it works:

This really takes some thought, so practice is essential! I model AB and ABB patterns and then ask my kids to show them back to me using the hotdog and hamburger pattern cards.

Teaching Positional Words

Another great kindergarten readiness skill is learning positional words and their meanings. 

What you’ll need for this activity:

• Printed copy of the bookstore mat (on colored paper! One per student.)
• Printed and cut-out(s) of small Bartelby (one for each student)
  

How it works:

To teach positional words, I recreated the bookstore where Bartelby lives. I give each of my kiddos the bookstore mat and the Bartelby cut-out, which they used while following my directions. 

Here are some examples:

• Put Bartelby ON TOP of the bookstore.
• Place Bartelby NEXT TO the mailbox.
• Move Bartelby ABOVE the sign.

You can even incorporate 2-step directions (i.e., Move Bartelby under the door and then next to the window).

Other Ways to Use the Bookstore Mat

You may also use the mat with other activities, such as: 

• We identified and counted rectangles, 
• spell the word bookstore, 
• Reinforce additional Follow the Direction activities (i.e., color the mailbox black, circle the top right window with a blue crayon, color the chimney red, etc.)

Directed Draw: Bartelby

Lastly, you can wrap up your The Very Very Very Long Dog activities with a Bartelby directed draw! 

What you’ll need for this activity:

• Drawing Paper
• Pencil

How it works:

I’ve recorded a step-by-step video for you to share with your students that will teach them to draw this sweet little character.They will be drawing Bartelby the moment he discovers it is his bottom that is causing such a calamity! He’s truly a very lovable little guy.

Writing on Windows

One other activity we did yesterday – unrelated to The Very Very Very Long Dog – was writing our names and tracing/copying shapes on our sliding glass doors. We started by scrubbing down the windows, of course! (Seriously, if cleaning something involves spray, my kids are DOWN!)

We used these Crayola Window Markers to practice our writing skills.

I always feel like my kids are more motivated to do something when it’s novel. And, writing on the windows is just that. Give it a try! (I’ve heard you can use Expo markers, too!)

More Video Read-Alouds & Lessons

I’ve been trying to get creative lessons out to y’all several times a week! I hope it helps you in some small way while working out distance learning with your kiddos! Click on the links below to check them out!

• Potato Pants ELA Lesson
• The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors ELA Lesson
• The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick ELA Lesson
• Don’t Blink! Activities
• Rhyming Dust Bunnies

Download My Free The Very Very Very Long Dog Activities

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The Very Very Very Long Dog Activities

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Lastly, if you do something in your home or classroom, I’d love to know! Please tag me on Instagram @babblingabby!