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E ARLY L I T E RAC Y AC T I VI T Y GUI DE
Welcome to the World
of BETWEEN THE LIONS! 1
How to Use This Guide 2
Stories to Watch and to Read Aloud 2
Theme: Storytelling 3
Literacy Skills 3
The Building Blocks
of Preschool Literacy 4
Enjoying and Understanding Books 4
Building Vocabulary 4
Learning about Letters and Words 4
Playing with the Sounds of Language 4
Exploring Concepts of Print 4
Active Viewing and Listening 5
Learn to ReadWatch TV? 5
Read Aloud Tips 5
Watch the Story 6
Before Watching 6
As You Watch 7
After Watching 7
Read Aloud 8
Before Reading 8
As You Read 8
After Reading 9
Learning Centers 10
Art 10
Dramatic Play 11
Library 12
Writing 13
Storytelling 14
Family Storytellers 14
Storytelling Bag 14
Storytellers Chair 14
Word Play 15
We Can! 15
Rhymes with Can 15
Silly Story Sentence 15
Sing a Song 16
Introduce the Song 16
Song Chart 16
Down by the Bay 17
Family Connections 18
Family Adventure 18
Family Letter (English) 19
Family Letter (Spanish) 20
Storytelling Wheel
Activity Sheet 21
Resources 22
Glossary 24
Credits 25
Table
of Contents
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
1
W
e
lcom
e
to
th
e
W
orld
o
f B
ETW
EEN THE LIO
N
S
!
B
ETWEEN THE LIONS is named for a family of lionsTheo, Cleo, Lionel, and
Leonawho run a library like no other. The doors between the lions
swing open to reveal a place where characters pop off the pages of books,
vowels sing, and words come alive.
From the beginning, BETWEEN THE LIONS has been much more than a kids
television show. Since the series premiered on PBS in 2000, it has made
an enormous difference in helping young children learn to read. Developed
along with literacy experts, the series features live action, puppets, animation,
songs, and humor to introduce the joys of reading and to teach the basic
skills children need to learn to read. The series also has an extensive Web site
(pbskids.org/lions) where youll nd more educational and fun activities.
Specically designed for preschool and family child care settings, this BETWEEN
THE LIONS Early Literacy Activity Guide offers a wide variety of activities to help
make childrens rst steps towards literacy enjoyable, exciting, and rewarding.
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
2
Stories to Watch and to Read Aloud
Children become active viewers as they watch a story on the
BETWEEN THE LIONS Web site and practice active listening as they
respond to a read-aloud picture book.
Read Aloud
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
Childrens imagination will soar
as they y with young Rosalba
and her grandmother over the
parks and streets of New York City.
This spirited story of family love
and pride will inspire children to
tell their own stories about family
adventures.
Look for Abuela
at your local
library or
bookstore.
Watch Together
Oh, Yes, It Can!
A storyteller visits the Lions library
and tells a West African folktale.
Can a yam, a sh trap, a piece of
fabric, and a stool talk? Oh, yes,
they can!
Watch the story with
your children on the
BETWEEN THE LIONS Web
site at pbskids.org/lions/
stories/ohyesitcan.html.
H
o
w
to Use
T
h
i
s
Guid
e
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
3
Literacy Skills
The activities help children
develop and practice a wide
range of early literacy skills,
including:
listening to oral stories from different
cultures
active viewing and listening skills
choosing books to look at alone and
with a partner
holding, handling, and caring for books
understanding that we read English
from left to right and from top to
bottom
making predictions
developing oral vocabulary
categorizing
retelling and acting out a story in the
correct sequence
telling and acting out their own stories
playing with rhyme, rhythm, and
repetition
associating the names of letters with
their shapes and sounds
associating spoken and written words
listening and identifying sounds in
words
identifying and generating rhyming
words
recognizing that different words begin
with the same sound
writing a story
clapping and counting syllables
, Unix Cubes
,
pipe cleaners, nger
paints, clay (choose
one or more)
alphabet stamps and
stencils
alphabet strip or
poster
variety of paper and
writing materials,
including markers,
pencils, colored
pencils, crayons
childrens family fun
drawings from the
Art Center
book-binding
materials (rings,
binders, hole punch
and yarn, etc.)
