Shira Evans - National Geographic Readers: Play, Kitty!

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

CATS

WHAT THEY DO

play run swing stretch climb hide see
swat eat lick clean cuddle yawn sleep

My kitty likes to play.

Run, kitty!

Swing!

Stretch.

Climb.

Lets hide.

Peek- a- boo!

What do you see, kitty?

Swat a bug.

Play with string.

Its time to eat.

Lick to clean.

Lets cuddle.

Yawn.

Its time to sleep.

YOUR TURN!

Draw a line with your finger to
match what the kitty does. Then
say how you do these things.

CLIMB

SWING

HIDE

RUN

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the
expert literacy review of this book by Susan B.
Neuman, Ph.D., professor of early childhood and
literacy education, New York University.

Copyright 2016 National Geographic Partners, LLC
Published by the National Geographic Partners, LLC,
Washington, D.C. 20036. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without written
permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4263-2409-3
Reinforced library edition ISBN: 978-1-4263-2410-9
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4263-2412-3

Designed by Sanjida Rashid

Photo Credits

Cover, John Daniels/ardea.com; 1 (CTR), imagebro
ker/Alamy; 2-3 (CTR), Alamy; 4 (CTR), Juniors Bildar
chiv/age fotostock; 5 (CTR), Lambert/Getty Images;
6 (CTR), Gary Randall/Kimball Stock; 7 (CTR), Ron
Kimball/Kimball Stock; 8 (CTR), Gary Randall/
Kimball Stock; 9 (CTR), Gary Randall/Kimball Stock;

10-11 (CTR), Gary Randall/Kimball Stock; 12-13 (CTR),
Photo-SD/Shutterstock; 14-15 (CTR), Ron Kimball/
Kimball Stock; 16 (CTR), Oxana Oleynichenko/Alamy;
17 (CTR), Sabine Steuwer/Kimball Stock; 18-19 (CTR),
Richard Stacks/Kimball Stock; 20-21 (CTR), Juniors