Each month, we offer a kit packed with tips and suggestions around an early literacy calendar (also available in Spanish). Here’s a guide inspired by our January Early Lit Kit that will help you read, play, talk, sing, and write at home with your little ones:
Read: Read a book about winter. (Here are a few to get you started.) Look at the pictures in the book and then look through your neighborhood for similar sights—do we have more snow or less? Do you see any icicles?
Play: Use a snowflake stamp or stickers or draw your own snowflakes to make patterns on paper. Make one piece of paper that looks like a blizzard! Make another one that looks like a quiet snowfall. Can you make a silly face out of snowflakes?
Talk: Talk about the differences you see out the window since winter began. What color is the ground? What do the trees look like? What color is the sky? What animals do you see outside? Do you have any other observations? Talk about the changing seasons and how your child will see the world change again in the coming months.
Sing: The song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” is a fun song, and in the winter the nights become extra long! Since you’re more likely to be awake when the stars come out at this time of the year, take an evening to go outside and check out how many stars you can see.
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
One of the really nice things about this song is that it’s versatile, too. Try to change the words so that they’re about snow or snowflakes.
Write: On a cold window, try to make some snowflake patterns with your fingers. They can be small, just a little dot, or big, with lots of detail and fancy swirls!
It's certainly getting cold outside! Check out some of these books to get in a snowy mood. As you read, notice what's different between the scenes in the books and the scene where you live. HerrickDL KidPicks
