#clip-clop

You rolled up Clip-Clop!

As Mr. Horse clip-clops along other animals ask him for a ride. What happens when he starts running too fast?

Read this fun book with your child and have them repeat the refrain “clip-clop” each time it appears on the page, saying it faster and faster as the horse goes faster. If your child is too young to say the words themselves, bounce them on your lap as you say them. Dip them to the side when the animals fall off. This is a fun way to adapt the book to many ages and meet your child's development stage.

The large font and repeated refrain provide a great opportunity to help your child develop print awareness. Point to the words “Clip-clop” as you say them together.

Talk about the different animals on each page. Have the kids use their background knowledge about animals to tell you what sound they make. Learning and making animal sounds helps children learn to recognize the smaller sounds that make up words. This skill is called phonological awareness and will later help them sound out words as they learn to read.

When the horse starts going too fast, ask your child what they think will happen. Predicting events in a story helps children develop their narrative skills.

Extend the book with a pool noodle horse!

After reading the book, help your child make a pool noodle horse they can clip-clop around on themselves.

Fold over the top half of the pool noodle and tie it down. Then use yarn, googly eyes, fabric, and any other materials you have lying around to decorate.