January 2024 (PDF)

Daily literacy-building activities to share with your child.
JANUARY 2024
S U N D A Y
M O N D A Y
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
S A T U R D A Y
	 1	
WRITING
Draw the numbers 
2024 and color 
them with your 
child. Talk about 
the upcoming year.
	 2	
PLAYING
Play “Riddle Me.” Take turns 
offering riddles.
I’m white and fluffy and float in 
the sky. I can be gray when it 
rains. What am I? Yes! Clouds!
	 3	
TALKING
Tell your child about winter 
weather and how cold it can 
be in some places. Is your 
area cold or mild? Share your 
favorite thing about winter.
	 4	
SINGING
Play or sing a song your 
child is familiar with and act 
it out while you are singing 
or while it is playing.
	 5	
COUNTING
Weigh your child and  
write it here: ________ 
Save the calendar and 
measure again in June.
	 6	
READING
Visit the library (or the 
library’s website if the 
building is not open) and 
check out a book together.
	 7	
WRITING
With your child write down 
(and talk about) important 
dates on a 2024 calendar.
	 8	
PLAYING
Create an obstacle course 
and give your child directions.
Go around the chair, go over the 
book, pick up the spoon, turn 
around and come back.
	 9	
TALKING
Talk about colors. Ask your 
child what their favorite 
color is and share what your 
favorite color is. Talk about 
things that are those colors.
	 10	
SINGING
Play a favorite 
song and have 
a silly dance 
contest.
	 11	 COUNTING
Measure your child’s height 
and write it here: ________ 
Save the calendar and 
measure again in June.
	 12	 READING
Use your finger to follow 
along with the words in the 
book as you read to your 
child today.
	 13	
WRITING
Write these questions and 
help your child answer them. 
Then decorate the page. 
My name is _______ .  
I am ___  years old .
	 14	 PLAYING
Play “Follow the Leader.” Do 
things and ask your child to 
do the same.
Touch your head, Turn around,  
Sit down, Stand up again!
	 15	
TALKING
Talk about food.
Which food do you each think is 
the most delicious? What do you  
want to eat for dinner?
	 16	
SINGING
Sing or say “Twinkle, 
Twinkle, Little Star.”
(Words are on the back. 
)
	 17	 COUNTING
Sing or say “Five Little 
Snowmen.”
(Words  
are on  
the back. 
)
	 18	 READING
Be a reading role model.  
Let your child  
see you reading  
a book or  
magazine.
	 19	
WRITING
Write these questions and 
help your child answer them. 
Then decorate the page.
My favorite color is _______ .  
My favorite animal is _______ .
	 20	 PLAYING
Go on a scavenger  
hunt.
Look for things 
that begin with T. 
Toys, trees, toes.
	 21	
TALKING
Help your child place 
ice cubes in various 
places inside your 
home. Talk about 
which melts first.
	 22	 SINGING
Make up silly songs about 
everyday activities.
This is the way we brush our 
teeth, brush our teeth, brush our 
teeth, to make them very clean! 
23	COUNTING
Count snacks.
How many crackers are there?
	 24	 READING
Read a book about winter.
	 25	 WRITING
Take turns using your finger 
to draw shapes in the air and 
guessing what the shape is.
Circle, square, triangle, heart, 
diamond, etc.
	 26	 PLAYING
Play “I Spy.” Give the first 
letter of an object as a clue.
I spy with my little eye something 
that begins with… D. Yes, dish!
	 27	 TALKING
Give your child choices.
Would you rather wear your 
white shirt or your purple shirt? 
Would you rather play with the 
ball or the blocks?
	 28	 SINGING
Sing or say “Hickory Dickory 
Dock.”
(Words are on the back. 
)
29	 COUNTING
Measure your feet day! Line 
up all the family’s shoes 
and boots. Whose are the 
biggest? The smallest?
	 30	 READING
Choose a letter of the day. 
Point out the letter wherever 
you see it today.
	 31	
WRITING
Use words or pictures to 
make lists of favorite things, 
places they want to visit, or 
things they’re curious about.
W W W . P L A . O R G

Check out these books at the library. If they are not available,  
ask the librarian for a recommendation.
Books to Read 
this Month
FOR READERS AGES 0–3
Grandma and Me
by Carole Boston Weatherford
If You Were a Penguin
by Florence Minor
FOR 
READERS 
AGES 3+
The Midnight 
Babies
by Isabel Greenberg
Sometimes  
I Kaploom
by Rachel Vail
You have been your child’s teacher from the day 
he or she was born.
You know more about your child than anyone else, and you are in the best position 
to help your child get ready to read. Whether your child is four days old or four 
years old, it is not too early or too late to help him or her develop pre-reading skills. 
You can help your child learn language and other literacy skills with simple and fun 
activities like those in this calendar.
FIVE LITTLE SNOWMEN
Five little snowmen standing in a row,  
(Hold up five fingers)
Each had a hat and a big red bow.  
(Put hands on head and then neck)
Out came the sun and stayed all day,  
(Circle arms overhead)
And one little snowman melted away. 
(Slump down)
REPEAT WITH 4, 3, 2, 1, UNTIL NO SNOWMEN ARE LEFT.
TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR
Twinkle, twinkle, little star 
How I wonder what you are 
Up above the world so high 
Like a diamond in the sky 
Twinkle, twinkle little star 
How I wonder what you are
HICKORY 
DICKORY DOCK
Hickory Dickory Dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one 
And down he run.
Hickory Dickory Dock
Tick Tock!