Authored by:
TeacherVision Staff
Last edited: November 15, 2019
Use a School Readiness Activity to provide early literacy thinking experiences for preschool children that will prepare them to do well in the early grades.
Grades:
Subjects:
Real or Make-Believe
Purpose/Skills- To comprehend and respond to books read aloud
- To understand the difference between real facts and make-believe
- To use expressive language
- To recall and retell parts of a selection
- To build vocabulary
Materials
See literature suggestion.
Literature Suggestion
Read I Took My Frog to the Library by Eric A. Kimmel and then a nonfiction book about frogs; or read two other books that contrast real and make-believe animals.
Vocabulary
real
make-believe
Warm-Up
Explain the differences between real and make-believe. Then play "What Do You Think?" Examples: Do you think that a rock can swim? Do you think that a fox can run? Do you think that a bunny can hop? Do you think that a banana can talk? Do you think that a frog can write a letter? Encourage children to call out: "Yes, that's real!" or "No, that's make-believe!"
Procedure
- Display both books, talk about the covers, and leaf through the pages. Ask children to guess which book tells a make-believe story and which tells and shows real facts.
- Read the make-believe story. Help children tell you how they know it is make-believe. Ask them to point out things in the story that could not really happen.
- Read the nonfiction book to children.
- Help children tell how they know it tells about real facts.
- Discuss ways to tell the difference between books that tell make-believe stories and books that tell real facts.
Observation Assessment
- Proficient - Child listens to the story attentively and makes observations that demonstrate an understanding that some books have stories that are make-believe and some books tell real facts.
- In Process - Child listens and makes comments that show that the child knows that the story is make-believe, but is unable to describe differences without help.
- Not Yet Ready - Child is not yet able to tell the difference between types of books.
