Tips for "Bink & Gollie"
As You Read:
When Gollie uses a globe to choose a place for her next adventure, talk to your child about places that they'd like to visit. If you want, you can research interesting things to do in their top locations. You can also spin a globe to find a place at random. Don't have a real globe handy? Try out this nifty website that lets you spin a globe with the press of a button! (Source: Candlewick)
Extending the Story:
There is loads of fun to be had on the official Bink and Gollie website, including word jumbles that help Gollie reach the top of a mountain and subtle lessons on physics in the Fred longs for speed game. See all of this and more here.
Other Useful Tips
Before Your Child Begins Reading, Create a K-W-L Chart
Create a K-W-L Chart and have your child fill in the first two columns with information that s/he knows and wants to find out about the story. S/he can fill in the last column, "What I Learned", once s/he has finished the story.
What I Know
After reading the description on the back cover, discuss what your child already knows about the subject matter. Answer questions like "Who is the main character? Where does the story take place? What is the general premise?" Encourage him/her to describe what s/he sees on the cover that will tell him/her more about the story.
What I Want to Know
This section can be filled with questions that your child would like to have answered while reading the story.
After Reading, Consider Asking Your Child These Questions
- If you were to draw a picture of the story, what details would you include?
- What was the problem of the story? How was it solved?
- Which character did you identify with? Why?
- What questions did you have as you were reading?
- What do you think the author wanted you to learn from this story? Why do you think the author chose to end the story the way he/she did?
- What would you have done if you had been __________ during that part of the story?
- In your own words, what does _______ (insert vocabulary word) mean?
- Was ________ a good title for this story? Why?
- If you could change one thing in the story, what would it be? Why?