January 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 1 Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association This month is brought to you by YSS member Cindy Beyer, Children’s Librarian, WJ Niederkorn Library, Port Washington, WI. 4 SCIENCE Build a tower with Legos or blocks. How many blocks did you use? 11 SCIENCE Make Rice Krispies Bars together. Compare the textures of the ingredients! 18 SCIENCE Make a snowball and bring it inside. See how long it takes to melt. 25 SCIENCE Blow up a balloon. Rub to create static, then make the balloon stick to things! 5 WRITE Practice writing your last name. 12 PLAY Build a snowman outside, or go sledding! 19 WRITE 6 READ Call a grandparent on the telephone. Practice good phone manners. 13 14 READ Read a nursery rhyme and try acting it out. 20 READ Read a book. Act it out with puppets or dolls. 26 27 Write the first letter of your name on sticky notes, then stick the notes to objects that begin with the same letter! TALK Read a book about summer time. How is winter different? Write your name using every color of the rainbow. WRITE 7 READ Read a nonfiction book. TALK Get silly with tongue twisters. 21 TALK Learn how to say hello in other languages. 28 TALK Make up silly words. Who can get the silliest? SING Sing “Happy Birthday” to 2015! 8 SING Sing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and practice animal sounds. 15 SING Record your child singing their favorite song. 22 SING Sing and clap to BINGO. “There was a farmer, had a dog….” 29 SING Make your own instruments and sing songs. Friday 2 MATH Play Memory! Look for pairs and talk about same and different. 9 MATH Saturday 3 Make a blanket fort. Take a flashlight in; read a book, play with shadows. 10 Practice counting by twos! 16 MATH Visit the Library! 17 Try M & M math! Sort by colors, make groups, count, add, and subtract. 23 MATH MATH Practice big, bigger and biggest. Small, smaller and smallest. PLAY Play Hide and Seek! 24 Make a beaded necklace – make a pattern with the beads! 30 PLAY Visit the Library! 31 PLAY Have an indoor picnic on the living room floor. February 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday READ Connect pictures to real things. Read a book about something you saw. 8 READ SCIENCE Did you know the heart is a pump? Look for pumps around your house like a hand soap dispenser. How do they work? 22 SCIENCE Freeze water to make ice cubes. What can you use in the kitchen to melt the ice? Friday Saturday Visit the Library! This month is brought to you by YSS member Kristi Helmkamp, Children’s Services library Assistant, Appleton Public Library, WI. 2 WRITE Draw a picture of, or write a story about, a groundhog. 9 Read a book about friendship like You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown. 15 Thursday Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association 1 Wednesday SING Make musical instruments from kitchen utensils. 16 READ Read signs to your child while driving in the car. 23 WRITE Write a letter or word and let your child draw or color around it. 3 SING Children learn through repetition. Sing your favorite song several times! 10 WRITE 4 MATH Build towers with Legos. How many Legos tall are your towers? 11 MATH Design a valentine for a friend or family member. Sort buttons by shape, color and size. 17 18 SING Sing the ABC song forwards and backwards. 24 MATH Identify the numbers on a calculator. What happens when you press the buttons? WRITE Mix food coloring and water. Write letters in the snow with the mixture. 25 PLAY Build a cave with blankets and pillows to hibernate in like a bear. 5 TALK Look outside and talk about the weather. 12 TALK Teach your child how to say “I love you” in sign language. 19 SCIENCE Learn how to take your pulse. Count how many times your heart beats after doing 10 jumping jacks. 26 TALK Cook a meal together. Talk about the ingredients. 6 PLAY 7 SCIENCE Pretend that you are a groundhog. Did you see your shadow? Create shadows on the wall with a flashlight. 13 14 PLAY Visit the Library! Imagine that you are mail carrier delivering Valentines. 20 TALK It’s Dental Health Month. Talk about your teeth and what they do! . 27 READ Read a book with rhymes. Can you think of more rhyming words? 21 PLAY Have a dance party! 28 SCIENCE Mix snow play dough with ¼ cup of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Try to build a snowman! March 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday 1 PLAY Build a fort in the living room 8 MATH Daylight Savings Starts - Have children help reset the clocks. 