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
14
Through storytelling, children learn
about story structure, sequencing,
and the sounds of language. Provide
opportunities for children to listen
to stories from diverse cultures. Enjoy
how children use their imagination
as they tell their own stories.
Storytelling Bag
Form a storytelling circle. Hold up a
bag lled with familiar objects. Pick out
one object and tell a short, make-believe
story about it. Then invite each child
to pick an object and tell their own
make-believe story.
Storytellers Chair
Ask if anyone would like to tell a story. Help
the child develop his or her story so that
it has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Gather related props.
Invite the storyteller to sit in a special
storytelling chair. Gather the other
children around. Ask prompting questions
if the storyteller needs or asks for help.
Congratulate the storyteller and end with
a round of applause.
Family Storytellers
Invite family members to share favorite
stories about funny or interesting things
that have happened in their family, or
favorite make-believe stories that have
been passed down from generation to
generation. Encourage family members
to tell their stories in their home language.
Invite children to ask the storyteller
questions.
Take It Further Ask the family
storyteller if you can record him or her.
Place the recording in the listening
area for children to enjoy.
You will need
a bag lled with
familiar objects
(such as comb,
stuffed animal,
bracelet, spoon)
tape or digital
recorder and
cassette tapes
Children will
develop active listening skills
appreciate storytelling as part of
diverse cultural and family traditions
use creativity and imagination to tell
their own stories
develop a sense of story structure
build self-esteem
develop oral vocabulary
S
t
o
rytelling
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
15
We Can!
Gather children in a circle. Clap your
hands as you say, I can clap my hands.
Encourage children to think of something
they each can do, such as hop, skip,
jump, or sing.
Invite a child (Cathy) into the circle. Ask
the child to demonstrate what she can do
(jump). Then have the class repeat, Cathy
can jump! Oh, yes, she can!
Invite the child to lead the others in
chanting the letters in her name,
C-a-t-h-y. Cathy! Point to the letters on the
childs name card during the chant.
Ask the child to clap the syllables in
her name (Ca-thy). Encourage children
to say the name again as they clap the
syllables. Give each child a turn.
Take It Further Write the words
We Can on chart paper. Ask each
child, What can you do? Write the
response. (Carla can run fast. Nathan can
play the drums.) Read aloud the chart,
pointing to each of the words. Invite
the children to read the chart with you.
Children will
identify the letters in their names
hear and clap the syllables in their names
identify and generate rhyming words
recognize that different words begin
with the same sound
identify initial sounds in words
Clapping syllables in names, rhyming, and
alliteration help build phonological awareness.
W
ord Play
Rhymes with Can
Invite children to play a rhyming game.
Say, Im going to say some words. If a
word rhymes with the word can, clap.
Say the following words slowly: man, bus,
van, airplane.
After each word, ask, Does this word rhyme
with the word can? If it does, clap!
Ask, What other words and names can you
think of that rhyme with the word can?
Silly Story Sentence
Ask children what sound the word
can begins with. Then have them nd
pictures of things that begin with the /k/
sound. Attach the pictures to chart paper
and label each one. Have children repeat
the words as you point to the pictures.
As a group, choose several words to make
up a silly story sentence, such as The cow
and the cat ate cookies in the car.
Encourage children to use the pictures
to create their own silly story sentences.
You will need
chart paper,
markers, pictures,
tape
name card
for each child
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
16
Introduce the Song
Sing Down by the Bay to children with
joy and enthusiasm. Sing it a few times
to help children learn it. Then have them
sing with you.
