Mrs. Honey's Hat (Early Reading)
To encourage early participation in the real-aloud experience, take advantage of the repetitive and predictable structure of the text.  Each new section starts, "On (day of the week), Mrs. Honey..."  Each section ends, "But Mrs. Honey didn't notice."  Even very young children will clue in and 'read' those parts if the reader pauses to let them jump in.  The excellent choice of the style and size of print, the positioning of the text opposite the illustrated page, the care taken to match the illustrations with the text, the breaking down of sentences into phrases, each on a deferent line, the fun of the story - these are elements of a quality first reader.The extraordinary change which Mrs. Honey's hat undergoes provides many opportunities to play memory and observation games.  Look at the last page.  Can we remember on what day of the week each thing was changed?  Make a "Mrs. Honey's Hat Game."  Draw and cut out a paper hat.  Draw, colour and cut out the six objects on the original hat and the six objects on the 'new' hat.  Arrange all of the original objects on the paper hat.  The first player takes away an item.  The second player has to replace it with the new item, as in the story.  If she can, she gets to keep the original item.  If she can't, she has to put it back.  Then, it's her turn to take away an item.  The player to get the most items is the winner.  (Keep the book nearby to settle differences of opinion.)  As children get older, players could be required to say on what day of the week the chosen item was replaced and who replaced it.  In other words, if the first player picked the feather, the challenged player would have to replace it with the appropriate item and say "On Monday, Peter took the feathers and left the bubblegum."Mrs. Honey is a cheerful, active elderly person who spends time with her grandchildren and friends and has many interests.  What an excellent opportunity to talk about the elderly people in the lives of our children!  Are some like Mrs. Honey?  In what ways?  Not all elderly people are so cheerful and active.  Why not?  Use Who Cares About Elderly People to help children develop knowledge and understanding.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.