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Colors Educator Guide How to lead parents through the four-week colors unit

Contents Prepare Ahead of Time 2 GetreadytomeetwithparentsIntroduce Parents to Colors 3 ThePEEPColorsapp UsingEducationalMediawithChildren TheParentStrategies:SharingSciencewithChildren TheScienceofColors:WhatChildrenWillLearnWeek 1: Colors Everywhere! 7 Includesinstructionsandviewingquestionsfor theParent Video: Colors Week 1

Week 2: Mixing Colors 8

Week 3: Colors and Light 9 Includesinstructionsandviewingquestionsfor theParent Video: Colors Week 3

Week 4: Hard-to-See Colors 11

Just For Educators 13 MoreontheParentStrategies Problem-SolvingTips RecommendedBooksonColors MoreScienceFun:PEEPGameApps

Family Science

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Prepare Ahead of Time Before you meet with parents: 1. Download the PEEP Colors app DownloadtheapptoyourphoneortabletfromtheAppleorAndroidappstoresandtryityourself.YoucanalsosearchtheappstoresforPeep Family Science.

Goscreen-by-screenthroughtheappsoyouunderstandhowitworks.It’simportantforyoutobefamiliarwithitaheadoftimesinceyouwillbehelpingparentsdownloadittotheirownphonesortabletsandshowingthemhowtouseit.

2. Practice modeling an activity Eachweekyouwillmodelonehands-onactivityforparents.Prepareaheadoftimeby:• collectingthematerialsyouneed• readingtheinstructionsinthisguidefor

eachactivity• practicingtheactivitybeforemeetingwith

parents

3. Just for Educators section Inadditiontoreadingthroughthisguide,payspecialattentiontotheJust for Educatorssectionattheend,whichgoesintomoredepthabouttheparentstrategies,offersproblem-solvingtips,andprovidesalistofrecommendedbooksandonlinegamesrelatedtocolors.

4. Review the Educator videoYoumaywanttoreviewtheEducator videoyourorganizationshowedyouduringtheinitialPEEPorientation.ItmodelshowyoumighttalktoparentsaboutPEEPandbuildtheirconfidenceaboutdoingsciencetogetherwiththeirchildren.

5. Review materials for the hands-on activities Thematerialsparentswillneedforeachactivityarelistedintheapp.Reviewthemaheadoftimesoyoucananticipatewhetheranymightbedifficultforparentstoobtain.• For Week 2,familieswillmixtwocolorstogethertocreateanewcolor.Theywillneed

eitherwatercolorpaintsorwashabletempera/posterpaints.Thetempera/posterpaintsarethebetterchoice,buttheymaynotalwaysbeeasyforparentstoobtain.Ifthat’sthecase,yourorganizationmightconsiderbuyingthepaintsandsharingwithparents.

• For Week 3,familieswillusefoodcoloringorwatercolorstomakecoloredwater.Foodcoloringisthebetterchoice(andismorefunforkidstoplaywith),butbothwillwork.Familieswillalsoneedaflashlightortheflashlightfeatureontheirsmartphone.Ifneitherofthoseareavailable,alampwithabrightbulbalsoworks.

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Introduce Parents to ColorsThe PEEP Colors App1. Help them download the app • Helpparentsdownload the apptotheirownphonesortablets.• Explainthatoncetheyhavedownloaded the app,parentswon’t

needtousetheirdata planortheInternet.Theappcannowbeusedanywhere,indoorsandout.

2. Introduce the app Showparentshowit’sorganized.

Organization • TheColorsappoffersactivitiestodoover4 weeks.• Each weekoffers2 daysofscience.Youcandotheactivities

wheneveryouwantduringtheweek.• Each dayhas2 activities:

1. watchingandtalkingaboutaPEEPvideo2. doingascienceactivitytogether

• Ittakesabout20–30 minutestodoeachday’sactivities.

