2023-2024 EARLY LITERACY ACTIVITIES CALENDAR READ
TALK
WRITE PLAY SING
Caregivers
are a child's first AND most important teacher!
You know more about your child than anyone else, and you are in the best position to help your child get ready to read. Whether your child is four days old or four years old, it is never too early or too late to help him or her develop pre-reading skills. You can help your child learn language and other literacy skills with simple and fun activities like those in this calendar.
If you're happy and you know it
If you ' re happy and you know it clap your hands
If you ' re happy and you know it clap your hands
If you ' re happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you ' re happy and you know it clap your hands
If you ' re happy and you know it stomp your feet
If you ' re happy and you know it stomp your feet
If you ' re happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you ' re happy and you know it stomp your feet
If you ' re happy and you know it shout hurray (hurray)
If you ' re happy and you know it shout hurray (hurray)
If you ' re happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you ' re happy and you know it shout hurray (hurray)
every day counts: Talking
Talking with children helps them learn oral language, one of the most critical early literacy skills. Children learn about language by listening to parents and caregivers talk, while also joining in the conversation.
When reading with your child, take the time to ask questions about what might happen next. This helps your child develop vocabulary and language skills.
To expand those vocabulary skills, introduce your child to new words!
If you ' re happy and you know it do all three (Hurray)
If you ' re happy and you know it do all three (Hurray)
If you ' re happy and you know it and you really wants to show it
If you ' re happy and you know it do all three (Hurray)
August 2023
Use playdough to shape your child's first name.
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Each day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill.
Have your child help cook breakfast!
Play a favorite song and have a silly dance contest.
Have a scavenger hunt. Ask your child to find something round, square, green, blue, etc.
Sing or say "If You're Happy and You Know It."
**See lyrics above.
Talk about what you do at the library!
Use family photos to tell different stories. Encourage your child to tell a story.
Pop bubble wrap or play with squirt toys to develop muscles needed for writing.
Talk about the weather today. Is it rainy? Is it cold or warm outside?
Sit outside and write a list of seven things you see.
Make a fort with pillows and blankets to play in.
Make music with things you have in the house--pots, pans, spoons--and sing and dance to the music you make.
Using your fingers, draw shapes in the air. Take turns guessing what each person drew.
Play "What fits?" Will the bus fit inside your hat? Will the hat fit inside the bus?
Sing a "good morning" song to greet your child in the morning.
Make silly sounds today. Encourage your child to also make silly sounds.
Use your finger to follow along with the words in the book as you read to your child today.
Read
about insects that are active in summer, like crickets or cicadas.
Draw a picture of things that are yellow.
Create your own zoo at home with stuffed animals or animal crackers.
Sing "The Wheels on the Bus." Try to add a couple of new verses.
Take an alphabet walk outside. Talk about things that begin with different letter sounds.
Read a story together at bedtime.
6 READING 13 playing 20 talking 27 writing 7 WRITING 14 singing 21 reading 28 playing 8 PLAYING 1 READING 15 talking 22 writing 29 singing 9 SINGING 2 WRITING 16 reading 23 playing 30 talking 10 TALKING 3 PLAYING 17 writing 24 singing 31 reading 11 reading 4 SINGING 18 playing 25 talking 12 writing 5 TALKING 19 singing 26 reading
Before reading, look at the book’s cover and guess what the story will be about. Talk about colors. What is your favorite color and why? Find your favorite color as many times as you can today. Draw outside with sidewalk chalk. Draw letters and shapes. Push the furniture out of the way and have a dance party! Recite or sing the days of the week.
August 2023 SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON SUN
a book
Have a family storytime. Each person picks a book. Visit the library and check out a book!
Read a book and talk about the beginning, middle, and the end.
1000 books before kindergarten
It is never too early to start your little one on the road to reading! The “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” program encourages you to spend time sharing books with your little ones while building critical early literacy skills before they start school.
Simply register in Beanstack and enroll in “1000 Books Before Kindergarten!” Earn badges along the way to the special completion prize. Start your child’s journey today!
Books about the planets and stars!
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.
Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max
XO, Exoplanet by Deborah Underwood
The Goldilocks Zone by Drew Sheneman
Space Boy and His Dog by Dian Curtis Regan
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
September 2023
and march around. Pretend to play instruments.
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Each
Read a recipe to your child and talk about the ingredients.
Make a word jar. Each day write a new word on a slip of paper and add it to the jar. Take turns pulling out words and discussing.
**See recommendations above.
If the weather is good, have a picnic outside. If not, have a picnic inside.
Sing the ABC song together. Look for letters everywhere.
Make puppets out of paper bags and put on a show.
Label things today: door, desk, refrigerator, etc. Tell your child what the labels say.
Play leap frog with stuffed animals. Explain why it is called leap frog.
Go on a walk and play "I spy with my little eye something that is...blue!"
Pick a new kind of music you haven't listened to before. Listen together. Discuss.
Talk about food. What do you like to eat? What should you eat for dinner?
Read a book and talk with your child about what they liked or didn't like in the story.
Experiment with speaking into a fan.
Sing a favorite song. Sing it fast. Sing it slow. Whisper it.
