Vocabulary and Language Lessons
Sing and Play Together
After you read the story, download the “Seasons” song*. Sing it and do
the actions together often.
Winter snow, wind does blow
Air is cold, winter snow
Repeat
sway arms
shiver with arms around body
Now it’s spring, birds do sing
Growing things bloom in spring
Repeat
wave fingers like bird wings
Sunny day, run and play
We’ll have fun in summer sun
Repeat
skip
Leaves fall down on the ground
Air is clear, fall is here
squat down
They are seasons, one and all
Winter, spring, summer, fall
Repeat
Winter snow (echo)
Wind does blow (echo)
Repeat
sway arms
Now its’ spring (echo)
Birds do sing (echo)
Repeat
wave fingers like bird wings
We’ll have fun (echo)
In summer sun (echo)
Repeat
skip
Air is clear (echo)
Fall is here (echo)
Repeat
squat down
They are seasons one and all
Winter, spring, summer, fall
Repeat
*download from www.linguisystems.com/vocabularystoriesfortoddlers
Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
1
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Core
Vocabulary
nouns
fall
flowers
heat
hill
kites
mounds
seasons
Expanding
Language
sledding
snow
spring
summer
sun
trike
winter
verbs
blooming
flying
zooming
describing
words
cool
windy
Parents tend to talk to their toddlers in two ways:
1. They give short directions or explanations such as, “It’s snowing,”
“It’s hot,” or “Get your coat.” This communication exposes
toddlers to language and vocabulary but doesn’t teach them how
to learn new vocabulary.
2. Parents expand their toddler’s language or elaborate on the
directions they give. The simple statement “It’s snowing” becomes
“Look outside! It’s snowing. Snowflakes are falling from the
clouds.” “It’s hot” expands to “It’s a hot summer day. Let’s hook
up the sprinkler. You can run through it to keep cool.”
Tips for
Reading Aloud Reading to your toddler is a great way to teach vocabulary and
language skills:
• Use inflection in your voice to emphasize rhyme in the story.
• Point to a picture and say its name. Ask your child to repeat it. • Point to a picture and ask, “What’s this?”
• Ask your child to find a picture. Say, “Where’s the _______?” • Ask your toddler to correct your mistakes. Ask “Is this a (incorrect
label)?” Have your child name the item correctly.
• Encourage your child to talk in phrases by putting two or more
words together. For example, “Hot summer,” “Snow in the winter,”
and “Pretty flowers.”
• Explain seasonal events that happen where you live. Say, “Look
outside! What is falling from the clouds (snow, rain, hail, etc.)? The ground is covered with leaves. Watch them fall off the trees.” • Ask your child to point to or name an item based on a clue. For
example, “I’m thinking of something we do in the summer. We
bring our towels.” (go to the beach/pool)
• Talk about the weather in your area and link it to each season. Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
2
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Tips for Reading Aloud, continued
• Talk about the clothes you wear as the weather changes. • Use synonyms to describe how you feel in each season: summer
(hot, sticky, sweaty), fall (cool, dry), winter (cold, freezing, chilly),
spring (damp, cool, wet).
• Explain unfamiliar words. “Mounds of snow means there’s lots
of snow in one place.” Use the word in conversation. “We have
mounds of laundry” or “Rake the leaves in a big mound.”
Building
Literacy
These activities will help your toddler understand the importance of
books and reading: • Let your child turn the pages and/or hold the book. • Reading books should be a pleasurable activity for your toddler. Increase the time you read to him as his attention span improves.
• Use vocal inflection as you read. Stress the rhyme in the story. • Read a book until your child knows it by heart. • Teach your toddler to connect print to speech. Point to each word
as you read.
Verbs
Use action words to describe what happens in each season:
• Winter verbs: blowing, snowing, slipping, sledding, skating, shoveling, plowing (snow)
• Spring verbs: growing, blooming, planting, digging, raining
• Summer verbs: swimming, playing, riding, picnicking, roller skating, camping
• Fall verbs: raking, playing, harvesting, picking, roasting (marshmallows/hot dogs)
Concepts
Use concepts to describe the changes to your environment with each
season. Compare and contrast the weather in each season:
• longer and shorter days
• crisp, cool air in the fall, crunchy leaves
• cold, icy snow
• summer is hot, winter is cold
• plants grow in the spring, die in the winter
Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
3
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Phonological
Awareness
• Clap out syllables in words from the story. Clap twice for win-ter and su-mmer, and once for fall and spring. Gradually introduce more words.
• Identify the beginning sound in words. Say, “Fall starts with /f/. Summer starts with /s/.
Story and Related Vocabulary by Beginning Letter /Sound/
C
cold /k/
cool /k/
F
fall /f/
flower /f/
G
grow /g/
H
hot /h/
I
ice /i/ long
L
leaves /l/
N
nest /n/
P
play /p/
R
rain /r/
rake /r/
S
season /s/
summer /s/
swim /s/
snow /s/
sun /s/
shiver /sh/
T
tree /t/
W
warm /w/
Vocabulary
Flash Cards
Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
spring /s/
sweat /s/
winter /w/
Print and cut apart the cards on the following pages. Use them to
teach your toddler the names and definitions of words used in the
story. 4
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Vocabulary Flash Cards: Nouns
fall
flowers
heat
hill
kite
mound
seasons
Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
5
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Vocabulary Flash Cards: Nouns, continued
sledding
snow
spring
summer
sun
trike
winter
Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
6
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Vocabulary Flash Cards: Verbs
blooming
zooming
flying
Vocabulary Flash Cards: Describing Words
windy
Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
cold
7
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Seasons Vocabulary Acquisition Chart
________________ knows these words! When your child uses a word in conversation, put a star in the box.
Word

Notes/Date
blooming
cool
fall
flowers
flying
heat
hill
kites
mounds
seasons
sledding
snow
spring
summer
sun
trike
windy
winter
zooming
Vocabulary Stories for Toddlers
Seasons
8
Copyright © 2012 LinguiSystems, Inc.