“Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola is a charming Italian folktale. This book has beautiful, award-winning pictures and teaches little ones the importance of listening. In the story, Big Anthony learns this lesson the hard way, as pasta takes over the town. My preschooler loved the catchy songs and magic in this story. What I liked best about this story is introducing her to books from a variety of cultures.
The follow up activity was easy to set up and perfect for recognizing and matching lower/uppercase letters. Start with a piece of poster paper and draw Strega Nona’s big pot. Next, write all the lowercase letters inside the pot. Give your preschooler uppercase letter stickers and let him/her find the lowercase match and stick them to the paper. Simple setup, great lesson!
As an extension, my daughter made her own pasta soup. If you haven’t tried it yet, give your little one real food to “cook” with in his/her play kitchen. I saw this on another post and didn’t realize how brilliant the idea was until I tried it myself. My preschooler LOVED playing in her kitchen so much more with real food. So much so that it kept her independently playing long enough for me to make and freeze her sister’s baby food – that’s a win in my book!
Little learners today, leaders tomorrow… happy creating!
Want to try this activity out? Just pick up the materials below and have fun!
Are You a New York State Pre-K Teacher?
This lesson aligns with the Next Gen Standards:
- Reading: Foundational Skills: Print Concepts:
PK.RF.1d. Recognize and name some upper/lowercase letters – especially those in their name
MATERIALS:
- Black marker
- Poster Paper
- Letter stickers
BOOKS: