Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
by Bill Martin Jr. (Author), John Archambault (Author), Lois Ehlert (Illustrator)
This has to be the most fun alphabet book on the market. My children loved it and would listen to it again and again. After reading it together, why not make your own alphabet tree? Draw a large tree on banner paper and give your child large cut out letters to put on it. If you want it reusable, make the green part of the tree flannel or let your child use weak tape to stick the letters on. Drawing it on a magnetic chalkboard or wipe off board will also work if you put a magnet strip on the back of the letters. As your child puts the letters on, tell him what they are. When you read the book, help him find the letters talked about on the page and put them on the tree or take them off, depending on the part of the story you’re reading. The first time, just read. The second time…play.
Louisa May Alcott’s father taught children the alphabet by having them make the letter’s shape with their bodies. Help your child do this and then act out the story, letter by letter.
YouTube has an adorable video cartoon version of the book from Discovery Education.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtvtYjLbnDk
Once the tree and letters are made, keep them displayed. When your child knows the alphabet, use them to start teaching simple spelling. Can he spell his name with the letters? What about the names of other family members? What if you added small pictures of each family member to the tree and had your child pluck off a picture and then the letters to spell the name? When that's mastered, add other small pictures of easy to spell words and keep going. It can become a spelling tree.
Check the right hand column for a link to this book on Amazon.
