Dear Parents and Guardians:

The red pandas on this month’s cover and on pages 6–11 remind us that Ranger Rick Jr. can be used to learn about colors. Turn to page 7 and ask your child to name four colors on the animal. (The animal has red/brown fur on its back, black fur on its stomach and legs, white fur on its face and ears, and a pink tongue.)

After you read about red pandas, take another look at the map on page 9. Asia, where red pandas live, is shown in green. What other colors does your child see on the map? If your child is struggling to name the colors, ask him to point to the purple, yellow, orange, blue, and red continents.

Picking a theme, such as colors, when reading with a child can help keep the child engaged and help her develop important concepts about the world.

Ricky and PalsWhen reading at another time, you might use numbers as the theme. Ask your child to count the number of animals in the illustration on pages 22–23 in the Ricky and Pals story. (There are 17 animals at the Valentine’s Day party.)

Enjoy reading Ranger Rick Jr. and other magazines or books and having fun time with your child.

Mike Wilson, Founder
Prekindergarten Reading Encouragement Project
PREP – Helping childhood literacy one family at a time.
facebook.com/PREPDelaware