Enunciate words today. Would you like a ba-baba, banana? Banana begins with B! Can you close the da-da-da, door? Door begins with D!
Look at the covers of books together. Talk about what the book might be about.
Spend time scribbling together. Encourage them to "sign" their name on the drawing.
Use family photos to tell different stories.
Encourage your child to tell a story.
Read a story together at bedtime.
Trace shapes and letters in a shallow tray of flour, salt, or baking soda.
Play "Red Light, Green Light."
Draw pictures together. Label the things you draw.
Blow bubbles today. This strengthens muscles needed for speech.
Make up silly songs about everyday activities. This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth, to make them very clean!
Talk about foods that are round like a circle.
Sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."
**Seelyricsabove.
Visit the library! Check out a book!
3 singing 10 reading 17 playing 24 talking 4 talking 11 writing 18 singing 25 reading 5 reading 12 playing 19 talking 26 writing 6 Writing 13 singing 20 reading 27 playing 7 playing 14 talking 21 writing 28 singing 8 singing 1 Writing 15 reading 22 playing 29 talking 9 talking 2 Playing 16 writing 23 singing 30 reading September 2023 SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON SUN
day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill.
a parade.
music
Talk about different kinds of work that
Read a book about planets and stars. Use twigs, rocks, and leaves to spell out your child's name.
Have
Put on
people do.
Never stop exploring!
Looking for ways to get outside, enjoy the fall weather, and go on a leaf hunt? Look no further than the 7 parks/greenspaces in Noblesville or the 24 in Fishers!
Noblesville Fishers
every day counts: Reading
Reading together develops vocabulary and comprehension, nurtures a love for reading, and motivates children to want to learn to read.
Make reading fun! Set up a special reading nook for your child somewhere in your home. Add a comfy chair and a lamp. Read 20 minutes per day with your child. This helps your child develop their language and listening skills, all while expanding their vocabulary! Visit the library and have your child pick out some books. Talk with library staff for some suggestions!
Check out our partnership with Fishers Parks & Recreation with our StoryWalk each month! Read a story as you walk!
row row row your boat
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
october 2023
Challenge your child to sing their favorite song by heart.
While grocery shopping, talk about the colors of the food items you pick up.
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Each day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill.
about what
Using the wordless picture book from yesterday, have your child make up their own story to go along with the pictures.
Pretend to be an animal. What are you? Where do you live? What sounds do you make?
On a paper, trace your child's hand and arm with a pencil to draw a "tree."
As a family, sing and dance "The Hokey Pokey" together.
Walk around your neighborhood. Count how many squirrels you see.
Read a book about the moon and talk about how it changes its shape.
Collect leaves outside and paste them to the "tree" you made yesterday.
Draw
face!
Have a quiet reading time today. Play a game of Hideand-Seek with your child's stuffed animals.
Take turns singing the alphabet. "You: ABCDEFG Them: HIJKLMNOP"
Visit the library! Ask library staff to show you a wordless picture book.
Make up a song using your name!
Learn how to say "hello" or another word in sign language together.
Read a book in a whisper, then read the same book with a loud voice.
Go on a hike. Have your child draw a leaf or tree they find interesting.
As you drive in the car or walk around the neighborhood, talk about the different sounds you hear.
Draw the numbers 110 in big puffy letters. Let your child color each one as you talk about them.
Write the letters of your child's name in dots and let them trace it with a pencil or finger.
Create an obstacle course and give your child directions. "Go around the chair. Go over the book. Pick up the spoon." etc.
Sing "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and practice different animal sounds.
Use triangles to make a face on a pumpkin.
8 singing 9 talking 10 reading 11 writing 12 playing 13 singing 14 talking 1 writing 2 playing 3 singing 4 talking 5 reading 6 writing 7 playing 15 reading 16 writing 17 playing 18 singing 19 talking 20 reading 21 writing 22 playing 23 singing 24 talking 25 reading 26 writing 27 playing 28 singing 29 talking 30 reading 31 writing SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON SUN October 2023 Make a book of your child's favorite words. Talk about the words and draw pictures.
on cushions on the floor and pretend to be in a boat. Sing "Row, Row, Row your boat." Clap your hands to the beat of a favorite song.
many words can you
that rhyme with "cat"? Read your favorite book two times Reading the same story offers children something new each time they hear it
your child's name. Talk about the first letter of their name. Make the sound and say words that begin with the letter. Go for a walk with
child
Pretend you are an explorer.
Sit
How
think of
Write
your
after dark.
Talk
you see.
a circle and turn it into a funny
**See above for parks to visit!
**See above for lyrics!
ABCs
The of Literacy
One of the first steps to reading is understanding letter sounds. In order for your kiddo to better understand these sounds, recognition of those letters is very important! This starts by understanding the shapes of letters! Is there a straight line or a curved line? Are the letters tall or short?
What can you do to help your child with letter recognition?
Teach your child the letters of their name. Names are special and your child will take pride in spelling out their own name.
Label items around your house!
Ask your child to find items at the store that begin with the first letter of their name.
Alphabet books!
The Alphabet's Alphabet by Chris Harris
Eek! by Julie Larios
Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers
LMNO Pea-quel by Keith Baker
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Ask a
November 2023
about our early literacy Ed-Kits!
