Highlights High Five™ October 2007 Parent/Teacher Guide
Hello, Fall (page 2)
- Before reading the poem to the children, talk together about what you see in the illustration. Discuss with the children signs of fall. Ask the children what they do and do not like about fall.
- Read the title, and explain that there are rhyming words in this poem. Encourage the children to listen for words that rhyme (fall, call; brown, down; red, overhead).
- Ask the children to discuss why they think the poet describes the red leaves as "flaming red."
- Have the children use their bodies to demonstrate how leaves flutter down.
- To learn more about migratory birds, check out nonfiction titles from the library. Here are two you might find: How Do Birds Find Their Way? by Roma Gans and Goodbye Geese by Nancy Carlstrom.
Talking together about signs of fall and why they do or do not like fall helps children bring their prior knowledge to bear as they listen to the poem. Listening for rhyming words helps children pay attention to the ending sounds of words—an important step on the path to reading success.
My First Hidden Pictures (pages 10 and 11)
- After the children have looked for the object, here are some questions to help them focus on the words and pictures on page 10. How many objects begin with the letter c? How many objects are described with two words? Three words? How many have words with four letters?
- Because the children may know the nursery rhyme, encourage them to join in as you read. Be sure to point to the words in the verse as you read it. Help the children find and count the number of times the word twinkle appears in the rhyme. Then help them find the two lines that are exactly the same (the second and last line).
The process of finding the hidden objects in the picture will help sharpen children's visual discrimination skills. Exploring the words beneath the objects and the words in the nursery rhyme will help children focus on specific letters and words.
Shape-Hunt Bakery (pages 14 and 15)
- Because there are a great many triangles, squares, and rectangles in this illustration, just have fun finding them. It is probably better not to suggest counting them, unless the children decide themselves to try to count.
- Your public library may have the books Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban and Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. If not, ask the children's librarian for suggestions of other picture books that can help children look for and identify various shapes.
Learning to recognize shapes is an important early math skill. Looking for and identifying the shapes you see as you travel through your day with your little ones can be a fun game to share.