Storytime: U is for Under

by | Nov 22, 2023 | Blog, Kid's Corner, Story Time | 0 comments

Can you think of some words that fit with the word, UNDER? Perhaps… underground, under the sea, under the umbrella, under the bed, and even underwear! Directional words are a great learning tool for children, especially when they begin writing their letters and words. They help your child to see things like… lowercase j goes “under” or below the line. So, try talking with directional words as your child discovers where things lie in relation to each other in their world.

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Ages 2-5

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip

Phonological awareness is a set of critical pre-reading skills: the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language — including rhymes, syllables, and phonemes. Children with strong phonological awareness skills are ready to become readers.– www.readingrockets.org

Activity

Sing “Five Little Monsters” with your child and stop on the last word of each phrase. Help him to see how many words can end with the same sound, or rhyme with each other, such as “head” and “bed.” Then play the rhyming game. Pick a word, and find new words or even made up words that rhyme with the first.

Books Presented

Over, Bear! Under, Where? by Julie Hendlund

Over, Bear! Under, Where? by Julie Hendlund

Two animal friends at a park encounter a seemingly scary creature, but not everything is as it seems, and wordplay adds to the fun. Introduces the concept of compound words and homophones, and incorporates fun puns throughout.
Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story by Sarah L. Thomson

Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story by Sarah L. Thomson

During the fire season in Australia, a wombat allows its underground shelter to become a place of refuge for other vulnerable animals in need. Discusses Australia’s devastating 2019-2020 fire season, in which many animals lost their lives or their habitats.
Dear Big, Mean, Ugly Monster by Ruth Berglin

Dear Big, Mean, Ugly Monster by Ruth Berglin

Joe is afraid of the monster that lives under his bed until they exchange letters and learn surprising things about one another.
My Under the Sea Pop-Up Book by Gil Davies

My Under the Sea Pop-Up Book by Gil Davies

Friendly sea creature pop-ups, humorous rhyming text, fun illustrations.

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

Five Little Monsters

Five little monsters laying under the bed.
One stubbed her toe and bumped her head.
“It’s too crowded!” the _________ one said.
So, she took her blanket and she left the bed… room!

Four… three… Two… 

One little monster laying under the bed,
Stretched up tall and turned his head.
“Finally alone,” this last one said.
So, he fell asleep laying under the bed.

Wombat, Wombat

Wombat, wombat underground.
In which of these caves will he be found?

Popcorn Kernels

Popcorn Kernels (wave scarves overhead)
In the pot (make their scarves ‘disappear’ by bunching them up in their fists)
Shake them shake them shake them (shake)
’til they POP (Toss scarves up into the air)

Credit: Jbrary

Slippery Fish

Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by an …

Octopus, octopus, squiggling in the water
Octopus, octopus, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a …

Tuna fish, tuna fish, flashing in the water,
Tuna fish, tuna fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a …

Great white shark, great white shark, lurking in the water,
Great white shark, great white shark, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a …

Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water,
Humongous whale, humongous whale,
Gulp! … Gulp! … Gulp! … BURP!
(Cover your mouth.) Excuse me!

Credit: Amy Liz

Crafts and Activities

Coloring page with the letter o and an owl.

U is for Under

Baby owl craft for kids.

Underground Craft

Make a fun groundhog that pops up from underground.

Additional Books

The Tide Pool Waits by Candace Fleming

The Tide Pool Waits by Candace Fleming

Twice a day when the tide goes out, an astonishing world is revealed in the tide pools that form along the Pacific Coast. Some of the creatures that live here look like stone. Others look like plants. Some move so slowly it’s hard to tell if they’re moving at all, while others are so fast you’re not sure you really saw them. The biggest animals in the pool are smaller than your hand, while the smallest can’t be seen at all without a microscope. During low tide, all these creatures – big, small, fast, slow – are exposed to air and the sun’s drying heat. And so they have developed ways to survive the wait until the ocean’s return.
Jitterbug Jam by Barbara Jean Hicks

Jitterbug Jam by Barbara Jean Hicks

Grandpa Boo-Dad not only believes that Bobo has seen a pink-skinned boy with orange fur on his head hiding under the bed, he knows exactly how a little monster can scare off such a horrible creature.
Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy

Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy

Wombat opens his burrow to five animal friends–Wallaby, Kookaburra, Platypus, Koala, and Sugar Glider–who are seeking shelter from the Australian bushfires raging above.
Under Your Feet by Jacqueline L. Stroud

Under Your Feet by Jacqueline L. Stroud

Down where worms wriggle and microbes squirm, there’s a whole world waiting to be discovered… Under Your Feet delves beneath the Earth’s surface and explores the diverse wonders hidden there. Encounter creatures of the deep and marvel at the mind-boggling size of the humongous fungus–the biggest organism in the world. Learn how one handful of ordinary soil contains more organisms than there are people on Earth, and carry out experiments using dirt from your own back garden. Under Your Feet offers you the opportunity to expand your knowledge of the natural world and soil-dwelling creatures big and small. Bursting with colorful illustrations and photography, this is the perfect book for budding young plant experts, animal fanatics, and geologists, and anyone who is curious about the ground we walk on.

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