Dear Parents and Guardians:

Every Ranger Rick Jr. has wonderful animal pictures and stories for you to share with your children. This month, while reading with your child, spark his interest with the letters and colors on each page.

Ask your child to say the letters in the title Wild Hamsters on pages 6– 7. Then have her name the color of each letter. Ask her to name two things that are special about the “I” in “Wild.” (It is lowercase and the rest of the letters are uppercase; the dot above the “I” is heart-shaped.)

As you read, ask your child about something in each picture. Examples are:

• On page 7, where are the hamster’s two cheeks?
• On page 8, point to the entrance hole, tunnel, and room in the hamster’s underground home
• On page 9, what color are the berries and leaves in the picture?

Pages 16–21 have five amazing birds that find food in shallow waters. As you read about these long-legged birds, ask your child to read the letters in each bird’s name and sound out the words:
H-e-r-o-n, E-g-r-e-t, S-t-o-r-k, S-p-o-o-n-b-i-l-l, and I-b-i-s.

Have your child imitate some of ways the birds catch fish.

• Can your child stand very still like a heron?
• Dance like an egret?

Thanks for helping your child learn letters and colors.

Have a wonderful summer!

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