Learning to recognize words quickly and easily is an important goal for beginning readers. Write these sign words on cards and ask your child to look for them and circle them in today's story, "Many Moons." Then ask your child to think of a rhyming word. We have included some examples here.

moon (soon)

gold (hold)

right (light)

sad (glad)

string (bring)

Next, develop the concept of relationships, which is brought into play in the story "Many Moons," such as larger/smaller and nearer/farther. Ask your child these questions or create some of your own.

Which is bigger, a baseball or a basketball? An ant or an elephant? A bike or a van? A toaster or a refrigerator?

Which is farther, our mailbox or your school? A trip to our neighbor's house or a trip to Disney World? Ten inches or 10 miles?

What are some things that are too far to reach? (e.g., tops of trees, stars, airplanes)

What are some things that are too big to carry? (e.g., a house, an automobile, a rhinoceros)

- prepared by Susan Rapp, director of the Columbia West Kumon Center

Pub Date: 11/22/98