Literacy tip of the day: Just like Fuzzy llama the toy Llama has in the book -Llama Llama gram and grandpa, your child must have a special toy she/he is strongly attached to. Have a conversation with the child about the toy and ask her/him why the toy is so special to them.

Children’s book of the day: llama llama gram and grandpaby Anna Dewdney 

Where to get this book:  https://www.walmart.com

Summary of the book: Llama’s mama takes Llama for a night out to his grandmother and grandfather’s home. Llama is excited and sad to be away from his home and his best toy, Fuzzy. 

Theme of the book: Spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. 

Lesson for the book of the day: 1. Do an interactive read aloud of llama llama gram and grandpa.

1. Do sound and pattern sort using the words from the book. Follow the example shown below. 

SORT BY RHYME AND PATTERN: All words belong to the book and provide a context. 

DAY        TIGHT       CAR        SNACK              FRAME 

STAY       NIGHT      FAR       UNPACK             SAME 

BOOK     SIDE        CHAIR     READY              BED 

HOOK    RIDE        THERE      STEADY            INSTEAD 

BRUSH   QUIVER   BOY         OLD                  HUG 

HIUSH   SHIVER     TOY        HOLD                SNUG  

Please note: Children might not get all right but this is just an exercise to begin to sort and introduce rhyme.

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan. The child can revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fuxtd1r2R6E

Literacy tip of the day: The parent selects and draw scenes from the book together with the child. Once drawn ask the child to retell the story from the scenes selected. 

Children’s Book of the day: My all-time favorite alphabet book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boomby Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault 

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com

Summary of the book: A lively rhythmic alphabet book where alphabets race each other to the top of a coconut tree.

Theme of the book: Learning alphabets in a fun way.

Lesson for the book of the day: Do an interactive read aloud of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom  

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan. The child can revisit the book on YouTube using the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdrTXRD090U

Literacy tip of the day: It is important to expose children to both narrative and expository books. The Very Lonely Firefly is a picture book. Do relate the book to experience of seeing fireflies during dusk time now (July-August). 

Book of the day: The Very Lonely Fireflyby Eric Carle.  

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com

Summary of the book: A lonely firefly travels and meets different lighted objects such as a bulb, lantern, a cat, a dog in search of a like companion. 

Theme of the book: Finding a companion.

Lesson Plan: Do an interactive read aloud for the child and invite the child with a before and after discussion. 

Before reading the bookstart a conversation with the child using the following questions:

1. Have you ever seen fireflies?

2. Do you like them? Why/why not?

3. What kind of a sound do they make?

After reading the book:

1. Ask the child to draw and color a picture of the firefly.

2. Use play-doh and make a color firefly with the child. 

3. Write the word -firefly and a sentence or two if inclined 

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XrPyF4Mpl4

Literacy tip of the day: To help children identify with the character, help them enact the major scene (often repeated) done by the main character, Lilly. Children love to dress up as a flower girl and practice for becoming one as Lilly does in the book. 

At home in her room, Lilly practiced being a flower girl.

First she changed into something more appropriate.

Then she held her head high 

And smiled brightly

And raised her eyebrows 

And turned her head from side to side 

And carried her hands proudly in front of her

And hummed “Here Comes the Bride”

And walked the length of her room very, very slowly.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. 

Book of the day: Lilly’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes 

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com

Summary of the book: Lilly, the main character of the book desires to be a flower girl when her teacher, Mr. Slinger is getting married. However, Mr. Slinger choses his niece, Ginger to be the flower girl and Lilly to be her assistant. On the wedding day, Ginger freezes and Lilly takes over and helps her to complete the ceremony. 

Theme of the book: Believe in your plan and it will be a success. 

Lesson Plan:Do an interactive read aloud for the child and invite the child with a before and after discussion. 

With the child draw a chosen scene from the book which children love to draw.  

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfB_nx8RZg0

Literacy Tip of the Day: Chrysanthemum is a great book which addresses the topic of bullying and negative behaviors by children towards each other. Here is a chance to combine literacy with recommendations of how to solve these behaviors. 

Book of the day: Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com

Summary of the book: Chrysanthemum is a little mouse who has a long name and loves it before she goes to school and her classmates bully her because of her name’s length. However, all changes when Mrs. Twinkle, the music teacher comes to school and all children love her.

Theme of the book: Student’s self-acceptance of her name and herself.

Lesson Plan: Do an interactive read aloud for the child and invite the child with a before and after discussion. 

Word Work – Short lesson in Syllables 

Children count the number of syllables in their names by clapping their hands.

Chry + san+the+ mum (4 syllables)  

Reading and Writing Connections- Help the students to draw a picture of a chrysanthemum or help them write their name and see if it will fit on a name tag. Make sure you write down the name or draw with the child as at this stage children are unable to write independently.

