Literacy Activities

   Our literacy activities at Peabody Early Childhood Center involve the children in  developing pre-reading and pre-writing skills.  We seek to instill a love of reading and books as a life-long activity.  During our interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning about the sun, we read Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, an African folk tale about how the owl wakes (and, one day, does not wake) the sun to start the day.  We also encourage writing as a form of expression and communication.  

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples Ears

   Introducing legends and mythology are always an interesting twist for students learning about the natural world.  This book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples Ears, is a great story for Kindergartners thinking about how and why the sun rises.   The story attributes the rising of the sun to the owl, whose job it is to wake up the sun.  One day, the owl does not wake up the sun.  It is a good lesson for children to sort out "cause and effect" because the most recent  cause is not the real cause for the owl's failure to do his job.   Another good activity following the story is to have the children draw the "science" of the natural phenomenon and the "story".  

"She's crying because of her babies died because of the monkey threw a stick.  . . "The iguana was walking across the tree.  He has the sticks in  his sticks."	Lillian's portrayal of the owl.
"Iguana:  Sticks in his ears".	Samira drew the bug that started the whole problem, the man who was bothered by the bug, the flowers and the tree.

Grow a Pumpkin Pie

   Grow a Pumpkin Pie   is a delightful little "easy reader" that follows the process of baking a pumpkin pie from the very beginning (planting a seed) to the very  end (eating it!).  As we were discussing how we get energy from the plants that we eat, it became evident  that first, the children did not believe that we actually ate plants, and second, that they had some interesting ideas on how to prepare that turkey or pumpkin pie  that they were enjoying during their Thanksgiving holiday. 

   Here are comments solicited by Mrs. Turner, our School's Administrative Assistant, about how to bake a pumpkin pie:

   After we read Grow a Pumpkin Pie, we wrote  our own books.  The children could include whatever series of steps they wished but the sequence needed to be correct. 

(Cover Page with Title and Author)	"Maya and Hannah are picking the pumpkin."
"My mommy is putting it in the oven.  Me and Lydia are making it."	"Pumpkin pie."

	"The pumpkin"
"This is when the pumpkin was growing and getting harder."	"Me and my mother are eating pumpkin pie."

PS Read on for more ideas about turkeys!

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