15 SCIENCE Give each other a back rub before bedtime today 22 PLAY Play dress-up 29 MATH Look for patterns and shapes around the house. Monday 2 READ Celebrate Dr Seuss by Jumping on bubble wrap—Hop on Pop! 9 PLAY Make Ants on a Log with celery, peanut butter/cream cheese and raisins 16 PLAY Bounce balls today. It helps strengthen your eye muscles. 23 READ Puppy Day - Read a story about a dog 30 WRITE Trace each letter of the alphabet with your fingers. Tuesday 3 TALK Look over old baby pictures and tell stories about them 10 SING Sing “Happy Birthday” or the “ABCs” while washing your hands. 17 MATH Go on a Leprechaun Gold Hunt - put gold colored items in a black pot. 24 SCIENCE Use a pillowcase as a sensory bag and feel for everyday objects. 31 Wednesday 4 READ Check out a wordless picture book from the library. 11 PLAY Play tightrope walker with a string or masking tape on the floor. 18 TALK Get the mail together and talk about what was sent and by whom. 25 TALK Make pancakes together and talk about how you are doing it. Thursday 5 TALK Talk about the traffic lights - red, green, yellow - and what they mean 12 READ Read Caps for Sale and see how many hats you can balance on your head. 19 PLAY Set the table: plates, forks, spoons, knives, napkins, cups all in the right spots 26 WRITE Connect the dots to write your name Friday 6 SCIENCE Practice taking turns adding blocks to build a high tower. 13 TALK Oh-oh It’s Friday the 13th - Make your own good luck today. 20 WRITE Welcome Spring by drawing and coloring some flowers 27 SCIENCE Flashlight Play - See how many things the light will shine through. Saturday 7 PLAY Have an indoor picnic 14 Visit the Library! 21 MATH Enjoy a car book. Count the cars featured in the book. 28 Visit the Library! SING Sing “Happy Birthday” or the “ABCs” while washing your hands. Helping your child get ready you to read is easy! Ask everyone Draw a picture or Just do one each day. Ask your for Make a picture by fun activitymeet about theirchildren’s librarian write tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. a story mixing more colors favorite picture book. about a pet. Thistogether. month is brought to you by YSS member Sue Abrahamson, Children’s Librarian Waupaca Area Public Library,WI. This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association April 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This month is brought to you by YSS member Kristine Millard, Co-director & Youth Services Librarian, Lodi Woman's Club Public Library, Lodi, WI 5 WRITE Give your child a pad of paper and pencil. That’s it. 12 SING Dance the hokey pokey. 19 TALK What words rhyme with boot? 26 PLAY Play whatever game your child creates. 6 MATH How many different colors of cars are in a store’s parking lot? 13 TALK 7 SCIENCE 14 SCIENCE Talk about the kinds of birds visiting your backyard. 20 21 Listen to an audiobook from the library’s downloadable collection. 27 MATH Count the cupboard doors in your kitchen. How many are the same size? 1 PLAY Attend a free concert. What kinds of instruments do you see and hear? 8 PLAY Go for a nature walk. Turn it into a scavenger hunt. Talk about how people took pictures when you were a child compared to now. READ Wednesday PLAY Turn on music while drawing or painting. 28 READ Ask your librarian for a rhyming book. Play dress up. 15 PLAY Use toys to tell a story. 22 SCIENCE Look for similarities and differences in flowers in your garden or at the park. 29 PLAY Blow bubbles. Does it work better on a windy day? Thursday 2 MATH Tap the syllables of your name. 9 SING Sing Five Green and Speckled Frogs. 16 SCIENCE Compare unpopped corn and popped corn. 23 WRITE Let your child wipe the table after dinner to help build the muscles needed for cursive writing. 30 Friday 3 SING 4 READ Check out a music CD from the library. Attend library storytime. 10 11 READ Check out whichever book your child chooses at the library. 17 WRITE Put labels on common items in your house, i.e. chair, window, etc. 24 TALK Talk about your schedule for the day. SING Tap out a rhythm with a spoon and pan. Have your child follow your pattern. Saturday This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association Visit the Library! 18 MATH Let your child help you cook. They’ll learn the basics of measurement, estimation, and counting. 25 Visit the Library! May 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 1 Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association 3 SING 4 TALK 5 MATH 6 PLAY READ Look at the cover/ title of a picture book. Predict what it will be about then read it. Was it what you expected or not?. This month is brought to you by YSS member Sara Cournoyer, Assistant Director & Children’s Librarian, Horicon Public Library, WI. 7 SCIENCE 8 Saturday MATH 2 WRITE Use your finger to write letters on your child’s back. Let them guess the letter. 