Discover a World of Words

Throughout the story introduce new vocabulary words using gestures, tone of voice, pointing to illustrations, or providing brief explanations. Examples include:

READING TIPS AND ACTIVITIES

OLIVER’S FRUIT SALAD by Vivian French

Reading with children can improve their language, literacy, and social-emotional skills, increasing their knowledge of the world around them. With the right book choices, reading can introduce children to healthy eating habits too!

What It’s All About

After Oliver’s special visit with his grandparents, he is excited to tell his mum all about the delicious fruits that Grandpa and Gran grow at their

house! Oliver’s mother takes Oliver to the grocery store to pick out some more special fruit. Find out which fruits grow at grandpa’s house and the creative way that Oliver’s family decides to prepare the fruit!

BOOKKIDSCLUB

Dig into the Story

Develop children’s comprehension of the story by discussing higher-level information (e.g., link characters’ feelings to their actions and /or events in the story, predict what might happen, or summarize chunks of text). Use prompts throughout the story, such as:

• Oliver’smomprobablyfeelsexasperatedbyOliver’sstoriesaboutthefruitatgrandpa’shouse.MaybeshenoticeshowexcitedOliverisaboutthefruitatgrandpa’shouseandwishesthatOlivercouldpickfreshfruitattheirhousetoo.

• WhatkindoffruitwasOliverexcitedtofindinthegrocerystore?

Make Connections Beyond the Book

After reading the story, make connections to an aspect of the child’s real life by:• Visiting a market and noticing where different kinds of fruit are grown.

Could bananas or pineapples grow near your house? Could apples or cherries grow near your house?

• Making up your own recipe for fruit salad and writing it down, after you’ve eaten your special treat of course!

This guide was created in partnership with Whole Kids Foundation, a charitable organization that provides children with access to healthy food choices through partnerships with schools, educators and organizations. Learn more at WholeKidsFoundation.org.

©2015 Jumpstart for Young ChildrenSome definitions taken from Biemiller, A. (2010). Words worth teaching: Closing the vocabulary gap.

Jumpstart is a national early education organization working

toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. Learn more at jstart.org.

• Blackcurrants:small black berries that grow in central and northern Europe as well as northern Asia, often used in cooking, baking, jams, or juices

• Tinned:canned• Firmly:steadily

READING ACTIVITY

Together Time ActivityMake Your Own Fruit Salad

Whether you cook with your child always, sometimes or never, this is a chance to let your child be the chef! The emphasis of this activity is spending time together and allowing your child some autonomy

in the kitchen. So let go a little, put your kiddo in charge, and have some fruity fun together.

BOOKKIDSCLUB

1 Take a trip to the store and let your child pick any fruits that look interesting, whether they are the usual favorites or something unusual for your family. You can limit the number of fruits or the total dollar amount they can spend, and let your child pick which fruits fit within the boundaries you set.

2 Set aside time to prep the fruits together. Teach your child how each one should be washed and peeled, cut or pitted if necessary. Allow your child to do the washing and the peeling (older kids can also help with the cutting).

3 Let your child choose the bowl, mix the fruits in the bowl, and select serving dishes or set the table for everyone who will be sharing the salad.

•Whileshopping,showyourchildwheretolook to find out where each fruit was grown and the price. Notice which fruits are in season right now and which ones may have been imported from another place because they are not locally in season. (Not sure? Ask a produce team member at your grocery store.)

•Whilepreppingthefruitsforyoursalad,talkabout how leaving the skins on some fruits gives them better taste, texture and nutrition, while others have skin that may be too tough.

•Whileeatingyoursalad,talkaboutallthedifferent colors of the fruits and remind your child that “eating a rainbow” of different colored foods is one way to get enough variety of nutrients. Does your fruit salad have the entire rainbow or just a few colors? What fruits could you add to make the whole rainbow?

Talking Points:

4 Enjoy the salad together! Talk about the different tastes and textures, what each person likes and doesn’t like. Which fruits would you want to eat again? Is there something you could add to the fruit salad that would make it tastier: a little yogurt, honey, coconut flakes, nuts, a squeeze of lemon or orange juice?