I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Mary Ann Hoberman & Nadine Bernard Westcott

Activity One – Vocabulary Introduction Targeted Skill(s):

Vocabulary development

Instructions: Prior to reading the story, pre-teach the vocabulary terms that are essential to comprehension of

the story. Suggested vocabulary terms to be pre-taught are listed below. Write the vocabulary term on a large piece of paper, demonstrate the sign for the vocabulary term, and use the illustrations from the book to provide visual aides. Request that the children sign the vocabulary term with you. Vocabulary Terms:

Materials:

List of vocabulary terms

Large piece of paper

Marker

Photographs of each sign (attached)

swallow fly spider wriggle jiggle

tickle bird cat dog goat

cow horse

Activity Two – Sequenced Swallowing Targeted Skill(s):

Sequencing

Reading comprehension

Phonological awareness (alphabetic principle)

Instructions: Request that children recall all living things (i.e. insects or mammals) swallowed by the old lady. List each living thing in the order in which it was swallowed. Ask the children to identify what is unique about the sequence in which the old lady swallowed each insect or mammal (i.e. the old lady swallowed the insects and mammals according to their size, smallest to largest). Request that two chil-dren hold each end of a piece of yarn approximately six feet long. Distribute the insects and mammals amongst the children. Explain to the children that they will place each insect or mammal on the string in the order in which the old lady swallowed them (first to last). Instruct the children to state, “There was an old lady who swallowed a ___,” prior to stating the name of their insect or mammal. Advise children to state the initial letter and sound of their assigned animal. If the children are correct, allow them to place their insect or mammal on the string. Ask the children to repeat the previous insect or mammal as well as add on the next insect or animal. For instance, the child may proclaim, “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, a spider, and a bird.” The next child may proclaim, “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, a spider, a bird, and a cat.” The process should continue until all insects and animals swallowed by the old lady have been placed on the yarn in the correct order. Children should recall what happened to the lady after swallowing all of the insects and animals. Materials:

Large piece of paper

Marker

Yarn

Pre-cut and pre-hole punched insects and animals

Activity Three – My Name is..and I Swallowed a… Targeted Skill(s):

Phonological awareness (alliteration)

Print concepts (alphabet knowledge)

Instructions: Ask children to identify the consequences that may occur if they were to swal-low a fly, spider, bird, cat, dog, goat, cow, or horse. Children will identify the begin-ning letter of their name and brainstorm the names of insects, amphibians, reptiles, or mammals that begin with the same letter. In a circle, have each child take a turn stat-ing, “my name is __, and I swallowed a __.” For instance, a child whose name begins with the letter B may proclaim, “my name is Braydon and I swallowed a buffalo.” Re-quest that children identify three letters in their name. Students will draw three in-sects, amphibians, reptiles, or mammals on one side of three circles. On the opposite side, they will write the beginning letter of the living thing name. Next, instruct the children to cut the circles out and place them in a Ziploc bag. Instruct the children to color and cut out the arms, legs, and head of their person. Assist each child in stapling the arms, legs, and head to the Ziploc bag. Encourage the children to share the three living things found in their Ziploc bag (i.e. stomach) of which they “ate.” Materials:

Arms, legs, and head template

Three circles template

Ziploc bags

Stapler

Vocabulary Term

Definition

Description of the Sign

swallow

• to take into the stomach

• place the index finger on the chin and draw down along the throat

fly

• a bug which moves through the air us-ing wings

• using the “three” hand-shape (thumb, index, and middle fingers), place the thumb on the nose and bend the index and middle fingers in

• use the pointer finger to create a circular move-ment in the air

spider

• a small arachnid

• arachnid having a three part body, three pairs of jointed legs, two eyes, and two antennae

• place one hand on top of the other

• bend all fingers

• wiggle fingers as the hands are moved in a forward motion

tickle/wriggle/jiggle

• a tingling feeling

• bend all fingers, wiggle fingers and move the hands in an upward and forward motion

bird

• an animal with a body covered with feathers, wings, scaly legs, and a beak

• point the index finger and thumb outward (parallel to one another)

• place the hand by the mouth, and draw the tips of the index finger and thumb together re-petitively

cat

• an animal with a body covered in fur, four legs, paws, a tail, and whiskers

• touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb

• lift the middle, ring, and pinky finger

• place the index finger and thumb on the nose and repetitively pull up-ward and toward the side as if pulling on the whiskers of a cat

dog

• a small animal with a body covered in fur, four legs, paws, a tail, whiskers, and large teeth

• snap the fingers and tap the thigh with the same hand as if to call a dog

goat

• an animal with fur, two horns, and a beard

• an animal often found on a farm or in mountainous re-gions

• begin with the hand in the fist position on the forehead

• flick the index and mid-dle finger outward

• return the hand to a fist position and place on the chin

• flick the index and mid-dle finger outward

cow

• a large animal of various colors

• a large animal which produces milk

• a large animal often found on a farm

• begin with the hand in the fist position

• stretch the thumb and pinky fingers outward

• place the thumb against the head, level with the eye

• repetitively move the hand downward and upward

horse

• a large animal of various colors

• used for riding and racing

• often found on a farm or ranch

• begin with the thumb stretched outward to the side and the index and middle fingers stretched upward

• place the tip of the thumb against the head, level with the eye, re-petitively move the in-dex and middle finger downward and upward

1. swallow

2. fly

3. spider

4. tickle/wriggle/jiggle

5. bird

6. cat

7. dog

8. goat

9. cow

10. horse