Oral Language

Introduce the title of the book, the name of the authors and the illustrator. For example:

“The title of the book is Here Are My Hands. This book has two authors; two people wrote the words. Their names are Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault. The illustrator, the person who created the pictures, is Ted Rand.”

Turn to the back cover and talk about the picture. You might say:

“Let’s look on the back cover of the book. What are the boys and girls showing us? They are showing us their hands. Here are my hands. Show me your hands.”

Phonological Awareness

Use this book to bring attention to rhyming words. As you come across two words that rhyme, say the first word and see if your child can guess the word that rhymes. If not, that is okay: repeat them for your child and keep on reading. For example:

“Here is my head for thinking and knowing. Here is my nose for smelling and blowing. I hear words that sound the same. Knowing rhymes with blowing. Say them with me: knowing, blowing; knowing, blowing; knowing, blowing.”

Beginning Writing

Encourage your child to use his hands to draw a self-portrait. Gather crayons, paper and perhaps a mirror. On your child’s paper, draw a large circle and then ask your child to look in the mirror and see what parts are missing. For example:

“Look in the mirror. What do you see? Show me how you can draw a picture of your face.”

So what if it doesn’t look like your child, or even a person, for that matter? That’s ok! Remember that it is not the end product but the process your child goes through that is most important. Children gain confidence and build self-esteem when they have positive experiences and their attempts are acknowledged and praised. So hang up that work of art where all can see!

Letter Knowledge

Play a matching game with the letter H. Trace one of your child’s hands on paper and cut it out. Write the uppercase letter H on the handprint. Look at the title of the book and show the letter H to your child. Ask your child to hold up his hand if you touch a letter that looks like H.

More to Do

Use movement and finger plays to build phonological awareness skills while learning about body parts. Try singing active songs that involve more body parts such as Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, or get the whole body moving with the old-time favorite Hokey Pokey.    

Sing the song Open, Shut Them and move your hands.

“Open, shut them. Open, shut them. Give a little clap.

Open, shut them. Open, shut them. Lay them in your lap.

Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them, right up to your chin.

Open wide your little mouth but ... do not let them in!”

Find more easy at-home activities for two-year-olds, or explore more books to read with your two-year-old.