Cats and Dogs

Today’s early literacy skill is print motivation, or a child's interest in and enjoyment of books.

Tip: Pick out books on topics your child is interested in, such as cats, dogs, dinosaurs, trucks, etc.

Opening Song: Welcome, Welcome Everyone

(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Welcome welcome everyone,

Now you're here we'll have some fun.

First we'll clap our hands just so.

Then we'll bend and touch our toes.

Welcome, welcome everyone,

Now you're here we'll have some fun.

Book: Pete the Cat:  I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

As he walks down the street, Pete the cat sings about his brand new white shoes as they change from red to blue to brown to wet.

Aside: Check out YouTube for a great video of the author reading and singing this book aloud to a group of families.

Action Rhyme: I Have Ten Fingers

I have ten fingers.

They all belong to me.

I can make them do things.

Would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight.

I can open them wide.

I can put them on my head.

I can put them at my side.

I can raise them up high.

I can put them down low.

I can set them in my lap,

And fold them just so.

Book: A Cat and A Dog by Claire Masurel and Bob Kolar
A cat and a dog are enemies until a crisis brings them together as friends.

Action Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

v.1 Clap your hands

v.2 Stomp your feet

v.3 Turn around

v.4 Jump up and down

v.5 Shout hooray

Book: Where's Spot by Eric Hill

A mother dog finds eight other animals hiding around the house before finding her lost puppy. Flaps conceal the animals.

Rhyme: Hands

My hands upon my head I’ll place

On my shoulders, on my face.

At my waist and by my side.

Then behind me they will hide.

Then I'll raise them way up high,

And let my fingers fly, fly, fly.

Then clap, clap, clap,

And one-two-three.

Now see how quiet they can be.

Book: Catnap by Dawn Bentley
This large hardcover book has bright illustrations and pop-up flaps so readers can count all sorts of things like butterflies, bees, ducks, fish, ladybugs and more.

Craft: C for Cat
Kids colored, cut out and pasted shapes to create a sleeping cat.
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/pets/cat_2.htm

Attendance: 23, 21 (Ages 0-6 with caregivers)
Evaluation: Great program!  The short stories worked extremely well with all the younger attendees and were interactive enough to keep the attention of the older ones.  I did dialogic reading with a couple of the books, just focusing on a page or two.  I didn't explain what I did to the parents, but should have mentioned after each story ended.  When introducing the craft, I pointed out that the parents could discuss the different shapes with their child, as well as how the letter "c" forms the cat's tail and that cat begins with "C."  The craft was flexible enough for all families.  Some took it home to do, others colored it here and then took it home, and still others finished the whole thing.