Oral language, Letter knowledge
Children will understand basic information, including the meaning of several novel words, presented in a book read aloud. Children will also identify the names of the letters R and F.
New:
Review:
Be Prepared: This is the third of three repeated readings of a book with children. Today’s session focuses on children’s interpretation (explanations, reasoning) of information presented in the book. The session also will help children understand more novel words. From the list of novel words you identified prior to your first reading of the book, select 2–3 words to define for children today. See the Language/Literacy section of the ELM User Guide: 3–5 Years for additional information on how to select and define novel words.
[Display the letter R card and the letter F card.]
Now let’s spend some time with our book.
[See Week 3, Day 5 of Language/Literacy for a description and examples of how to approach today’s book reading. Key aspects are summarized below:
Number knowledge
Children will deepen their understanding of how to find the number that is one more than a given number.
Review:
This week we are practicing how to find the number that is one more than another number.
We practiced finding the number that is one more when we pretended to go grocery shopping. Each of us pulled an item from a bag and then counted out the number of toy pennies we would need to pay for it.
[Display bag with food items and 10 toy pennies in front of you.
Pull several items, one at a time, from the bag and count out the same number of pennies as the price on the sticker. Then ask children how much the item would cost if the price was one more penny.]
Now let’s practice finding the number that is one more by looking at our number cards.
[Display a small numeral card and invite children to say what number is one more than the numeral displayed. Put blocks near by.]
Our card says number ___. Please help me count out ___ blocks plus one more.
[Lead children in counting out the number of blocks that represents one more as you point to each block.]
We are learning how to find the number that is one more than another number. Let’s march around the room and count to the number that is one more than nine. What number is one more than nine? We will march around and count with each step until we get to number 10!
[Lead children in marching and counting to 10.]
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide 10 small baskets with a numeral from 1–10 taped to each basket. Supply small manipulatives, such as blocks or Unifix® cubes. Invite children to count out the number of items needed for each basket.
Practice finding one more as you take a walk with children. Begin by asking children to find one thing. Examples: one house, one car, one dog. Then encourage children to say the numeral that is one more than one and find the same number of items. Example: “What number is one more than one? Iman says it’s two! Let’s find two things.” Lead children in counting each group of items found. Example: “Sasha found two flowers. Let’s count them. One, two. Two is one more than one!”
Motor development
Children will shift their weight by pretending to jump and move like a frog.
Review:
Be Prepared: Arrange space for children to move their bodies (as pretend frogs) without bumping into others. Ask another adult to help with the activity, especially the opening segment where children briefly stand on one leg.
Let’s all stand up straight and tall. Please put your arms to the side of your body. Our bodies are not leaning in one direction or another. Both of our feet and legs are holding our weight. We know that weight is how heavy something is.
What could we do with our bodies so one foot and leg is holding more of our weight than our other foot and leg? (stand on one foot/leg, lean our body to one side)
Yesterday we practiced shifting the weight of our body. Remember, shift means to move something from one place to another place. We shifted our weight from one foot to our other foot. Let’s practice shifting our weight again.
[Invite a volunteer child to demonstrate the actions as you describe each.]
Let’s first shift our weight by moving our bodies from side to side. We slightly lift the foot that is opposite of the foot we stand on. We need to go slowly so we can pay attention to how our body weight shifts from one foot to our other foot when we move our bodies from side to side.
[Encourage children to move their bodies from side to side. Offer verbal guidance as appropriate.]
How can we use our arms to help us keep our balance when we shift our weight from one side to the other side of our body? (put out arm)
Now let’s practice standing on one foot and leg. Remember, we use the arm that is opposite of the leg we stand on to help us keep our balance.
[Encourage children to stand on one foot/leg. Offer verbal guidance as appropriate.]
Let’s put our feet on the floor so both of our legs are holding our weight.
Now let’s stand on our other foot/leg.
Yesterday we also practiced shifting our weight by pretending we were a frog.
[Display picture of child in frog position.]
We tried to make our bodies look like the child in this picture.
We tried to jump like a frog. What was the hardest part of trying to jump like a frog?
Today we will try to move our body forward when we jump like a frog. We will put our hands a little further in front of us so our body can move ahead when we jump.
Let’s all try to move our body forward when we jump like a frog. I will remind us of what to do:
It is easier to move our body forward when we put our hands further in front of us. Please keep trying this part of moving like a frog.
[Encourage children to practice several forward movements by putting their hands further ahead. Provide individualized guidance to children on placing their hands on the floor further away from their body.]
What happens to our weight when we lean forward on our hands? (weight shifts to hands/arms; more of our body is being held by our hands/arms)
Today we practiced shifting the weight of our body. We pretended to be frogs. We paid attention to how our body weight shifts when we lean forward on our hands. We also paid attention to how our body weight shifts when we move from side to side and stand on one foot and leg.
Extra support
Enrichment
Use tape or string to create a short path for children to follow in moving forward like frogs.
At pickup time invite children to show their families how they are learning to shift the weight of their body.
Exploring Where We Live
Social Studies
Skill and Goal
Knowledge of social and physical environments
Children will strengthen their understanding of the work of different community helpers.
Materials
Needed
Key
Concepts
Review:
We are learning about people who help others in our community. We call them community helpers.
Today we can pretend to be a helper in our community. We can pretend that parts of our room are places where community helpers work. Let’s look at the places where helpers work in our community.
[Take children on a brief tour of classroom areas of your room organized as places where community helpers work. Describe each area and its helpers. Example: “This part of our room has things used in a hospital. Doctors and nurses work in a hospital.”
Encourage children to pretend they are working as a helper in one of the areas in your classroom.]
Today we pretended to be community helpers. What tools did you use?
Scaffolding Tips
Extra support
Enrichment
Center Activity
Encourage children to continue community helper pretend play in different areas of your classroom.
Family Child Care
Encourage children in your setting to pretend they are community helpers during outdoor time. Provide riding toys and props to enhance play.