9 . Sing “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Now sing it with la, la, la or other sounds instead of words. 10 TALK Name the types of dishes and silverware as you put them away. 17 TALK Tell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 24/31 MATH Count fingers and toes. How many on each hand? Foot? All together? Fold a bookmark in half and make a number pad on it. Make a ringtone sound for the “phone”. Take turns answering it 11 PLAY Take a blanket outside and have a picnic. 18 SCIENCE Put household objects in a bag. See if you can name them from the way they feel. 25 PLAY Make shadow puppets on the wall. Or go outside and shadow dance on the sidewalk. Use sidewalk chalk to make a hopscotch course. Fill it in with the numbers 1-10. 12 ART Make salt dough with ½ C salt, 1 C flour, and ½ C water. Add food coloring if you want. 19 READ Read nursery rhymes aloud. 26 SING Sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Repeat it with other ways to row besides gently like wildly, quickly, slowly. Take turns hiding objects and use “hot or cold” to find them. 13 WRITE Make a book. Let your child dictate a story to you and then let them illustrate it. 20 PLAY Play rock, paper, scissors together. 27 PLAY Play Leaf Tic Tac Toe. Use different types of leaves instead of X’s and O’s. Make oobleck with 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part water. Mix it up. Is it a liquid or a solid? 14 MATH Read signs aloud as you go by them. 15 PLAY Play restaurant. Count bugs, flowers, and birds. 21 TALK Take a walk and talk about all the things you see. 28 ART Make doodles. Tell stories about them. 22 ART Visit the Library! 16 SING Check out a music CD from your library and sing along with it. 23 Paint rocks with water. Visit the Library! 29 30 READ Choose a wordless picture book like Flotsam or Journey and narrate the story. TALK At bath time, name the parts of the body as you wash them. June 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday 1 This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association 7 SCIENCE Try a science experiment: Take a magnet from the fridge and see what else it will stick to. 14 SCIENCE READ Tuesday 2 WRITE Read to your child every day. Make this a special time when the two of you can cuddle close. Have child draw a picture of themselves when they feel happy, mad, excited, silly, etc. Help your child name and identify feelings. 8 9 WRITE Write the first letter of your name, then turn it into a picture! 15 PLAY READ Take a look at the construction vehicles around the community and read a non-fiction book about them. 16 WRITE Wednesday 3 READ 11 TALK Look at an animal book and talk about the sounds each animal makes. 17 TALK After an outing to the park, ask your child what they liked best about the excursion. What was their least favorite? 21 22 23 24 June 21st is the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. Talk about what happens in the summer. 28 READ Point out the first letter in your child’s name. Now help your child notice that letter as you are out and about during the day. Use sidewalk chalk to practice letters or shapes outside. 29 WRITE Practice making letters in the sandbox with sticks. Bring bathtub books outside to read in the pool or by the sprinkler. 30 PLAY Build a fort out of blankets and chairs or a couch. Pretend to be animals living in a cave. Friday 5 10 Before you go to the grocery store, make a list and have your child make his or her own, whether they can write real words or just scribble. READ SING Sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and then think of other actions you can try (i.e. "Rock, Rock, Rock Your Boat") Create something out of cardboard – a house, a car, a robot. WRITE 4 Read a story to a favorite doll or stuffed animal. Blow bubbles and talk about size, shape, the colors inside the bubbles, and more! TALK Thursday SING MATH Practice shapes -- go on a scavenger hunt for things that are circular! 12 MATH Choose a song and practice singing it in different ways – fast/slow, loud/soft, using a deep voice and a high voice. Use items from nature like rocks, sticks and leaves and have your child sort them by size, shape, color, or other features. 18 19 SING Sing “The Wheels on the Bus” together, with all the motions, as you are driving or riding a bus to a daily destination. 25 SING Sing a silly song, describing what you do in the morning. Any tune will do! MATH Write out each number from 1 – 9. Then, have your child choose a number and do that many jumping jacks or hops or arm circles. 