Does Your Kindergartner Struggle with Beginning Reading Skills?
Ball Begins With B!
The Cow That Went OINK
This appealing childhood classic is a sequel to the original tale, Corduroy. The author, Don Freeman, takes readers into a neighborhood laundromat where Lisa's mother tells her to take everything out of her pockets before washing. That’s when Corduroy realizes he does not have any pockets. The adventure begins as he gets lost in the laundromat while searching for pockets of his own!
Oral Language
If you and your child have previously read the original Corduroy story, review the characters, plot and storyline. Tell your child the name of this sequel story and see if she can make a prediction as to what the story might be about. You might talk about clothing your child has that includes pockets. See if she can tell you what she uses the pockets for. If you and your child are wearing clothes with pockets, locate and count the number of pockets.
Oral Language
Look at the illustration on the first page of the story. Ask your child if she can tell where Lisa and her mother are going by looking at the picture. Talk about the purpose of a laundromat and the kinds of things she might see in a laundromat.
Read the story and talk about the illustrations on each page. Ask your child to predict what she thinks might happen next as you move through the story. For example, say:
“Corduroy just realized he doesn’t have a pocket. I wonder what he will do next. What do you think?”
“Oh no! Corduroy is climbing inside the laundry bag. What do you think will happen next?”
Ask your child to retell the story. After you have finished reading the story, give the book to your child. See if she can retell the story as she reviews the illustrations on each page.
Phonological Awareness
Create a pocket by sewing together the side edges of a piece of fabric or felt. Another way to create a pocket is to let your child color an envelope with crayons or markers. Cut out five to six pictures of things that begin with the /p/ sound (e.g., puppy, pig, pool, pin) and three or four things that begin with a sound other than /p/. Tell your child that pocket begins with the /p/ sound and that she can put the pictures that start with the /p/ sound inside the pocket. You might say:
“This is a picture of a puppy. Does puppy start with the /p/ sound? Yes, it does! Put the /p/ /p/ puppy in the /p/ /p/ pocket.”
“This is a picture of a car. Does car start with /p/? No, it doesn’t. So it will not go in the pocket.”
Explore more easy at-home activities designed to build pre-reading skills in your 4-year-old, 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.