spring+-print+awareness

Print Awareness spring 3/18/2010

Opening song

Mud is the story of seasonal changes and returning to the familiarity of the season. It is sensitive, gentle, and poetic. I use a hushed voice and a deliberate pictorial presentation of the story. There are lines in this story that evoke rich imagery and I try to present them to reflect this. An example is " Small scattered stones, (pause) where the sun has seen them,(pause) will thaw pools of grass." and simultaneously point to the picture depicting these images and with your fingers trace the circling the pools of water. The pattern of the story changes to staccatto sentences and enlivens the story with action "Stir it. Stick it. Dig it. Dance it." Help the story by bringing energy to these lines and celebrate the new vitality of spring with your favorite child. = Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary =
 * Read: Mud **by Mary Ray
 * **Mary, Mary, quite contrary,**
 * How does your garden grow?**
 * With silver bells and cockle-shells,**
 * And pretty maids all in a row.** ||

Who can resists this spring time book about babies and their mamas? Pastel paintings of chirping birds, sliding otters, and zig-zagging snakes accompany a great story penned by local author Phyllis Root. The rhyming words help develop a child's phonological sensitivity. Drawing attention to the printed words on the page will help your child learn that you aren't reading the pictures-- you're reading the words on the page. The itsy, bitsy spider, climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, So the itsy, bitsy spider went up the spout again. ||  || Is it a duck? Is it a rabbit? This book is perfect for a spring or Easter-themed storytime, and the story works great as a two-person read-aloud. Its dueling voices squabble about the age-old rabbit v. duck optical illusion. Children love guessing games, and this book will offer plenty of opportunity for kids to decide which animal they think the picture represents. Not only does this story promote print motivation, but the large, simple text promotes print awareness. A smart story with a lesson: know when to let go of an argument!
 * Read: Flip, Flap, Fly **by Phyllis Root
 * __The Itsy Bitsy Spider__
 * __The Itsy Bitsy Spider__
 * Read: Duck! Rabbit! **by Amy Rosenthal


 * <span style="font-family: 'Bell MT','serif'; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Read: A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk **<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">by Deborah Ruddell (Spring Welcome poem)

Do you see a sign of spring,

A sign of spring, a sign of spring?

Do you see a sign of spring?

Tell us what you see.

Presentation Notes: Old Father Oak's leaves are falling. Is he crying? Robbie the Raccoon enlists the help of his friends to "hug our hugest hug and sing our happiest song!" Julia Hubery's story follows a year in the life of a tree, awakening interest in the forest and the animals who live there. Children will love to join Robbie on his journey through the seasons and to predict the outcome of given events. One of the most exciting is when Robbie and his mother make beds for five acorns. "They'll sleep all winter, just like us," she tells him, "and when spring comes...well, it's a surprise!" In the wake of Earth Day, celebrate a story that brings nature to life and encourages everyone to go hug a tree!
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bell MT','serif'; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Read: A Friend for all Seasons **<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">by Julia Hubery
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bell MT','serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Goodbye Song: Razzama Tazzama **