Strengthen Comprehension Skills With The New Kung Fu Panda Movie

I just got back from seeing the new Kung Fu Panda Movie my family and thought it was a fun show.  I also thought wow...I could have done a little bit of background building with this movie before taking the girls to see it!  Here are a few good ways to develop background knowledge and build vocabulary:

(1) Go to the library and check out books on Kung Fu, China, and Pandas.  Ask your children to find one interesting fact from one of the books to the dinner table and share with the family.

(2) Use the computer and go to Google Earth and check out where the story takes place before going to the movie.

(3)  Brainstorm foods that your children think that the people in China may eat...you could even look up some information on the computer and create a list of foods or simple recipes.  Maybe, you are lucky enough to be able to order some Chinese take out and can taste some different foods for dinner.  Use this meal as a time to introduce vocabulary words.

(4) Watch the 1st Kung Fu Panda movie and then create a list of the characters in the first movie and then look for the characters in the new Kung Fu Panda.  After the movie check your list and see if any new characters were added.

(5) Take a few minutes and ask your child to retell the story to a family member. Encourage your child to include the beginning, middle, and ending of the story.  This will help with your child's comprehension skills.

(6) Ask your child to be a movie reviewer and rate the movie from a 1 to a 4 star movie and explain. Once they have created their review you can either email it to a family friend or print and save it in a summer movie journal. Check out a real child movie reviewer - Lights, Camera, Jackson.

Enjoy the movie ...but take advantage of the learning opportunities that abound in our daily lives.  Make it fun --they don't need to know that you are building background, improving vocabulary, and strengthening comprehension.

Good Books To Check Out: