Print knowledge, Letter knowledge
Children will understand the difference between single words and sentences. Children also will understand the sound of the letter B.
Review:
Be Prepared: Beginning this week, Day 4 of each week that introduces a letter offers four picture cards that show different items that begin with the week’s target letter. Select two of the four cards for inclusion in the activity. Pictures of items that are likely to be familiar to some or many children in your group are best; the intent is to emphasize the beginning letter of the pictured item. You may wish to use the other two cards as Extra Support (see Scaffolding Tips). This week also begins the use of letter journals on Day 4. See the ELM User Guide: 3–5 Years for suggestions on efficiently distributing and collecting the journals, and on approaches to helping children write a letter or part of a letter.
Today we are going to work with words in sentences again. We know that a sentence is a group of words that gives us information.
I am going to write a sentence on this chart paper.
[Write on a chart paper the sentence “Look at the sky.” Read each word as you write it.]
How many words are in this sentence? (four)
Let’s clap once for each word as I read the sentence.
How many times did we clap? We clapped four times because there are four words in our sentence.
Remember, a sentence has a space between each word.
[Point to the space between each word.]
Here is a space, here is a space, and here is a space. The spaces tell us these are separate words.
[Point to each word.]
Here is our first word. Here is a second word. There is our third word. Here is our fourth word.
Let’s learn more about the letter B.
[Display letter B card.
If a child(ren) whose name begins with the letter B was identified on Day 2, invite the child(ren) to again pop up. Say the first name of the child(ren). Emphasize the sound of the letter B when you say the name.]
Maybe someone in our group has the letter b somewhere else in their name. The letter might be in the middle or at the end of their name. It will be a lowercase b and it will look like this.
[Point to the lowercase b on the letter card.]
Pop up if you have the letter b somewhere else in your name (not at beginning).
[If a child has the letter b somewhere else in his/her name, point to the name and to the letter b on the list of children’s first names so all children can see the name and the letter b.]
Who remembers our word that begins with the letter B? (book)
The letter B says /b/ just like in the word “book.” /b/, /b/, book. Let’s say that together: /b/, /b/, book.
I have two pictures of things that begin with the letter b. I wonder what they could be.
[Hold up one picture card and invite children to identify the animal/item in each picture. After children have an opportunity to guess or say the pictured animal/item, point to and say the word written at the bottom of the card. Example: “This word says bear. The letter b is at the beginning of the word.” Repeat this procedure with a second picture card.]
Let’s think about some other words that start with the letter B and write them on our chart. Remember, the letter B says /b/, /b/.
[Help children by suggesting other words that start with b. Examples: bat, beaver, bull.
Invite one or more volunteer children to find the letter b on the chart. Children may point to the letter at the top of the chart and then find it in one of the words below.
Demonstrate and describe how to make the uppercase letter B on your chart paper.]
We use three lines to make an uppercase B. One line goes up like this. Another line is curved like this. The third line is curved like this.
[Give each child his/her letter journal.]
Now we are going to write the letter B in our letter journal. Please write the uppercase (big) letter B in your journal. Write as much of the letter as you can.
Today we learned more about a sentence. We remembered that a sentence is a group of words that gives us information.
We also learned that the letter B says /b/ just like in the word “book.” We made the uppercase (big) letter B in our letter journal. Let’s say together the sound the letter B makes (/b/).
Extra support
Enrichment
Invite children to look for single words and sentences in the classroom. As children find sentences, ask them to show you where the sentences end. How do they know?
Practice words and letters during outdoor play. Say aloud a simple 4–5 word sentence. Write the sentence with sidewalk chalk where children can see it. Invite children to hop, jump, or kick each time you say a word. Invite school-age children to hop, jump, or kick for each letter as they spell their name aloud. Children may also enjoy working in pairs as they pat their hands together for each word in a sentence or letter in a word.
Number knowledge
Children will follow verbal requests for counting actions.
None
Review:
Let’s count to seven on our fingers. We know that when we count, we say our numbers to find out how many. Let’s hold up each finger and count each one as we go along. We know to stop counting when we get to number seven.
[Lead children in counting to seven on their fingers.]
Let’s learn a counting poem that we can say with our fingers. It’s called “One Banana.”
[Teach “One Banana” and encourage children to use their fingers while they recite the poem. Hold up one finger each time a banana is counted.]
How many bananas do we have? (seven)
Today we will play Simon Says. We need to listen carefully to the numbers Simon uses in his requests. I will be Simon. Let’s practice.
[When you play Simon Says, use only the number of actions that children can readily reach. Each action should include a number. Keep the actions the same during this introductory use of the game. You may wish to mix actions, such as jump two times and clap one time, at a later point when children have mastered the basics of the game.]
Today we learned a counting poem. What did we count? (bananas) We also played Simon Says. Simon used numbers when he asked us to do something. We counted as we did what Simon asked us to do.
