Maravilloso momento para compartir y contar historias

Sometimes we all need to remind ourselves how amazing we are and sometimes we need to see others recognize themselves for their own amazingness. These two books are the perfect pair to help little ones learn to lead by example.  “I Like Myself” by Karen Beaumont is a cute story about a little girl who shares how she likes all the things that make her different from the outside to the inside. Our second book, "Thelma the Unicorn" by Aaron Blabey, is a sparkling fun story about a pony who discovers being a unicorn isn’t all that much fun.  After these fun little stories, we’ll do some sharing time with our mystery bags, play some I Spy, and learn to draw a simple leaping horse (or unicorn). 

This 45-minute class is jam-packed! 

Supplies:
One paper bag to place a four-legged, single-toed trotting friend for sharing
One equine of any type (mule, pony, donkey, horse, mini horse, zebra, zorse, zonkey)
Crayons, markers, pencils (your choice) and paper


Prepare for sharing your mystery bag:
1) Look around the house and pick out the topic object. This can be a toy, a decoration or even a drawing. 
2) Make-up 3 clues to share with the class about the object. To create your clues think about the color it is, the sounds it makes, where it might live, its texture (soft, fluffy, scaly, pointy) and what letter it starts with.
3) Place your item in a bag that we can not see through. 
4) Practice saying the clues. Role-play with your kiddo and take turns saying the clues before class.

Each activity is planned to boost the brain power of your kiddos without being boring. 
Story benefits: listening, predicting outcomes, comprehension 
I Spy game benefits: decoding, eye tracking, pattern recognition, letter recognition
Drawing benefits: fine motor, pattern recognition, creativity
Mystery bag benefits: vocabulary, predicting outcomes, listening, presentation skills/public speaking

FAQ:
Q: Can my six year old join the class with my 4-year-old. 
A: If they still enjoying storytime I’m flexible. However, keep in mind I have set this class up for ages 3 - 5 because their brain development is similar. Typically when we play I spy a 6-year-old will do far better because their brain is already decoding. The game is designed to help the pre-readers brain to decode the directions letters go and to find patterns. “A” is always an “A” even when it’s upside down. A cow is always a cow even when it’s upside down. It’s a sneaky little brain trick that will help your kiddos when they discover the lower case challenges of “b, d, p, and q”. In my experience, the kiddos who have done training with me before the reading stage have had significantly less difficulty with those 4 challenging lower case letters.