Golden Bear by Ruth Young

Prompts

Ask the child questions after the second and third readings of Golden Bear, to start a conversation about the book. You can prompt the child on every one or two pages, using the questions below. If the child says something spontaneously about a picture, be sure to expand on it and listen while the child repeats it.

1. Who is this? (It is Golden Bear.)
2. What is happening here? (The little boy and Golden Bear are going up the stairs.)
3. What is Golden Bear holding? (The bear is holding a book.)
4. What is this? (It is a violin.)
5. Can a real bear play a violin?
6. What do you see here? (The little boy and Golden Bear are on their hands and knees looking at a ladybug.)
7. What does the little boy have on his hands? (He is wearing mittens.)
8. What does he have on his feet? (He is wearing ice skates.)
9. What are the little boy and Golden Bear making? (They are making a snowman.)
10. What is happening in this picture? (The little boy and the bear are watching the flowers grow.)
11. Are the boy and the bear inside or outside? (They are outside in the flowers.)
12. What is this? (This is a telephone.)
13. Can a real bear talk on the telephone?
14. Are the boy and the bear inside or outside in this picture? (They are inside in the bathroom.)
15. What is the little boy doing? (He is taking a bath.)
16. What color is the little boy's sweater? (His sweater is red.)
17. What is happening here? (The little boy and Golden Bear are sleeping.)

Vocabulary

The words listed below come from the story and its pictures. As you page through the book, point to the pictures and ask the child to name the object or the action shown. This will help the child learn new words. You can use the words below, or you can choose words you think will interest your child. Below are words for every one or two pages of the story.

• teddy bear, blue shirt, blue shorts
• stairs, robe, going up
• rocking, rocking chair, book, reading
• violin, making music, bow
• ladybug
• ice skates, skating, snowsuit, mittens
• snowman, earmuffs, pipe
• tulips
• flowers
• telephone, talking
• bathroom, bathtub, boat, taking a bath
• red sweater, holding hands, clouds, star
• sleeping, bed

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