Before reading
Look at the picture. Who do you see? What are they doing? Tell a story about this picture.
Audio
Reading to babies is important. It helps them learn. They listen and hear sounds. The books have pictures. Babies look at the pictures. Slowly, they learn words. Lucia is three years old. She is not a baby, but she loves books. She enjoys it when her parents read to her. Her parents started reading to her when she was little.
Baby Michael is only 14 months old. He loves books, too. But Michael doesn’t read books. Instead, he eats them. They feel good on his gums. He only has six teeth. The other teeth are coming in. They hurt his gums. So, Michael chews on everything. Books are his favorite thing to chew.
Lucia tries to read books to Michael. She doesn’t know how to read. But her parents read to her. When her parents read, Lucia looks at the pictures. Her parents read the stories many times. Every time they finish a story, Lucia says, “read it again, please.”
She remembers the stories. The pictures help her remember. When she sees each picture, she knows what happens in the story. She has memorized the books. So, she pretends to read to Michael.
“Once upon a time there was a sad, sad fish,” she says to Michael. Michael watches her and listens to her words. “Then he was happy!” Lucia says loudly. She smiles when she tells Michael that the fish was happy. Michael smiles back at her.
That’s the end the story. It was a very short story. Lucia remembered the important parts and she told them to Michael. Michael likes the story now, too. So, Lucia will read it to him again.
“Once upon a time there was a sad, sad fish,” Lucia begins. Michael laughs. They love reading!
Questions
Conversation
Do you have children?
If YES…
How many?
How old are they?
Do you remember when they were babies?
What did they do?
Did they love it when you read to them?
How old were they when they learned to read?
If NO…
Do you want to have children?
Have you ever read to a child?
Do you remember when you were a child?
Did you like it when your parents or teachers read to you?
Listening: Fill-in-the-blanks
Reading to babies is ____________. It helps them learn. They listen and hear ____________. The books have ____________. Babies look at the pictures. Slowly, they learn words. Lucia is three years old. She is not a baby, but she loves books. She ____________ it when her parents read to her. Her parents started ____________ to her when she was little.
Baby Michael is only 14 months old. He loves books, too. But Michael ____________ read books. Instead, he eats them. They feel good on his ____________. He only has six teeth. The other ____________ are coming in. They hurt his gums. So, Michael chews on everything. Books are his favorite thing to ____________.
Lucia tries to read books to Michael. She doesn’t know how to read. But her ____________ read to her. When her parents read, Lucia looks at the ____________. Her parents read the stories many times. Every time they ____________ a story, Lucia says, “read it again, please.”
She ____________ the stories. The pictures help her remember. When she sees each picture, she knows what happens in the story. She has memorized the books. So, she ____________ to read to Michael.
“Once upon a time there was a sad, sad fish,” she says to Michael. Michael ____________ her and listens to her words. “Then he was happy!” Lucia says loudly. She ____________ when she tells Michael that the ____________ was happy. Michael smiles back at her.
That’s the end the story. It was a very ____________ story. Lucia remembered the ____________ parts and she told them to Michael. Michael likes the story now, ____________. So, Lucia will read it to him again.
“Once upon a time there was a sad, sad fish,” Lucia begins. Michael ____________. They love reading!