Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!
Book Activity for Five-Year-Olds

Book Title:  Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!

Author:   Nancy Carlson

Summary of Book:

 Henry gets ready for his first day of kindergarten.  He has al the excitement and fears of many children but realizes by the end that he really is in a great place.

Before Reading (questions and using what s/he already knows to discussion that would assist child in understanding and enjoying book):

1. Read the title.  Ask the children to describe the cover picture.  Let them elaborate on a short story based on the cover.  While doing so, have them predict what will happen in the story.  
2. Have children draw a picture about their first day of kindergarten as they see it will happen.  Write what they tell you when they describe the picture.

During Reading (ask these questions):

Let your child answer the questions before Henry does.  For example, "What do you think we'll do first?"  Ask "Why did Henry want to go home?"  Talk about times you have been frightened.  "Do you think this book will have a happy ending?  Let's keep reading and see what happens."

After Reading (activity to extend book experience):

1. Read the story substituting the child's name for the one in the book.  Stop at the page that has all of the supplies Henry packed.  Have the children name each one and describe how it might be used.
2. Talk about how important it is to eat breakfast.  Food is our energy, like you put gas in a car to make it go (food is our gasoline!).  Let them talk about what they like to eat.  Have a paper with a large plate drawn on it.  Have magazines that have pictures of food items in them and the children can cut out pictures of foods and glue them onto the plate.  Write down what they say when you ask why they chose the foods and beverages that they chose. 
3. Have a piece of paper with the food pyramid on it.  Have environmental print (label cut-outs) available to glue in the right spot on the pyramid.  Encourage discussion on foods and their place in food groups.  (GIVE EXAMPLE OF FOOD PYRAMID)
4. Use items from a prop box (paint brush, book, small blocks, crayons, ABC letters, game (such as candyland), scissors, etc.) to retell the story and act out the activities that Henry does in his kindergarten class.  Find these objects as pictured in the book.  Talk about how they will be used at school and how much fun they will be.  Also, have a legal pad and magic marker in the box so adult and child may list together all the different reasons/activities that will make kindergarten fun.
5. List things your child hopes to learn and do in kindergarten.