A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza
Craft and Steam Activities
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza is a heartwarming story about finding love and acceptance in unexpected places. Here are some fun ideas to try out inspired by this fabulous story.
- Character Voices: Bring the characters to life by giving each one a distinct voice. For example, use a deep voice for Choco, a kind and gentle voice for the mother hen, and a stern voice for the other animals. Encourage students to join in and model how to match body language and feelings to the pitch of your voice. For example, invite students to show sadness when Choco is feeling lost and confused.
- Sound Effects: Incorporate sound effects to match what is happening in the story. For example, have students make chirping sounds for the birds, clucking sounds for the chickens, and quacking sounds for the ducks.
- Interactive Reading: Pause at key moments throughout the story and ask questions to keep your students engaged. For example, when Choco is looking for his mother, you could ask, "What do you think will happen next?"
- Repetition: This story has a repetitive element with the phrase "I'm looking for my mother." Encourage your students to join in and say the phrase with you each time it appears in the story. Kindergarteners love to join in!
- Movement: Encourage children to act out certain scenes. For example, they can flap their arms like the birds, waddle like the ducks, or hop like the rabbits.
- Craft Activity: Following up the reading with a craft activity is always a good move! Have students create their own animal masks or puppets to act out the story.
You can also order a set of these fun masks for your students to decorate. They can be added to the dramatic play area or set up as a new "theater" center.
After reading the story, engage children in a discussion about the themes of the story, such as family, love, and acceptance. You can also talk about how Choco finds a mother who looks different from him but loves him just the same.
Happy summer and happy learning!
TP
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