Arthur was having some problems seeing until his parents took him to the optometrist. After that, Arthur was having a problem with his friends teasing him about his new glasses. How does Arthur solve his problem about having to wear glasses? If you have a child, or children in your classroom that must wear glasses, this book may help them feel better about themselves.
Materials
- Eyeglass shape to use for making glasses
Vocabulary
- Blind (to not be able to see with your eyes)
- Optometrist (a doctor who takes care of your eyes)
- Concentrate (to think about something really hard)
Before Reading the Story
Play a 5 senses game with the children. I’m thinking of something I use to smell the good foods we will eat at lunch. I’m thinking of something I use to hear my favorite song on the radio. I’m thinking of something I use to see who is coming in the door. When you do the riddle about eyes, stop and tell the children that sometimes people’s eyes do not see at all. This is called being blind. Ask the children to cover their eyes with their hands. How many fingers am I holding up? You can’t tell because you cannot see my fingers, this is like being blind. Sometimes people’s eyes are just not strong enough and so they cannot see very well. When this happens they wear glasses. Does anyone know anyone who wears glasses? Tell the children that today’s story is about an aardvark that had to get glasses to help him see better.
Social and Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people such as genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.
Reading the Story
Stop on the page where Arthur is at the optometrists’ office. Spend a moment talking about what an eye examine is like (the optometrist might shine a light in your eyes, or a puff of air). Stop again on the page where Arthur and his friends are waiting for the school bus. How do you think Arthur feels when his friends make fun of his new glasses? What would you do if your friend had to wear new glasses?
Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; progresses in responding sympathetically to peers who are in need, upset, hurt, or angry; and in expressing empathy or caring for others.
After Reading the Story
Lead any discussion the children might have about glasses. Then tell the children that sometimes people wear glasses for other reasons also (sunglasses, eye protection/mowing lawn, working with tools, goggles are like glasses to see underwater)
Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.
Discovery
Put out magnifying glasses and interesting objects. Explain that some glasses make things look bigger so they are easier to see. You can also put out color paddles.
Science/ Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.
Music and Movement
Chant, My Eyes Are Little Windows
My eyes are little windows and through them I can see.
The birds and trees and flowers that are beautiful to me.
(The children can help name things that they feel are beautiful that you can then sing about. Make sure to write their ideas on a piece of paper and hang it up on the wall).
Literacy/Print Awareness & Concepts; develops growing understanding of the different functions of forms of print such as signs, letters, newspapers, lists, messages, and menus.
Blocks
Practice making letters with the blocks E,A,H,L,M,T etc.
Literacy/Early Writing; experiments with a growing variety of writing tools and materials, such as pencils, crayons, and computers.
Art
Put out a vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit. Give the children drawing materials and ask them to see if they can draw what they see.
Creative Arts/ Art; progresses in abilities to create drawings, paintings. models, and other art creations that are more detailed, creative, or realistic. AND Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.
Decorate a pair of eyeglasses with stickers and markers.
Sand and Water
Hide alphabet magnet letters in the sand. As the children find them they can match them to a letter chart.
Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; shows progress in associating the names of letters with their shapes and sounds.
Library and Writing
Have the children make their own eye charts. Start by making an E, and then turn it to face different directions. After they have finished their eye charts they can practice pointing the direction of the E with their fingers while they cover one eye.
Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them.
Dramatic Play
Make an optometrists office. Bring in some old eyeglass or sunglass frames, make an eye chart, and add a small pen flashlight.
Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them.
Math and Manipulatives
Make a graph of several different colored glasses. Ask the children to decide what color they would want and to mark the graph. Count which color is the most popular, which color has the fewest votes, which has the most girls, boys, etc.
Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; begins to make comparisons between several objects based on a single attribute. AND Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as more, less, greater than, fewer, equal to.
Outdoor Play
Teach the children to play Four Square. Mark out a large box shape with chalk on the sidewalk, the bigger the better but at least 10×10. Divide this box into quarters. Each person stands in his or her own space/quarter of box. Take a ball and bounce it to a child. It must bounce in their space. The child tries to catch the ball and then bounce it into another’s space. This is a game of bounce and catch. You can also divide your large square in half if there is not a space big enough for four players.
Physical Health & Development/Large Motor Skills; demonstrates increasing abilities to coordinate movements in throwing, catching, kicking, bouncing balls, and using the slide and swing.
Transition
I spy with my little eye, something in the room that is shaped like a circle, square, is the color blue, begins with the letter sound R, etc. Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.
Dear Parent,
Today we read a story about an aardvark that needed to get glasses in order to see properly. Play a seeing game with your child. Say, “I spy with my eyes something that is. …(Describe something within your vision and see if your child can guess what it is you’re describing). I spy with my eyes something that is tall and has four legs. We have a cushion on it to sit on. It is made of wood and is beside the table. Can you guess?
Resources
Book Play Everyday 
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