Receptive language, Expressive language
Toddlers participate in a book sharing focused on wind and novel words about wind.
Wind by Carol Thompson
[Invite several toddlers to read a book about wind.]
Our book is about a windy day. Our book uses silly words to describe the wind! I think you will like this book.
[Show book cover. Point to the two children.]
Here are two children on a windy day.
What are the leaves doing in this picture?
The leaves are blowing around because it is windy. The wind is blowing the girl’s hair. The wind is blowing the boy’s hat.
Our book is called Wind. Let’s find out what happens.
[Hold the book close to toddlers as you read it. Use strategies, such as the following, to engage toddlers in the book sharing:
Our book is about a windy day. The wind did a lot of things! The wind swooshed, soared, snatched, ruffled, tickled, and howled! These words tell us what the wind did. The wind blew the children’s hair and snatched a hat! What else did the wind blow in our story?
Wind is an enjoyable book that introduces many different words to describe how wind moves (swoosh, soar, howl) and what it does (snatch, ruffle, tickle). It is not necessary or appropriate to teach each of these words, but watch carefully for toddlers’ responses to words or pictures that suggest they are curious or would like to learn more. Offer a brief explanation of the words that seem to spark interest. Toddlers may enjoy repeating some of the words with unique sounds, such as swoosh. Say novel words slowly, clearly, and enthusiastically.
Extra support
Enrichment
Receptive language, Expressive language
Toddlers participate in a book sharing focused on wind, with opportunities to move their bodies when they hear the words up and down.
The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins
Invite several toddlers to read a silly book about a windy day. Explain that the wind blows some different things up into the air. Invite toddlers to raise their arms up when you say up as part of the book text. Offer a brief demonstration. Ask toddlers what we see in the book pictures and point out some details of the silly pictures. Example: “What is happening to the umbrella?” Describe items that may be unfamiliar to some toddlers, such as an umbrella, kite, and wig. As the book ends, emphasize when the wind blows down all of the objects. Invite toddlers to lay down on the floor. The action signals the end of the book and offers a brief period of quiet before transition to another activity.
Moving our body to depict a word or concept offers another way for toddlers to strengthen their vocabulary. Pay attention to toddlers’ actions and offer practice independent of the book text, if appropriate. As suggested in Option 1, watch carefully for toddlers’ responses to words or pictures that suggest they are curious or would like to learn more. Offer a brief explanation of the words that seem to spark interest. Reading and talking about the book with enthusiasm will enhance toddlers’ enjoyment of the session.
Extra support
Enrichment
Receptive language, Expressive language
Toddlers participate in a book sharing focused on wind and a follow-up opportunity to draw something that blows in the wind.
Invite several toddlers to read a silly book about a windy day. Explain that the wind blows different objects up into the air. Read the book, emphasizing the items the wind blows into the air. Point out details of pictures and ask toddlers what they see in illustrations that seem to be of particular interest. Example: “What is happening to the umbrella?”
At the conclusion of the story, invite toddlers to draw anything they want on the large paper on the floor or a low table. Review some of the objects in the book that were blown into the air by the wind. Encourage toddlers to use the crayons to draw their own ideas of items that are blowing in the wind. Ensure each toddler has space on the paper to draw. Toddlers are not expected to draw recognizable objects, or to draw or copy items shown in the book. Encourage toddlers to express their ideas and acknowledge each child’s markings. Examples: “Aria is using a red crayon to make up and down lines on the paper!” “Damon says he is drawing a dinosaur. Is your dinosaur up in the air or down on the ground, Damon?”
Describe what toddlers are doing. Example: “You are using the blue crayon to make lines back and forth on the paper.” Also offer questions and comments that support vocabulary use. Extend toddlers’ comments. Example: “You said you are drawing a picture of your hat. Is your hat up in the air or down on the ground?” Where possible, connect toddlers’ drawings to the story.
This activity extends a book sharing experience into creative work with crayons. Toddlers enjoy making colorful marks on paper. Some toddlers will have ideas about what they are drawing, whereas others will simply enjoy the act of creating marks with the crayons. Practicing making marks on paper is a beginning step in developing pre-writing skills. Acknowledge each toddler’s efforts by describing their actions and encouraging them to continue with their drawings. Example: “Serenity is making big marks on the paper with the yellow crayon! I wonder what she is going to draw next?”
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: Wind by Carol Thompson, The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins, construction paper in light colors, chunky crayons
Place the books on a low table with the construction paper and crayons. Invite toddlers to practice making marks on their papers. Encourage toddlers to draw their own pictures of objects that are blowing in the wind. Talk with toddlers about their drawings. Ask each child if he/she would like you to write their words on the paper.
Materials Needed: Wind by Carol Thompson, white paper plates, multi-colored crepe paper streamers cut into 2-foot strips, tape or nontoxic glue
The book Wind may be shared with all young children in your setting. Older children may enjoy repeating the silly words with you and babies will enjoy listening. After reading the book, invite children to create their own wind kite to take outside. Give each child a paper plate. Older children may decorate their plate with crayons or markers. Invite children to select 3–6 strips of crepe paper streamers to attach to their paper plate. Older children may help younger toddlers with gluing or taping the streamers to their plate. After the glue has had time to dry, the “kites” will be ready to take outside to blow in the wind.
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