Song Chart
Write the words to Down by the Bay
on chart paper or poster board. As you
sing the song, point to each word with a
pointer. This helps children learn that
in English we read from left to right and
from top to bottom. Sing the song together
and encourage children to move their
hands, heads, or bodies to the rhythm.
You will need
chart paper,
markers
pointer
Singing songs is a great way to build early reading skills. The song
Down by the Bay gives children the opportunity to play with rhythm,
rhyme, and repetition. It also gives them a chance to make up other
imaginative verses.
Children will
understand that the words in a song are
read from top to bottom and from left
to right
associate sounds with written words
identify and generate rhyming words
identify familiar letters and words
S
in
g a Son
g
Take It Further
Have children point to and say any
words or letters that they recognize.
Reread the line: Did you ever see a
pig dancing the jig? Ask children if
they can nd the rhyming words
in the line. Point out that the words
pig and jig rhyme because they have
the same ending sound (ig). Ask
children what other words they can
think of that rhyme with pig and jig.
Encourage children to make up
additional verses to the song by
creating silly rhymes, for example,
Did you ever see a snake eating a cake?
You may want to focus on repeating
a specic sound such as the at
sound: Did you ever see a cat wearing
a hat or . . . a rat swinging a bat.
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
17
Dow
n by the Bay
Down by the bay where the waterm
elons grow.
Back to m
y hom
e I dare not go.
For if I do m
y m
other will say,
Did you ever see a pig dancing the jig? Down by the bay.
Additional verses:
Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail?
Did you ever see a bear com
bing his hair?
Did you ever see a duck driving a truck?
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
18
Encourage parents to ask their children about what they are doing and
learning each day. Send home letters regularly that offer suggestions about
how parents can support their childrens learning. You can send home
the letter on page 19 (English) and page 20 (Spanish), along with the
Storytelling Wheel Activity Sheet (page 21). Try to host family get-togethers
several times during the year to celebrate childrens accomplishments and
to promote a sense of community.
Family Adventure
Invite families on a group adventure that you and the children have planned. Perhaps
children will want to take a bus ride to a local park, as Abuela and Rosalba did. Ask
parents to bring snacks. Bring blankets for children to lie on and look at the clouds. Invite
family members to tell a favorite family story or sing a song. The next day, invite children
to draw a picture of their favorite part of the adventure. Together write a story about it.
F
amily
C
o
n
nectio
ns
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
19
Date
Dear Family,
This week we have been watching and talking about a story from
BETWEEN THE LIONS, a PBS television show about a family of lions
who lives in a library and loves to read. A storyteller comes to the
library and tells a West African folktale about a yam that can talk!
We also read the story Abuela by Arthur Dorros about a girl and her
grandmother who go on an adventure together.
We have had fun listening to stories from many cultures, and drawing
and telling our own stories about family adventures. Here are some
ways you can explore these themes at home with your child.
Tell your child a favorite family story. It can be about your childhood
or a story you heard as a child.
Plan a family adventure with your child. Talk about how you will get
there (bus, train, car, walking) and what you will do.
Look for storytelling events at your local library.
Watch the story Oh, Yes, It Can! on the BETWEEN THE LIONS Web site
at pbskids.org/lions/stories/ohyesitcan.html.
You can watch BETWEEN THE LIONS at home with your child. Sing along
with the songs and talk about the show. Visit the BETWEEN THE LIONS
Web site (pbskids.org/lions) where youll nd lots of fun activities, songs,
and recommended books.
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
20
Fecha
Apreciada familia:
Durante esta semana, estamos viendo y hablando sobre un cuento de
BETWEEN THE LIONS, una serie de televisin en la cadena PBS que trata
sobre una familia de leones que vive en la biblioteca y que tiene gran
amor por la lectura. Un cuentista va a la biblioteca y cuenta un cuento
popular de frica occidental. Es sobre una batata o un ame que habla.
Tambin lemos el cuento Abuela de Arthur Dorros, sobre una nia y su
abuela que viven una aventura juntas.
