Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to engage in play shopping activities while improving your reading skills.

Materials and Prep

• Pretend play shopping items (e.g., toy fruits, vegetables, groceries, play money)
• Empty boxes or baskets for storing the items
• A shopping list template (you can create one by drawing lines and leaving spaces for writing)
• Paper and crayons/markers
• A quiet play area

Before starting the lesson, make sure you have a clear understanding of how to play shopping and how to create a shopping list.

Activities

1. Set up a pretend play shopping area in your play area. Arrange the play shopping items neatly on shelves or in baskets.
2. Show the shopping list template to your child and explain that they will be creating a shopping list of items they want to buy.
3. Encourage your child to explore the play shopping area and choose items they would like to purchase.
4. Assist your child in writing or drawing the items on their shopping list. Encourage them to sound out the words or describe the items using adjectives.
5. Once the shopping list is complete, guide your child to "shop" for the items on their list. Help them read the names of the items as they find them.
6. Encourage your child to use the play money to "pay" for their items, counting the correct amount as they go.
7. After the shopping trip, have a discussion about the items purchased. Ask questions like "What did you buy?", "What color is it?", or "What does it taste like?" to encourage language development.

Preschool Grade Talking Points

• "Today, we are going to play shopping! We will pretend to buy things, just like when we go to the store with our family."
• "We will make a shopping list of the things we want to buy. A shopping list helps us remember what we need to get."
• "Look at the play shopping area. There are so many things to choose from! Let's explore and pick what we want."
• "Now, let's write or draw the items on our shopping list. We can use our words or describe the items using colors or shapes."
• "Great job! Now, let's find the items on our shopping list. We will read the names of the items to help us find them."
• "When we find the items, we will use the play money to pay for them. We need to count the right amount of money."
• "After we finish shopping, we can talk about the items we bought. We can describe their colors, shapes, or even how they taste!"