Early Literacy Calendar - May 2026
Strategies for Creating a Reader
Daily Activities
| Date | Practice | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, May 1 | READ | Name the letters you see on signs while walking or driving around the neighborhood. |
| Saturday, May 2 | TALK | Take a walk and count how many of something (cars, trees, signs) you see. |
| Sunday, May 3 | SING | Sing along to music with a fast tempo while picking up and putting away toys. |
| Monday, May 4 | WRITE | Cut a few straws in pieces and drop them into an empty water bottle. No straws at home? Try beans, penne or spaghetti. |
| Tuesday, May 5 | PLAY | Play near a friend and practice taking turns with toys. Taking turns is the first step to sharing! |
| Wednesday, May 6 | READ | Read a story about insects like "Are You There Little Bee?" by Sam Taplin. |
| Thursday, May 7 | TALK | At bedtime, take turns talking about your day. What was your favorite part? |
| Friday, May 8 | SING | Visit the library to sing a song at Lap Time or Story Time. |
| Saturday, May 9 | WRITE | Make a card for someone special in your life by folding a piece of paper in half and drawing a picture on it. |
| Sunday, May 10 | PLAY | Walk along a line of painter's tape on the floor. Make the line zig-zag or curve for more challenging fun. |
| Monday, May 11 | READ | Read a story about gardening like "Miss MacDonald Has a Farm" by Kalee Gwarjanski. |
| Tuesday, May 12 | TALK | Talk about flowers and other things you see growing outside. |
| Wednesday, May 13 | SING | Sing "The Farmer Plants the Seeds" with the Kiboomers. |
| Thursday, May 14 | WRITE | Look at real flowers or pictures of flowers and draw what you see. |
| Friday, May 15 | PLAY | Plant flowers in a pot or in the ground. If you use a pot, decorate it first with paint or stickers. |
| Saturday, May 16 | READ | Read a favorite story and retell it from a different character's point of view. |
| Sunday, May 17 | TALK | Talk all day about the letter M for May. What things can you find around the house that begin with the sound /m/? |
| Monday, May 18 | SING | Chant a rhyme that tells a story like "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." |
| Tuesday, May 19 | WRITE | Place a sheet of paper on the floor and color while bending over in downward dog. |
| Wednesday, May 20 | READ | Happy birthday, Atinuke! Read "Baby Goes to Market or another one of their stories. |
| Thursday, May 21 | PLAY | Make a toy car wash with a bowl of soapy water, a bowl of clean water and a towel. Paint the toys first for extra messy fun. |
| Friday, May 22 | TALK | Cut open plants, large seeds or fruits and talk about what you notice inside. |
| Saturday, May 23 | SING | Play in a kitchen band while listening to music. Tap a spoon on a pot, shake some spices or rattle a set of measuring spoons. |
| Sunday, May 24 | WRITE | Build with blocks. Stack and knock them over. count them, sort them and make your own creations. |
| Monday, May 25 | PLAY | Is it sunny today? Lie outside for a sky scavenger hunt to see what shapes you can find in the clouds. |
| Tuesday, May 26 | READ | Play with foam letters in the bathtub. |
| Wednesday, May 27 | TALK | Count each pass as your roll or toss a ball back and forth. How many passes can you make? |
| Thursday, May 28 | SING | Name different body parts while singing "The Hokey Pokey." |
| Friday, May 29 | WRITE | Create a painting without a brush! Use yarn, flowers or other found materials as alternative brushes. |
| Saturday, May 30 | PLAY | Celebrate the power of play at Play Day in the Park. |
| Sunday, May 31 | WRITE | Build with blocks. Stack and knock them over. count them, sort them and make your own creations. |
Picture Book BINGO Challenge
PLAY
Pop those bubbles! Have one person blow bubbles while another pops them by clapping, tapping, jumping or doing another action.
SING
Dance along to "Pop Goes the Weasel" with Lisa Loeb.