L i b r a r i a n
Play some music and sing together. Talk about your favorite foods to eat around the holidays! Why are they your favorites?
Draw the pictures to a story on 4-5 small pieces of paper. Help your child put the papers in proper sequence to tell the story.
Make shadow puppets on the wall by making shapes with your hands in front of a flashlight.
Fill a baggie with shaving cream or hair gel and add a drop of food coloring. Use your finger to write.
Write your child's name and read it together, naming the letters.
Use painter's tape to make an indoor hopscotch course.
Sing a favorite song in an opera voice!
Talk about opposites. Reach high to the sky and low to the ground. Take a big step and a little step.
Encourage your child to take the lead with reading. They can select the books and show you where to start.
Play talent show. Take turns singing and/or dancing.
Sit on the floor opposite each other and roll a ball back and forth.
After reading a book together, have your child draw a picture of a character from the book.
Play with playdough today! What shapes and letters can you make together?
Grab two spoons and sing "Row, Row, Row your Boat" as you row with spoons.
Have your child tell your family why they are thankful for them.
Take a bubble bath and pop bubbles in the bathtub! Count how many you pop.
Sing "The ABCs" together.
Gobble like a turkey. What other animal sounds do you know?
Read a recipe with your child and work together to bake your favorite cookies.
Send your child on a quest to find 10 circleshaped objects. Then have them trace the circles on paper.
During a trip to the grocery store, help your child read the words on the packages.
Draw on a white paper with a black crayon, then on a black paper with a white crayon.
5 writing 12 singing 19 reading 26 Playing 6 Playing 13 talking 20 writing 27 singing 7 singing 14 reading 21 Playing 28 talking 8 talking 1 Playing 15 writing 22 singing 29 reading 9 reading 2 singing 16 Playing 23 talking 30 writing 10 writing 3 talking 17 singing 24 reading 11 Playing 4 reading 18 talking 25 writing November 2023 SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON SUN Daily literacy fun for you and your little one. Each day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill. Look up pictures of poppies and draw, paint, or create your own. Have your chid pretend they are a veterinarian and give their pet (real or stuffed!) an imaginary checkup. Sing "The Wheels on the Bus."
your child how many words they can think of that have the same beginning sounds as "November." Read the back of a cereal box with your child.
your child practice writing their name using different colors.
the library! Play with the manipulative toys or
kitchen!
Ask
Have
Visit
play
Winter hokey pokey
You put your right mitten in, You take your right mitten out. You put your right mitten in, And you shake it all about. You do the winter pokey (shiver) And you turn yourself around That’s what it’s all about!
*Repeat with left mitten, right boot, left boot, winter hat, scarf, and snow suit!
every day counts: Writing
With writing, children become aware that printed letters stand for spoken words as they see print used in their daily lives. Writing helps children learn the purpose of reading – that printed letters can communicate information.
Gingerbread books!
Scribble, scribble, scribble!
Let your child draw pictures, whether that be with crayons, colored pencils, or even chalk!
Word writing: Help them label parts of pictures. Have them write out their name!
Encourage your child to “sign” their name on their drawings.
december 2023
The Gingerbread Book by Allen D. Bragdon
Gingerbread Wonderland by Mima Sinclair
Making Gingerbread Houses by Veronica Alice
Gunter
write, write, write!
Help your child spell "winter" using household objects.
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Play with measuring cups. What cup holds the most? What holds the least?
Find items around your house to use as musical instruments. Start a band!
Using the tune of a familiar song, make up a new song about winter.
Help your child write a letter or card to a grandparent or friend.
Make an indoor sensory box with cotton ball snow. Add scoops and tongs.
Have a family singalong. Each family member gets to pick a favorite song to sing.
Talk about animals that may be sleeping during winter. What are they?
While reading a book, stop and ask what your child thinks will happen next.
Have your child practice writing their name.
Use tissue paper to throw in the air and pretend it's snow, all while singing "Let it Snow "
Check out a book about New Year's to read as a family.
Count to 10 in a loud voice, soft voice, high voice, and low voice.
Scribble Day! Have a lot of paper and markers/ crayons for your child to scribble and draw.
Play board games as a family. Let your child choose the game.
Follow a recipe to make a simple gingerbread house or cookies together.
Get out scissors and white paper to make some snowflakes.
Build a tower out of things that aren't blocks.
Sing and dance to the "Winter Hokey Pokey."
**See lyrics above.
Pretend to be an animal that likes cold weather. Who will you be?
Sing "The Days of the Week" song. What day is today?
Make hot chocolate with your child and talk about the different ingredients.
Read a book about your favorite winter animal.
Use playdough to make a snowman and other things you see in winter.
Bundle up. As you do, talk through each step of putting on the different layers and why we do that for the cold.
Put flour on a cookie sheet and use your fingers to draw shapes and numbers.
