As the Thanksgiving season approaches, it's a perfect time to introduce children to fun, festive books that not only celebrate the season but also promote important language and literacy skills. These books offer engaging stories and charming illustrations, and they also provide ample opportunities to build vocabulary, improve speech skills, as well as, enhance early literacy.
Here are some ideas for fun, language-building activities you can do with kids, based on these books, that target different age groups:
1. How to Catch a Turkey – Activity for Ages 2-4: "Turkey Chase!"
How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace is a delightful, humorous book about kids trying to catch a turkey for Thanksgiving. The fun illustrations and repetitive, rhyming text make this book perfect for young children to engage with.
Speech/Language Benefits:
Introduces rhyming words and repetition, which is great for developing early phonological awareness.
Encourages use of action verbs, spatial concepts (e.g., under, over, around), and vocabulary related to Thanksgiving.
Activity: Turkey Chase!
What you need: A turkey puppet or plush toy, or even just a picture of a turkey.
How to play: In a safe indoor space, have the child pretend to chase the turkey (you can gently toss or move the turkey around). As the turkey "runs away," the child can describe where the turkey is going: "The turkey is running under the table!" or "The turkey is hiding behind the couch!" You can make the game interactive by incorporating verbs (run, jump, hide, peek) and prepositions (under, behind, next to) to expand the child’s vocabulary.
Encourage the child to repeat the actions and words, giving them opportunities to mimic sounds and gestures. If the child is old enough, you can have them describe where the turkey is or guide them to act out different parts of the story. For example, "Can you catch the turkey with your arms wide open?"
This activity promotes language development by helping kids use new words and practice sentence structure while getting them moving!
2. I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie – Activity for Ages 5+: "Pie-Puzzle Storytelling"
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson is a humorous and rhyming tale about a lady who gobbles up all kinds of Thanksgiving food. It's a great story for helping children understand cause and effect, as well as the progression of a narrative.
Speech/Language Benefits:
Rhyming helps children recognize sounds and word patterns, which improves reading fluency.
The repetitive structure of the story can aid in memory retention and vocabulary expansion.
Activity: Pie-Puzzle Storytelling
What you need: Paper, crayons/markers, and a pie-themed printable (or you can draw your own pie).
How to play: Ask the child to help you create a "story pie" by drawing or writing different parts of the story (e.g., the pie, the lady, the foods she swallows). Break down the story into sections, and together, build a visual timeline on the pie. For example, first, the lady swallows the pie, then she swallows the turkey, etc. As you go through the pie-puzzle pieces, have the child retell parts of the story in their own words, prompting them with questions like, "What happens after she eats the pie?" or "Can you tell me about the turkey she swallows?"
This activity encourages sequencing skills and helps the child practice storytelling and using descriptive language. The child will also get to work on their vocabulary and understanding of narrative structure (beginning, middle, and end).
3. 10 Fat Turkeys – Activity for Ages 2-4: "Turkey Counting Fun"
In 10 Fat Turkeys, by Tony Johnston, the story is about turkeys that are full of fun and chaos as they waddle through Thanksgiving adventures. The rhythm and rhyme will make it easy for young children to engage, and the counting theme makes it a perfect opportunity to practice early math concepts along with language.
Speech/Language Benefits:
Counting helps build number recognition and early math skills.
The rhythmic text and rhyming words promote phonemic awareness.
The story encourages descriptive language ("fat turkeys," "waddling," etc.).
Activity: Turkey Counting Fun
What you need: Paper turkeys (either cutouts or drawn), small counting objects like beans or buttons.
How to play: After reading 10 Fat Turkeys, play a counting game where the child has to place one "fat turkey" for each number as they count aloud. Use small objects to act as "turkey food" and say things like, "Let's give each turkey one bean to eat!" Then, mix up the turkeys, and the child has to count them again to make sure there are 10. This hands-on activity integrates counting and encourages language use around numbers, colors, and descriptions (e.g., "big," "small," "round").
Encourage the child to practice saying the number and using words from the book (e.g., "fat," "turkey," "waddle"). It helps with word recognition and introduces basic math concepts in a fun, interactive way!
4. Turkey Trouble – Activity for Ages 5+: "Turkey Costume Fun!"
In Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano, a turkey tries to disguise himself to avoid becoming the Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece. This story is full of humor, with the turkey dressing up in various costumes, making it a fun read for older kids who can understand the jokes and play along with the story.
Speech/Language Benefits:
Builds storytelling and creative thinking skills.
Introduces vocabulary related to costumes and disguises, as well as verbs (e.g., "hide," "dress," "pretend").
Activity: Turkey Costume Fun
What you need: Materials for making costumes (paper, scissors, markers, or fabric).
How to play: After reading the story, give the child materials to create their own "turkey disguise." They can design a costume to "hide" the turkey and pretend to be different animals or objects. As they create their costume, ask them to describe what they are making: "What kind of disguise is that? What does it look like?" Then, have the child act out the turkey wearing the disguise, telling a story about why the turkey is trying to hide. You can encourage them to use new vocabulary, like "disguise," "costume," "sneaky," or "camouflage."
This imaginative role-play activity encourages creative thinking, storytelling, and descriptive language skills. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to see what costumes the turkey might wear to escape the Thanksgiving dinner!
Promoting Language Skills Through Books and Play
Reading books like How to Catch a Turkey, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie, 10 Fat Turkeys, and Turkey Trouble can be both entertaining and educational for children of all ages. These stories provide a wonderful foundation for building literacy, expanding vocabulary, and improving speech and language development.
Whether you’re engaging in active play with young children or encouraging more detailed storytelling with older kids, these books offer the perfect springboard for interactive activities that foster language skills while celebrating the spirit of Thanksgiving!
If you have any concerns about your child’s speech or language development, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Margiold Speech. We’re here to support you and your child on their language journey!
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