Parent Guide for Halmoni and the Picnic¹
Dear parents, grandparents, and guardians:
Reading with your child can be fun and exciting. It is also an important way
to support your child's learning at school. Family members and children can
learn new things when they read a story together. You can learn about one another,
your community, and the world. This guide contains important information for
you and activities you can do with your child.
About the Book
In this story, Halmoni and the Picnic, Halmoni is a Korean immigrant
grandmother who goes on a trip with her granddaughter's class for the first
time. Everyone in the story learns something new when they have a school picnic
together.
Reading Activities List
There are many activities you can do with your child as you read the story
together. If you would like, you can check off each box after finishing the
activity.
1. Before Reading the Story
Look at the title of the book (Halmoni and the Picnic) and picture on
the front. Before you begin reading, it is fun to guess what will happen in
the story. Ask your child:
What do you think will happen in this story?
Does the book title and picture on the front give you any ideas?
You can also make a guess and share your idea with your child.
2. Read Together
Read the story together with your child. There are different ways to read together:
You can ask your child to read the story aloud.
You can read aloud with your child at the same time.
You can take turns reading the story.
3. After Reading the Story
After you and your child finish reading the story, you can answer the following
questions together:
What is your favorite part of the story?
How does Halmoni, the grandmother, feel about living in America?
How does Yunmi, the granddaughter, feel about her grandmother living in America?
How does Yunmi feel about Halmoni coming on the school trip?
How does Halmoni feel about coming on the school trip?
What does Halmoni bring to the picnic? What does she teach the teacher and other
students?
How does Yunmi's teacher treat Halmoni? How does the teacher help the other
students understand Halmoni and learn new things about Korean culture?
How does Yunmi feel after the picnic? How does Halmoni feel after the picnic?
4. Make the Story Personal
Stories can be fun and meaningful when you relate them to your own life. Ask
your child the following questions to help make the story more personal:
Yunmi felt embarrassed about her grandmother's Korean food and dress. Did you
ever feel embarrassed about something in your family or culture? Did someone
help you not to feel embarrassed?
What are some ways you can share your family's culture or traditions with other
children and teachers at school?
5. Fun Family Activities
Here are some fun activities to do with your child after reading the story.
You can try these activities or make up your own!
Create a new story together. You can suggest some ideas to your child, maybe
from a popular story in your culture or family. Follow these steps:
-
You and your child can take turns making up different parts of the story.
-
Your child can write the story down and draw pictures next to the words.
-
If your family speaks another language than English, you can ask your child
to write the story in both English and your family's language.
Make a special dish from your culture or family with your child. Follow these
steps:
-
Your child can write down the recipe for the dish. This includes the ingredients
and steps you take to cook the dish.
-
Your child can share this recipe with his or her teacher and friends at
school. You may also be able to bring the dish to school and share the food
with everyone.
Talking With the Teacher
This story shows the wonderful things that can happen when family members meet
the child's teacher. Your role as a parent, grandparent, or guardian is very
important in your child's success at school. Talking with your child's teacher
helps you and the teacher to support your child better.
Before you talk with the teacher, you can plan some things to tell the
teacher about your child and family.
Make a note of some things you can tell the teacher about your family, your
culture, and important things about your child. This information will help the
teacher to teach your child better.
Tell the teacher how you teach your child at home (what activities you do with
your child at home to help him or her learn new things).
Tell the teacher what your child's strengths and weaknesses are.
When you meet with the teacher, these are some questions you can ask.
What is my child learning right now in class? What do you think my child does
best? In what ways does my child need to improve?
At home, how can I help my child continue to learn what he or she is learning
in school?
What are some school activities I can do with my child?
You can ask the teacher about activities such as school events or school trips.
In what ways can I share our family's culture or traditions with the school?
You can ask the teacher about food, music, or stories that you and your child
can share with the class.
¹ Choi, S. N. (1993). Halmoni
and the picnic. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. In the story, a student worries
that her classmates will make fun of her Korean grandmother, Halmoni, who has
agreed to chaperone the class at a picnic in Central Park in New York City.
With help from the teacher, students learn to address Halmoni according to Korean
customs and to appreciate the unfamiliar food she brings to the picnic.
Illustration from Halmoni and the Picnic by Sook Nyul Choi, illustrated
by Karen Milone Dugan. Text copyright © 1993 by Sook Nyul Choi. Illustration
copyright © 1993 by Karen Milone Dugan. Used by permission of Houghton
Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Developed by Elaine Hou, May 2004
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