Special FeaturesPointoutthespecialfeatures.•Parent videos: Inadditiontoanimatedvideosforchildren,theapp

includesParentvideos.BeforeWeek 1andWeek 3,thereareshortvideosshowingwhathappensduringthatweek.

•Parent Strategies:Asfamiliesusetheapp,aPEEPcharactersometimespopsupwithaparentstrategy—atiponhowtogetthemostoutofthescienceactivity.

Using Educational Media with ChildrenThismaybethefirsttimeyouareencouragingfamiliestousemediatohelpeducatetheirchildren.Well-designededucationalmedia(videos,onlinegames,apps,andTVshows)canhelpchildrenlearn—andiftheyareguidedbyanadult,childrencanlearnevenmore.

Why use media for learning science?Sometimeseducatorsareafraidmediawilltaketheplaceofotherlearningactivities.Mediaisnotasubstituteforthehands-onscienceexperienceschildrengetthroughplayandexplorationwithactualobjectsandmaterials.That’swhytheAmericanAcademyofPediatricsrecommendsthatparentslimitmediatoonehourorlessperdayfor3-to5-year-olds.

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Butmediacanenrichchildren’ssciencelearning.Childrenlearnaboutscienceinmanydifferentways:bywatching,listening,talking,doing,andplaying.Themorewaysscienceispresented,themorewayschildrenhavetolearn.

Mediacan:• encouragechildrentoexploresomethingthey’re

alreadyinterestedin• sparkaninterestinsomethingnew• modelhowtoexploreandtalkaboutscience.(ThePEEP

characters,forexample,askquestions,investigate,andtestoutideas.)• showchildrenthingstheycan’texperienceinperson• engagechildren’simaginations• helpchildrendocumentandreflectontheirreal-lifeexperiencesbytakingphotosorrecord-

ingvideos• helpparentsbymodelinghowtoexploreandtalkaboutscience.Thiscanbeespeciallyhelp-

fultoparentswhoarenotyetconfidentaboutdoingsciencewiththeirchildren

Forchildrentolearnthemosttheycanfrommedia,theyneedhelpfromadultsto:• connectwhattheyarewatchingtotheirownlives• sharetheexperiencebytalkingaboutittogether

How PEEP uses media ThePEEPvideos,games,andappsfollowthebestpracticesforusingmediawithchildrenages3to5.Developedwithguidancefrompreschoolscienceandearlychildhoodexperts,PEEPteachesage-appropriatescienceconceptsandmodelsscienceskills.EachexperienceinthePEEPFamilyScienceappcombinesaPEEPvideowitharelatedhands-onactivityandencouragesfamiliestoexploretogether,talk,andsharetheirideas.ThePEEPappoffersparentsquestionsandpromptsthroughout,sotheycanconnectwiththeirchildrenateverystepoftheway,whetherthey’reco-viewingavideoordoinganactivitytogether.

Tips for parents on using media Yourchildrenwillbeusingmediatheirwholelives.Helpthemuseitinpositiveways,rightfromthestart!• Choosemediathatiseducationalandage-appropriate.Itshouldbuildonthekindsof

thingsyourchildisreadytolearnandusesimplestorylinesthatengageyourchild’simagination.

• Limitscreentimetoonehouradayforchildrenages3to5asrecommendedbyTheAmericanAcademyofPediatrics.

• Avoidmediaduringmealtimesandbeforebed.• Sharetheexperiencewithyourchild.Childrencan’tlearnfromwatchingmediaalone—

theyneedanadulttohelpthemunderstandwhattheyareseeingandconnectittotheirdailylives.Talkingtogetheraboutwhatyouarewatchingmakesabigdifference!

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Educational Media: Online Resources For more on educational media and screen time, see:

Common Sense MediaThesitehelpsparentsmakeeducationalandage-appropriatemediachoicesfortheirchildrenandratesmovies,games,apps,TVshows,websites,books,andmusic.

