Hocus Pocus –
Before reading a book pretend to get out a magic wand and wave it as you say,
“Hocus pocus! Everybody focus! Boys and girls put on your focus
goggles. (Demonstrate by making
circles with your fingers and thumbs and placing them around your eyes.) Take a look at the cover of this
book. What do you think it might
be about?” Explain that when
something occurs in the book that they predicted would happen they can wink
their eye or smile.
Cool Bear Hunt
Story Map – Sing “Going on a Bear Hunt.” Next, give children a sheet of paper and ask them to draw
the sequence of the song. Where
did we go first? Next? Then? Last? Give them
a Teddy Graham so they can retell the story on their story map.
Listen,
Predict, Draw – Fold a sheet of paper into fourths to make a book for each
child and ask them to number each page.
Begin reading a book. Stop
after several pages and ask children to draw what they think will happen
next. Continue reading. Stop after a few more pages and have
children draw what they think will happen next. Do this two more times.
What’s My
Rhyme? – Download images of 5-10 familiar nursery rhymes from the
internet. Spread these out and say
a rhyme. Can children select the
appropriate illustration?
How did they know?
Katalina
Matalina – Sing the song below several times. Have children close their eyes and create a picture of
Katalina in their brains. Next,
ask them to draw their interpretation of her. Sing the song again and encourage them to check to make sure
their picture matches the words of the song. Use their pictures to make a bulletin board or class book.
Katalina
Matalina (Tune: “Shortnin’
Bread”)
Her
head was shaped like a baseball bat. (Point to head.)
And
right on top was a funny, old hat.
(Chorus)
She
had two hairs in her head. (Point
to hair.)
One
was alive and the other was dead.
(Chorus)
She
had two eyes in her head. (Point
to eyes.)
One
was purple and the other was red.
(Chorus)
She
had two teeth in her mouth. (Point
to mouth.)
One
pointed north and the other pointed south. (Chorus)
Her
neck was as long as a ten foot pole.
(Point to neck.)
And
right in the middle was a big, black bow.
(Chorus)
Her
hips were like two ships in port.
(Wiggle hips.)
One
headed south and the other headed north.
(Chorus)
Her
feet were as flat as a bathroom mat.
(Point to feet.)
How
did they ever get like that?
(Chorus)
But
she had a heart, so I’m told. (Put
hands over heart.)
That
was made of purest gold. (Chorus)
Talking
Pictures – Collect and laminate interesting magazine pictures, photos from
calendars, brochures, and so forth.
Keep these in a basket.
Children choose a picture and then talk about it or write about it. “What do you think this picture is
about?” “What just happened?” “What will happen next?”
