ABC Look at Me by Roberta Intrater

May 12, 2010 on 8:36 pm | In 2's and 3's, 4's and 5's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Books, Letter Knowledge, Storytime Component | No Comments

Introductory Aside: Noticing that the same letter can look different, like upper and lower case, is a beginning step for letter knowledge, one of the six early literacy skills that children need to be able to learn to read.
Early Literacy Aside: One way we can help children learn what the letters look like and the letter names is by sharing alphabet books. When sharing alphabet books with children, we tend to focus more on the print than with any other type of book. Let’s share an alphabet book together.
Share the book ABC Look at Me by Roberta Intrater.
Did you notice that when I read the book, I pointed to the letter? As we read alphabet books, we tend to point out the letter on the page as we say its name. This does not come so naturally while reading other kinds of books. As you talk about the letter you can point out that the same letter can look different. For example, here’s the letter R. It can look like R or r.
Closing Aside: When you read alphabet books, don’t worry if your child does not recognize the letters and the different ways they look. You are just introducing the idea that the same letter can look different. Alphabet books do not need to be read from A to Z. You can give the book to your child and let them choose a page that looks interesting. Then talk about the picture and the letter. As your child grows, keep pointing out and talking about letters. Let your child see your interest in them and they will follow your lead in learning them.

Goodnight Max by Rosemary Wells

May 12, 2010 on 7:46 pm | In 0 to 2, 2's and 3's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Books, Letter Knowledge, Storytime Component | No Comments

Introduction: Let’s look at the cover of this book Goodnight Max by Rosemary Wells. What shapes do you see? Yes, the blanket has colored squares, the moon is a crescent shape; Max’s nose looks like a triangle.
Read the book.
Early Literacy Aside: You don’t need a book about shapes to talk about shapes. Talking about shapes with your child as we did at the beginning of this book, is the beginning of being able to recognize letters. Children begin to recognize letters by their shapes.

Sound in a Bag/Box

May 1, 2010 on 12:18 am | In 4's and 5's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Crafts/Activities, Phonological Awareness, Storytime Component | No Comments

Preparation: Put some items in a bag or box, some of which starting with the sound /p/ (for example). Some examples include: pretzel, popcorn, paper, pig. Also include some items for words that do NOT begin with /p/.
Introduction: Ohhhh, here is my sound bag/box. Let’s see what’s in it today. Our llama in the book we just read was wearing red pajamas (Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney). Pajama starts with the sound /p/. Let me hear you say /p/. Good! I am going to pull out different things from my sound box. Let’s see which ones have the same beginning sound as pajama, /p/.
Play Game: As you pull items out of the bag, say what it is; or ask the children what it is. Repeat the word and emphasize the first sound. As you go through each item, praise the children. Our next item is a car. Car. Car. Car starts with /k/. Are /k/ and /p/ the same sound? That’s right! They are not. Let’s look for our next item. What else do I have in here? What is this? Right, a pencil. Pencil. Pencil. Pencil starts with /p/. Do pencil and pajama sound alike at the beginning? Yes, they do!
Early Literacy Aside: Helping your child hear the beginning sounds of words, in a playful way, like with this game, is one way that you can help your child develop phonological awareness, hearing the smaller sounds in words. Try it with things around your home.

Hush, A Thai Lullaby by Mingfong Ho

May 1, 2010 on 12:08 am | In 4's and 5's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Books, Closing, Phonological Awareness, Storytime Component, Uncategorized | No Comments

Introduction: Hush: A Thai Lullaby by Mingfong Ho is our next book. It is about a mother in Thailand singing a lullaby to her baby.
Early Literacy Aside: This book has both animal sounds and rhyming words. These are two parts of one of the early literacy skills, phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is a big word, but it basically means being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
Read the book. Have participants join in with saying the sounds of the animals. After you read the book, come back to a page and talk about two words that rhyme. Have the children think of other words that rhyme–remember they can be nonsense words.
Closing Early Literacy Aside: Today I pointed out some activities around the early literacy skill phonological awareness: hearing different sounds such as animal sounds, as we just did and having children make those sounds. For older children, we want them to be able to hear the smaller sounds in words, the syllables, to be able to hear and make the beginning sound in a word, to be able to hear and make rhyming words, and to play with these sounds. Researchers know these are important skills for later when your child tries to sound out words. Children develop at different stages and some things will be harder for some and easier for others. It is easier to recognize a rhyme than to make a rhyme, so if your child cannot rhyme a word, say two words and ask if they rhyme. By doing these activities, you will be helping your child enter school ready to learn to read.

