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Our preschoolers loved reading and sequencing There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves so much we decided to make sequencing cards and a Power Point to accompany There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell. We’ll use in our own literacy centers for the upcoming holidays. We hope your preschoolers enjoy learning to sequence and re-tell the story while discussing the individual items as they read, play, and learn about the events in the book.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bell: Sequencing and Power Point for Preschoolers

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Materials needed:

• One copy of  the book by Lucille Colandro
• One copy of the FREE Printable Sequencing Cards for the book – download to print here: Sequencing Cards for There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell for Preschoolers
• Craft Sticks or Paper Straws
• Scissors
• Tape

Invite your own preschoolers to listen to the story. Show the children the front and back covers and see if they can guess what the book might be about. Authors choose cover illustrations carefully and kids can often learn a little about the book by examining the art on both covers. Chart the answers the children offer or keep a mental note as you read. Be sure to pause a bit while reading as each holiday item is introduced in the book (bell, bow, gift, sack, sleigh, reindeer, candy cane, Santa, Happy Holidays).

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell Power Point Presentation for Preschoolers

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bell Presentation

• After reading the book, download and show your kids the Power Point (above) to accompany There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell.
• Start the Power Point as a slideshow and invite kids to think about the questions within the presentation.
• Repetition, as always, is key to learning. As preschoolers become more familiar with the book and slideshow, they will begin SHOUTING about the answers before the item appears.
• Teachers and Parents can also introduce basic parts of the story (beginning, middle, and end) through the Power Point presentation, if desired. It’s never too early to plant the seeds of literacy with our preschoolers.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bell – Sequencing Cards for Preschoolers

• Print copies of the sequencing cards for the number of students in your class.
• Laminate or cover the printable cards with clear contact paper for durability.
• Kids can cut apart the individual cards (or cut prior to the activity).
• Have the kids tape one card to a craft stick or a seasonal paper straw.
• Use the cards as props for reading the book again.
• Invite kids to hold up their sequencing props as the items appear in There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell. Younger kids may need reminders to look at the item on their prop and listen for when it appears in the story.

As kids practice, they will become literacy pros in sequencing and re-telling the events in the book.

Extension Activity:

• Make a center with miniature items the kids can use to re-tell the story.
• Set out the following items for kids to sequence the book with.

Note: these also make great Christmas gifts for kids. Purchase a copy of the book and make a bag with the items below. Kids will love playing with the items and locating the corresponding items as they are introduced in the book. A gift of literacy will be remembered long after the holiday season has past.

• A Jingle Bell
• Miniature bows
• A small wrapped box (present)
• A lunch sack
• A Santa sleigh ornament
• A Candy Cane
• Miniature Santa and Reindeer Erasers
• A Happy Holidays note card

Christmas Books for Preschoolers

For more ways to encourage literacy at Christmas, try these books with your own preschoolers:

How to Catch an Elf

The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

The Jolly Christmas Postman

Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas

If you need more lesson plans for the Holiday Season, please see our Gingerbread Theme or Christmas Theme here on the blog. All themes are immediate downloads for hours of playful learning with math, literacy, science, dramatic play, gross motor play, arts and crafts, and more.