Alphabet Secrets About Animals in Delightful Picture Book to Teach the Alphabet

Sara O'Leary's new book Owls Are Good At Keeping Secrets is a fun picture book that will keep young readers engaged while learning the letters of the alphabet. All kinds of animals have funny habits and are represented with a letter of the alphabet on each page. The alphabet begins with A and alligators wondering if you will like them after you get to know them. Did you know that G for giraffes only have just one best friend? E for elephants enjoy their bath. U for unicorns always believe in themselves. O'Leary gives each animal an individual quirky personality fact that young readers will recognize as part of themselves and their personality. Z for zebras sometimes would just like to be first instead of being last as Z is the last letter in the alphabet. All of the fun facts show the diversity in the animal world and teach young readers that there is diversity in each of their friends. Diversity makes the world go around. Young readers who love animals will have fun with the personalities of each animal.

Jacob Grant contributes his talent as an illustrator with colorful illustrations that fill each page. Each animal for its letter of the alphabet is engaged in an activity on the pages. Owls for the letter O keep all of the secrets.

Owls Are Good At Keeping Secrets was published by Random House Children's Books and is recommended for ages 3-7. It has an ISBN of 978-1-5247-1331-7.

My passion for teaching reading in my early classroom was a centerpiece in activities that I planned for my young students. I used a variety of picture books to teach the alphabet and this new one would be a favorite. Early childhood teachers are always engaged in teaching early reading skills and the alphabet with phonics is always a centerpiece for beginning readers.

*Read Owls Are Good At Keeping Secrets in a group reading session for story time. Read the entire story in one sitting to introduce the concept of the alphabet. Call attention to how each letter looks on the page.

*Teach each letter individually after the book is read for the first time. Many teachers teach each letter of the alphabet for a week's lesson. Many teachers teach the consonants first and vowels come after all of the consonants are learned. Bb for bears is the first consonant. Call attention to the bear in the story and the love that the mama bear is showing to its baby bear. Call attention to both the upper-case B and the lower-case b on the page. Do the same for each letter every week that a new letter is introduced.

*Prepare activities that are associated with each animal when the letter is introduced. Bb for bears at the beginning can be associated with activities that teach that there is diversity in the world of bears. Bears are always a favorite with children. Prepare activities for each animal when each letter is introduced. Rr for raccoons offers the opportunity to have a class tea party. Each page allows for creativity in planned activities.

*Give children the opportunity to find each letter in words on the page. Teach both upper-case-and lower-case letters and allow the children to locate both on the pages. Letter searches teach that letters form words.

*Prepare activities to extend interest in the animals. Make a class chart of favorite animals and favorite alphabet letters.

*Activities that extend interest in the animals can include grouping the animals into the kind of environment that each inhabits. Jj for jellyfish and Ss for starfish can be grouped into sea creatures. Hh for hedgehogs and Ff for foxes can be grouped in to animals that live in the forest.

*Call attention to the imaginary creatures. Dd for dragons and Uu for unicorns will challenge the children in imagining characteristics of these animals.