Mr. TwistyBooks
Trying again & starting small Ages 3–7 · PreK–1
UP! OVER! DOWN!
An Oliver & Penny story about trying again and starting small
The lesson: Start small, and learn from someone who has been there. Big skills are built one step at a time, with help.
Skills it builds
- Persistence: trying again after "a GREAT jump, just not an OVER jump"
- Learning by watching a mentor (Oliver watches Penny; Penny watched Izzy)
- Accepting help, and breaking a big skill into small steps
- Good judgment: on the wet day, Oliver sits it out and gets carried
Words to notice
up, over, down, through, underneath · higher, smaller · once, twice, third lap · crunch, chirp, sniff · this way, that way
Talk about it
- What did Oliver want to do? Who was he watching?
- Oliver's first jump landed right where he started. Was it a bad jump?
- Why did Oliver sit down on the wet day? Was that okay?
- Where was Penny's very first hoop? Why do you think it started there?
- What is something you're learning one small step at a time?
Try it: Hoop on the floor
Set out hoops (or hula hoops and pool noodles) at three heights: on the floor, a little up, a lot up. Every child chooses where to start. Chant UP! OVER! DOWN! and AGAIN! together.
