Duck by Barrie Watts

Written from a duck's point of view, this informational book describes how a duck hatches from an egg and grows and changes during the first six weeks of its life.

Introducing the Story

• Read the title of the book on the cover, pointing to the word Duck as you say it. Repeat the title with the child
• Point to the pictures on the cover of the book. Ask: What do you see? (Point out the egg, the newly hatched duck, and the big duck.)

Reading the Story for the First Time

• Read the story, moving your finger under the words as you read. Give the child plenty of time to look at the pictures.
• After reading, ask: Have you ever seen a duck? What did it do?

Reading the Book Again and Again

• Each time you read Duck, leave more of the "reading" or retelling to the child. Give open-ended prompts on each page. For example, ask: What is happening in this picture? What is the duck doing now?
• Give prompts about objects or activities in the pictures. For example, ask: What is the duck standing in? (The duck is standing in a yellow bowl.) Use your finger to point to what you are asking about. Evaluate the child's response. Expand it by giving more information. Ask the child to repeat the answer. If he or she needs help in answering a question, ask that question again the next time you read the book. Good words to ask about are listed in the vocabulary section below. Be sure to talk about objects and actions the child brings, up too.

Building Literacy

Use the pictures in Duck to get the child talking about how baby animals grow and change.

Excerpted from Read Together, Talk Together, the Pearson Early Childhood research-based program that makes reading aloud even more effective!