26 READ Share wordless picture books with your child and let him/her tell you the story! Saturday 6 PLAY Find spoons, pots, pans, and other kitchen tools and make music! 13 Visit the Library! 20 PLAY Use measuring spoons and cups to play in the water. 27 Visit the Library! TALK Share a version of The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, or The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Have your child say the repeated phrases to you. Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This month is brought to you by the Youth Services Staff of the Madison Public Library. July 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 1 Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This month is brought to you by YSS member Sharyn Heili, Youth Services Librarian Marathon County Public Library, Wausau WI 5 SING It’s National Ice Cream Month. Eat some ice cream and sing/say several times:” Ice Cream, you Scream, we all scream for Ice Cream”. 12 TALK Ask your child to find different colors in the room you’re in or outside. 19 SCIENCE Look at the clouds in the sky and talk about the shapes they make. 26 READ Point out words on signs to your child as you travel about town. 6 TALK At the grocery store, talk about what is on your list and what you will be buying. 13 READ Act out a silly, madeup story with your child. 20 WRITE Have your child trace foam or magnetic letters on a piece of paper and talk about the letters they form 27 SCIENCE Read a non-fiction book on the solar system; go outside at night in “jammies” and talk about stars, the moon and planets. 7 MATH Print out some number dot-to-dot activities for your child to complete. 14 SING After a day of running errands with your child, make up a song and sing about the places you have been. 21 PLAY Ask your child to sort their toys by shape, color and size. 28 MATH Visit a local animal shelter and count the cats and/or dogs that you see with your child. Make the sounds of the animals. LIBRARY Visit the Library and sign up for the free Summer Reading Club. 8 READ Check out a story kit from the library; read and act out the stories. 15 WRITE Ask your child to draw a picture of a scene from a book or a favorite character. 22 TALK Make cookies with your child and talk about the different ingredients in the recipe and measurements. 29 PLAY Blow bubbles outside with your child and try to make the most, the biggest, the highest floating, the silliestlooking bubbles. Thursday 2 READ Play with foam letters in the swimming pool or bathtub and talk about the letters and words. 9 WRITE Using sidewalk chalk, have your child write words or letters on the driveway or write letters and ask them to tell you what they are. 16 TALK Ask your child to tell you a story. Use a wordless picture book if desired to get conversation going. 23 READ Take your child to story time at the library or to a library program. 30 SING Sing the Farmer in the Dell and ask your child to sing all the animal sounds. Friday 3 WRITE Write “I love You” in the sand with your child and talk about the letters that form the words. Ask your child to trace the letters. 10 SING Make up a repetitive, goofy song and sing it with your child. 17 MATH It’s National Blueberry Month; buy blueberries and count them with your child before you wash and eat them. 24 PLAY Have your child make a bracelet with pipe cleaners and cheerios. 31 Saturday 4 MATH On a family trip ask your child to count all the cars carrying boats. 11 Visit the Library! 18 READ Tell your child a story of when you were a child. Follow with pictures of you and your family if you have some. 25 Visit the Library! TALK Make up silly rhymes and repeat them with your child. This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association August 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday PLAY 1 Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association This month is brought to you by the Youth Services Staff at the Whitefish Bay Public Library 2 SCIENCE 3 WRITE 4 READ Go outside and blow bubbles. Try using different tools, like wands and straws. See who can make the biggest bubble before it pops! Create your own alphabet tracing sheets. Create the letters using dots and have the child trace each letter. Read a book featuring a special dish or recipe and make it together. Try BeeBim Bop! by Linda Sue Park! 9 10 11 WRITE MATH Making a trip to the grocery store? Write up a list together. Draw the items too. Go bowling at home! Use plastic bottles for the pins and a large, soft ball. Count the pins standing up and the pins that are down. 16 17 MATH Practice counting using candy pieces (make sure not to eat them all!) 23 SCIENCE WRITE Practice writing your name in sand. You can do this either at the beach or at home on a tray. 24 WRITE Fill a glass of water and add materials such as leaves and rocks. What happens to the items in the water? Do they float or sink? Write your name on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk. Make each letter a different color. 