Pre-school Topics, Block 5, Week 49: We all have the capacity to learn how to read

Language

Week 49
We all have the capacity to learn how to read

Language is a non-instinctive system of spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by which human beings’ express ideas, emotions, and desires. Language is a huge part of the preciousness of our humanity. Animal communication is the transfer of information by sounds, scents and motions from the sender to the receiver that affects current behavior. It can impact future behavior, too. It is generally instinctive.

Point to emphasize
Very soon you will be able to read so many words.

References
And they read in the book, in the law of God, interpreting and giving the sense, so that they understood the reading. (Nehemiah 8:8)

Sample content and conversation with children:

Today we are going to see that we all are able to learn how to read!
[Start with this activity to help the children discover that they are beginning to learn to recognize the ABCs. Have parents print the provided template beforehand and cut out the flashcards.] I will show you a letter, and I want you to show us the same letter.

(https://children.churchinanaheim.org/wp-content/uploads/P-B5-W49-TEMPLATE-Find-the-letter.pdf)

P-B5-W49-TEMPLATE-Find-the-letter

- This is letter A. Find your letter A. Show it to us and spin around.
- This is letter B. Find your letter B. Show it to us and tap your belly.
- This is letter C. Find your letter C. Show it to us and clap.
You know, since we were babies we have loved to hold books! [Show video #1, or picture #1] Now, here is a little girl who is four, she could read the word “milk”. [Show video #2.] Now here she is 6 years, and she can read a little more. [Show video #3.] Here is an 8-year-old girl. She can read a lot. [Show video #4.] Now here is a 12-year-old boy, and he can read practically any book. His favorite book is the Bible! [Show video of #5.] We are all able to learn to read because God created us this way!
Very soon YOU will also be able to READ! You will be able to take a book with lots of pictures and read the words on each page. Of course, it is so nice to have someone read stories to you now, but very soon you will love reading them all by yourself and also read to others. Wow, it’s so wonderful that God gave us the ability to read so that when we get older, we can read the Bible.
No animal is capable of reading a book. It is just not possible. Even rats that are very smart animals can’t even learn to read a word. In this video [show video #6] you can see that rats can find the quickest way in a maze, but they can never learn to read one word.
No animal was created by God in a way that they can learn to read. God created us so that we can easily learn to read as we grow. Thank You God!

Songs
Thank You God
God made me

Suggested activities

Run to the Letter: Prepare flashcards with some letters. Keep in mind the age and ability of the children when choosing the letters. Write the same letters on the floor with chalk or painters tape. It is best to start with 3-4 letters, for example A, B, C, D, and then add more. Show the children a flashcard, and have them run to the corresponding letter on the floor.
Charades: Have one child or parent cover their eyes. Show a picture of an action. The rest of the children will act it out, while the first child will try to discover what is the action being acted out (Winking, swimming, drawing, running in place, laughing, blowing, digging, knocking, etc.)

Videos
#1: Babies holding books

(https://www.youtube.com/embed/aVP-h1dHIjY?rel=0)

#2: Four-year-old reading

#3: Six-year-old reading

#4: Eight-year-old reading

#5: Twelve-year-old reading

#6: Rat maze

Pictures
#1: Baby with book

Pictures for charades
Charade #1: Winking
Charade #2: Swimming
Charade #3: Drawing
Charade #4: Running in place
Charade #5: Laughing
Charade #6: Blowing
Charade #7: Digging
Charade #8: Knocking door

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