GUIDE SHEET: BOOK

PAT THE BUNNY

BY: Dorothy Kunhardt

Program: 1

Supporting Your Child’s Development: This tactile, interactive book encourages your child to use all his/her senses. Your child can play peek-a-boo, smell flowers, look in the mirror, feel daddy’s scratchy face, and, of course, pat the bunny. This book contains things to touch, things to move, things to smell and hidden surprises to peek at. By engaging in these activities, your child is developing her/his fine motor skills by touching various textures and lifting flaps, making strides in cognitive development by labeling objects and making associations, and developing social-emotional skills by learning how to enjoy the book while self-regulating his/her behavior.

Remember the following when reading a book with your child: Have a good time with this book and the child!

Invite the child to look and listen.

Try to sit the child beside you or between you and your PCHP Home Visitor.

Show and read the title page to the child.

Show and describe to the child how to turn the pages and treat the book.

Read to the child in a clear, easy voice. Don’t go too fast. Allow time for the

child to think about the story.

Stop at most illustrations to talk about them. Ask the child questions about the

illustrations to help the child reason things out.

Encourage the child to point out and name: Colors: White rabbit and blue cloth

Shapes and Sizes: Round mirror; little girl; big daddy; long ears; rectangle cloth;

small, square bookwww.parent-child.org ©The Parent-Child Home Program, Inc. 2013

Numbers: One bunny, two children, five fingers, many flowers

Relationships: Paul and Judy are standing next to each other; Paul is under the

cloth; Judy is looking into the mirror; Paul is standing behind Judy

Texture: Soft bunny, scratchy face, smooth pages

Invite the child to tell about experiences related to the story and pictures: Have you ever touched or felt a real bunny?

Have you ever played peek-a-boo? Who did you play with?

Have you ever smelled a real flower? What did it smell like?

Can you fit into your mommy’s rings? Were they too big or too little?

Have you ever felt a man’s scratchy face?

Have the child reason things out and make choices: Why do you think Judy likes to pat the bunny?

What do you think Judy will find when she peeks under the cloth?

What do you think Judy sees when she looks in the mirror?

Enjoy the book yourself:Parents - you should feel free to take over the reading during the visits, when you feel

comfortable. Remember to follow your child’s lead. It is not necessary to read every

word on the page. Have a conversation about the illustrations, and keep the

conversation going for as long as your child appears to be interested.

Remember throughout the home session to:ENCOURAGE the child to talk. PRAISE the child for doing well.

ASK the child questions. HELP the child when needed.

LISTEN to the child’s answers. RESPOND to the child’s answers.

Here are some fun activities to do with your child:Find objects around the house that have different textures that relate to the story. For

example, a cotton ball is soft like the bunny or sandpaper is scratchy like daddy’s face.

Words to grow on: Mirror

Scratchy

www.parent-child.org ©The Parent-Child Home Program, Inc. 2013