What Does a Lion Say?: And Other Playful Language Games(Between the Lions)

What Does a Lion Say? is filled with fun and easy literacy games for parents to play with young children anytime, anywhere. Children play their way into discoveries in the world of letters and reading while building the skills they need for a lifetime of future learning. With alphabet games like "License Plate Lingo," writing games like "Au-Toe-Graph," and describing games like "Silly Scenarios," What Does a Lion Say? helps parents make the most of playful everyday moments with their child.

About the Author :
Between the Lions was created by award-winning producers of high-quality educational children's television: "WGBH Boston," "Sirius Thinking, Ltd.," and "Mississippi Public Broadcasting." The editors of Between the Lions work closely with literacy experts, reading specialists, and teachers from around the country.

Review :
"This small volume is chock full of ideas to help adults entertain and teach the children they care about. It's a resource to keep for countless occasions: fun on a rainy day, puppet shows, sing-alongs, and trolling the dictionary. The back pages list a multitude of book titles with descriptions of contents. This section alone makes the book invaluable--a go-to-reference book for parents, teachers, and children." - Mary Popham, Foreword Reviews Oral language benefits include listening to and responding to others, being attentive to stories, poems, and songs, and increased vocabulary. A game to heighten this skill: One player thinks of an animal and the others ask "yes or no" questions until they guess the animal. Questions may be: Is it a pet? Is it bigger than this book? Does it have four legs? - Mary Popham, Foreword Reviews The authors detail each genre with informative components: general age group guidelines--most are for ages four to nine; the number of players required to play the game--usually two or more; and which specific educational skill is of primary focus. On-the-go games help pass traveling time in a car, on a bus or train trip; while waiting in a doctor's office, or anytime to share fun and learning. For example: use the twenty-six letters of the alphabet to give names to imaginary lion cubs. - Mary Popham, Foreword Reviews The games help children appreciate books, comprehend stories, and become aware of many other functions of language and print. Suggested games: Do a word comparison of food: tasty, tastier, tastiest; explain a "dream dinner," describing how it tastes and smells, why you would choose particular foods; tell who is with you and where you are eating. Imagine if clothes could talk, what stories would they tell about you; begin a story with one sentence and then each person adds a sentence. Tape a sheet of paper around the children's arms and pretend they wear casts. To get signatures on his cast, each player must tell a story that ends with "...and that's how I broke my arm." - Mary Popham, Foreword Reviews