Media and Young Minds, American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, Pediatrics, 2016. Seetheirguidelinesontechnologyandchilddevelopment.

Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College (2012). Seetheirrecommendationsontheroleofmediainchildren’slives.

Sites that offer high-quality media for preschoolers include:

PEEP and the Big Wide WorldFormoreeducationalvideos,games,apps,andhands-onscienceactivitiesfeaturingPeepandhisfriends,visitthemainwebsite.AllmaterialisinEnglishandSpanish.

PBS KIDSPBSKIDSfeaturessuchtrustedshowsasSesameStreet,CuriousGeorge,DinosaurTrain,DanielTiger’sNeighborhood,Peg+Cat,Ready,Jet,Go!,andmanyothers.ThereisalsoasectioncalledPBSParentsthatoffershands-onactivities,tipsonraisingchildren,andotherparentingresources.

The Parent Strategies

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

Therearethree different parent strategiesthatwillpopupintheappasyouuseit.Whatdoallthesestrategieshaveincommon?Theyareaboutyouandyourchildlearningtogether!Asaparent,youprobablyalreadyusethesestrategieswithyourchild.Theyarealsogreatstrategiestohelpyourchildgetexcitedaboutscience.

1. Play and Explore Together Yourattentionandencouragementmakeabigdifference!

2. Ask Questions and Talk About Ideas Themoreyoutalktogether,themoreyourchildlearns.

3. Explore More! Themoreyoudotogether,themorechancesyourchildhastogrow.

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Play, Talk, and Explore More! Whatyoungchildrenneedmore than anything elsetodevelopandgrowisalovingparentcheeringthemon!Doingtheactivitiestogether, whetherit’swatchingasciencevideoortryingascienceactivitywithyou,ishowayoungchildlearnsbest.

PEEP: It takes a parent—not a scientist! Asaparent,youdon’tneedtoknowalltheanswers!It’sfinetosay,“Idon’tknow.Let’sseeifwecanfindouttogether.”Atthisage,exploring togetheriswhatscienceisallabout.Play,talk,andexploremore!

The Science of Colors

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

What your child will learn: • Basic science ideas,including:

• Asinglecolorcanhavemanydifferentshades.• Differentcolorscanbemixedtogethertomakeanewcolor.• Whenlightshinesthroughsomethingcolored,itchangesintothesamecolor.

• Science vocabulary wordslikemix,color,shade,light,shine• Science skills:Makingobservationsandcomparisons,testingandproblemsolving,and

communicatingandsharingideas.• Preschool standards: AlignedwiththeNextGenerationScienceStandardsandHead

StartEarlyLearningOutcomesFramework,PEEPFamilySciencestrengthenschildren’sliteracyandcriticalthinkingskills,anddevelopstheirinitiative,curiosity,attention,andperseverance—justwhatyoungchildrenneedtothriveinschool.

Week 1: Colors Around UsMatchthecolorsofcrayonstothingsaroundus.

Week 2: Mixing ColorsMixdifferentcolorsofpainttogethertocreatenewcolors.

Week 3: Colors and LightWhathappenswhenyoushinelightthroughcolors?

Week 4: Hard-to-See ColorsPlayagameofcolorhide-and-seek.

Here are some of the activities parents and children will do together.

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WEEK 1: Colors EverywhereExplore the colors around us, indoors and outdoors.

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. Watch the Parent Video: Colors Week 1You’llfindthevideoatthebeginningofWeek1.

Before you watch, say: Let’s watch a mom and her son doing this week’s activities together. It also shows the mom using the three parent strategies we’ve talked about.

After you watch, say: Let’s talk about how the mom used the strategies: • Play and Explore Together: The mom and her son played together.

What did you notice about how they played? • Ask Questions and Explore Ideas: Did you see how the mom asked lots of questions? I’ll bet

this is something you already do with your child! Tell me how you start a conversation with your child and keep it going.

