Dear Parents and Guardians:

This month’s Ranger Rick Jr. has an interesting article about the snowy owls that live in the tundra regions of the Arctic.

Turn to pages 6–11 and talk with your child about birds that live in the very cold areas near the North Pole.

Discuss each fact and compare to human traits.

• The owl’s feet have feathers to keep them warm. (We wear socks and shoes.)
• You can tell male and female snowy owls apart based on the color of their feathers. (What physical traits distinguish men from women?)
• Snowy owls wait patiently, listening for animals, and then fly down to capture dinner. (We go to the store to purchase our food.)
• Snowy owls start families in the spring. (Humans can have a child in any month.)
• Snowy owls start to fly when they are two months old. (What can human babies do at that age?)
• Snowy owls make nests on the ground. (Where is your family’s home?)
• Mom and Dad snowy owls feed their chicks. (How long did you feed your child?)

After reading about snowy owls, have your child turn to page 25. Ask him or her to find five animals besides owls whose name starts with the letter O. Then find three animals whose name ends with O.

It’s okay to help your child with the answers.

Otter, Ox, Ostrich, Opossum, and Orangutan all start with an O.
Kangaroo, Hippo, and Flamingo end with o.

Then name animals that start with other letters of the alphabet:
A – Alpaca, Alligator, Ant, Antelope, Ape
B – Bat, Bear, Bird, Buffalo, Butterfly
C – Camel, Cat, Chicken, Cow, Crocodile
D. E. F. etc.

Have fun with your child, and make it a game to name animals for each letter of the alphabet.

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