Owl Babies
Three baby owls awake one night to find their mother gone, and they can’t help but wonder where she is. What is she doing? When will she be back? Not surprisingly, joyous flapping and dancing and bouncing greet the mother’s return!
English
A Guide to Reading Aloud to Your Child
- Find a comfortable space to read together.
- Slow down and enjoy the illustrations.
- Ask and answer questions together.
- Make reading part of your routine - bedtime is a great time for reading.
- Use these prompts to encourage deeper thinking with your children: "Tell me more, why do you think that?" "How do you know that?" "Interesting, did you notice anything else?"
Phonemic Awareness
When introducing the book, share the title and notice these phonemic elements:
The first letter of the word “Owl” is Oo. This letter says the sound /o/, /o/, /o/, like in octopus, octagon, and October. Let’s say that sound together: /o/, /o/, /o/. Point to the Oo in the title. Read the title together, emphasizing the sound /o/.
Ask the children to say the word after you. Show them the cover of the book and have them read the word out loud with you as you point under each word.
Vocabulary
trunk : the main stem of a tree
twigs : a small branch of a tree or stub
thought : to use the power of the mind
hunting : to set out to find and kill for food
brave : ready to face pain or danger
branch : limb
swooped : to sweep down suddenly from above
flapped : to move quickly up and down
Questions to Discuss
Where does this story take place (setting)? Who lives in the tree?
How do the baby owls feel when they first realize their mother isn't there? What does Bill say again and again?
the baby owls wait and wait for their mom to come back. When is a time that you have had to be patient?
How do the owl babies feel in the dark of the woods?
Why do you think they all moved to sit together on Sarah's branch?
What dangers might the mom face in the woods? Where do you think the mother owl went?
If you were one of the owls in this story, how would you have felt if you found your mother not home?
Let's Play
This activity will help your child make connections to the text, which helps children improve comprehension.
The owl babies were awake at night. Would you rather be awake at night or during the day? Draw and write to tell why.
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ID: owl-babies
