Learning With Cats: Building Vocabulary, Grammar, and Early Reading Skills

Cats are a favorite for many children, which makes them a perfect topic for building speech and language skills.

Using something familiar and fun helps kids stay engaged while learning new words and concepts.

In this post, we’ll explore the word cat in lots of different ways:

  • Practice vocabulary by learning the parts of a cat (tail, whiskers, paws, ears).

  • Explore shapes using different cat faces.

  • Work on grammar with have/has sentences (“He has an apple”).

  • Read a short -at word family story (cat, hat, mat, rat, sat).

  • Answer simple WH questions to boost comprehension and conversation.

Parts of a Cat

This cute little cat is made up of cute little parts.

Can you find his; face, ears, whiskers, tail, body, and paws?

(Use the labeled pictures on the right to help you.)

An illustration of a cute orange cat on the left and the cat broken up into parts and labeled on the right: face, ears, whiskers, tail, body, and paws.

Extra credit: name the parts of the cats face!

Matching Shapes with Cat Faces

These cats’ faces are all different shapes.

There are two of each shape.

  • heart

  • circle

  • square

  • oval

  • triangle

Find each pair of matching shapes.

(Hint: one is big and one is small)

Five pairs of cat shaped faces: heart, circle, square, oval, triangle. One in each pair is big and one is small.

Grammar: Have and Has

These cute cats want to show you what they brought for show and tell.

We use the words have or has to talk about something someone possesses, owns, or is holding.

These sentences tell us what each cat has.

  1. He has a wagon.

  2. He has an apple.

  3. He has an acorn.

  4. He has a rake.

  5. He has a pumpkin.

Read the sentences below, then find the cat it tells about.

Can you make a sentence for the last three on your own?

Ready for a challenge?

When there are two cats, we would use the word have.

  • Example, They have a pumpkin.

Read the sentences below, then find the cat or cats it tells about.

  1. They have a pencil.

  2. He has a pencil.

  3. They have fish.

  4. He has a fish.

  5. They have a book.

  6. He has a book.

Six illustrations of cats with objects to practice the grammar use of have and has.

Story: The Cat, the Rat, and the Chef’s Hat

Let’s end the day with a short rhyming story.

There’s a rat, a chef’s hat, and of course a cat!

The Cat, the Rat, and the Chef’s Hat

The chef’s orange cat saw a little rat.

The rat ran fast and hopped on the chef’s hat.

The chef looked up and said, “Oh no, look at that!”

He sat down by the cat upon a mat.

The cat puffed up his fur and scarred off the rat.

The chef said, “Good little cat.” with a pat, pat, pat.

Questions

1. What color was the cat?
A. Orange
B. Black
C. White
D. Brown

2. What did the rat hop on?
A. A mat
B. A hat
C. A bat
D. A bag

3. Where did the chef sit?
A. On a chair
B. On the floor
C. On a mat
D. On the cat

4. Who sat next to the chef?
A. The rat
B. The cat
C. The bat
D. The hat

5. How did the story end?
A. Everyone ran away
B. Everyone sat still
C. The rat took the mat
D. The cat scared off the rat

Answers
The Cat, the Rat, and the Chef’s Hat: A, B, C, B, D

Illustration Credits: Kari Bolt, Bunny on a Cloud

Lia Kurtin