The purpose of this reading is to bring everything together: the text, the vocabulary, and the illustrations. The discussion and activity options focus on analyzing the main idea, theme, character traits, setting and how all of the story elements fit together.
The text and vocabulary are easily understood in the Second Reading. The plot of this story will be easy for your child to retell.
Three ways that you can add fun and improve recall during this reading:
~You may switch roles and become the listener and the questioner as your child “reads”(retells) the story to you.
~Your child and you may alternate the pages you read to each other.
~You may dramatize the reading. Your child and you may alternate being Chester and his mother. It will be wonderful for your child to be Chester. It will, also, be wonderful for your child to retell Mrs. Raccoon’s words.
DISCUSSION OPTIONS:
~Ms. Penn uses words, such as warm, cozy, and toasty to describe the feelings that The Kissing Hand gives both Chester and his mother. What kinds of feelings are warm, cozy and toasty feelings? (loving, caring)
~How is Chester Raccoon like you? How is he different?
~What is the big idea (main idea) that the story teaches? Discuss your ideas.
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
~Read Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman. I discovered it at a school book fair, and now give it with baby gifts.
~Check out this website: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/category/episodes/by-animal/raccoons/
There are several really cute videos. After viewing the videos, discuss what in The Kissing Hand is true about raccoons.
~Now that you know more about raccoons, write a story about raccoons, and illustrate it on your story paper.
~Write and illustrate a story about The Kissing Hand helping someone who is nervous about something new in her life