First, read the story

Grandma Hen needs one tomato and two avocados at the market, and little Chica-Chick is delighted to help. But when Grandma Hen asks Chica-Chick if she’d like to help cook later, Chica-Chick finds she’d much rather play with friends outdoors!

How to Extend the Activity:

1. Make this fun tale relevant

Ask your preschool child to:

• Name her favorite toys and the children she loves to play with.
• Decide what she’d like to help you cook or bake.
• Select a chore she could do at home, by herself, without being reminded.

2. Develop his powers of observation

 Let your sleuth look closely at the pictures and:

• Look for similarities between your house and the house in the story (see page 20)
• Decide what’s different.
• Describe what your favorite food store and Mr. Owl’s little shop have in common.

3. Add a Spanish language challenge

• Review the Spanish words in the story, or listen to an audio recording and repeat the Spanish terms together.
• Say “gracias” instead of “thank you” to show your appreciation all day.
• Learn two new Spanish words or phrases and look up what they mean.

4. Boost memory, reading skills, and comprehension

• Ask: What did Chica-Chick do to help her remember what Grandma Hen wanted her to buy at Mr. Owl’s market?
• See if your child can name the items Chica-Chick was supposed to buy.
• Help her memorize your home address and cell phone number.
• Play memory games with cards or have her study a picture and answer a few simple questions once the picture is taken away.

5. Encourage your child to:

• Pitch in around the house (gather up his laundry, set the table, clear the dishes after meals).
• Help you shop for food and snacks. Introduce him to in-season fruits and veggies, or various types of bread.
• Assist when you cook or bake.