Hemos gozado oyendo cuentos de muchas culturas, y dibujando y
contando cuentos de aventuras que cada uno hemos vivido en familia.
He aqu algunas maneras de explorar estos temas en casa con los nios.
Cuntele al nio un cuento favorito de la familia. Puede ser sobre la
niez suya o algo que oy cuando usted era chico.
Organice una aventura familiar con el nio. Hablen de cmo van
a llegar (en autobs, en tren, en auto, a pie) y qu harn cuando
lleguen.
Busquen ocasiones cuando cuenten cuentos en la biblioteca local.
Vean el cuento Oh, Yes, It Can! en la sede de Internet de BETWEEN
THE LIONS en pbskids.org/lions/stories/ohyesitcan.html.
Puede ver BETWEEN THE LIONS en casa con los nios. Canten cuando
suenen las canciones y hablen sobre la trama del episodio. Visiten el
sitio en ingls de BETWEEN THE LIONS en Internet (pbskids.org/lions).
Encontrarn muchas actividades divertidas y una lista de libros que
pueden disfrutar juntos.
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
21
Here is a game for families to play together. Let your
imaginations y and have fun!
Make a paper or cardboard arrow. Poke a hole in it.
Use a pencil and the arrow as a spinner. Take turns spinning
the arrow.
When the arrow points to a picture, make up a story about it.
If you like, act out the story.
S
torytellin
g
W
he
e
l
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
22
Folktales, Fables, Legends,
and Myths
Baby Rattlesnake by Te Ata
(Childrens Book Press, 1993)
In this Native American tale, a baby rattlesnake
learns a valuable lesson when he misuses
his rattle.
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain retold by Verna
Aardema (Pufn, 1993) (audiotape available)
A cumulative rhyme tells how Ki-pat brought
rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain.
How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac
and James Bruchac (Pufn, 2003)
In this Native American folktale, Bear and
Brown Squirrel disagree about whether Bear
can stop the sun from rising.
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
(Viking, 1999) (audiotape available)
In this version of a Yiddish folk song, an old
overcoat is recycled into various garments,
until there is nothing left but the story to tell.
Nine-in-One, Grr! Grr!: A Folktale from the Hmong
People by Blia Xiong and Cathy Spagnoli
(Childrens Book Press, 1993)
When the great god Shao promises Tiger nine
cubs each year, Bird comes up with a clever trick
to prevent the land from being overrun by tigers.
Seor Cats Romance and Other Favorite Stories
from Latin America retold by Luca M. Gonzalez
(Scholastic, 2001)
A collection of popular tales told to young
children in Latin America.
The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South
by Robert D. San Souci (Dial, 1989)
When Blanche helps an old woman, her
kindness is rewarded with riches.
Story Books
Cows Cant Fly by David Milgrim (Pufn, 2000)
An imaginative boy draws a picture that lands
in a cow pasture. The cows take ight, but only
he can see them.
Jonathan and His Mommy by Irene Smalls
(Little, Brown, 1994)
A boy and his mother have a great adventure
as they walk through their neighborhood.
I Can Do It Too! by Karen Baicker
(Handprint Books, 2003)
A little girl celebrates the everyday things she
can do.
Isla by Arthur Dorros (Pufn, 1999)
In this sequel to Abuela, Rosalba and her
grandmother take an imaginary journey to the
Caribbean island where Abuela grew up.
Little Cloud by Eric Carle (Pufn, 1996)
A little cloud becomes a sheep, an airplane,
a hat, and more.
My Car by Byron Barton (Greenwillow, 2001)
Sam describes his car and how he drives it.
See also other books in this series: Planes,
Trains, Boats.
My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard
(Henry Holt, 1999)
In this imaginative story, crayons talk, shout,
sing, and hoot.
Nap by Antonio Ramrez (Groundwood, 2004)
In her dreams at night, Napi imagines that she
becomes a heron, ying over her village.
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Penguin, 2000)
In this wordless story, a snowman comes to life
and ies.