30 31 PLAY Make a tower out of empty cereal boxes. Count them as you stack and then knock them all down! SCIENCE Bring a bowl of ice cubes outside and observe what happens. Talk about how the ice changes. READ Read a book about your favorite animal. See if you can learn a new fact! 18 READ Read a book that rhymes! 25 READ Read a book about school! 5 TALK Take a walk and talk about the street signs that you see. What do they say? What do they mean? 12 TALK Play market/store. Set up items for sale and go shopping! 6 SING 7 MATH Sing a song with your child's name in it. In the song Muffin Man, replace "muffin man" with child's name and replace "Drury Lane" with your street name. Practice counting by playing hopscotch. How high can you count? Make your hopscotch go as high as you like. 13 14 SING SCIENCE Talk about your favorite story. What is your favorite part? Go outside and jump rope. Make up a jumping rhyme/song as you go along! Get out the paints and mix the red, yellow, and blue. What colors can you make? What happens when you add white paint? Or black paint? 19 20 21 TALK Talk about your favorite activities to do outside. Then discuss your favorite activities to do inside. 26 TALK Talk about the fun you’ve had this summer. What did you do? Where did you go? SING Sing a favorite song in a silly way. Make the “itsy-bitsy spider” the “great big spider” and change your movements. 27 SING Sing "Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun". Make your arms round like the sun. 8 Visit the Library! 15 PLAY SCIENCE Find a grassy spot either in your backyard or in a park. Talk about how the grass feels: cool, crunchy, squishy? Look closely— what else do you see? PLAY Play hide and seek! The one with the best hiding place wins! 22 Have a dance party! 28 PLAY Visit the Library! 29 PLAY Create an outdoor scavenger hunt. Choose items that you normally see in nature. September 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday 1 This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association 6 PLAY Bowl at home using empty plastic bottles and a small rubber ball. 13 TALK Call grandma and grandpa and wish them a happy grandparent’s day 20 27 Be a letter detective and find certain letters in books, newspapers, etc. Use a magnifying glass for fun! 7 WRITE Have your child mold letters out of play dough or clay to practice shaping the letters of the alphabet. TALK Talk about the day’s events before going to bed. 14 SCIENCE Drop vinegar tinted with food coloring into a pan filled with baking soda. Fizzy Fun! PLAY Put an object in your hand and have child guess which hand it’s in. READ 21 Create a seek and find jar with rice or sand and then add larger objects to find. 28 PLAY Hide an object and then give directions on where to find it. Ex. 3 steps forward, turn right, 5 more steps, etc. 8 WRITE Make a dot to dot outline of letters then have kids trace them. 15 READ Create a royal reading crown to wear the next time you read a prince or princess story. 22 TALK Look at family photo albums and talk about what is happening in the pictures. 29 READ Have your child say as many words as they can that rhyme with a certain word. Wednesday 2 WRITE Write your name on the sidewalk with a paintbrush and water. 9 READ Make an alphabet book using pictures from magazines. 16 SCIENCE Make a name puzzle. Write child’s name, cut each letter apart, mix up and then put together. 23 WRITE Make letters using cereal, noodles, marshmallows, etc. 30 Thursday 3 SING Sing the ABC’s then sing them squeaky like a mouse, like you have a cold (plug your nose), like a monster, etc. 10 MATH Sort socks by color or size. 17 SING Sing head, shoulders, knees and toes. 24 MATH Make a paper chain to count down the days to a special event or holiday. Friday 4 MATH Count school buses on your next outing. 11 SING Sing the story A Soup Opera by Jim Gill in honor of classical music month. 18 MATH Count how many letters are in your child’s name. 25 TALK Have your child “read” their favorite book to you. Saturday 5 PLAY Thread pipe cleaners through the holes in a colander (fine motor) 12 Visit the Library! 19 TALK Arrr me hearties, it’s national Talk Like a Pirate day so talk like a pirate today! 