Receptive language, Expressive language
Toddlers participate in a book sharing focused on pictures of children engaged in everyday activities in different parts of the world.
Be Prepared: The book describes more activities and offers more pictures per activity than most toddlers will want to engage in one session. Select activities (pages) and pictures that you anticipate will be of most interest to toddlers in your gathering.
[Invite several toddlers to join you to read a book.]
Our book is about children doing different things. The children live in many different places.
[Show book cover. Point to children in pictures you describe.]
Look at the pictures of children on the cover of our book. The children are laughing. I think they are happy!
Let’s look inside our book to find out what the children shown in our book like to do.
[Use the following approach to sharing the book:
The children shown in our book live in many different places. They are doing the same kinds of things. We enjoyed looking at the pictures and talking about what we see.
The pictures in this book tend to show somewhat older children, a feature that should appeal to young children’s general interest in what “big kids” do. Toddlers who do not have older children in their family and/or neighborhood may benefit from your description of what is happening in a picture. Watch for signs of toddler confusion about a picture or what you are saying.
The book’s international character is a major plus. Cognitively, toddlers cannot be expected to have an understanding of the world and its many parts and cultures. Still, the pictures communicate clearly that children can engage in similar types of activities wherever they live.
Extra support
Enrichment
Receptive language, Expressive language
Toddlers talk about their experiences with activities shown in pictures of children from different parts of the world.
This activity is for children who are familiar with the To Be a Kid book from participation in Option 1 or a similar experience. Open the session by showing the book cover and reminding toddlers that the book has pictures of children who live in different places doing the same kinds of things. Turn to a page that shows an activity you anticipate is of interest to toddlers in your gathering. Use the following strategies to engage toddlers in discussion of the pictured activity:
Repeat the above process for 1–2 more activities shown in the book.
Language skills differ significantly at this age. Positively recognize toddlers who gesture or smile or nod in response to a picture or what is being said about a picture. This activity option offers an opportunity to look more closely at several pictures of a similar activity. Look for ways to engage toddlers in identifying similarities. Example: “Where is the ball in this picture? Now let’s look at this other picture. Where is the ball?” Also, look for ways to help toddlers connect their experiences to the experiences of children shown in the pictures. Keep in mind a toddler’s association with a pictured activity may be a description of what an older sibling or relative does or has done, such as watching an older sister run a race. The standing-up provision adds some physical movement to the session and a way to express what they like. Anticipate that toddlers may stand because a peer is standing.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: To Be a Kid by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko, chunky crayons in assorted colors, white drawing paper
Place the book and drawing materials on a low table. Invite toddlers to look at the pictures in the book. Encourage toddlers to think about activities they like to do while they draw with the crayons. Talk with toddlers about their ideas and actions as they draw. They may want you to write some of their words on their paper.
Materials Needed: To Be a Kid by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko
Preschool-age children may enjoy participating in Option 2. Their descriptions of experiences with activities shown in the book’s pictures may be of special interest to toddlers. Preschool-age children also may want to participate in the suggested Interest Area activity.
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