Receptive language, Expressive language, Awareness of differences in sounds
Toddlers explore how zoo animals make different kinds of sounds.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
Self-Regulation
[Help toddlers transition to book reading by singing a familiar song or the “Polar Bear Song.” Sit facing toddlers.]
[Hold the book so all toddlers can see the cover. Point to the illustration and title on the book cover.]
This book tells us about different kinds of animals that live at a zoo. A polar bear in our book hears the sounds of animals at a zoo.
The name of our book is Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? This is a polar bear. Polar bears are white.
Let’s gently touch our ears.
[Point to your ears.]
Our ears hear sounds.
What sound do you think a polar bear makes?
[Point again to your ears. Acknowledge and expand on toddlers’ responses. Example: “Yes, sometimes polar bears growl.”]
Let’s turn the page and learn about other animal sounds at a zoo.
[On each page, point to and name the pictured animal. Describe the sound the animal makes. Example: “This is a picture of a hippopotamus. Hippopotamus is a big word. Our book says “I hear a hippopotamus snorting in my ear. ‘Snort’ is the sound a hippopotamus makes. This is a snorting sound.” Demonstrate a snorting sound.
On the page with the zookeeper, explain that the man shown in the picture is a zookeeper. He has an important job at the zoo. He gives food and water to the animals. Ask toddlers what they see in the picture. Toddlers may notice the man’s hat or boots, or the fish in the pail. Expand on children’s comments and connect their interests to the work of a zookeeper. Examples: “The zookeeper is going to feed fish to some animals at the zoo.” “The zookeeper is going to give water to animals at the zoo.”
On the last two pages, emphasize “growling,” “roaring,” and other animal sounds when you say them in the book text. Explain that children shown in the book are dressed up like animals that live at a zoo.
Point to several of the pictured children and ask what animal the child in the picture is pretending to be. Remind children that the zookeeper heard children’s voices. What kind of sounds were children making? (animal sounds)]
We listened to our book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? The words told us about sounds at a zoo. We saw colorful pictures of animals at a zoo. We made sounds like the animals in the book. Let’s make quiet zoo animal sounds while we move around the room.
Toddlers will enjoy making animal sounds associated with the pictures. Some toddlers may become excited to make the animal sounds and find it challenging to stop making animal sounds on their own. If toddlers need support for becoming quiet, demonstrate and practice a hand signal that means “stop” or “it is time to be quiet.” Encourage toddlers to make the signal with you.
Some toddlers may react to images of animals they perceive as dangerous, such as the leopard or snake. Watch for nonverbal reactions of concern or curiosity. It may be helpful to offer a reassuring explanation. Example: “These are pictures in our book. The animals are not at our center. The pictures cannot hurt us.”
Extra support
Enrichment
Receptive language, Expressive language, Awareness of differences in sound
Toddlers manipulate toy figures or puppets and make sounds that represent animals described in a story about sounds made by zoo animals.
Be Prepared: Collect animal figures or puppets that loosely represent most of the 10 animals pictured in the book: polar bear, lion, hippopotamus, flamingo, zebra, boa constrictor, elephant, leopard, peacock, and walrus.
The intent is to help toddlers connect the book pictures (animals) to the representations (toy figures, puppets) the children are holding. In addition, this activity gives toddlers the opportunity to practice responding to a simple request.
Sit on the floor with toddlers and toy animals. Invite toddlers to hold an animal figure or puppet.
Encourage each toddler to tell about the pretend animal he/she is holding, including the name of the animal. Expand on each child’s comments and describe their actions. Examples: “Noah told us he is holding a bird. There is a peacock in the book we will read. A peacock is a type of bird.” “Ella is making an elephant trunk with her arm. She is telling us about the animal she is holding.” Engage children in a discussion of the sound each animal makes.
Read Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? When you read about and discuss each animal, draw toddlers’ attention to the animal figure or puppet that corresponds to the animal shown on the page. Invite the toddler holding the corresponding item to make it move like the animal shown in the book and/or show the figure or puppet to others.
As you look at and talk about the animal on each page, demonstrate each animal sound. Invite toddlers to make the sound with you. Encourage toddlers to make the animal sound twice: once with a loud voice and once with a quiet voice. Emphasize the words loud and quiet. Recognize toddlers’ loud and quiet animal sounds. Example: “I heard your loud roaring sound. Then I heard your quiet roaring sound.”