Shapes Flannel Board and Matching Game

April 28, 2010 on 5:43 am | In 2's and 3's, 4's and 5's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Crafts/Activities, Flannel Board, Letter Knowledge, Storytime Component | No Comments

Preparation for Presenter: Using cutouts of different shapes (see attachment below) make shapes you can use on the flannel board. If you want to play the matching game in addition to talking about shapes, make more than one of each shape.
Introduction: Today we talked about shapes and alike and different. So let’s see what shapes you see up here. [Depending on the size, age-level and attention span of the group, you can put the shapes up yourself or hand them out to the toddlers and have them put the shapes up on the flannel board. Say the name of the shape as well as some additional description. For example, ”Here is a circle, a small blue circle.” Have the children repeat the name of the shape and/or the description.]
Early Literacy Aside: Helping your child notice and talk about shapes later helps them identify letters. When you think of an upper case A, there is a triangle shape in it.
For Matching Game:
You keep one copy of each shape and pass out the additional copies of the shapes. Put up one shape, say what it is and describe it. Then have those children who have the same shape come up to the flannel board to add theirs to yours. Don’t forget to clap for each person. Adults are welcome to help their children.
Early Literacy Aside: Playing matching games helps your child notice what is alike and different. This is one part of developing letter knowledge.
Matching Game Variation:
You can make the matching more challenging by making patterns on your shapes. For example, you may color a couple of circles on a square, or make a design on two copies of the same shape. You can make the matching more or less challenging by how intricate or obvious the differences are. Use the handout of shapes for parents and children to cut out and play with at home.
Early Literacy Aside for Shape Handout: This handout has several shapes you can cut out at home. You can use them as patterns and cut them out of different color paper. You can draw on them to make different patterns to match as well. You might ask your toddler to put all the circles together, all the ones with straight lines, all the ones with the same color. Sorting is one way of noticing what is alike and different. When children try to recognize letters they will need this skill. Think of a lower case h and a lower case n. They look similar but they are also different.
Shapes for Flannel Board
Shapes for Parent Handout

Look at Me (Begin Smart Books)

April 28, 2010 on 1:41 am | In 0 to 2, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Books, Print Motivation, Storytime Component | No Comments

Introduction: On thing that helps to keep book time enjoyable is to have your child participate in reading the book. This can be done in several ways. For example, having your child turn the pages, letting your child choose the book to be read or a picture to talk about, or having your child chime in with animal sounds or a word or two.
Our book today is called Look at Me. This book lends itself to playful interaction because it has a repeated phrase, “Look at me,” AND it’s a book-a-boo book, making it a game. Everyone, all together, let me hear you say look at me! Good, try it again. Look at me. Good! Now you’ll say that as I read the book with you.
Share book using peek-a-boo game, having children say the animals and make the animal’s sound. [The lion is the first animal. If that is scary for some children, start with a different animal. Some children may be afraid if you cover your own face. Suggestion–Use a doll or stuffed animal and cover it’s face to play peek-a-boo.]
Early Literacy Aside: Making book sharing times enjoyable times helps to develop your child’s print motivation, enjoyment of books and reading. Research shows that children who have had enjoyable experiences around books are more likely to stick with learning to read, when that time comes.

My First ABC Board Book (DK)

April 28, 2010 on 1:28 am | In 0 to 2, 2's and 3's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Books, Letter Knowledge, Storytime Component | No Comments

Introduction: Sharing alphabet books is one way to introduce children to letters. This book My First ABC Board Book has bright, clear photographs of things that interest young children.
Share a page or two: For example, on the B page, we see a baby, bananas, a ball, and bread. We see both the upper and lower case letter so children see that the same letter can look different. You can give the book to your child and let him choose a page to talk about. Talk about the pictures and point out the letter.
Early Literacy Aside: Naming the letters and pointing to them is a first step to developing your child’s letter knowledge, one of the six early literacy skills. Remember to keep it enjoyable and stop when your child has had enough. No need to quiz your child on teh letters, just expose them to the letters.

Alphabet Song

April 28, 2010 on 1:17 am | In 0 to 2, 2's and 3's, 4's and 5's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Letter Knowledge, Music/Songs, Storytime Component | No Comments

Early Literacy Aside: Singing the alphabet song is one way to introduce children to letters. Part of letter knowledge, one of the early literacy skills that helps children be ready to read in school, is knowing the names of letters. At first your child may not relate the letters they sing to the written letter. That’s ok; this is a first step.
The alphabet song is to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Sing Alphabet Song.
Now let’s sing it again to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb. The letters come out in a different rhythm. They are less likely to lump l m n o together.
Sing Alphabet Song again to new tune.

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert

April 28, 2010 on 1:11 am | In 2's and 3's, 4's and 5's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Books, Letter Knowledge, Storytime Component | No Comments

Early Literacy Aside: The beginning of letter knowledge, one of the six early literacy skills, is seeing and recognizing shapes.
Introduction: Our next book is Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert. It is really fascinating how you can see the animals just using basic shapes. What animals do you see?
Read the book. Talk about the shapes as well as the animals. The back of the book are the separate shapes which you can also point out or refer to from time to time as you read the book.
Aside: This is quite a sophisticated book and can be used in many ways over the years, from noticing shapes and bright colors to making animals from shapes themselves.

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

April 28, 2010 on 1:01 am | In 0 to 2, 2's and 3's, Adult Aside, Age Levels, Books, Print Awareness, Storytime Component | No Comments

Introduction: I’d like to share this book with you called Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. It can be tricky to use with little hands. Sometimes children tear the flaps because they don’t have good coordination yet. They do like flap books because they can play with the book and it’s a kind of peek-a-boo game.
Read book. Point to the words in the signs as you read.
Early Literacy Aside: This simple story has signs which supports the early literacy skill called print awareness, helping your child understand that print has meaning. As you go around your day, point out signs to your children. Even when your children notice logos like on gas stations, stores, or restaurants, this is the beginning of print awareness.

Storytime Share