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Oral Language

Develop a sense of predictability. Before introducing the story, listen to or sing the song Down by the Bay by Raffi with your child.  

Talk about the word “bay.” You might ask:

“What is a bay?” or “Have you ever seen a bay?”

Look for photographs of a bay in books, on the computer or on a mobile device to help your child understand the words to the song.

Letter Knowledge

Use the predictable text to develop letter and word awareness. Once the song has become familiar, the words in the book become more meaningful. Read the title Down by the Bay to your child, then point to the letter D in the word Down and say the sound that d makes. Ask your child to listen for the word “down” as you read the words and to bend her knee and “dip, dip, down for the ‘d’ sound.”

Phonological Awareness

Review the rhyming words in the story. After you read a page that has rhyming words, touch the pictures and say the rhyming words. You might say:

“Look! I see a goose and I see a moose. Goose and moose rhyme. Say goose, moose, goose, moose. Do they rhyme? Yes they do, every time!”

Beginning Writing

Use time after the story to develop writing skills. You might:

• Ask your child to help you draw the silly things that rhymed in the book.
• Come up with a new verse to the song with a silly rhyming word. Have your child draw the picture as you write the words. Share your version of the song with family or friends.  

Find more beginning writing activities and recommended books for 3-year-olds.