Follow Maisy as she helps Mommy Hen find her ten chicks. This wonderful book introduces children to many animals and objects that can be found on a farm, while illustrating the concept of counting to ten.
Before, During and After Reading
Letter Knowledge (Book Knowledge)
Introduce the book. Read the title and the author’s name, sweeping your finger under the words as you read them. Look at the front cover of the book together. Ask questions that encourage your child to explore the book.
You might ask: What do you see on the front cover of this book? Can you help me count the chicks?
Letter Knowledge (Print Awareness)
Knowing the difference between letters and numbers is a print awareness skill that helps to build vocabulary. Talk about the difference between letters and numbers. Touch the number on each page and ask your child to show you the items corresponding to the number in the illustration.
You might say: This is the number one. I see one chick. Let’s count them. One!
This is the number two. I see two chicks. Let’s count them. One…two!
Continue reading each page in the book as you help your child touch and count the chicks on each page.
Oral Language
Explore the illustrations with your child as illustrations provide many details. As your child opens the flap on each page, introduce and discuss the animals hiding inside.
You might say: Are there any chicks in the trailer? Yes! Now there are three chicks. Who else is in the trailer? A sheep! This sheep is soft and fluffy.
Phonological Awareness
A child’s emerging phonological awareness starts with enjoyment of stories, poems and songs that have rhyming or alliteration. After reading the story, engage your child in a fun, movement activity. Incorporate the names of the animals from the story, and their motions, in a song. Sing this to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus.
The chicks on the farm go cluck, cluck, cluck,
Cluck, cluck, cluck,
Cluck, cluck, cluck,
The chicks on the farm go cluck, cluck, cluck,
On Maisy’s farm.
Repeat with the following examples:
dog…woof owl…hoot frog…croak sheep…baa gator…chomp
bees…buzz cat…meow pig…oink duck….quack cow…moo