• Explore More: Besides doing the main activities, the mom and son explored colors in lots of other ways. What did they do to explore even more?

Encourageparentstoalsowatchthevideoontheirown—it’sagreatwaytogetcomfortableexploringscience!

2. Introduce the Week 1 activities Goscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek1andtalkabouttheactivitiestogether.

3. Model a Week 1 activity •ClickonColors Around Usintheapp.•Gothrougheachscreenoftheappfortheactivity,reading

theinstructionsandthequestionsaloud.•Orrole-play:youbethechildandhavethemomusetheapp

toguideyouthroughtheactivity.•Showparentsthat

theactivityendswithtwoKeep Learning!activities.Tellparentstheycandotheseactivitiesorcomeupwiththeirownideasforwaystocontinueexploringcolors.Themorewaystheycomeupwithtoplayandexplore,themoretheirchildrenlearn.

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WEEK 2: Mixing ColorsExplore mixing colors to make a new one.

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. First, talk about Week 1 Somequestionsyoumightask:• How did the activities go last week? Tell me about what you did together. • Tell me about how you used the parent strategies:

• The first one is Play and Explore Together. What did you and your child have the most fun doing together?

• The second is Ask Questions and Talk about Ideas. Can you remember how you got your child talking about one of the activities? What did you and your child talk about? Did you have trouble getting your child to talk?

• The third strategy is Explore More! Did you try the Explore More ideas or get creative and find other ways to explore colors indoors or outdoors? Describe what you did.

2. Introduce the Week 2

activities Goscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek2andtalkabouttheactivitiestogether.(Note:ThereisnoparentvideoforWeek2.)

3. Model a Week 2 activity • ClickontheMixing Yellow and Red

activityinWeek2oftheapp.•Usingthesuppliesyou

broughtwithyou,modeltheactivityforparents.

•Orrole-play:youbethechildandhavethemomusetheapptoguideyouthroughtheactivity.

•Youcanuseeithertempera/posterpaintsorwatercolorpaints,butthetem-pera/posterpaintswillworkmuchbetterforthisactivity.

• Mixingredandyellowtogetherwillmakeanewcolor:orange.Youmayhavetoexperi-mentwithaddingmoreyellow(ormorered)painttomaketheorange.

• EncourageparentstotrytheKeep Learning!ideasattheendofthisactivityandtheDay2activity.Theyshouldalsofeelfreetocomeupwiththeirownideasforactivities.Themorewaystheycomeupwithtoplayandexplore,themoretheirchildrenlearn.

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WEEK 3: Colors and LightExplore what happens when light shines through colors.

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. First, talk about Week 2 Somequestionsyoumightask:• How did the activities go last week? Tell me about what you did together.• What did you and your child discover about mixing colors? • Did you run into any problems with the activities? How did you solve them? • Tell me about how you used the parent strategies:

• The first one is Play and Explore Together. What did you and your child have the most fun doing together? Tell me about it.

• The second is Ask Questions and Talk about Ideas. What did you talk about while you did the activities or watched the video? How did you try to get your child to talk about what you were doing?

• The third strategy is Explore More! How did you get creative and explore mixing more colors? Which of these extra activities interested your child the most?

2. Watch the Parent Video: Colors Week 3 Together

You’llfindthevideoatthebeginningofWeek3.

Before you watch, say: Let’s watch a mom and her son doing this week’s activities together. It also shows the mom using the three parent strategies we’ve talked about.

After you watch, say:Let’s talk about how the mom used the strategies:• Play and Explore Together: Did you notice how the mom played

along but didn’t take over? How does that work when you try it with your child?

• Ask Questions and Talk About Your Ideas: How did the mom get her child to talk about the activity?

• Explore More: They explored more in a couple different ways. What did they try? Do you have any other ideas about how to explore more using color and light?

Encourageparentstoalsowatchthevideoontheirown—it’sagreatwaytogetcomfortableexploringscience!