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmiFyvqPY0A

Literacy tip of the day: Help students take the learning to a deeper level.

Book of the day: Owen by Kevin Henkes

Summary of the book: Owen displays a possessive behavior as he refuses to let go of his fuzzy blanket. His parents implement a number of strategies suggested by Mrs. Tweezer but to no avail. It is when Owen mother devises a clever plan of turning his blanket into hankerchefs that she solves the problem of Owen taking the fuzzy hankerchef to school.

Theme of the book: Teaching children to grow up and not being attached to their baby possessions.

Lesson plan: Do an interactive read aloud of the book.

Story Map Form 

Story Mapping 

Name: 

Book Title: 

 The Setting 

 The Characters 

 The Problem 

The Solution   

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL0y9bOaQ24

Literacy tip of the day: Learn how to write using emotions. The book chosen for today offers excellent examples of this. 

Book of the day: The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! by Mo Willems.  

Image courtesy Google

Summary of the book: This award winning book is a fun book in which the driver wants the pigeon to show is happy face. Pigeon is offended because he always has to follow directions. 

Theme of the book:  Feelings 

Lesson Plan: Do an interactive read aloud of the book. 

Help students make Text Connections -Self, Text, World.

Text to self– Here the child makes connections to the text such as the feelings they have during a particular situation. For self, when children are told to say sorry for something they have done wrong. 

Text to Text– This might be difficult for little ones but you could tell them about a book which is similar such as Chrysanthemum which is focused on feelings. 

Text to world- Talk about situations in the world which connect to this. Recently, when a severe thunderstorm came and broke a sparrow’s nest in the neighborhood then the bird could be seen searching here and there heartbroken.  

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6knhnJlKJlA

Literacy tip of the day: Help children to make reading-writing connections. 

Book of the day: A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (available in number of languages).

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com

Summary of the book: Traces the life cycle of a caterpillar to a butterfly in a fun and interesting way. Th book is also classified as a toy book. 

Theme of the book: Adaptation to life.

Leeson Plan: Do an interactive read aloud of the book. Help students learn 1-10 counting as well. Try and read this book at the beginning of the week and have students write down what they had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The parents can write down what the child says or the child can write down if he/she is able to do. At the end of the end, the child has a book with breakfast and lunch ideas provided by the child. 

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXHScpo_Vv8

Literacy tip of the day: Teaching students that illustrations and text go hand in hand always. 

Book of the day: Lucy’s Light

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com

Summary of the book:  Lucy’s Light is a story of a very young firefly learning to fly in the night shinning her own light. She gets intimidated by Moon’s light and finds it difficult to accept her tiny light could contribute to spread light in the night. She overcomes this fear when her Grandma helps her understand that Moon’s light is borrowed from the Sun and is not a constant. 

Theme of the book: Everyone has something unique to contribute. 

Lesson Plan: Do an interactive read aloud of the book.

B Who are the characters? What is the setting? Get the Reader’s Attention

Beginning.  

M. What happens to the characters?

Middle  Problem 

Learn more about the characters 

E  Happy Endings 

Endings  Solutions 

Closure 

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4BUdNJ1VI

Literacy Tip of the day: After reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear What do you hear? Invite children to select an animal not mentioned in the book and imitate the sound the animal makes such as a Geese – Geese, Geese, What do you hear? I hear the parrots screeching in the trees. 

Book of the day: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear? 

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com/

Summary of the book 

The book helps toddlers identify wild animals and associate them with the sounds they produce. The following animals figure prominently a polar bear, a lion, a hippopotamus, a flamingo, a zebra, a boa constrictor, an elephant, a leopard, a peacock, a walrus, a zoo keeper and a few children.

Theme of the book 

Wild animals and the sounds they produce.

Plan for the book after doing an interactive read aloud

WORD MAP 

Bullying:

http://sedona.excentricworld.com/fse/the-big-picture/bullying-animal-kingdom/  

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehoGdGokXfc

 Literacy Tip of the Day:  Keep a box of blueberries nearby for children to munch on and help them research a few facts about blueberries before you do an interactive read aloud of this book. 

Book of the day: Blueberries for Sal 

Where to get this book: https://www.amazon.com

Summary of the book: The picture book is about how Sal and his mother go out to the blueberry hill to gather and store blueberries for Winter. The bear cub and his mother venture out to do the same on the other side of the hill.

Theme of the book: Gathering blueberries and storing them for Winter.

Plan for the book after doing an interactive read aloud

Using a Venn diagram, draw similarities and differences between what Sal and her mother did and what the bear and his baby did. 

Visual Experience: Once the child has read the book and you have been able to go through the lesson plan, please have the child revisit the book on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_NyXgQaDX4