Step One: Gather materials.
- Red, Yellow and Orange markers.
- Large Paper.
- Lyrics to the Song “Leaves of the Trees”
- Pointer (optional)
- Wikki-Stix (optional)
"The Leaves of the Trees" Lyrics:
The leaves on the trees turn red, yellow and orange.
red, yellow and orange
red, yellow and orange
The leaves on the trees turn red, yellow and orange
in my town.
Additional Verses:
The gusty winds blow through the trees.
The leaves on the trees fall to the ground.
We make a pile by raking the leaves.
Now it is time to jump in the pile.
Step Two: Write the words for the song on the large paper leaving space at the bottom. Add picture clues above the following words: leaves, trees, and pile. The teacher can also write the color words (red, yellow and orange) in the corresponding color.
Step Three: Sing the song over and over again to the tune of the well-known childhood song The Wheels on the Bus.
Step Four: When the child is comfortable with the song the child ready to do some exploring of the print. If the child is working on letter identification, use the Wikki-Stix to find a designated letter on the chart.
Step Five: Practice distinguishing between a letter and a word. Count the number of words on each line. It’s helpful to clap the words as the child and teacher count them. Pointers are good for tracking print and pointing out letters or words.
Step Six: Use a pointer to track the print as the child and teacher sing. If the child is ready, they can track the print instead of the teacher.
Step Seven: If the child is learning words, pick a few to focus on and find them. The is a good one. It’s a high-frequency word and is used several times in the song.
Step Eight: Let the child practice writing a letter or word that they see in the extra room at the bottom of the chart.