Extra support
Enrichment
In the block center, encourage children to build a structure with a given number of blocks. Then, encourage children to build two or more structures with an equal number of blocks. Invite children to count the blocks in each structure together. Are they equal?
Play Simon Says with all children in your setting. Split children into two groups. Preschool-age children can be asked to do 2–4 actions and school-age children can do more actions.
Motor development
Children will strengthen their locomotor skills for hopping.
New:
Review:
Be Prepared: Use the provided template to cut out 12 footprints. Arrange the footprints on the floor of your activity space, using the pattern shown in the illustration. Provide two sets of the pattern, if space permits. When you space the footprints on the floor, keep in mind that the four footprints are a guide for walking and the two footprints are a guide for taking two hops. Also, children may move beside the path, not on the actual footprints.
We are practicing different ways to move our body. We know how to walk, march, and gallop. Today we will practice another way to move our body.
[Use one foot/leg to demonstrate hopping.]
What am I doing? (hopping)
[Demonstrate as you describe the following:]
Please look closely at what we do with our body when we hop. When we hop we move our body with one foot and leg. We use the same foot and leg to go up and down. We lift our other foot and leg off the ground. We keep the other foot and leg off the ground while we hop.
We can hop in one place. We can hop forward or backward. Hopping backward is more difficult.
Now let’s move up and down on the same foot and leg. We will lift our other foot and leg into the air. This is how we hop. We will hop in our personal space. Try not to go forward or backward when you hop. Listen for our “start” and “stop” signals.
[Offer a “start” signal and provide guidance as children practice several hops. Provide less than a minute for the practice. Offer another demonstrated explanation if necessary.]
Now let’s practice hopping on our other foot and leg. Let’s hop again in our own personal space. Try not to go forward or backward when you hop on your other foot and leg.
[Offer a “start” signal and provide guidance as children practice several hops on the other foot/leg. Provide less than a minute for the practice.]
Was one of your two legs easier to hop on? Which one?
A big part of hopping is learning to stand on one foot and leg without falling. We may use our arms to balance our bodies so we do not fall. When we balance something we keep it steady. We may move our arms a little bit to help us keep our balance. We will not fall over if we balance our bodies.
Now let’s practice hopping forward. Pay attention to people around you so you do not bump into anyone. Listen carefully for our “start” and “stop” signals. Let’s hop two or three times.
[Provide guidance as children hop forward two or three times.]
[Provide guidance as children hop backwards two or three times. Remind children to look over their shoulder to make sure they will not bump into someone when they hop backwards.
Point to the footprints on the floor as you describe the following:]
Let’s practice walking and then hopping. There are footprints on the floor that tell us what to do. The four footprints tell us to walk. The line tells us to change the way we are moving our body. The two footprints tell us to hop on one foot.
[Demonstrate the pattern as shown on the floor. Children may walk and hop alongside the pattern, not on the actual pattern, if you wish.
Invite children to follow the pattern, one at a time. It is not necessary to use the “start” and “stop” signals. After each child has a turn, you may wish to encourage children to hop on a different foot the second time through the entire pattern or to change the foot used for hopping in the second hop sequence in the pattern.]
Today we practiced hopping. We talked about how our body moves when we hop. We put together walking and hopping by following a path.
Extra support
Enrichment
Consider developing a more complex pattern of footprint arrangements outdoors by adding marching steps. Example: two footprints = hop, three footprints = march, four footprints = walk.
Involve all children to play Simon Says. Incorporate walking, marching, galloping, and hopping movements. Directions could also include moving fast or slow.
Appreciating Our Families
Social Studies
Skill and Goal
Family diversity
Children will deepen their understanding that all families are unique.
Materials
Needed
Key
Concepts
Review:
We are learning many things about families. We know that a family is a group of people and all families are unique.
Today we are going to make a class book about a special thing you like to do with someone in your family. You will each get to draw a picture of you doing something special with someone in your family. Then you will have a chance to tell us why it is special. When we are done with our pictures, we will put them together to make a book.
[Give each child a piece of paper and drawing tools. Invite children to draw pictures of themselves doing something special with someone in their family. As children draw, ask them why it is special. Take dictation at the bottom of the page.
When the children have finished, compile the pages into a book.]
Today we talked more about what makes our families unique. We drew a picture of ourselves and a family member doing something that is special.
[If time permits, invite children to describe their page of the class book.]
Scaffolding Tips
Extra support
Enrichment
Center Activity
In the housekeeping center, encourage children to pretend they are members of a family or supply dolls that can act as family members. If available, add multicultural clothing or play food items.
Family Child Care
Teach all children in your setting the following song. As you sing the song say a child’s name and then invite the child to end the song with the name of someone they live with. You may also wish to invite school-age children to share the book Families, Families, Families! by Suzanne and Max Lang with preschool-age children.
We All Live in a Family
(Sing to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”)
We all live in a family,
a family, a family,
We all live in a family,
and ___ lives with ___.