SEL Read Aloud: Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

Whistle for Willie

Summary

In “Whistle for Willie” by Ezra Jack Keats, Peter is a little boy who wants to whistle. One day, he sees an older boy playing with his dog and whistling, so he tries to whistle but can’t. He spins around and makes himself dizzy.

Later, Peter sees his dog, Willie, and hides in a box. He wants to whistle in order to make Willie turn around, but when Peter tries, he still can’t. He draws a chalk line all the way back home.

When he gets home, Peter tries even harder to whistle, but he still can’t do it. He puts on his dad’s hat and tries in front of the mirror, but he still can’t. He pretends to be his dad when his mom walks by and notices what he is doing.

Peter goes back outside and plays by himself for a while. When he sees Willie again, Peter hides in the box and tries whistling at him, and it finally works. Willie even turns around to see who it is!

At home again, Peter whistles for his parents, and they are proud of him. They ask him to run an errand. Peter whistles on the way to the store and again on the way back home.

Comprehension Questions

Six questions aligned to Bloom’s taxonomy for teacher’s to evaluate students’ comprehension

  1. Remembering: How does Willie, Peter’s dog, respond when Peter attempts to whistle?
  2. Understanding: Describe the steps Peter takes to try and learn how to whistle.
  3. Applying: If Peter were to teach someone else how to whistle, what advice might he give based on his experiences?
  4. Analyzing: Differentiate between actions that could worsen the curmudgeon’s mood and those that might improve it.
  5. Evaluating: How would you assess Peter’s change in confidence from the start to the end of the story?
  6. Creating: Invent a game that Peter and Willie could play together using Peter’s new whistling skills. Describe the rules and how to win.

CASEL Discussion Questions

Five questions aligned to the CASEL competencies for teachers to foster an engaging discussion and foster social-emotional learning

  1. Self-Awareness: How do you think Peter felt when he couldn’t whistle at the beginning of the story? Have you ever felt similar when trying something new?
  2. Self-Management: Peter finds a way to calm his frustration and keep trying. What strategies do you use to manage frustration when learning a new skill?
  3. Social Awareness: Peter’s desire to whistle like the boy he saw shows an understanding of social cues. Why is it important to observe and understand the actions of others?
  4. Relationship Skills: Peter wanted to whistle to interact differently with Willie. How can learning new ways to communicate strengthen our relationships?
  5. Responsible Decision Making: Reflect on Peter’s decision to put on his father’s hat for confidence. How do our decisions about how to approach challenges affect our outcomes?

Design Thinking Challenge

Take students’ learning even further by incorporating the Imagineerz design thinking framework

Create a Whistling Wonder Machine

Understand

  1. Begin with a group reading of “Whistle for Willie” by Ezra Jack Keats, focusing on Peter’s journey of learning to whistle and how it affected his mood and interactions with his dog, Willie.
  2. Discuss Peter’s persistence, the frustration he felt, and the joy of finally achieving his goal. Consider what emotions Peter experienced and how learning something new can sometimes be challenging but ultimately rewarding.

Ideate

  1. Encourage students to brainstorm ideas for a “Whistling Wonder Machine” that could help someone like Peter learn to whistle or feel the joy of accomplishing something difficult. Have them think about what features this machine might have: Could it provide step-by-step instructions? Might it offer encouragement or celebrate small successes? How can the machine make the learning process fun and engaging?

Prototype

  1. In small groups or individually, have students construct a prototype of their Whistling Wonder Machine using materials like cardboard tubes (for simulated whistling sounds), rubber bands, paper, and anything else that could mimic the experience of learning to whistle or provide encouragement. They should focus on creating a user-friendly design that encourages persistence and celebrates progress, no matter how small.

Test

  1. Students will present their Whistling Wonder Machines, explaining their design process, how the machine is supposed to help someone learn to whistle, and the kind of feedback or encouragement it provides. They can demonstrate its features and how they imagine a user would interact with it.
  2. Collect feedback from peers on the effectiveness and creativity of the machine: Does it make learning to whistle (or another challenging task) seem more attainable and less frustrating? Is it engaging and encouraging for users? Discuss potential improvements to make the machine even more supportive and fun for budding whistlers.

Read Aloud

If you appreciated getting to read this book with your class, you might also want to share this book with them!

Additional Resources

Copyright Notice

The image on this page comes from the book Whistle for Willie by Molly Bang. Copyright © 1964 by Ezra Jack Keats.


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