Dear Parents and Guardians:

Ranger Rick Jr. introduces children to animals that live in parts of the world that have a very different climates than the one where we live. This month you and your child will discover how the changing seasons impacts animals that live in the far north.

While reading pages 6–11 with your child, use the drawing of the earth to show the location of the North Pole and Arctic region.

Explain that this part of the world is very “cold and snowy” during much of the year. But in the summer, “something almost magical happens.” Talk with your child about how the Arctic ground squirrel and polar bear sleep during the cold months. Then the animals enjoy food and flowers during the warm summer.

As you show your child the baby animals on pages 10–11, explain that these animals have to grow up quickly because summer does not last long in the Arctic, and soon the harsh, cold winter weather will return.

After reading about Arctic animals on pages 6–11, turn to pages 24–25 for some fun activities with your child.

Start with finding the eight differences in the two drawings on page 24. You can point to the sky and tell your child that there is one cloud in the top drawing and two in the bottom drawing. Ask your child to find the seven other differences. (Other differences are: two polar bear cubs, a butterfly near the fox, one or two rocks near the foxes, a bird on back of the mother musk ox, direction that a bird chick faces, white or blue flower near the musk oxen, and a blue flower in front of the baby musk ox.)

Children like to see how other people draw animals. Starting with two egg shapes, as shown on page 25, both you and your child can have fun drawing a caribou.

Your child will have fun sharing Ranger Rick Jr. with you.

¡Hola! Read in Spanish about kingfishers from pages 16-21 at RangerRick.org/KingfishersSP

 

 

 

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