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold (Dragony, 1996)
Eight-year-old Cassie dreams of ying above her
apartment building in Harlem.
You Can Do It Too! by Karen Baicker (Handprint
Books, 2005)
A big sister assures her little brother that he can
join in the fun with her.
R
esource
s
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
23
Songs, Poems, and Rhyming Books
Busy Boats by Tony Mitton (Kingsher, 2002)
Animal characters take a rhyming journey
on different kinds of boats. See also other books
in this series: Roaring Rockets, Amazing Airplanes,
and Terric Trains.
I Love Planes! by Philemon Sturges
(HarperCollins, 2003)
A boy dreams about ying and names his
favorite kinds of airplanes. See also I Love Trains!
and I Love Trucks!
The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort (Owlet, 2003)
Different animals make their own sounds as they
ride around town on a bus.
The Wheels on the Bus by Raf (Crown, 1990)
The familiar song lyrics are playfully illustrated.
Nonction Books
The Airplane Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
(Charlesbridge, 1997)
An alphabet book presents interesting facts
about different kinds of airplanes.
Big Book of Things That Go by Caroline Bingham
(DK, 1994)
Full-color photographs show vehicles that travel
on land, in water, or through the air.
Flying by Donald Crews (HarperTrophy, 1989)
An airplane takes off, ies, and lands after
passing over cities, countryside, lakes, and more.
See Freight Train Board Book and School Bus by the
same author.
On the Go by Ann Morris (HarperTrophy, 1994)
Color photographs show the ways people all
over the world move from place to place.
This Is the Way We Go to School by Edith Baer
(Scholastic, 1992)
Describes the many different ways children all
over the world get to school.
What Can You Do? A Book about Discovering What
You Do Well by Shelley Rotner and Sheila Kelly
(Millbrook, 2001)
Color photographs show children doing
a range of activities.
Resources for Teachers
and Caregivers
Storytelling
The Complete Book of Rhymes, Songs, Poems,
Fingerplays and Chants by Jackie Silberg and Pam
Schiller (Gryphon House, 2002)
Over 700 selections, arranged alphabetically
by title. Includes a thematic, title, and rst-line
index.
Tell Me a Tale: A Book about Storytelling
by Joseph Bruchac (Harcourt, 1997)
A Native American storyteller discusses the
four basic components of storytelling: listening,
observing, remembering, and sharing.
Note: Check your local public library for
storytelling recordings.
Literacy
Creating Readers: Over 1000 Games, Activities,
Tongue Twisters, Fingerplays, Songs, and Stories to
Get Children Excited About Reading by Pam Schiller
(Gryphon 2001)
A compilation of resources for the preschool
teacher and family day care provider. See also Do
You Know the Mufn Man? and Where is Thumbkin?
by the same author.
Preschool Literacy Collection edited by Lesley Mandel
Morrow (IRA, 2009)
A series of six books on early literacy for
preschoolers.
Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Childrens
Reading Success by M. Susan Burns, Peg Grifn, and
Catherine E. Snow, editors, the National Research
Council (National Academy Press, 1999)
Offers hands-on activities to encourage
childrens interest in books and reading and
to build oral language skills. Also available
online at http://www.nap.edu.
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
24
alliteration: The repetition of the same sound
at the beginning of words, as in Sally sells seashells
by the seashore.
book handling: Learning about the parts of a
book, including the front and back covers, the text,
and the illustrations, as well as how to hold, care
for, and handle books.
book language: Words that describe the features
of books, such as author, illustrator, title, plot,
character, setting, and dialogue.
concepts of print: 1) The different ways we use
written language, such as letters, recipes, labels,
and stories; 2) the structure of written language,
such as the space between words; and 3) the
conventions of written language, such as the way
we read from left to right and from top to bottom.
environmental print: The print at home or in the
community, including labels on food products, store
and road signs, and advertisements.
learning center: A small area in a classroom
or family child care setting that is designed
to allow children to explore materials as they
play and learn by themselves or with others.