4 reading M O N 5 writing T U E 3 talking 6 playing 7 singing 8 talking 9 reading 1 Playing 2 singing 10 writing 11 playing 12 singing 13 talking 14 reading 15 writing 16 playing 17 singing 18 talking 19 reading 20 writing 21 playing 22 singing 23 talking 31 playing 24 reading 25 writing 26 playing 27 singing 28 talking 29 reading 30 writing December 2023 S A T F R I T H U W E D S U N
day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill.
a new food.
Pick out a book to
winter or snow!
Each
Try
Talk about what it tastes like. How does it smell?
read about
rhymes with "snow"? Silly
the library
Sing silly songs while getting ready for bed. What
rhymes are okay too! Visit
today.
Fine motor skills...unlocked
Children need fine motor skills to control the small muscles necessary to move their hands and fingers. These muscles are critical for writing, which is a main component of literacy. Children who scribble, draw, and do crafts are practicing coordination and exercising their hand and finger muscles. This develops the fine motor control needed in order to hold a pencil and write letters and words.
put into action
Cutting with scissors is an important fine motor exercise, as it strengthens the fingers that are needed to control the pencil.
Let children practice dressing themselves – complete with ties, zippers, and snaps!
Giving your young child a piece of paper to rip apart is another method used to strengthen their small hand and finger muscles
Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes
Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Cozy by Jan Brett
Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant
January 2024
WinterBooks!
January 2024
Clap and stomp to songs and nursery rhymes together.
Play "I Spy" with winter objects, such as snowmen, icicles, etc.
Play with rhyming words using "snow" and "sled."
Letter Hunt! Find and name letters that you see in the store or on signs outside.
Sing the "Alphabet Song" slowly and write the letters in the air with your finger as you sing.
Play restaurant. Give your child a food order that they can draw on a notepad.
Play "Follow the Leader." Do things and ask your child to do the same.
Play or sing a song your child is familiar with and act it out while you are singing or while it is playing.
Sing a favorite song. Sing it fast, slow, loud, and quiet.
Talk about what’s for dinner. Name the ingredients. Taste some together!
Read a book about your favorite animal. What is one thing that you learned?
Read a picture book and talk about the illustrations. What colors are on the pages?
Draw pictures of your favorite food items and label them!
Pretend to be a penguin at bath time. How funny!
Daily literacy fun for you and your
little
one. Each day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill.
Read winter-themed books together, such as "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats.
Practice tracing letters or drawing shapes in the snow with a gloved finger.
Have a winter dress up day and encourage your child to describe their outfit.
Sing a song acting like a penguin. Waddle and imitate their movements.
Use real snow, or create fake snow, and build snowmen. Make them big and small!
Sing "Ten Little Snowflakes" and use fingers to count down from ten to one.
At night, talk about what you did today. What will you do tomorrow?
Visit the library! Ask a library staff member for a reading suggestion.
What animals live in the snow? What do they eat? What animal would you like to be?
Use your finger to follow along with the words in the book as you read to your child today.
Draw the outline of your child's hand. Write the date and have your child "sign" the drawing. Repeat each month.
Make a tent out of blankets and pretend to be camping in the forest. Draw maps and use them to take hikes around your house.
The letter of the day is "J"! Look for words that start with "J" like January!
31 singing
Take turns singing bits of favorite songs.
Sing a "good morning" song to greet your child in the morning.
Make up a story together starting with “Once upon a time ...”
Find more on our website!
7 talking SUN
Eat cookies and
each other jokes.
reading 9 writing 10
11 singing 12 talking 13 reading
singing
talking
Reading
writing
playing 6 singing 14 writing 15 playing 16 singing 17 talking
reading 19 writing 20 playing 21 singing 22 talking
reading 24 writing
playing 26 singing 27 talking 28 reading 29 writing 30 playing SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON
Have a “tea party” with cups of juice or milk.
tell
8
playing
1
2
3
4
5
18
23
25
Playing "Riddle Me"
Example: I’m white and fluffy and float in the sky. I can be gray when it snows. What am I? Yes! Clouds!
The more we get together
The more we get together
Together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
‘Cause your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
every day counts:
Singing
Make music a part of your daily
Singing develops language skills and slows down language so children can hear the different sounds in words, and it helps children learn new words and information. Many songs rhyme, which helps your child learn that some words sound similar. Sing throughout the day and make up your own silly songs to introduce new words. Sing to your baby any chance you get. Smile while you are singing. Sing any song you know. Encourage your child to feel the rhythm of the music. Dance, clap, and sway to the sounds. Fit songs into your daily routine, before and during mealtimes and at bedtime.
life
February 2024
Read a recipe to your child and talk through the steps of making it with them.
**See lyrics above.
Look for rhyming words as you read through a book.
Write your child’s first name. Talk about the first letter of their name. Make the sound and say words that begin with the letter.
Play follow the leader. One person (the leader) performs actions the others must follow. Take turns being the leader.
Draw pictures together. Label the things you draw.
Play “Riddle Me.”
Take turns offering riddles.
**See instructions above.
Beat the winter blues by playing some of your child's favorite songs and singing along!
Use your finger to follow along with the words in the book as you read to your child today.
Play “Freeze” while dancing to music. When the music stops, everyone has to freeze.
Read a book and talk about what you liked or didn't like in the story.
Talk about colors. Ask your child what their favorite color is and share what your favorite color is.
