A Pig and an Elephant

If you have a toddler or a kidlet you are probably familiar with a Piggie named Piggie and an Elephant named Gerald. They are two characters in cleverly written books by Mo Willems. I had seen a few of them in our library but didn’t check them out until they were recommended by one of my favorite university professors who helped teach me how to teach. Thanks Dr. O! 

They are a blast to read aloud and will cause laughter from said kidlets. They are simple enough, too, that even a five year can read it with a dash of help and a pinch of patience. 

I know I’ve written about learning to read several times. Even just recently. But reading is my world right now. 

Just as baseball was last summer when the boys were learning the difference between a hit and getting hit.

Just as trucks are to Bang and (God help me) Minecraft is to Crash.

So here’s a reading strategy for you. Share read. Take turns. I’ve heard it called popcorn reading. It not only takes some of the pressure of reading so much off of them, but it also encourages them to read along with you so they can be ready for their next part.

Crash learned this technique with the book “Knuffle Bunny”. Ironically, it’s a Mo Willems book, too. I don’t usually like to embed video into my blog posts. But when something like this happens, I can’t help it. We read this twice. Once for us and again so Mom could record us (and listen). So without further ado I bring you
Elephant and Piggie in “I’m A Frog”. Piggie read by Bang (5 years old) and Elephant by Dad (40 years old) recorded by DW (undisclosed age). Let the smiles commence…

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