26 Visit the Library! SCIENCE Go on a “tiny” nature walk with an egg carton. Find small things that will fit in the carton. Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This month is brought to you by YSS member Jodi Bird, Youth Services Department Manager, Menomonie Public LibraryWI October 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 1 This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association 4 PLAY Play hide-and-seek or peek-a-boo with your child. 11 SCIENCE Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This month is brought to you by the Youth Services Staff at Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI 5 WRITE Play with play dough. This is a fun way to develop small muscles in the hands which will make it easier for your child to write. 12 PLAY 6 READ 15 16 19 20 READ Sing the alphabet song using the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Now try singing the alphabet song to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Visit a pumpkin patch. Talk about the pumpkins and how they grow. Share a book with your child, but instead of reading the words, talk about the pictures. Give your child a chance to talk, or babble, about the book, too. 25 26 27 Create a fall nature box. Gather nuts, seeds, leaves and other things you find in the fall. Explore the items up close. Talk about why we find these items in the fall. Play “I Spy” with shapes. How many different shapes can you find? 10 MATH 14 18 WRITE 9 SING 13 READ Share a wordless picture book together. Talk about what you see in the pictures. TALK Leaves are falling all around. How many words can you think of that start with the "L" sound? 21 TALK Make a ramp out of cardboard and race different sized balls down the ramp. Try cars, eggs etc. and talk about which ones rolled faster and further. 28 TALK Talk about the signs you see as you are driving around. PLAY 8 Read the book Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins. Count how many overlapping qualities the "creatures" in your family have. READ 3 Play “Autumn I Spy” today. Point out squash, pumpkins, and scarecrows. Borrow a music cd from the library, maybe a type of music you don’t normally choose, and play it during dinner. Read an informational book about autumn. SCIENCE MATH Bake cookies together and talk about measuring the ingredients. Count the number of cookies you made. Now count the cookies left after you eat some! Make faces in the mirror together and talk about the feelings that go with the face. Gather leaves that have fallen and make a picture with them. SCIENCE TALK 2 Saturday Read Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky. Talk about hibernation. Bears hibernate, but some animals such as squirrels are busy sorting food for the winter. Children love to make animal sounds. Find a book or magazine with animal pictures. Identify the animals and imitate the sounds they make. Go on a fall nature walk and collect natural items that you see. Talk about how living things need air, water, food, and about how living things move. SING 7 READ Friday SING MATH Sing to the tune of "London Bridges:” All the leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down! All the leaves are falling down, my dear baby! Go on a leaf walk and collect leaves of different colors. Lay the leaves on the ground in rows of similar color to make a bar graph of the colors of the leaves. 22 23 SCIENCE Collect different shaped leaves. Help your child trace and color them. Talk about how the leaves change from green to brown, orange and red during fall. 29 SING Make a kitchen band using pots and pans, spoons, pasta or rice in plastic food containers, etc. Sing and play along to a favorite song. 30 Visit the Library! 17 MATH Make homemade play dough. Talk about how the different ingredients come together to make this fun material. PLAY Build with blocks. If you don’t have toy blocks, stack plastic food containers or cardboard boxes and other recyclables. WRITE Do fingerplays like Where is Thumbkin and The Itsy Bitsy Spider in order to strengthen muscles in tiny fingers that will eventually learn to hold a pencil and write. PLAY 24 MATH Take a walk outside. Count how many pumpkins you see. 31 Visit the Library! November 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday 1 SING Sing your favorite bedtime song! 8 MATH Can you make a pattern with your toys? Use color or size to sort them into groups? 15 WRITE Use pudding or whipped cream as finger paints and let your child create a masterpiece. 22 TALK Ask your child about their favorite part of the day today. 29 PLAY Play the “freeze game” – put on music you can make stop, when it does, everyone freeze. Monday 2 MATH Line up your stuffed animals from smallest to largest. 