Open up a book and ask your child how many of the words they can pick out on the page.
Have your child practice writing their name using different colors.
Send your child on a quest to find all the square-shaped objects in your home. Then have them trace the squares on paper!
Have your child make up a song about what they did yesterday.
Play "Red Light, Green Light."
Play music with a fast tempo as you pick up and put away toys. Who can pick up the most toys?
Talk about feelings you felt today. What made you laugh?
Choose a subject your child is interested in and then go to the library to pick out a nonfiction book to read together.
Pick out a book to read, but let your child make up their own story to go along with the pictures.
Draw a large alphabet. Have your child practice finger tracing while you say the letters out loud.
29 playing
Look at the covers of books before reading them. Talk about what the books might be about.
Make a list of things you liked best about this month.
Play with playdough today! What shapes and letters can you make together?
It's opposite day! Wear pajamas during the day, have breakfast for dinner, and say "goodbye" when you enter a room!
4 playing 11 talking 18 writing 25 singing 5 singing 12 reading 19 playing 26 talking 6 talking 13 writing 20 singing 27 reading 7 reading 14 playing 21 talking 28 writing 8 writing 15 singing 22 reading 9 playing 2 reading 16 talking 23 writing 10 singing 3 writing 17 reading 24 playing 1 talking February 2024 SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON SUN Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and
by skill. Hold a birthday party for one of
child's
Sing or say “The More We Get Together.” Say a favorite nursery rhyme, but
an important
to
a book about love and read it together with your child.
Each
color-coded
your
stuffed animals! You can decorate, play games, and serve snacks!
change
word
something silly. Find
Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the tree…
extend those singing practices!
Did you know that singing is a great building block for the other important early literacy practices? Singing breaks words down into syllables each beat of a song is a syllable in a word so singing with young children also lays the foundation for them to be able to sound out words when they begin to read.
Singing “The Wheels on the Bus” gives children background knowledge about things that are on a bus.
Singing “B-I-N-G-O” practices letter knowledge.
Singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” is a great way to increase a child’s vocabulary of their body parts.
Hot and Cold
1. Select a household item for hiding.
2. The finder closes their eyes while the hider hides the item somewhere in the room.
3. The finder searches for the item while the hider provide clues.
4. When the finder is close to the item, the hider responds “you’re hot!”
5. When the finder is far from the item, the hider responds “you’re cold!”
6. Take turns being the hider and the finder.
"M"Books!
Quit Calling Me a Monster! by Jory John
The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons
Lula and the Sea Monster by Alex Latimer
Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
March 2024
Make up a song about your child's favorite animal or past time.
Talk about your family's plans for the day. What is your
most excited about?
1 singing
Sing about what you are doing! (ex. "This is the way we tie our shoes...")
Show your child a selection of books. Ask which they’d like to read first, second, etc.
After reading together, talk about interesting words in the book.
Write a shopping list together. Take it to the store and check off the items as they are selected.
Play “Hot and Cold.” Clap along to a favorite song. Emphasize the slow and the fast parts.
**See instructions above.
Point and name body parts. (ex. Where is your mouth? Where is your nose?)
Point out signs everywhere today. Explain what they say and how they help.
Take turns using your finger to draw shapes in the air and guessing what the shape is.
Play store. Set up a store with your child’s toys. Take turns being the check-out clerk and the shopper.
Find words that begin with “M” today, like Mom, March, Milk, Mud, Macaroni.
Be a reading role model. Let your child see you reading a book or magazine.
In the morning write today’s to-do list. Check things off as you do them.
Use masking tape to make lines or shapes on the floor. Walk along the tape like a pretend balance beam.
Make music with things you have in the house— pots, pans, spoons—and sing and dance to the music you make.
Make a book of your child’s favorite words. Talk about the words and draw pictures.
Go on a circle hunt! Make a list of all the circle-shaped items you find today.
Sing or say “Hickory Dickory Dock.”
Talk about concepts like “on” and “off” when you turn things on and off.
As you read, point out a picture and talk about it.
Sit on the floor and imagine you are going to the moon in a rocket ship. What do you see?
Label things today. Chair. Shoe. Door. Tell your child what the labels say.
While you prepare meals, make up a silly song about the food you are making.
Go to the library and pick out some new books!
Find some colorful socks and put on a puppet show.
Listen to the bird songs of spring. Have your child imitate what they hear.
4 writing M O N 5 playing T U E 3 reading 6 singing 7 talking 8 reading 9 writing 2 talking 10 playing 11 singing 12 talking 13 reading 14 writing 15 playing 16 singing 17 talking 18 reading 19 writing 20 playing 21 singing 22 talking 23 reading 31 singing 24 writing 25 playing 26 singing 27 talking 28 reading 29 writing 30 playing March 2024 S A T F R I T H U W E D S U N Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
pre-reading
and
at the covers of books
be
Use a blue crayon to keep a list of all the blue things you see today. Tape a sheet of contact paper to the wall, sticky side out. See which toys stick and which do not.