Examples include art, dramatic play, library, and
writing centers.
making predictions: To use information that you
already know to guess what a story will be about
or what will happen next.
modeling: An instructional approach in which
the teacher thinks aloud and demonstrates a task
before inviting children to perform it.
phonological awareness: The ability to hear,
understand, and play with the different sounds
that make up spoken words; the realization that
sentences are made up of words and that words are
made up of separate syllables.
picture walk: A prereading activity to prepare
children for listening. The teacher turns the pages
of a book from the beginning to the end and
encourages children to look at and talk about
the pictures.
recall and retell: To remember and tell a story
in your own words and in the correct sequence.
song or poem chart: A large chart with the words
to a song or poem so teachers can point to each
word as they read it to children.
story structure: The way stories are organized
into a beginning, a middle, and an end.
track print: An instructional technique in which
the teacher moves a nger or a pointer under the
words from left to right and from top to bottom
as she or he reads a book, song chart, or other text.
word play: Playing with the beginning, middle,
and ending sounds of words to explore how sounds
and words work.
G
lossar
y
24 Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide
This BETWEEN THE LIONS Early Literacy Activity
Guide was produced by the Educational Outreach
department of the WGBH Educational Foundation.
Karen Barss
Director, Educational Outreach
Sonja Latimore
Manager, Editorial Content
Cyrisse Jaffee
Editorial Project Director
Rhonda Berkower
Writer
Jill Mackay
Production Coordinator
Tyler Kemp-Benedict
Doug Scott
Designers
Mark Hoffman
Print Production
Michelle Figlar
Consultant
National Head Start Association
BETWEEN THE LIONS
Brigid Sullivan
Executive-in-Charge
Judith Stoia
Executive Producer
Christopher Cerf
Executive Producer for Sirius Thinking, Ltd.
Norman Stiles
Executive Producer for Sirius Thinking, Ltd.
Linda Rath
Curriculum Director
Beth Kirsch
Coordinating Producer/Project Director
Carol Klein
Supervising Producer
Mary Haggerty
Outreach Manager
Gay Mohrbacher
Outreach Coordinator
Credits
BETWEEN THE LIONS is produced by WGBH Boston, Sirius Thinking, Ltd., and
Mississippi Public Broadcasting. BETWEEN THE LIONS is funded in part by
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a cooperative agreement from the
U.S. Department of Educations Ready To Learn grant, and by the Barksdale
Reading Institute. National corporate sponsorship is provided by Chick-
l-A, Inc. The contents herein were originally developed with support from
the Ready To Learn Television Program, P/R Award Number R295A0002, as
administered by the Ofce of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department
of Education, and were developed in part under a cooperative agreement
between the U.S. Department of Education, The Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, and the Public Broadcasting Service for the Ready To Learn
Initiative, PR#s U295A050003 and U295B050003. However, the contents do
not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you
should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
2005, 2009 WGBH Educational Foundation and Sirius Thinking, Ltd. All
rights reserved. BETWEEN THE LIONS, Get Wild About Reading, and the BTL
characters and related indicia are trademarks or registered trademarks of
WGBH Educational Foundation. All third party trademarks are the property
of their respective owners. Used with permission.
Illustrations by Steven Mach.
BTL Photos on TOC and page 7 by Richard Termine/WGBH/Sirius Thinking;
all other BTL photos by John E. Barrett/WGBH/Sirius Thinking. Photo, page
5: Geatano/CORBIS. Photo, page 10: iStockphoto.com/Photo-Max. Abuela
book cover, pages 2 and 8: Arthur Dorros, 1991 (text), Elisa Kleven, 1991
(illustrations), published by Penguin Putnam, 1997, used with permission.
Drawing, page 13 by Elana Berkower.
0912066
Baixsoaii Riaoiwc Iwsriruri
Oh, Yes, It Can! Activity Guide