Receptive language, Expressive language, Awareness of differences in sounds
Toddlers participate in a shared book reading focused on sounds made by different zoo animals.
Be Prepared: Be familiar with and practice making animal sounds included in the book.
[Invite several toddlers to join you on the floor to read a book. Show the cover of the book. Point to the words and picture on the cover as you introduce the book.]
This book is called Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? This is the polar bear. The polar bear is going to listen to different animals make sounds in our book!
[Point to your ears each time you say “listen” or “hear.”]
Our book is about the different animal sounds that the polar bear hears.
What animals do you think the polar bear might hear?
[Pause for toddlers to respond. Repeat and extend each response. Example: “You said ‘doggy,’ Michael. You think the polar bear is going to hear a dog. Let’s read our book and find out!”]
[Open the book and hold it for each toddler to see. Ask about the picture and respond positively to each reaction. Example: “Toby is making claws with his hands. He is looking at the polar bear’s claws on his feet! Do you see them?” Read the first page aloud and point to your ear each time you read the word “hear.”]
What do you think is going to be on the next page?
[Pause for toddlers to respond. Recognize toddlers’ responses.]
Let’s turn the page and see!
[Make a surprised face when you turn the page to reveal the lion.]
What is the name of this animal?
[Some toddlers may call out the animal name. Recognize and extend each response. Example: “Yes, this is a lion! Let’s all make a lion sound!”
Continue to read and talk about the pictures and words in the book using strategies, such as the following:
We saw pictures of different animals at a zoo and listened to their sounds. Some of the sounds were silly! Did all of the animals make the same sound? This was a fun book to read together! Would you like to make some of the animal sounds again?
Notice whether toddlers recognize the animals made different kinds of sounds. The Recap question “Did all of the animals make the same sound?” is in support of toddlers noticing there are different kinds of sounds. Some of the sounds will be new to toddlers. Have fun making the new sounds together! While some toddlers will participate vocally, others may prefer to watch and listen. Recognize and support each toddler’s participation.
Some toddlers will be accustomed to reading books together in an informal gathering. Others may have difficulty sharing space and attention with others. (See Extra Support tip below.) Toddlers who are new to book sharing will benefit from your flexibility in reading the book. Adapt your book sharing to the needs of the toddlers present by allowing toddlers to come and go, and to “wiggle” while they sit. At this age toddlers are not expected to sit in an orderly fashion at an informal gathering.
Pay attention to whether some toddlers have difficulty seeing the pictures. You may wish to read a larger version of this book. (See Extra Support tip below.)
This book may be an introduction to zoo animals for some toddlers. If a toddler seems uneasy with a picture, reassure them that the animals live far away or live safely in a zoo. Toddlers who are familiar with the animals may call out names and make some of the animal sounds.
Extra support
Enrichment
Receptive language, Expressive language, Awareness of differences in sounds
Toddlers participate in a shared book reading and song about zoo animals.
Invite up to three toddlers to read the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (You may wish to practice some of the animal sounds prior to the activity.) Talk with toddlers about the animals and their sounds on each page.
At the end of the book reading, invite toddlers to help you sing a song about some of the zoo animals. Select three animals from the book to include in the song. Focus on animals that seemed to be of special interest to toddlers during the book reading. Hold the book open for toddlers to see the named animal as you sing. Sing each toddler’s name in one verse of the following song. (Tune: “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”)
My friend (toddler’s name) has a zoo. E-I-E-I-O.
And in her zoo, there is a lion. E-I-E-I-O.
With a roar, roar here and a roar, roar there.
Here a roar, there a roar, everywhere roar, roar.
My friend (toddler’s name) has a zoo. E-I-E-I-O.
My friend (another toddler’s name) has a zoo. E-I-E-I-O.
And in his zoo, there is a snake. E-I-E-I-O.
With a hiss, hiss here and a hiss, hiss there.
Here a hiss, there a hiss, everywhere hiss, hiss.
My friend (toddler’s name) has a zoo. E-I-E-I-O.
My friend (another toddler’s name) has a zoo. E-I-E-I-O.
And in her zoo, there is a zebra. E-I-E-I-O.
With a bray, bray here and a bray, bray there.
Here a bray, there a bray, everywhere bray, bray.
My friend (toddler’s name) has a zoo. E-I-E-I-O.
Toddlers enjoy songs, especially songs that include their names. Some toddlers will join in the familiar parts, whereas others may prefer to listen to you sing the words. The repetitive words and verses of this song support toddlers in remembering and singing some of the song.
Extra support
Enrichment
Receptive language, Expressive language, Awareness of differences in sounds
Toddlers participate in a shared book reading about sounds made by different zoo animals, and in follow-up play with blocks that can be used to create a zoo or houses for animals.
Be Prepared: Select animal figures that represent some of the animals featured in the book, if possible. Be familiar with and practice sounds made by the animals.
Invite several toddlers to read a book about zoo animals and their sounds. (You may wish to practice some of the animal sounds prior to the activity.) Read the book, emphasizing the different animal sounds and encouraging toddlers to imitate the sounds.
At the conclusion of the book, invite toddlers to play in the block area. Introduce the zoo animal figures and suggest that the blocks can be used to make a zoo for the animals to live in. Example: “The animals in our book live in a zoo. We can build a zoo for our animals with these blocks! Would you like to build with me?” Begin building alongside the toddlers. Some toddlers may join you, and others may play with the animal figures and blocks in different ways.
Encourage toddlers to consider the different sounds their animals make as they play. Talk with each toddler about their ideas and describe what they are doing with their blocks and animals. Example: “I can see you are placing one animal on one block. Look at the animals and blocks you have lined up! What are your animals doing?”
During this activity, ask questions that encourage more than a yes or no response. Examples:
Repeat and extend each response. Example:
Below is another example:
Toddlers enjoy building and creating with blocks. Introducing animal figures to block play encourages new exploration and experiences. Some toddlers may use blocks to create structures for the animals, as suggested in the activity. Others may focus on interacting with the animal figures. Encourage toddlers to interact with the materials in the ways that they choose. Acknowledge and support different uses of the materials, and talk with toddlers about their ideas and actions. Example: “I can see your animals are talking to each other, Sydney. What are they talking about?”
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, zoo animal figures, including several of those in the book, sensory table with a small amount of sand
Place the zoo animal figures in the sensory table with a small amount of sand. Invite several toddlers to play with the animals in the sand. Toddlers may enjoy hearing the book read while they interact with the animals in the sensory table. Talk with toddlers about their ideas and actions as they play. Encourage them to say the sounds made by different animals.
Materials Needed: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
This book can be enjoyed by children of all ages. Read the book and encourage children to practice making different animal sounds. Talk with toddlers about the children pictured on the last page of the book. Invite each child to select an animal from the book to “act out” or pretend to be. Some children may want to use available props. Encourage older children to help younger toddlers pretend to be a particular animal. Babies may enjoy holding an age-appropriate zoo animal during the activity.
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