Support the success of every child and their family through quality early education and care. Enjoy the books and the activities chosen for this edition to support your child’s early literacy skills.
Winter
by Roger Priddy
Infants soak up sensory opportunities, and this book is one of them. Each page has a special texture to feel and bright colors to look at during your infant’s experience. These sweet pages of winter items are just what an infant desires.
Activity: While reading and describing the book to your infant, remember to wait and listen to when your infant babbles and makes noises. Acknowledge your infant and respond with conversation. When you respond this way, it helps your infant learn conversation patterns. Describe each item on the page your infant seems interested in. Discuss in detail the colors, shapes, and feelings each page has to offer.
Winter Dance
by Marion Dane Bauer
This charming story reveals what each forest creature does to get ready for the cold winter. Meet squirrels, geese, and more enchanting woodland friends as fox tries to find his place in the forest. The peaceful story ends with fox realizing that winter is his element. This sends fox into a sweet dance to celebrate the seasonal change.
Activity: Find pictures of the animals in the story. Ask your child to create their own impression of how each animal would dance. Perhaps create your own dance moves! Follow your child’s lead. Let them show you one move at a time and copy each move they make. Then take turns leading and following. Finally, see if you both can dance the same dance together.
It Never, Ever Snows in Florida
by Amy Sweezey
Living in Florida during the winter is rough! It never, ever snows in Florida, or does it? All AJ wants is to see snow, but his mom, a meteorologist, told AJ that snow does fall in Florida. It is just extremely rare.
Activity: On your next trip to the beach, grab some sand. Ask your child how they could make sand cold. Suggest putting the sand in the freezer. Will the sand freeze? What would happen if water was added to the sand? Place one bucket of sand without water and one bucket of sand with water in the freezer overnight. While you wait, ask your child what they think will happen and why they came to that conclusion. Have your child draw a picture of what they think will happen. The next day, check to see if their prediction was correct. What makes water freeze? Is sand the same as snow?
