The Hungry Thing

Rhyming Procedure 1. Read aloud The Hungry Thing, and have children predict the Hungry Thing’s requests . Or, tell a story of a Hungry Thing that comes to town and requests different food using rhyme . For example, the Hungry Thing says schmancakes when he wants pancakes . Help children notice how the words sound . Provide additional examples, assisting children as necessary . Other food requests include tickles (pickles), feetloaf (meatloaf), gollipops (lollipops), and more . 2. After enjoying the book, show children a lunch bag that contains three or four food items . Peek into the bag, and give a rhyming clue for one of the items in the bag . The rhyming word can be a nonsense word (similar to what is done in the book) . Encourage children to guess what you have . Withdraw the item from the bag, and repeat the rhyming word and the real word, pointing out the similarities in sounds . Provide rhyming clues for the remaining items one at a time . 3. Distribute paper bags to children . Invite them to select items from a collection of several plastic or real food items, and have them put the items in their bags . Have children circulate around the room and provide rhyming clues for their classmates to guess which foods are in their bags . Give children the opportunity to consider the rhyming clues, think about what the Hungry Thing wants, and make their own guesses . Note: Use pictures of foods to place in their bags if physical objects are not available . Differentiate or Extend ▲ Keep bags and food items with the book at a centre so children may revisit the book and continue their play with sounds as they wish . The Hungry Thing Objective Students will produce rhyming words . Overview The teacher reads a book about a Hungry Thing who requests food by using rhyme to identify his wishes . This activity encourages children to listen carefully to rhyming clues and help identify what the Hungry Thing wants . After reading the book, the teacher produces a lunch bag and provides rhyming clues as to its contents . Children identify the items . Later, they create their own lunch bags and provide rhyming clues to others . Materials The Hungry Thing by Ann Seidler and Jan Slepian (2001); lunch bags; real or plastic food items; pictures of food items available in the Digital Resources; crayons or markers, paper, and scissors (optional) School-Home Connection Let families know about your word play with food . Consider sending home the sample letter shown on the next page (that can also be found in the Digital Resources), and encourage families to enjoy the fun while they are eating at home . Share the online read-aloud of the book with families, or post it on your class sample samplewebsite .

Rhyming

Dear Families: Today I read a book called The Hungry Thing by Ann Seidler and Jan Slepian . (Ask your child about this funny book!) Then, we played a game . Children guessed the names of common foods based on rhyming clues . For example, if I said I had some napes, children guessed that I had grapes . If I told them I had a bandwich, they guessed sandwich . Then, they created their own pretend lunches . Playing with language is important because it increases children’s sensitivity to the sound structure of our language—an important foundation for reading . You can play this game at home . Ask your child to pass the deas (peas) or offer to pour your child some rilk (milk) . Then, let your child provide the silly rhyming words and see if you know what they refer to . Play the game only as long as your child is interested, and have fun! Sincerely, Estimadas familias: Hoy leí un libro que se llama The Hungry Thing, por Ann Seidler y Jan Slepian . (¡Pregúntele a su hijo/a que le cuente sobre este libro cómico!) Luego jugamos . Los niños adivinaron los nombres de comidas comunes basados en pistas que riman . Por ejemplo, cuando yo les decía que tenía unas buvas, los niños adivinaron que tenía uvas . Cuando yo les decía que tenía un bándwich, adivinaron sándwich . Luego, crearon sus propios almuerzos imaginarios . Jugar con el lenguaje es importante porque aumenta la sensibilidad de los niños a la estructura del sonido de nuestro idioma, que es una base importante para la lectura . Pueden jugar este juego en casa . Pregúntele a su hijo/a si le gustaría que usted le pasara las lapas (papas) o ofrezca servirle teche (leche) . Luego, haga que su hijo/a provea las palabras cómicas que riman y vea si usted puede averiguar lo que quiere . Jueguen hasta que su hijo/a ya no tenga interés por jugar, ¡y diviértanse! Sinceramente,

The Hungry Thing (cont.) A Theaghlacha: Inniu, léigh mé leabhar darb ainm The Hungry Thing le Ann Seidler agus Jan Slepian . (Cuir ceist ar do pháiste faoin leabhar greannmhar seo!) Ina dhiaidh sin, d’imir muid cluiche . Bunaithe ar leideanna ríme a tugadh dóibh, thug na páistí buille faoi thuairim maidir le hainmneacha roinnt bianna atá comónta . Mar shampla, dá ndéarfainnse go raibh roinnt ‘napes’ agam, thabharfadh siad buille faoi thuairim gur ‘grapes’ a bhí agam . Dá ndéarfainnse go raibh ‘bandwich’ agam, thabharfadh siad buille faoi thuairim gur ‘sandwich’ a bhí agam . Ansin, chruthaigh siad lónta bréige dá gcuid féin . Baineann tábhacht le bheith ag spraoi le teanga toisc go gcuireann sé leis an tuiscint a bhíonn ag páistí ar struchtúr fuaime ár dteanga – bunchloch atá tábhachtach don léitheoireacht . Is féidir leatsa an cluiche seo a imirt sa bhaile . Iarr ar do pháiste na ‘deas’ (peas) a thabhairt duit nó iarr air/uirthi ar mhaith leis/ léi go ndéanfá an ‘rilk’ (milk) a dhoirteadh isteach . Ansin, lig do do pháiste na focail ríme amaideacha a chumadh iad féin go bhfeice sibh an bhfuil a fhios agatsa cén rud atá i gceist . Imir an cluiche an fhad agus atá suim ag do pháiste ann, agus bain spraoi as! Le meas, sample