MSU Extension Child & Family Development

BEFORE READING:

• Show the children the front of the book. Ask them to guess what the book is about.
• Ask them what the animal is doing on the back of the book.
• Ask them if they know what animals are on the front cover.

WHILE READING:

• Stop at any time if there is something you or the children would like to talk about.
• Ask them questions so that they can connect what is happening in the book to things they already know about. Try some of these ideas:
  • What things do you do around the house like Little Red Hen?
  • Have you ever baked a loaf of bread?
  • What kind of bread do you like to eat?

AFTER READING:

• Spend some time talking about the story. Ask the children things like:
  • What did Little Red Hen do with the wheat she found?
  • Why didn’t the other animals help Little Red Hen?
  • Who ate the bread that Little Red Hen made?

MATH AND SCIENCE

Find a recipe that you and the children can make. Count the number of ingredients you will need. Measure each ingredient, or show the children how to measure. Let them pour it into the bowl. Be sure to use words like one-half, cup, tablespoon, and full so they hear about measuring tools and fractions.

THINKING SKILLS

Set out cups or bowls that are different sizes. Ask the children to put them in order from big- gest to smallest. When they are finished, ask them if they can think of another way to sort them.

READING READINESS

Before reading the story, ask the children to listen for how many times the little red hen asks for help from her friends. Have them raise a finger each time the hen asks so they can keep track. At the end of the story, ask them if they remember what the hen’s friends offered to help with.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Make a list of two or three chores the children could do together. Play music and sing and dance as you work.

ART

Experiment with making dough. Have the children put some water and flour into a large mixing bowl. Have them stir the mixture until it is blended together and doughy. Then sprinkle some flour on the counter and have them roll the dough with a rolling pin or a full pop can. See how flat they can make the dough. Then, have them cut out shapes with cookie cutters or roll out the letters in their name.

PRETEND PLAY

Pretend that you are the little red hen and one of her friends. Make believe that you are making a loaf of bread, and do everything the little red hen did. Take turns with the children thinking of nice ways to ask for help as you pretend to make the loaf of bread together. MOTOR SKILLS Play follow-the-leader with the children. Tell the children to do exactly what you do. Move your arms and walk, hop, skip and jump around the room. Then, take turns and follow them as they lead.

For more information, visit: MSU Extension early childhood development site.