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3. Introduce the Week 3 activitiesGoscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek3andtalkabouttheactivitiestogether.

4. Model a Week 3 activity • ClickonColored Lightintheapp.• Usingthematerialsyoubrought,modeltheactivity

forparents.• Orrole-play:youbethechildandhavethemomuse

theapptoguideyouthroughtheactivity.• Youcanusefoodcoloringorwatercolorstomake

coloredwater.Foodcoloringworksthebest(andchildrenlovewatchingthefoodcoloringmixwiththewater).

• Ifparentsdon’thaveaflashlighthandy,theycanusetheflashlightontheirphones.• EncourageparentstodotheKeep Learning! ideasatendoftheactivitytoexploremore.

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WEEK 4: Hard-to-See ColorsSome colors are hard to see because they blend in with the colors around them.

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. First, talk about Week 3 Somequestionsyoumightask:• How did the activities go last week? Tell me about what you did together. • When you did the Colored Light activity, what do you think your child learned? • Did you run into any problems? What did you do? • Tell me about how you used the parent strategies:

• The first one is Play and Explore Together. Which activity did your child like the most? Tell me about how you explored together.

• The second is Ask Questions and Talk about your Ideas. Can you remember how you got your child talking about one of the activities? What were some of the things your child noticed about colors?

• The third strategy is Explore More! Did you get creative and find other ways to play with light and colors? Describe what you did.

2. Introduce Week 4Goscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek4theappandtalkaboutthevideoandtheactivities.(Note:ThereisnoparentvideoforWeek4.)3. Model a Week 4 activity • ClickontheBug Hide-and-Go SeekactivityinWeek4of

theapp.• Usingthematerialsyoubrought,modeltheactivity

forparents.• Orrole-play:youbethechildandhavethemomusethe

apptoguideyouthroughtheactivity.• Thefirsttimeyou“hide”thebugs,youwillputthem

inplaceswheretheircolorsstandoutandareverynoticeable.(Forexample,youmightputaredbugonbluepillow,whichwillmakeiteasytosee.)

• Thesecondtimeyouhidethebugs,youwillputtheminplaceswherethebackgroundcolorsaresimilarormatch.Thebugswillblendinwiththebackgroundandbehardertosee.(Forexample,youmightputagreenbuginaplant,whichmakesithardertosee.)

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• TheKeep Learning!ideaattheendoftheactivityhasparentsandchildrenswitchroles—thechildnowhidesthebugsandtheparentlooksforthem.Thisisagreatopportunityforparentstolettheirchildrenleadtheactivity.Childrenoftenlovebeingincharge.Itkeepstheminterestedandexcitedaboutwhattheyaredoing.

• It’salsoagoodopportunityforparentstowonderoutloudwhiletheyaresearchingforthebugs.Listeningtowhattheirparentsaresayinghelpschildrenunderstandthescienceideabehindtheactivity.Someexamples:

• Oh! That bug was easy for me to find! That’s because it’s bright red and it’s on a dark blue background.

• But this bug wasn’t easy for me to see. That’s because it’s blue and it’s on a blue rug. The two blues are almost the same and that makes it harder to see.

• Inthisactivity,parentswilltakepicturesofwherethebugsarehiddenandwillthenlookatthepicturestogether.Theywilltalkaboutwhysomebugswereeasytofindandotherswerehardtofind.Thisisanimportantpartoftheactivity.Tolearn,childrenneedtoreviewandtalkaboutwhattheydid.

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Just for Educators More about the Parent StrategiesResearchshowsthatchildrenwhodoactivitieswithanadultoftenlearnmorethanchildrenwhodoanactivityontheirown.Why?• Childrenneedtotalkaboutandmakesenseoftheir

experiences.• Theyneedtofeelthatwhattheydoandthinkaboutis

valuedandinteresting.• Theyneedsomeoneaskingthemquestionsandsharingideastohelpthemthinkmore

deeplyandbuildonwhatthey’vealreadylearned.Watchingandtalkingtogethermakesabigdifference!

