Shelby Alinsky - National Geographic Readers: Sleep, Bear!

Children are naturally curious about the world around them, and curiosity
is a powerful motivation for readingand for success in school. Studies
show that by understanding relationships among words, children quickly
acquire new and interesting vocabulary. And the more they are able to
talk about the world around them, the more they want to learn!

As you read with your child, be sure to point out the vocabulary tree.
Discuss the categories of words and how they relate to one another.
Then, explore the text together. Encourage your child to point out each
of the vocabulary words as they appear in the text. Youll be surprised
how fast your early reader identifies content-rich vocabulary.

To sustain childrens excitement about reading, we have created a special
program called NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS SUPER READERS. As kids
read each National Geographic Kids Reader, they cross off its picture on
a free National Geographic Kids Super Readers poster that parents can
download from kids.nationalgeographic.com/superreaders. Throughout
the process, kids and parents go to the website and download specially
designated prizes that reward their effort. Kids can have even more read
ing fun online, with lively book-related activities, quizzes and games,
fascinating excerpts, and sneak previews of upcoming books.

The National Geographic Kids Super Readers program appeals to kids
love of accomplishment while providing them with incentives to keep
reading. When the reading experience is fun, children learn more and
achieve more. What could be better than that?

Sincerely,

Susan B. Neuman

Professor of Language and Literacy

New York University

Vocabulary Tree

ANIMALS

BEARS

BROWN BEARS

WHAT THEY DO

wake up
eat
find a den
sleep

WHAT THEY EAT

berries
bugs
leaves
fish

SEASONS

winter
spring

summer
fall

Winter is over. Wake up, bear!

Its spring. The days are cool.

The bear is hungry.

It hasnt eaten all winter.

Lets eat!

Berries are good.

Bugs are good, too.

So is grass.

The bear eats. And eats.

It eats all spring.

Now the days are getting warm.

The sun shines. Its summer.

In summer, the bear eats

lots of bugs.

It eats lots of grass.

There is also something special

for the bear to eat.

Fish!

The bear eats lots of fish.

Now the days are getting cool.

Its fall. The bear finds a den.

Sleep, bear!

YOUR TURN!

Be a brown bear!
Act out what the bear does
in each season.

WHAT DOES THE BEAR DO IN SPRING?

WHAT DOES THE BEAR DO IN SUMMER?

WHAT DOES THE BEAR DO IN FALL?

WHAT DOES THE BEAR DO IN WINTER?

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the
expert content review of this book by Jason
Matthews, master naturalist, Montana Natural
History Center/Montana Outdoor Science School,
and the expert literacy review by Susan B.
Neuman, Ph.D., professor of Early Childhood
and Literacy Education, New York University.

Copyright 2015 National Geographic Society