Special Selection
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Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle allows children an opportunity to learn about animals and color. The repeated phrases and rhymes help parents and children to pay attention to the language in the air as they read the book.
Come On Rain! by Karen Heese allows children to learn about what could happen if it didn’t rain. Plants need rain. Rain comes from clouds. This book will encourage parents to talk about science and geographical concepts.
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish by Dr. Seuss allows children to enjoy the rhythm and rhyme of language while learning about color, size, and directional concepts.
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers allows children the opportunity to think about listening for sounds in their community as they practice their listening and attention skills. Also, parents might talk with their early learner about how to make the
sounds he/she hears (i.e. vroooom). How would you form your mouth to make that sound?)
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats allows children the opportunity to think about the winter season. Parents could encourage children to think about
where snow comes from. How long can it last? What happen to Peter’s snowballs?
Let’s Try It Out: In the Water series by Seymour Simon and Nicole Fauteux allows students to engage with language about why things float or sink.
There are several books in the series which address different scientific inquiry concepts.
Kindergarten and Beyond
Raising preschool parents’ awareness of ways to support early learners’ disciplinary literacy is very exciting. If our focus is truly on enhancing the learning experiences for preschool students, we must find ways to partner with the child’s first teacher, the parent. Teachers can be that strong connection between learning at a preschool site and home. When preschool students are engaged in learning throughout their day they will come much better prepared for embrace learning opportunities in kindergarten and beyond.