Close the session by suggesting it is time for the animal figures to go to sleep. Encourage toddlers to gently carry their “sleeping” animals to the basket or to a low tabletop.
Toddlers may participate in this activity in different ways. Some toddlers will make the animal sounds and repeat familiar phrases. Other toddlers may enjoy holding their animal figure while listening and watching. Some toddlers may want to make an animal sound repeatedly. Model a quiet voice when you encourage toddlers to use indoor voices.
Some toddlers may readily show and/or move their animal corresponding to the animal picture in the book, whereas others may need to be reminded what to do.
Extra support
Enrichment
Expressive language, Awareness of differences in sounds
Toddlers engage in movements and sounds while pretending to be different zoo animals featured in a book.
Be Prepared: Place carpet squares several feet apart to facilitate children’s movements.
Invite 3–4 children to join you, with each toddler sitting or standing on a carpet square. Example: “We are going to pretend to be an animal in our book. We can make sounds like an animal in our book. We can move our bodies like an animal in the book.”
Offer an example of pretending to be an animal described in the book by showing the picture of the hippopotamus in the book. Talk about what the hippopotamus says and does. Examples: “There is a hippopotamus in our book. The hippopotamus snorts. Let’s make a snorting sound!” “The hippopotamus swims in the water. How can we move our bodies to pretend we are swimming? Let’s act like a hippopotamus!” Demonstrate pretending to be a hippopotamus while staying on the carpet square. Encourage toddlers to pretend they are moving and sounding like a hippopotamus.
Continue discussion of some animals featured in the book, such as the snake that “hisses and slithers,” the leopard that “snarls and runs fast” (for ‘fast’ running, demonstrate running in place), and the elephant that trumpets and walks slowly (walking in place). Focus on as many animals as time and children’s interest permits. For each animal, invite children to make a sound and move like the animal. Use the book for illustrations and key information. After discussion and pretend actions with each animal, encourage toddlers to make a quiet animal sound before moving to discussion of the next animal.
To bring the session to an end, encourage children to do the “slow elephant” movement. This will help calm their bodies and ready them to sit quietly “because it is time for the zoo animals to rest.”
Toddlers will enjoy the practice of pretending. Some toddlers may focus on the sounds, whereas others may focus on the body movements. A smaller number of toddlers may readily engage in both sounds and movements. Accept and affirm different levels of participation. Maintain enthusiasm and a light-hearted tone. Some children may need verbal reminders about staying on their carpet square. Example: “Our carpet squares help us know where we are supposed to be while we pretend we are an animal. We do not want to bump into each other. Everyone has their own carpet square. We are safe when we stay on our squares.”
Extra support
Enrichment
Toddlers who enjoy this activity may want to play the game that involves other animals. Example: “Cora is barking like a dog. Cora wants to pretend to be a dog. How can we move our bodies like a dog?”
Materials Needed: My First Zoo: Let’s Meet the Animals by DK Publishing, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, Dear Zoo Animal Shapes by Rod Campbell, animal figures
Place a copy of the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? on a low table with zoo animal figures to promote toddler’s imaginary play, storytelling, and memory. Find and display other books related to zoo animals. Use My First Zoo book to find pictures of animals included in Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? Help toddlers see similarities in the two pictures. On another day, place zoo animal figures in the sensory table with the sensory material of your choice.
Materials Needed: paper plate, drawing tools, colored paper, feathers, glue, scissors
Read today’s book to toddlers, preschoolers, and older children. Some toddlers may listen to the story while holding another book. Infants may enjoy holding books and looking at pictures. After the story, older children may enjoy drawing and representing an idea about a zoo. Example: Encourage children to make an animal mask by coloring and decorating a paper plate. Small pieces of colored paper and feathers can be added with school glue. Cut holes for eyes. For a toddler’s mask, cut one rectangular opening instead of two eyeholes. One larger eye area is easier for toddlers to manage. Encourage preschool and older children to look at the illustrations for mask ideas. Older children may enjoy saying the words for each page, such as “Lion, lion, what do you hear?”
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