Oral Language

Allow your child to explore the pictures on the front cover, back cover and the pages within the book. This is a great opportunity for predictions and discussion about what your child observes as he looks at the pictures. Encourage him to lead the conversation as you take turns listening and responding to his thoughts and ideas.

Oral Language

One way to increase your child’s vocabulary is to introduce him to new words. As you read the story, pay attention to any words that may be unfamiliar: pebbles, leaped, quarreled. Choose words that are easy for your child to understand. Describe the words and support him as he attempts to use these new words in conversations throughout the day.

As you read, be sure to discuss the frogs’ emotions throughout the story and allow your child to make personal connections to those emotions. Use open-ended questions and encourage your child to respond with multiple sentences. You might say:

“Tell me about a time you were scared. What makes you feel safe? How did the frogs feel by the end of the story?”

Beginning Writing

To increase your child’s interest in writing, allow him to experiment with a variety of writing tools and surfaces as he draws a picture about his favorite part of the story. Encourage him to describe the details of his drawing as you record his thoughts and ideas with words. Be sure to praise and celebrate his attempts to create a confident writer.

Phonological Awareness

During your second reading of the book, play with the onsets and rimes of simple, single-syllable words (frog, worm, pond, rock and toad) to help your child experiment with sounds in language. As you approach each word in the story, separate the onset and rime, say the parts slowly and encourage him to guess the word. You might say:

“‘Stay out of the /p/ … ond!’ yelled Milton. What’s the word? Pond!

Milton ran off with a large /w/ … orm. What’s the word? Worm!”

Explore more recommended children's books and at-home reading activities for three-year-olds, or take the Reading BrightStart! Preschool Reading Screener. The screener can help you determine if your child is on the path to reading readiness and provides a free plan for moving forward.