9 WRITE Write the names of your family members using magnetic letters 16 SING Put on some music and move around – dance, clap or stomp your feet. 23 PLAY Play the “freeze game” – put on music you can make stop, when it does, everyone freeze. 30 Tuesday 3 READ Read some Mother Goose rhymes together. What are your favorites? 10 TALK The weather is changing. Go outside and talk about what you see and hear. 17 SCIENCE Make predictions about what will happen next as you go about your day. 24 SCIENCE Bake something together. Go over all the recipe steps as you do them. Wednesday 4 WRITE Are you thankful for anyone? Write a letter or draw a picture for them. 11 PLAY Play a silly word game today – make up nonsense words that rhyme with real words. 18 TALK Pretend that you are taking a trip. Where will you go? What can you bring? What will you see? 25 SING Sing your favorite children’s song, putting your child’s name into the words of the song. Thursday 5 PLAY Make some homemade play dough. What can you make with it? 12 MATH Share a snack. Count out how many pieces each person gets. 19 READ Pick up that favorite book and read it again. Talk only about the pictures in the story. 26 MATH Play with cups and bowls in the bathtub to explore volume. Pour water into various container sizes. Friday 6 TALK What are you thankful for? Talk about it together. 13 SING Make up new words to your favorite children’s tune 20 MATH Make a paper turkey. How many feathers can you give him? Count them. 27 READ Read to your child using funny voices. Ham it up as much as possible! Saturday 7 READ Read a book about the seasons. 14 Visit the Library! 21 WRITE Cut letters out of sandpaper or another textured surface and have your child trace them with fingers. 28 Visit the Library! READ Act out your favorite book. Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for . in your child. more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills This month is brought to you by YSS member Monica LaVold, Youth Services Librarian, River Falls Public Library, WI This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association December 2015 Early Literacy Calendar Sunday Monday Helping your child get ready to read is easy! Just do one fun activity each day. Ask your children’s librarian for more tips and ideas to promote pre-reading skills in your child. This month is brought to you by YSS member Dawn Foster, Youth Services Librarian at the Portage Public Library 6 WRITE What letter does your name begin with? Write your name! 13 SING Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” Look for stars in the sky when you go to bed! 20 MATH Look at the calendar. Can you count to 20? 27 READ Read the board book “Little Critter Shapes” by Mercer Mayer. 7 READ Read “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats. 14 TALK Raccoon works to keep his library open in “Our Library” by Eve Bunting. Can you name another animal that starts with “R?” 21 SING Sing “Old MacDonald Had A Farm” 28 TALK Look for shapes in your home. Can you name them? Tuesday Wednesday 1 READ Celebrate Jan Brett’s Birthday by reading “The Mitten” 2 8 9 SCIENCE Take a walk outside. Can you make footprints like Peter in “The Snowy Day?” 15 MATH MATH Count all the animals in “The Mitten” TALK Tell a story about snow falling at night. 16 READ Stack empty boxes. Can you make a tower taller than you? Books, Books, Everywhere. What is your favorite book? 22 23 WRITE Make a birthday card for Caldecott winner Jerry Pinkney! 29 WRITE Draw a picture using shapes. READ Read “The Lion & The Mouse.” Can you roar like a lion? 30 SING Sing “Happy Birthday” to Mercer Mayer! Thursday 3 TALK Friday 4 TALK Say aloud: “Thumbs in the thumb place. Fingers all together. This is the song we sing in mitten weather!” Put fingers together & trace on paper. Does it look like a mitten? Tell a story about your mitten. 10 11 SCIENCE Make a snowball and bring it inside. How long does it take to melt? 17 SING Sing your ABCs softly. Sing your ABCs loudly! 24 PLAY Pretend you are a mouse. Can you squeak? Can you make yourself small? 31 MATH 5 Visit the Library! 12 WRITE Look around your house. How many green things can you find? Using a white crayon, draw snowflakes on black construction paper. 18 19 WRITE Draw a picture of your favorite animal. 25 MATH Keep track of how many cookies you eat today! PLAY Make a snow angel! Saturday This is a project of the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association TALK “Eve Bunting’s birthday is today! Count 1, 2, 3, Hurray!” You made a rhyme! 26 Visit the Library!
© Copyright 2024