Each day features a fun activity that will help your child build
skills. Activities are labeled
color-coded by skill. Look
before reading them. Talk about what the books might
about.
child
Rain, Rain, Go away
Rain, Rain, Go away; Come again, Another day; Little [child’s name] wants to play
every day counts: playing
Playing with your child whether through symbolic play , dramatic play, or roleplaying helps develop language. Through play they are able to learn new words, become creative problem solvers, and learn social skills.
Tips & Tricks!
Jump Rope rhymes
TeddyBear,TeddyBear
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Jump up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the sky
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Bend down low
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch your toes
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Turn out the light
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Say good night
Playing with your child will promote a closer relationship with you and helps them learn your values. Observe your child and learn their interests. Engaging them in activities they like helps them develop an increase in their language (aka learning new words). Playing is...well, all about playing! Make it fun and they will be sure to want to come back and repeat activities.
Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack
All dressed in black, black, black With silver buttons, buttons, buttons All down her back, back, back. She asked her mother, mother, mother, For fifteen cents, cents, cents, To see the elephant, elephant, elephant, Jump the fence, fence, fence. He jumped so high, high, high. He reached the sky, sky, sky, And he never came back, back, back Till the Fourth of July, lie, lie.
april 2024
MissMaryMack
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Each day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill.
1 Talking 2 reading 3 writing 4 playing
How many words can your child think of that have the same beginning sound as their name?
Make reading interactive! Ask questions about how the characters feel, what's happening in the illustrations, etc.
Draw dotted lines for your child to trace. Have them practice spelling different words!
Play a questioning game! Ask your child where is your nose, where are your toes, etc.
7 reading
Visit the library and check out books about spring.
singing
Sing as you do everyday things together like making breakfast or going to the store.
Talk about the different sounds you hear in each room of the house.
8 writing 9 playing 10 singing 11 talking 12 reading 13 writing
Practice fine motor skills by having your child pick up raisins or another small snack using tweezers.
Play alphabet search today. Take turns picking a letter and searching for it.
Sing or say “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
Talk about today's weather! Is it hot or cold? Sunny or cloudy? Rainy or dry?
Have a family book club. Each person brings a book for a story time.
talking 14 playing 15 singing 16 talking 17 reading
Make a dot painting with cotton swabs of clouds/rain and paint to help develop fine motor skills.
Play hide and seek!
The one with the best hiding place wins!
Go outside and jump rope. Make up a jumping rhyme/song as you go along!
**Check out some rhymes above!
Ask your child to name what sounds we hear in the spring that we don't hear during winter!
Talk to your child about what they want to be when they grow up.
Look at a magazine together. Explain some of the pictures or illustrations.
playing
Point out words everywhere you go today.
Play with playdough— it strengthens muscles needed for writing.
Line up chairs and pretend to drive a city bus. Take turns driving and being the passenger. Call out the stops!
Spend time scribbling together.
singing
Play music and dance like crazy! When your child least expects it, pause the song and shout, "Freeze!"
Make a tower out of empty boxes. Count them as you stack and then knock them all down!
Clap your hands to the beat of a favorite song.
18 writing 19 playing 20 singing 21 talking 22 reading
How many words can your child think of that have the same ending sound as "bunny"?
Pick a letter of the day. Look for it everywhere today: on license plates, at the grocery store, and in books you are reading together.
Draw the outline of your child’s hand.
Write the date and have your child “sign” the drawing.
Make a tent out of blankets and pretend to be camping in the forest. Draw maps and use them to take hikes around your house.
Has it been raining a lot? Sing “Rain, Rain, Go Away.”
**See lyrics above.
SUN
5
6
29
SAT FRI THU WED TUE
23 writing 24
25
26 talking 27 reading 28 writing
playing 30 singing
MON april 2024
scribble, scribble, scribble
For developing readers and writers, drawing pictures gives children opportunities to create objects they see, express themselves, and use their imaginations –even before they may be able to say or write the right words for them.
Point out different objects in your home and have your child draw them!
Ask your child if they remember their dream. If they do, have them draw it with chalk outside.
Have your child start to draw/write down things that they are excited about for school.
We are the dinosaurs by laurie berkner
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
Whaddaya think of that?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
We make the earth flat, we make the earth flat
We stop and eat our food when we’re in the mood
We stop and eat our food on the ground
We stop and eat our food when we’re in the mood
We stop and eat our food and then we march around
‘Cause we are the dinosaurs marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
Whaddaya think of that?
We are the dinosaurs marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
We make the earth flat, we make the earth flat We stop and take a rest over in our nest
We stop and take a rest at the end of the day
We stop and take a rest over in our nest
We stop and take a rest and then you’ll hear us say
That we are the dinosaurs marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
Whaddaya think of that?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
We make the earth flat, we make the earth flat
And then we ROOOOOAAAAAAR!
‘Cause we are the dinosaurs!
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
WHADDAYA THINK OF THAT?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs, we make the earth flat
We make the earth flat
We stop and eat our food, when we’re in the mood
Stop and eat our food on the ground
Stop and eat our food, when we’re in the mood
Stop and eat our food and then we march around
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
WHADDAYA THINK OF THAT?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs, we make the earth flat We make the earth flat
We stop and take a rest, over in our next Stop and take a rest at the end of the day Stop and take a rest, over in our nest Stop and take a rest and then you’ll hear us say
Kids: “WAKE UP LAURIE!”