Thethreestrategieshelpparentsgetthemostoutofthescienceactivities.Hereismoredetailaboutthem,listingdifferentwaysparentscanusethem.

1. Play and Explore TogetherYourattentionandencouragementmakeabigdifference!

How to do it:• Noticewhatexcitesyourchild—andplayalong!• Guideyourchild’sscienceplay—butdon’ttakeover!• Putyourchildincharge—givingchildrenmorecontrolkeepstheminterested

andhavingfun.

2. Ask Questions and Talk About Your Ideas Themoreyoutalktogether,themoreyourchildlearns.

How to do it: • Taketurnslisteningandspeaking.• Talkoutloudaboutyourideassoyourchildcanlearnfromlisteningtoyou.Start

bysaying“Iwonder...,”“Ithink...,”and“Whatif...?”• Askquestionstohelpyourchildthinkmoreabouttheactivity.Startaquestionby

asking,“Whatdoyouthink...?”• Connectwhatyouaredoingtosomethingyourchildalreadyknows.• Takepicturesorvideos,ormakechartsordrawpicturesoftheactivities.Then

discussthem.Tolearn,childrenneedtoreflect(thinkabout)whattheydid.3. Explore More! Childrenlearnnewthingseachtimetheyexplore.

How to do it: • Dotheactivityagain!Repetitionhelpschildrenlearn.• Addnewmaterialstoexploreinadifferentway.• Playindoorsandoutdoors.Explorethesamesciencetopicinadifferentplace.

Here’saneasywaytorememberallthreestrategies:Play, talk, and explore more!

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Problem-Solving TipsNoteveryactivitywillgowellandeveryactivitymightnotinteresteverychild.Herearesomeproblemsparentsmayrunintoandsomesuggestionsforsolvingthem.

Too hard? Too easy?• Iftheactivityistoohard,helpyourchild—buttry

nottotakeoveranddotoomuch.• Iftheactivityistooeasy,spendmoretimeontheKeep Learning!sectionattheendofeach

activity.Thatofferschildrenmorechallenges.

Really interested? Or really bored?• Ifyourchildwantstodoanactivityyou’vealreadydone,lethim/herplayagaininsteadof

doinganewactivity.Keepdoingwhatgetsyourchildexcitedandcurious.• Ifyourchildlosesinterestintheactivity,lethim/herplaywiththesamematerialsin

whateverwayhe/shewantsto.Givingchildrenmorecontrolcanhelpgettheminterested.• Feelfreetomakechangestotheactivitiessothatyourchildstaysinterested.

Not enough time? • Asaparent,youaresometimestoobusytospendmuchtimeplayingwithyourchild.But

ifyoucanhelpit,trynottorushyourchildthroughtheactivity.Yourchildneedstimetomakediscoveries.

• Trydoingtheactivityatatimeordaywhenyouarenotfeelingsopressuredtodootherthings.

• Ifyouhavetohurrythroughanactivity,haveyourchildcontinuetoplayonhis/herown.Checkbackeveryonceinawhiletoaskquestionsandcommentonwhatyourchildisdoing.

Questions too hard?• Ifaquestionistoohardforyourchildtoanswer,moveontoanother.(Butbeforemoving

on,youmighttryaskingitinadifferentway.)Atthisstage,it’smoreimportanttohavefuntogetherthantounderstandallthescienceideasinanactivity.

Just getting a yes or no answer?• Ifyourchildanswersyourquestionswithjustasingleword,keeptryingtogetaconversa-

tionstarted.Youmightnothavesuccesstoday,buteventuallyyourchildwillbegintalkingmore.

