Take a Bow!

For children ages 3 to 6

When children act out a good poem or story, they show their own understanding of what it is about. They also grow as readers by connecting emotion with the written word.

Try To Find

Poems or stories written from a child's point of view Things for using in a child's play (dress-up clothes, puppets)

What To Do

The first activities in the list below work well with younger children. As your child grows older, the later activities let her do more. But keep doing the first ones as long as she enjoys them.

	Read a poem slowly to your child. Read it with feeling, making everything seem important.
	If your child has a poem she especially likes, ask her to act out a favorite line or two. When she is done, praise her for doing a good job.
	Ask your child to act out the poem (or a part of it). Ask her to make a face of the way the character in the poem is feeling. Remember that making different faces adds emotion to the performer's voice. You are her audience, so again praise her and clap your hands.
	Tell your child that her family would love to see her perform her poem. Set a time when everyone can be together. When your child finishes her performance, encourage her to take a bow while everyone claps and cheers loudly.
	Encourage your child to make up her own play from a story she has read or heard. It can be make-believe or from real life. Help her find or make things to go with the story a pretend crown, stuffed animals, a broomstick, or whatever the story needs. Some of her friends or family also can help. You can write down the words, or help her write them, if she is old enough. Then stage the play for everyone to see!

Parent Pointer:

Play acting helps a child learn that there are more and less important parts to a story. She also learns how one thing follows another.

Family Stories

For children ages 3 to 6

Family stories let your child know about the people who are important to him. They also give him an idea of how one thing leads to another in a story.

What To Do

The first activities in the list below work well with younger children. As your child grows older, the later activities let him do more. But keep doing the first ones as long as he enjoys them.

	Tell your child stories about your parents and grandparents or others who are special to you and your family. You might even put these stories in a book and add old photographs.
	Think out loud about when you were little. Make a story out of something that happened, like a family trip, a birthday party, or when you lost your first tooth.
	Have your child tell you stories about what she did on special days, such as holidays, birthdays, and family vacations.
	If you go on a trip, write a trip journal with your child to make a new family story. Writing down the day's special event and pasting its photograph into the journal ties the family story to a written history. You can also include everyday trips like going to the store or the park.

Parent Pointer:

The storyteller's voice helps your child hear the sounds of words and how they are put together to mean something.