Kids learn best when they are having fun. I have found that my toddler is most excited to learn Gujarati when I associate the letters with fun activities or stories. That’s why each day we feature a Gujarati letter of the day, where we share activities and stories that are based on that letter. Today's letter is ઝ.
Creating Corner:
First up is ઝ for Jhaad (Tree, ઝાડ). Trees give us shade, fruits and shelter. More important, they add beauty to our lives. Today's activity is all about experiencing that beauty for ourselves.
Go outside and find a tree. Point out the 4 main parts of trees to your kid (roots or મૂળિયું, trunk or થડ, branches or ડાળી and leaves or પાંદડા). Practice saying the parts of a tree in both Gujarati and English.
Now that you know all about trees, its time draw your own! Draw a tree and make sure to label the 4 parts of trees that you just learned!
Now it is time to put our thinking caps on with our question of the day: Ask your kid, how do water and nutrients go all the way up from the roots to the leaves of the tree? The answer is: Capillary Action. You can explain capillary action to your kid through these 2 simple experiments.
Put red food coloring in a glass full of water. Then place a few green leaves into the water (stem side down). Over a few hours to days, the leaves should soak up the red coloring and slowly start to get a reddish hue!
Take a piece of paper towel and dip the bottom of the towel in water. The water should slowly start to creep up the paper.
** Just as the red water slowly goes up the leaf turning it red and the water slowly goes up the paper towel making it wet, so does the water go from deep in the soil up to the highest leaf on a tree.
Storytime:
My kid LOVES stories. I have found that relating Gujarati letters to specific stories helps her associate the letter with more words and helps her practice saying the letter out loud. Bring the letter ઝ to life with the story of the Jhaad (tree) and the traveller. Check out this story (and more) under the “Gujarati stories” tab on our website.
Word Salad:
The best way to learn another language is to hear as many words as possible. Here are just a few extra words to practice during the week that start with ઝ.
ઝ for Jhaverat (Jewels, ઝવેરાત)
ઝ for Jhaveri (Jeweler, ઝવેરી)
ઝ for Jhumko (Clusters, ઝુમખો)
ઝ for Jhaanki (Overview, ઝાંખી)
ઝ for Jhablu (ઝબલું)
ઝ for Jhanjhar (Anklet, ઝાંઝર)
ઝ for Jhalak (Glimpse, ઝલક)
ઝ for Jheenu (Tiny, ઝીણું)
ઝ for Jhandho (Flag, ઝંડો)
Comments