The multicultural aspect of the book, including pictures and “hello” languages, may be a new experience for some toddlers in your gathering. Connecting different languages to toddlers’ experiences, such as children or adults they know, can help toddlers strengthen their understanding that we can talk, read, and sing in different languages.

Avoid using the CD that accompanies the book in this activity. Using your own voice has many advantages over a recorded voice and music, as described in the User Guide. Note the book’s CD is included in the suggested Interest Area activity.

Extra support

• Explain that our book shows drawings of children, not photographs of real children.
• Talk about when people say “hello” to someone. Offer examples, such as when we see people for the first time during the day (a caregiver greeting a child and family upon arrival) or when we answer a phone call.
• Use a leisurely pace with the book, so children have time to look at and talk about the pictures.

Enrichment

• Remind toddlers that we often say “hello” to someone at the beginning of our day in the room. What do we say when someone leaves for the day? (goodbye)
• Invite an adult or child in your room or center who speaks a language in addition to English to share some frequently-used words with toddlers in their native language.

Some toddlers may opt to not sing, and some may prefer to watch rather than do movements. Look for opportunities to say the names of body parts and actions involved in a movement. Some toddlers may not be familiar with the names of some body parts, such as their hips. In addition to the motor actions, the activity supports toddlers’ understanding of how words in a song can describe movements and the importance of paying attention to the words. If concentration on a song’s words seems to be challenging for some toddlers, consider repeating aspects of the Self-Regulation activity plans in Blocks 1 and 7 that promote concentrating on actions communicated in a song’s words.

Extra support

• Show the book illustration that corresponds to the verse/movement before you lead toddlers in singing the verse and doing the movement.
• Demonstrate a movement (or invite a toddler to demonstrate the movement) in addition to showing and describing the book’s illustration of the movement.
• Emphasize body part names when you invite toddlers to point to the part of their body involved in a movement.
• Toddlers may benefit from using a calming-down strategy, such as breathing deeply and slowly, at the end of the activity. See Block 2 Self-Regulation.

Enrichment

• For 1–2 of the verses, use the song’s words only, not book illustrations, to communicate actions. This emphasizes the use of words to tell us what to do and the cognitive task of planning the motor actions.