Kemp Clare M G

This simple book tells the story of a hippo searching for food. You can use it in many ways to help young children to learn to read. It can also help older children, who can read a little, to become better readers. The book also helps young children to understand something about different animals, particularly the hippo. Children will also learn the meanings of the prepositions which are used in the story to describe Hippo's journey. You, or an older child, could share the book with a young child. Begin by talking about the pictures on the cover. Ask the child to tell you what they can see, and what they think the book might be about. Ask the child if they have ever seen a hippo, and whether they know the name in English. Talk about the name in the child's own langauge, as this is likely to be more familiar. Also, talk about the other animals which are see in the story. These are flamingos and other water birds, and lizards. Then, go through the book page by page, talking with the child about the pictures and what is happening. You could ask the child to tell you about what the hippo is doing in each picture, and what else they can see. Read all the words together with the child. You could then ask him or her to repeat after you, or to point to individual words as you say them. The words and sentences are very repetitive. This should help the child to identify the words, and perhaps read the sentences independently after a little practice. Above all, help the child to enjoy this book. In this way, they should become interested in reading. Then they will want to learn more and become independent readers!

For Caribbean primary schools - first level reading in English. The text is part of the "Ready... Go" series which features controlled language to give confidence, and illustrations to provide important visual clues to the young reader. The stories featured in the texts focus on experiences relevant to young children and are taken from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. The series is divided into two levels: "Ready" for new readers who have learned the present tenses; and "Go" for readers who are beginning to learn the past and future tenses. "Mango Tango" is part of the "Ready" level of the series.