• Followupayesornoresponsewith:Tell me more . . .• Wonderoutloud.Ifyourchildhearsyoutalkaboutwhatyou’rethinkingabout,he/she

canlearntodothesame.Youmightsay,I wonder how we can make the orange color more orange? Maybe if we add more yellow . . . First, I’ll try adding a little more yellow . . . and if that doesn’t work . . . I’ll add even more.

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• Askopen-endedquestions.Thesearequestionsthatcan’tbeansweredwithjustayesorno. It’sagreatwaytoencouragechildrentoexpressthemselvesmorefully. QuestionsbeginningwithHowandWhataregoodexamples:

• How did you make that brown color?• What did you notice when we shined the light onto the aluminum foil?

What if you don’t know the answer?• Whatifyourchildasksaquestionandyoudon’thavetheanswer?It’sfinetosay:I’m not

sure. Let’s see what we can find out together.Thentalktogether,askquestions,andexplore.Preschoolscienceisabouthelpingchildrenlearnhowtothink,listen,investigate,under-stand,andcommunicate—nottogetthe“rightanswers.”

Here’s how such a conversation might go: Child:I want to make purple. How do I make it?

Mom: That’s an interesting question! I’m not sure. (Shepraisesherchild’scuriosity)

Why don’t we mix some colors and see if we can figure out how to make purple? (Sheencouragesinvestigation.)

What colors did you mix . . . and what color did it make? Brown? OK, what colors should we try next? I’m sure we can figure out how to make purple if we keep experimenting.

(Sheencouragestestingandperseverance.)

Let’s think about what colors are closest to purple . . . blue? Yes! I wonder what color we could add to change the blue to purple?

(Shechallengesherchildtothinkandinvestigate.)

We added some red to the blue, but it still doesn’t look like purple. Maybe we should try some more and see what that does? What do you think?

(Shemodelshowtoquestionandinvestigatesoherchildcanlearntodo thesame.)

Themomcouldn’tanswerthequestion,butshedidsomethingmuchmorevaluable:sheencouragedherchildtobecurious,toobserve,andtothinkmoredeeplyabouthowtoexperiment.

What if your child comes up with the wrong answer? • Makingmistakesandbeingwrongaboutwhysomethingisthewayitis,isallpartof

learningandgrowingup.Sometimesyou’llwanttohelpyourchildgentlyunderstandwherehis/herthinkingmayhavegonewrong.Butothertimes,there’snoneedtocorrectyourchild.Somethingyourchilddidn’tunderstandduringtheWeek1ofcolorsmaybecomeclearinWeek3.

• What’smostimportantforyourchild’sdevelopmentisnotgettingtheanswerrightbutlearninghowtothinkandexpressideas.

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Recommended Books on ColorsBooks,bothnonfictionandfiction,areanothergreatwayforchildrentolearnaboutcolors.Ifyourorganizationcansharebookswithparents,therearesomerecommendationsbelow.There’salsoaseparateParentHandoutonthewebsiteyoucanprintoutanddistribute.

A few tips for reading aloud you can share with parents: • Talkaboutthepictureonthecover.Pointtoandreadthetitleandauthor.• Askyourchildtopredictwhatmighthappeninthestory.• Readslowlysochildrencanunderstandandenjoytherhythmofthewordsandexplore

thepictures.• Getdramatic!Usedifferentvoicesandexpressionstomakethestoryfun.• Pausewhileyoureadtoaskquestionsandmakecomments.Talkaboutcolorsand

anythingthatcapturesyourchild’sinterest.Repeatortalkaboutanywordsthatmightbenewtoyourchild.

• Whenyouaredone,askquestionsaboutwhatyoureadandaskhowyourchildfeltaboutthecharactersandthestory.Thatwillhelphim/herthinkaboutandrememberitlater.

• Ifyourchildenjoyedthebook,readitagain,eithernoworlater.Childrenmakenewdiscoverieseachtime.

Hoban, Tana.Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue?GreenwillowBooks,1978.Photosofthecolorsaroundus.

