Farm Animals Whats included in this bag?

Books: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming Read and Play: Farm Animals by Jim Pipe Rosa at the Farm by Sheila White Samton Early Morning in the Barn by Nancy Tofuri Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming DK Readers: Farm Animals Whos in the Chicken Coop? by Mia Coulton

A Hen, a Chick, and a String Guitar by Margaret Read MacDonald + music CD Quack the Duck by Michele Dufresne Activity Instruction Cards: Activity Card The Very Busy Spider: Retell Story With Felt Board Pieces Activity Card Early Morning in the Barn: Create Your Own Text Activity Card Read and Play: Farm Animals: Use Magnetic Letters to Spell Farm Animal Names

Activity Materials: 2 Beanie Baby yellow ducks The Very Busy Spider felt board pieces: spider web owl wooden fence rooster cow goat spider horse dog spider alphabet worksheet blank story book pencil collection of magnetic letters farm animal vocabulary cards

cat pig sheep duck

Dear Kindergarten Family, Good news! Your child has checked out a classroom Story Bag. The theme of this Story Bag is Farm Animals. Inside this bag you will find a collection of childrens books related to the theme. Three of these books include accompanying literacy and extension activities. All the materials you need for the activities are also included in this bag (you can find a full list of materials on the back of this letter). The extra books are included for your reading pleasure. Your child may be able to read some of them independently (like the Early Readers Leveled Readers), while others are meant for reading with a family member. I want you and your child to have plenty of time to read the stories, do the activities, and read the stories again (and again!). Your family may keep this Story Bag for one week. This is a great opportunity for you to help your child develop his/her language and literacy skills, as well as a lifelong love of readingplus it is FUN! So enjoy!

Happy Reading! Ms. Casey

The Farm Animals Story Bag is due back to your childs classroom on _____________________. At this time your child may renew the bag for an addition week or check out a new bag. Please use the checklist on the back of this letter to make sure you are returning all of the materials.

Early Morning in the Barn - Create Your Own Text

Objective: Your child will practice creating and telling an original story to go along with a wordless picture book. Materials: Early Morning in the Barn by Nancy Tafuri blank story book pencil Instructions: Look through Early Morning in the Barn with your child. This book contains very little text (only animal sounds). Ask your child to tell you about what s/he sees on each page. Ask questions like What is happening on this page? What animals do you see? Where do you think these animals live? How do you know? What do you think the cat wants to do? What makes you think that? Explain to your child that this book uses only pictures to tell a story. Encourage your child to come up with the words for the story. Pick one reoccurring character and tell the story from that characters perspective. For example: The baby chicks wake up and travel around the barn to say Good Morning to the other farm animals; The cat chases the mouse through the barn and into the hole. Use the included blank story book to write down your childs story. Allow your child to practice writing in his/her book as well. Remember, some children draw symbols, scribble, write strands of letters, or use invented spelling to represent writingthese are all appropriate ways for your child to begin to practice writing. If your family speaks a language other than English, encourage your child to dictate his/her story in your native language. Write down the story in your native language, and then work with your child to tell the same story in English. Write down the English story as well to make your own bilingual storybook. Extension: Looking for more activities to do with Early Morning in the Barn? Here are a few suggestions: Look through the book with your child. Encourage your child to point to words s/he sees on each page. Explain that the only words in the book are animal sounds, and encourage your child to make guesses about what each word is. For example, Here is a word by the duck. What do you think the duck is saying? Help your child write a message to his/her teacher and classmates about this book. Your child can expand on one of the following prompts: I liked/did not like this book because ________________________. My favorite part of this book was ________________________. I think everyone should read this book because ____________________. Play the online game Animals on the Farm and search for hidden animals on a farm --a fun way to practice computer mouse skills and counting. Find the game at: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/preschool/animals/farm/animalfarmgame.htm

Read and Play: Farm Animals - Spelling with Magnetic Letters

Objective: Your child will practice matching letters and spelling vocabulary words with magnetic letters. Materials: Read and Play: Farm Animals by Jim Pipe magnetic letters farm animal vocabulary cards Instructions: Read Farm Animals with your child. Ask your child to identify the name of each farm animal before you read the page aloud. Do the Lets Play! activities at the end of the book with your child (Who am I? How many? and What noise?) Show your child the farm animal vocabulary cards. Encourage your child to read each animal name, using the illustrations for clues. Encourage your child to identify the letters in the animal names. Give your child the magnetic alphabet letters. Encourage him/her to spell the farm animal names with the magnet letters. Your child can use the vocabulary cards as a guide. You can arrange magnetic alphabet letters on a table, floor, refrigerator, or on a metal cookie tray. Your child may want to spell other farm animal names or other words. Make a list of words your child is interested in so that s/he can copy the spellings independently. Extension: Looking for more activities to do with Farm Animals? Here are a few suggestions: State a real or nonsense rhyming word and encourage your child to identify the corresponding farm animal vocabulary card. For example, I am thinking of an animal that rhymes with beep. Let your child give you clues as well! Pronounce the beginning sound of a farm animal name and encourage your child t o identify the corresponding farm animal vocabulary card. For example, I am thinking of an animal that rolls in the mud and starts with /p/ . Let your child give you clues as well! Help your child write a message to his/her teacher and classmates about this book. Your child can expand on one of the following prompts: I liked/did not like this book because ________________________. My favorite part of this book was ________________________. I think everyone should read this book because ____________________. Farm Animals contains very predictable text. Encourage your child to read this story independently to the Beanie Baby ducks or a family member. Visit Prairie Farms in Champaign to see real farm animals including sheep, pigs, goats, horses, cows, chickens,
and geese. Take photos of your child with the animals and use the photos to make your very own farm animal book. Prairie Farms is FREE and open between May and August. For more information visit: http://www.champaignparkdistrict.com/facilities/pfarm/

The Very Busy Spider - Retell a Story with Felt Board Pieces
Objective: Your child will practice identifying characters in a story and retelling important events of a story with felt board pieces. Materials: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle felt board pieces spider web alphabet worksheets (optional) Instructions: Read The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle with your child. After reading, encourage your child to name characters from the story. Pull each character out of the felt board box as your child names them. Give your child clues about characters s/he may have forgotten. For example, Im thinking of a character who wants to roll in the mud and says, Oink! Read the story again, and this time encourage your child to identify the corresponding felt board character for each page For example, when you read, Moo moo, said the cow your child should locate the cow and place it on the floor or table (felt board pieces should also stick to fabric surfaces, such as an upholstered couch). After several readings of the story, your child should be familiar with the characters, se tting, and sequence of events. Encourage your child to retell the story to you, using the felt board pieces. Your child may retell the story from memory, or follow along in the storybook. Extension: Looking for more activities to do with The Very Busy Spider? Here are a few suggestions: Work with your child to think of and tell a NEW story using the felt board pieces Use the felt board pieces to guide a singing of Old McDonald and/or The Itsy Bitsy Spider Encourage your child to complete the attached spider web alphabet worksheets. S/he should draw lines to each letter in alphabetical order. Help your child write a message to his/her teacher and classmates about this book. Your child can expand on one of the following prompts: I liked/did not like this book because ________________________. My favorite part of this book was ________________________. I think everyone should read this book because ____________________. Head outside and look for spider webs around you r home! Bring paper and a pencil so your child can record his/her observations (draw a picture of what s/he sees).