That we are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
WHADDAYA THINK OF THAT?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching We are the dinosaurs, we make the earth flat We make the earth flat And then we ROAR!
Kids: ROOAAARRR!!
Why??
Because we are the dinosaurs!
May 2024
Have
You Ever Seen a Flower? by
b o o k s
Shawn Harris
An ABC of Flowers by Jutta Hilpuesch
Spring Parade by Camelia Kay
Read a book that rhymes!
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Each
Draw on a white paper with a black crayon, then on a black paper with a white crayon.
Fill a bowl with dried rice. Use measuring cups and spoons to pour and divide.
As you drive in the car, talk about the different sounds you hear.
Read a book about your favorite animal. See if you can learn a new fact!
Have your child write a note for a friend or family member. Deliver it to them or mail it!
Time to play outside in the dirt! Grab some toy cars and have your child make a road.
Go for a walk outside and look for birds. What colors are they? Do they make sounds that are funny?
Talk about things you do in the morning, things you do in the afternoon, and things you do at night.
Sing "B-I-N-G-O" while doing chores around the house.
Sit on the floor and imagine you are going to the mountains. What do you see?
Sing as you make breakfast together.
As
Sing and act out, "We are the Dinosaurs" by Laurie Berkner!
**See lyrics above.
Visit the library! Talk with a librarian about a book you just read!
Use family photos to tell different stories. Encourage your child to tell a story.
Read a book about shapes and colors!
In the morning, have your child help you write a to-do list for the day!
Find out the details of HEPL's summer reading program.
Fill a baggie with shaving cream or hair gel and add a drop of food coloring. Use your finger to write.
While reading a familiar book today, pause here and there to allow your child to say some of the words.
Have your child practice writing their name using different colors.
Pretend that you and your child are explorers in the woods. Look for a lost civilization together.
Work together to add more verses to "The Wheels on the Bus."
Play with blocks or LEGOs! What can you make? Form them into a letter shape.
31 talking
Introduce a new word to describe how you feel. Say “I am delighted” rather than “I am happy.”
Make up silly songs about everyday activities.
5 Singing 12 reading 19 playing 26 talking 6 Talking 13 writing 20 singing 27 reading 7 reading 14 playing 21 talking 28 writing 8 writing 1 Talking 15 singing 22 reading 29 playing 9 playing 2 reading 16 talking 23 writing 30 singing 10 singing 3 writing 17 reading 24 playing 11 Talking 4 playing 18 writing 25 singing May 2024 SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON SUN
day features a fun activity that will
child
pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and
skill. Sing one of your child's favorite books! Ask your child to demonstrate the sounds they hear at different times of the day. Act something out from the story you are reading. Draw outside with sidewalk chalk. Draw letters and shapes.
help your
build
color-coded by
a family,
play "I spy with my little eye, something that is, GREEN!"
DIy Finger Paint
Supplies Needed:
Light Corn Syrup
Liquid Food Coloring
Directions: Mix about 1 to 1.5 Tbsp of corn syrup with 3-4 drops of food coloring.
Tip: Use a mini muffin pan to mix the paint and give your child q-tips to paint.
lifelong reader... unlocked
Looking for ways to help your child to become a lifelong reader? Try some of these suggestions for making a dedicated reading space for them!
Set aside a corner of a room- this can be in their bedroom or a shared space.
HEPL's Summer Reading Program!
Don't forget to sign your child (and yourself) up for our Summer Reading Program, starting June 1st!
Start reading or exploring our activities to earn points! Once you ' ve gotten enough points, come in for prizes and raffle tickets to enter for our prize drawings!
Visit our website or either of our locations for more information!
Have your child pick out some pillows, blankets, and/or cushions that they would enjoy. Want to get fancy? Add drapes so that it becomes like a canopy. Find a small bookshelf to keep near the space or wall shelves that you can have books face out. If they can see the books, they will be more likely to reach for them and read.
Can't have the space up all the time? Make a fort using couch cushions and sheets. Let your little reader " camp " out in the house!
june 2024
While
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Each
Go outside and play with chalk! Have your child draw their favorite food.
Sing, "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." Sing it fast and slow.
Take turns naming animals and making animal sounds.
Instead
At the end of the day, talk about everything that happened. What did you like best about today?
Read a story together and then talk about what you liked or didn't like in the story.
Thread pipe cleaners into a colander to work on fine motor control.
Ask your child to make up a story about their favorite animal.
Have a quiet reading time today! Trace your child's handprint. Then trace a grownup's handprint outside of theirs.
Visit a park and push your child on a swing. Take turns saying words that rhyme with dog.
Find words that begin with “J” today, like "jam", "jello", "jar", and "jewelry."
Snuggle up and read a bedtime story (or two!)
Practice cutting with scraps of paper.
Set cushions on the floor and pretend you are on a boat. What animals can they see?
Sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" while wiggling your fingers in the air.
Ask your child, "What is your favorite toy?" Have a conversation about the answer.
Finger paint. Mix corn syrup and food coloring. Use it to write letters on paper.
If the weather is good, have a picnic outside. If not, have a picnic inside.