Katz, Karen.The Colors of Us.HenryHoltandCompany,2007.Lenalearnsthateveryone’sskincolorisdifferentanddiscovershoweachoneisbeautifulinadifferentway.

Gonzalez, Maya Christina.My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo.Children’sBookPress,2007.Agirlshowsoffthemanycolorsofhersouthwesthome.

Lionni, Leo. A Color of His Own.AlfredA.Knopf,1975.Achameleonwisheshehadhisowncolorlikealltheotheranimals,andfindshisanswerinanewfriend.

Lionni, Leo. Little Blue and Little Yellow. HarperCollins,1959.Twospecialfriendsfindoutwhatcolorblueandyellowmake.

Luján, Jorge and Grobler, Piet.Colors!/¡Colores! GroundwoodBooks,2008.Apoeticexplorationofcolorsintheworld.

Shahan, Sherry.Spicy Hot Colors/Colores picantes.AugustHouse,2004.AcolorfulreviewofobjectsfoundinLatinculture.

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Tullet, Hervé.Mix it Up!ChronicleBooks,2016.Watchcolorssplatter,mix,andtransform,allatthetouchofafinger.

Walsh, Ellen Stoll. Mouse Paint.VoyagerBooks,2005.Threeplayfulmicedipthemselvesintored,yellow,andbluepaintandmixcolors.

More Science Fun: PEEP Game AppsIfparentshaveroomontheirphonesforadditionalapps,encouragethemtodownloadthesefreePEEPgameapps,whicharecloselyrelatedtotheactivitiesparentsandchildrenwilldoeachweek.ThegameappscanbefoundintheappstorealongwiththePEEPFamilyScienceapps.Ifchildreneasilycompletethefirstroundofthegame,theyareofferedaharderlevelinthenextround.Thegameskeepchildrenwithintheirowncomfortlevels,nudgingthemtomorechallenginglevelsonlywhentheyareready.

Share these tips with parents: Yourchildrenwillbeusingmediatheirwholelives.Helpthemuseitathomeinpositiveways,rightfromthestart!• TheAmericanAcademyofPediatricsrecommendsthatyoulimitscreentimetoonehour

adayforchildrenages3to5.• Avoidmediaduringmealtimesandbeforebed.• Sharetheexperiencewithyourchild.Watch,play,andtalktogether.Childrencan’tlearn

fromwatchingmediaalone—theyneedanadulttohelpthemunderstandwhattheyareseeingandconnectittotheirdailylives.Talkingtogetheraboutwhatyouarewatchingmakesabigdifference!

Week 2: Paint Splat HelpQuackmixpainttomakethecolorsChirpwants! www.peepandthebigwideworld.com/en/kids/pathways/4/light-and-color/games/10/paint-splat

Week 4: Which Fish?Quackandhisfishfriendsmakepatternswithcolors!peepandthebigwideworld.com/en/kids/games/16/which-fish

©2018WGBHEducationalFoundation.PEEPandtheBigWideWorldisatrademarkorregisteredtrademarkofWGBHEducationalFoundation.Allrightsreserved.Allthirdpartytrademarksarethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.Usedwithpermission.«Peep,»«Quack,»«Chirp,»«Tom»and«Nellie»wereoriginallycreatedbyKaiPindalfortheNationalFilmBoardofCanadaproductionsThePeepShow(©1962,NationalFilmBoardofCanada)andPeepandtheBigWideWorld(©1988,NationalFilmboardofCanada).PEEPandtheBigWideWorld®isproducedbyWGBHand9StoryEntertainmentinassociationwithTVOntario.MajorfundingforPEEPandtheBigWideWorldisprovidedbytheNationalScienceFoundation.ThismaterialisbaseduponworksupportedbytheNationalScienceFoundationunderGrantNo.1612643.Anyopinions,findings,andconclusionsorrecommendationsexpressedinthismaterialarethoseoftheauthor(s)anddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheNationalScienceFoundation.