Book Review
The activities in this book are good for learning about and reinforcing
the concepts of counting (Whale and the Fish), shapes (Splish-Splash)
and animals (Zoo Safari). There is an Introduction in the
front of the book that outlines for you ways of introducing these
stories to the children as well as how to get them involved and
keep them interested while you are reading to them. There
are also instructions how to make story folders and create the felt
pieces you will need to tell the stories. Accompanying each
of the stories is a list of felt pieces you need to make for that
story, questions to ask the children, and ways to extend the story.
The felt board stories in this book are divided into the Four Seasons.
A story in each season revolves around the actions of a main character,
Flip-Flop the Scarecrow. Traditional favorites are also used
in new stories (i.e. farm animals featured in the BIRTHDAY DINNER
on the Parson Farm story).
A couple of the extended activities involve the use of peanut butter
as one of the supplies. Daycares and schools are largely peanut-free
these days so keep this in mind when planning your activities.
Replace peanut butter with something else where possible so the
children don't miss out on the wonderful activities (i.e. Old St.
Nicholas, replace the peanut butter with corn syrup and let it dry
before hanging. A pinecone would work better when using corn
syrup and it is like a mini tree.
I like this book because the stories and activities are interesting
and the extensions included for each activity are very useful ideas
for teachers. I also like it that some of the patterns for
the stories are larger (i.e. Let's Build a Body) and some of the
patterns are unusual (i.e. Splish-Splash). This makes the
stories even more visually interesting and attractive for the children
listening. The amount of child participation encouraged for
all the stories in the book is great because this will help their
social skills and self-confidence as well as being good physical
exercise with some of the stories (i.e. Drive the Fire Truck). |
