School Sparks - Kindergarten Readiness

Why I like farm animal worksheets

All of the children I taught were city kids. And there is a good chance that your child is a city kid, as well. Showing children a way of life that may be new and different expands their world. And most children love to learn about animals. So these worksheets can be a fun way for your child to practice his skills and perhaps be introduced to the concept of "farm animals."

How to use these farm animal worksheets

The first two worksheets introduce your child to farm animals. Even if your child is not ready to read, he can hone his fine motor skills by tracing the letters that spell out the names of the farm animals. After your child traces the letters, ask him to look at the picture and “read” the farm animal word. Examine the pages together, looking at the pictures and talking about animals that live on farms. These pictures can be a great jumping off place for discussions about which animals provide people with food, which supply other needs, such as feathers and wool, and which animals help people work, such as horses.

The second set of beginning worksheets will give your child a chance to practice visual discrimination skills and sorting skills. Looking at the pictures on this worksheet, your child will need to identify each animal and decide if it was in the group of animals introduced on the first two fine motor practice pages. This page also introduces the goat as a farm animal. Ask your child to point to each picture and name the animal. He will likely know or remember which animals live on a farm, but continue your discussion of farm animals if he is confused. The pictures on these worksheet pages also offer the opportunity to discuss the concept of "real" animals versus "pretend" animals.

The intermediate worksheets ask your child to match the word with the farm animal. Your child may cut the words out if his scissors skills are adequate. However, cutting practice is not the primary goal of this worksheet, so feel free to do the cutting to make sure that the words are intact and ready to be pasted on the worksheet.

The beginning word tracing sheets can serve as a guide for seven of the eight animal words on these pages. The first intermediate worksheet offers a challenge to beginning readers, as one animal word is not on the word tracing sheets (goat). However, the hard G sound at the beginning of the word can be a strong clue to help your child pick the correct word. Simply remind him to listen carefully to the first sound he hears in the word. In fact, the beginning sounds of each animal word can guide your child to select the correct labels on both worksheets.

Additional activities to supplement these farm animal worksheets

• Take your child to the library and look at picture books that feature farm animals as the main characters. Here are some suggested titles to get you started: Petunia by Roger DuVoisin; Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss; Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin; Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin; and Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
• Viewing movies about farm animals and farm life can be fun. The movie version of the popular children’s book Charlotte’s Web comes to mind.
• Naturally, a visit to an actual farm can be very exciting. Often there are farms within driving distance of the city.