Springtime is Time to Say-What-You-See
A visit to the farm in the Lincoln Park Zoo to touch a baby chick is proof that it is springtime in Chicago, even if the weather seems more like winter. Baby chicks are soft and fuzzy. Mama holds the chick very carefully so that her baby can touch the chick’s fuzz. Chicks make a peeping noise. This chick is smaller than mama’s hand. What other words can mama use to say-what-she-sees in this photo? She can name the parts of her face and describe her hair. She can compare her real hair with the photo of her hair. She can name the colors of skin and clothing.
When she does this, mama is giving her child the gift of words. A large vocabulary is the first step to becoming a good reader.
