We have chosen the book, I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More ! by Karen Beaumont to highlight during Read Across America because it is so much fun and has so many positive features. If you decide not to use it, you can apply the following tips and suggestions to any book you choose to read.
Please review the book first because it does make reference to the posterior part of the child’s body. That part rhymes with ‘cut.’ It doesn’t say the word. Instead it says ‘What?!’ But you may not want to go there.
Here are some suggestions: We have provided two Youtube links for the book . The first link will take you to a lively song version of the book. Go through the whole song without stopping or discussing. Just enjoy the story and the music.
The second link is to a read aloud versin. If you have the book at home, use that. If not, you could use this link and pause the video at appropriate times to ask questions, make specific points, and bring attention to certain actions in the illustrations.
Here are a few points that you can pause and discuss to have your child become involved in the story:
- Phonogram ai (Of course)
- Grammar (Is ‘ain’t’ a word we use at home? What do we say instead?)
- Vocabulary; this little boy is mischievous? How do we know that? where is the ceiling?
- Rhyming - the word on the next page is going to rhyme (sound like) this word.
- Prediction (What word comes next?)
- Critical thinking - where is momma putting the paints? Why? What is the boy standing on? Is that a good choice? Why?
- Personal involvement - have your child point to each body part on their body.
- Colors - have colored pencils handy and choose the correct one as you read along.
Follow up activity:
At bath time, fill a muffin tin with shaving cream. Mix in food coloring in each muffin hole. Blend two colors to make a new color (red and yellow = orange, etc.). In the bathtub, paint the tiles then wash off the paint. The lesson: we can have fun with paint as long as we paint in places where we don’t harm any harm and can clean up afterwards.