Sing silly songs while getting ready for bed.
Discuss opposites. Show examples of big and small, night and day, light and dark.
Read a book and talk about the parts of the book: cover, back, spine, etc.
Scribble Day! Have a lot of paper, markers/ crayons for your child to scribble and draw.
Have a family singalong! Each family member gets to pick a favorite song to sing.
Visit the library today and pick up your summer reading prizes!
Create an obstacle course outside with chalk.
Take turns singing the alphabet song.
3 writing M O N 4 playing T U E 2 reading 5 singing 6 talking 7 reading 8 writing 1 talking 9 playing 10 singing 11 talking 12 reading 13 writing 14 playing 15 singing 16 talking 17 reading 18 writing 19 playing 20 singing 21 talking 22 reading 30 singing 23 writing 24 playing 25 singing 26 talking 27 reading 28 writing 29 playing june 2024 S A T F R I T H U W E D S U N
day
child
pre-reading
are
features a fun activity that will help your
build
skills. Activities
labeled and color-coded by skill.
reading a book,
and
Write a list of all the things you like to do during the summer. Roll playdough into "snakes." Use the snakes to form letters, numbers, and shapes.
stop
ask what your child thinks will happen next.
of
to your song,
singing the words
replace with "la, la, la."
And so it begins... kindergarten!
Starting school can be a time where your child is nervous! In order to ease them into how much fun
Kindergarten truly can be, try some of these activities!
Sit down with your child and write out a shopping list for their school supplies. Bedtime routines are crucial for your child to get the rest needed to perform well! Work on establishing an earlier bedtime as well as getting up earlier in the morning.
Revisit having your child write out their name and help them with the letter recognition for their beginning letter. Using imaginative play, play school with your child.
kindergarten books!
Monkey Not Ready for Kindergarten by Marc Brown
Twindergarten by Nikki Ehrlich
The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
The Best Thing About Kindergarten by Jennifer Lloyd
Llama Llama Back to School by Anna Dewdney
Kindergarten is Cool by Linda Elovitz Marshall
July 2024
Tell a grown-up: if you could open up a store, what kind of store would it be?
Daily literacy fun for you and your little one.
Each day features a fun activity that will help your child build pre-reading skills. Activities are labeled and color-coded by skill.
Look through books to find the first letter of your name.
Play with play dough. Can you shape it into letters?
Read a book about Independence Day. Cut out numbers and paint them with watercolor. Hang in your windows.
Happy Independence Day! Use bright crayons to draw fireworks on black paper.
Pretend you are a snake. How would you move? How would you sound?
Sing a favorite song together. Sing the song again but make up different words this time.
Take out two stuffed animals. Talk about how they are alike and different.
Make a shaker by putting dried pasta or beans in an empty container. Shake it while you sing.
Have your little talk with a friend or sibling about your favorite vegetable to grow in a garden.
Have a backwards day: eat dinner in the morning and breakfast in the evening!
Pick a new type of music you haven't listened to. Listen to it together.
Can you name five words that rhyme with “sun”?
Find a favorite book and sing the words instead of saying them.
Draw outside with chalk. Draw pictures, shapes and letters.
Read a book outdoors on a beach towel.
Visit the library! Write down a list of books your want to check out!
What can you create with a paper lunch bag? A kite? A puppet? What else?
Sing a "good morning" song to greet your child.
If you could ride in a hot air balloon, where would you go?
Make up a new ending to a favorite book.
Write a list of all the things you like to do in the summer.
Play soccer or kickball with family, friends, and neighbors.
31 talking
Cut alphabet letters out of magazines or newspapers and make words.
Play a board game with someone you love.
Play talent show. Take turns singing and/or dancing.
Look at a globe or world map and talk about places you would like to visit.
What is one thing you can do ONLY in the summer?
Visit the library today and pick up your summer reading prizes!
7 reading SUN Make up a song using your name! 8 writing 9 playing 10 singing 11 talking 12 reading 13 writing 1 talking 2 reading 3 writing 4 playing 5 singing 6 talking 14 playing 15 singing 16 talking 17 reading 18 writing 19 playing 20 singing 21 talking 22 reading 23 writing 24 playing 25 singing 26 talking 27 reading 28 writing 29 playing 30 singing SAT FRI THU WED TUE MON
July 2024
More Early Literacy Books!
By Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland
By Ellen Heck
Susan B. Katz
Margaret Wise Brown
ABC ZooBorns!
A Is for Bee: An Alphabet Book in Translation
ABC School's for Me!
Sleepy ABC By
123 Versus ABC By Mike Boldt ABC of Feelings By Bonnie Lui ABC Dream By Kim Krans Dig Dig Digging ABC By Margaret Mayo
By
Let's Go ABC!: Things That Go, from A to Z
By Rhonda Gowler Greene
A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play
By Ida Pearle
Penguins Love Their ABC's
By Sarah Aspinall
What About X?: An Alphabet Adventure
By Anne Marie Houppert
Awake Beautiful Child
By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Animalicious: A Quirky ABC
Book By Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan
Alphabet Trains
By Samantha R. Vamos
Hungry Monster ABC By Susan
Heyboer O'Keefe
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