It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s…no, it’s definitely a bird! Today, in honor of National Bird Day, we’re introducing you to Squawker, our loveable parrot puppet for teaching preschool students Oral Language lessons from Get Set for School^®! Squawker is part of our Word Time™ product. Word Time™ helps you boost your children's vocabulary and language skills with an exciting activity book that features multisensory lessons that are aligned to the Oral Language lessons from the Get Set for School Pre-K Teacher's Guide.

Word Time™ comes with 295 laminated Word Cards with illustrations in word pairs that you can use to teach relationships and letter naming and recognition.

Need some inspiration for putting Squawker to action in your classroom? Below, you’ll find just 1 sample out of the 48 weeks of lessons included in Word Time. Try this multisensory activity for using Squawker to help Pre-K students learn vocabulary and spread their wings in your classroom!

Lesson Plan

Look – Squawker asks: What are today’s words?

Have Helper show each Word Card.

This word is inhale, i-n-h-a-l-e, inhale. This is exhale, e-x-h-a-l-e, exhale.

Have Squawker and the class repeat words and letters with you.

Inhale means to take air in when you breathe. Exhale means to let air out when you breathe.

Do – Have children inhale with their hands on their chests.

Have children exhale with one hand on their chests and the other in front of their mouths.

Say – We inhale air. We exhale air.

Talk – Squawker says: We can inhale with our mouths or noses. What happens when you inhale? When we exhale, we can blow on things like dandelions. What other kinds of things can you blow on?

Keep talking. Encourage children to talk about experiences with inhale and exhale.

Closing

Have children repeat today’s words. Sing “Letters, Words, and Sentences” together.

Everyone thanks the Word Helper.

Free Download!

Learn more about Squawker by downloading sample lessons.

Print out our Squawker download and have your students color him in using FLIP Crayons®! 

Don’t forget to check the mail for your Learning Without Tears product catalog!