Stellaluna

by Janell Cannon

Publisher HMH Books for Young Readers

SAT words:

crooned

anxious

clambered

peculiar

Opportunities for recasting:

diurnal

nocturnal

insectivore

frugivore

Stellaluna, by Jane Cannon, offers four words rarely used in casual conversation, many synonyms for 'said', and a heartwarming lesson on appreciating differences in friends.  Readers get to play with baby bird and bat voices, and stressful and playful situations can be emphasized through rate changes and pregnant pauses.  The rhythm and length of this story, followed by the moral at the end, make it a delightful tool for filling childrens' ears with new words. 

Cannon could have inserted many strong vocabulary words in the text, but chose to include a scientific description of bats and their habits and diets in two concise but informative pages at the end.  This gives the adult the opportunity to enjoy the book as a simple story, or use it as a powerful teaching tool, depending on the day.  The scientific description adds these words to the mix: niche, preference, elongated, amphibian, species, domestic, native, implies, boasting, echolocation, keen, navigate, subtropical, forage, pollination, distribute, regeneration.

As a reader, I frequently choose to insert the 'recasting' words listed above at the appropriate time in the story.  I like to take every opportunity I can to expose kids to new words in fun contexts, so when the story says, "She stayed awake all day and slept at night."  I add, "She learned to be diurnal, like birds, instead of  nocturnal, like bats."  And I insert: "She (learned to be an insectivore and) ate bugs without making faces."

Adding your own words, voices, and dramatic variation to the text as you read aloud is a privilege and a strength of reading aloud!

Bugs For Lunch

Bugs For Lunch

by Margery Facklam

Charlesbridge Publishing

Work-prey-trapping-catching-zapping

Eating-snacking-munching-slurping

Looking-Searching

Bugs For Lunch is a beautifully illustrated, short poem designed to introduce kids to the many creatures who eat bugs and various strategies for catching these meals.  The twist at the end introduces the idea of entomophagy...people eating bugs.

As a bonus, at the end, the author gives short interesting paragraphs on each featured feaster.  Bugs For Lunch is one of those fabulous books that can be a 5 minute read or a springboard for long, ponderous reading, talking, and thinking.  

The rhyme and great pictures make this fun to read, and watching your child ponder the possibility of eating bugs on a stick is entertaining.  Filling tiny ears with varied words for 'catch' and 'eat' is validating, and I always like to say 'entomophagy' just to take it a step further.  

Offering synonyms for familiar words is called 'recasting'.  You say the word one way, then recast the concept with a different word.  Recasting is one of the best strategies for teaching vocabulary.  Parents can use it as a tool for getting words in kids' ears by challenging themselves to think of new ways to say familiar words.  "Big" can be "gigantic, huge, monstrous, tremendous, immense, colossal, enormous".  When 'big' comes out of your mouth, tack 'immense' or 'colossal' for emphasis:

"That's a big truck.  It's immense!"

Another strategy is to recast your child's words:

Kid: "Look at the big bug, Mom!"

Mom: "Oh my!  That bug is big!  It's colossal!"

You could start with the SAT word:

"You have been a tremendous help to me.  You've made a big difference."

Bugs For Lunch gives parents an easy way to recast the familiar concepts of 'catch' and 'eat'.

I, Crocodile

I, Crocodile

by Fred Marcellino

Harper Collins Publishers

SAT Words:

succulent
delectable
pathetic
aristocrat
descendant
noble
ancestors
sentimental
abrupt
obelisk
abrupt
scrumptious
flattering
idol vs. idle
seizing
loutish
mishap
flee
peril
dank
fetid

This is one of the all-time best picture books for rich vocabulary.  Twenty-two whoppers!  Big, juicy words to feast upon as you laugh at the hilarious story of a crocodile moved by Napoleon from Egypt to France.  The crocodile narrates as he suffers, becomes a celebrity, then escapes joyfully to the sewers.  His attitude is sassy and snooty, and reading it with an elite air is fun and will make your kids laugh and engage deeply.

The introduction to Napoleon's raids and French society are extra bonuses that add layers of history as you slather your kids' ears in wonderful words.