On Day 2 we matched letters on letter cards to letters on our letter mats. Today we are going to match letters again.

What is a letter? (a special mark used to make words)

[Display letter manipulatives.]

Each of us will use a letter mat and uppercase letters B, C, O, and A to do our activity.

[Pass out a letter mat and cup of letter manipulatives to each child.]

I will say the name of the first letter on our letter mat and then we will say the letter name together. Next I will say the sound the letter makes, and we will say the sound together. Finally, we will find the letter from our cup that matches the letter on our letter mat and place the letter on top of the letter on our letter mat.

Let’s look at the first letter on our letter mat.

[Point to the letter B on the letter mat.]

This is the letter B. Let’s together say its name.

The letter B makes the sound /b/, like in the word “book.” Let’s together say the sound of letter B: /b/.

Now we want to find the letter B in our cup.

[Help children find the letter B manipulative, if necessary.]

Now let’s place the letter B on our letter mat.

[Place the letter B manipulative on top of the letter B on the letter mat.]

Let’s try another letter!

[Point to letter C on the letter mat. Say its name and ask children to together repeat its name. Next, say its sound, a word that begins with the same sound, and then ask children to together repeat its sound. Finally, encourage children to find the letter C manipulative and place it on the letter C on the letter mat. Continue until you have said each letter’s name and sound, and matched each letter on the letter mat in order.]

Today we learned more about letters B, C, O, and A. We matched letters from our cup to the same letter on our letter mat. We also said each letter name and sound.

We know how to play the “High Five” game. Today we will play “High Ten”! Let’s all show 10 fingers! If we give someone a “High Ten,” we need to use both hands. Please give your neighbor a “High Ten.”

We need to trace both of our hands on a piece of paper so we can play “High Ten.” Remember, trace means to draw the outline of something. We will count the fingers that we trace.

[Give each child a piece of paper. Help children trace each finger as part of two hands on the paper.]

Now we have a drawing of both of our hands on our paper.

• How many fingers are on our traced hands?
• How do we know?

I am going to give each of you 10 cubes. Count the cubes to be sure you have 10.

[Observe children as they count the cubes. Demonstrate how to touch each cube as you count, if appropriate.]

Do you have 10 cubes?

I have cards with different numbers of dots on each. I am going to mix up the cards and lay them on the table so we can’t see the number of dots on each card. You will each get a turn to pick a card.

When you pick up a card, count the number of dots on your card and tell everyone to give you a “High ____.” If your card has six dots, ask everyone to give you a “High Six.”

Then everyone will put a cube on each of the same number of fingers of their traced hand. For a “High Six” each of us would put a cube on six of our traced fingers.

[Demonstrate by picking a card. Hold up the card and say, “Give me a High ___.” Show how to put one cube on each traced finger for the number of dots on the chosen card. Example: “If you drew a card with five dots, put a cube on each of five fingers of one traced hand.” Remove the cubes from your traced hand(s) at the end of your demonstration.]

Now let’s try it together, one at a time.

[Invite children to take turns choosing a card and asking the others to give them a “High ___.” Observe as children place a cube on each traced finger. When children have finished, encourage them to remove the cubes from their traced hand(s) and return the card to a different pile on the table.]

Today we played a counting game. We picked a card and counted the number of dots on the card. Then all of us put cubes on the same number of fingers of our traced hands. We know how to give a “High Ten”!

[There are two options for today’s activity involving shoebox homes made by children in Week 11.

Option One: Make the homes available for a brief play time. Offering small toy people figures might enrich the play. Children could visit each other’s homes or play at someone’s house.

Option Two: Encourage volunteer children to take turns describing the home they created alone or with other children (if larger boxes used). Remind children to be good listeners when someone is talking. Invite children to ask questions about a home described by another child. You may wish to support some children’s participation by describing the home a child(ren) made, encouraging the child(ren) to hold the box as you describe the home, and including some close-ended questions that promote the child(ren)’s verbal involvement.]

We are practicing different ways to move our bodies. Earlier this week we moved backward and forward, and we did some bending, stretching, jumping, hopping, and spinning.

[Display book cover.]

This book shows children moving parts of their bodies, like some animals move their bodies. Let’s read the book and try to do some of the motions shown in the book. We need to spread out and use our personal space so we do not bump into others. Our book is called From Head to Toe. It was written by Eric Carle.

[As you read the book, pause to encourage children to move their bodies like children in the book move their bodies. Offer suggestions and demonstrations, if necessary. Invite children to say together, “I can do it,” after they have attempted a motion.]

We used muscles in our body to do all of the motions shown in our book. Muscles are parts of our body that move things. Some muscles are connected to bones in our body. The muscles move our bones. We used muscles connected to bones in our legs to bend and kick our legs and stomp our feet. We used muscles connected to bones in our arms to wave our arms and clap our hands.

[Point to the general location of body parts mentioned below.]

Our bodies have many different kinds of muscles. We use muscles in our mouth to chew food. Our tongue is a muscle. Muscles in our stomach move the things we eat and drink through our body. Our heart is a muscle.

[Display picture of heart.]

This is what our heart looks like. Our heart pumps blood to different parts of our body.

We practiced moving parts of our bodies like children in our book moved parts of their bodies. We moved parts of our body from our head to our toe. Do you think that is why our book is called From Head to Toe?

We used muscles in our body to move parts of our body. What would happen if our muscles were weak or would not work?