Early Childhood Education Supersite Classroom Activities: Book Share with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Go to.... Home Site Features Professional Development Weblinks In the News Biography Page Instructor's Resources Classroom Activities Teaching Resources NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct Weblinks Methods Books Professional Books

Book Share

This book share idea was written for parents, but it will work well as part of an early childhood literacy curriculum.

Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Author: Bill Martin, Jr.

Illustrator: Eric Carle

Publisher: Henry Holt

Summary: This book has to be considered a classic in the predictable and pattern category. It is a story children love to have read to them and then love to pick up and "read" themselves. It begins, as well it should, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?" The brown bear sees a red bird who sees a yellow duck with this pattern continuing through the body of the book.

Key: Predictable and Pattern

Setting and Materials Needed: The book sharing should take place at any favorite reading location. You will need plain paper, something to write with, crayons, and three or four stuffed animals of, if possible, different colors.

Before Reading Activity: Show your child the cover of the book. Ask your son or daughter what is on the cover. After he or she answers, read the title and ask, "What do you think the bear sees?" Be positive to any response. Then say, "Let's read the story to find out what the bear sees."

During Reading Activity: As you read the first few pages, say to your child, "Look, each of the animals is a different color." Then point to the color of the animal as you read the corresponding color word of each animal.

After Reading Activity: When you have finished reading the story, talk about all the things that were seen. Then say, "Listen to what I see. I see (your child's name) looking at me." Then say, "(Your child's name twice), what do you see?" Hopefully, your child will say, "I see my (mother or father) looking at me." If he or she is unwilling to respond say, "You are looking at me. Can you say, '(mom or dad) is looking at me?'" Then, write at the bottom on a plain piece of paper, What (your child's name) sees. Then, write on the bottom of the next sheet of paper, (your child's name twice), what do you see? Show your child one of the stuffed animals and ask what he or she sees. For example, your child might say, "I see a little mouse looking at me." Ask what color the mouse is and then write at the bottom of the next page, I see a brown mouse looking at me. Do this for three or four stuffed animals and then draw the pictures as best you can. Have your child color each picture appropriately. Staple the story together with the title sheet first and share it with all appropriate audiences (grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, and so forth).

Poetry Partners: "Dogs and Cats and Bears and Bats,"' "Grandpa Bear's Lullaby," "The Blackbird," "Ducks' Ditty," "The Frog," "The Cats of Kilkenny," and "Sunning" in The Random House Book of Poetry for Children.

Related Books: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Here Are My Hands, both by Bill Martin Jr. (He has many others.); Big, Bad Bruce by Bill Peet; Friends by Helen Oxenbury; and Paddington Takes a Bath and Paddington at the Seashore by Michael Bond.

From Ashley Bishop, Ruth Helen Yopp, and Hallie Kay Yopp Ready for Reading: A Handbook for Parents of Preschoolers, ^©2000, Allyn & Bacon, pp. 120-121.

© 2001-2002 by Allyn & Bacon A Pearson Company Legal Statement