Offer the Week 12, Day 2 activity to review forming a group of a given quantity.

Engage children in forming a group of items equal to one more than a randomly-selected quantity.

The Option 2 activity is a variant of the Option 2 activity offered on Day 4. In today’s activity, children form a group of counters that is one more than the quantity shown on a randomly-selected card.

Arrange children in a circle. Display the small numeral cards one at a time in random order. For each card, invite children to say the number and count aloud the dots.

Give each child 15 counters (circles). Encourage children to count their counters to make sure they received 15. Place the small numeral cards in random order face down. Select the top card from the stack of small numeral cards. Display the selected card to all children and say its number. Invite children to make a group of their counters that is one more than the numeral shown on the card. If appropriate, lead children in counting the dots on the displayed card and add one more to the quantity. Encourage children to count their group of counters aloud together. Then ask children to return their group of counters to their larger collection of 15 counters. Set aside the card you pulled.

Pass the stack of numeral cards (still face down) to the child sitting next to you and invite the child to select the top card, show it to all children, and say its number. Invite children to make a group of counters that is one more than the numeral on the card. Encourage children to count their group of counters aloud together. Then ask children to return their group of counters to their larger collection of 15 counters. Ask the child who pulled the card to return the card to you.

Repeat the process described above until all children have an opportunity to pull and display a card, and say its number.

Offer the Week 29, Day 2 activity to review the concept of empathy.

Engage children in identifying and discussing times when the main characters of a book feel empathy.

Open the session by reminding children that we have empathy when we understand how someone else is feeling. We are learning how to understand how someone else might be feeling or thinking.

Display the book cover and remind children we listened to and talked about this story earlier in the week. Remind children that when we read the book earlier this week, we paid attention to how the boy in the story (CJ) was thinking and feeling.

Explain that we will read the book again. Today we will pay special attention to when CJ and Nana understood how someone else was feeling (they felt empathy toward someone else).

Read the book. At the conclusion of the book, engage children in a discussion of book situations where it appears CJ or Nancy understood how someone else was feeling. Select situations you anticipate children in your group will readily understand regarding empathy.

Below are some situations you might to discuss:

• CJ “spotted their familiar faces in the window” and said “I’m glad we came.” He thought his nana might laugh her deep laugh, but she didn’t. She patted him on the head and told him, “Me too, CJ. Now, come on.” What was CJ thinking or feeling when he saw familiar faces in the window? Why?
• Display and reread for children the two pages that picture the spotted dog, the woman holding butterflies, Nana touching the hand of the man who is blind, and CJ by the umbrella. The text starts with “A man climbed aboard with a spotted dog” and ends with “Nana squeezed the man’s hand and laughed her deep laugh.” What was Nana feeling or thinking about the man whose hand she squeezed? Why?
• Display and reread the pages about music, starting with “Two older boys got on next” and ending with “CJ’s chest grew full and he was lost in the sound and the sound gave him the feeling of music.” What was CJ thinking or feeling?

You may wish to add further challenge to the discussion by asking children what they think people at the soup kitchen felt or thought about CJ and Nana coming to the soup kitchen. Who at the soup kitchen seemed to understand how CJ or Nana felt?

Offer the Week 30, Day 4 activity to provide practice in skipping.

Engage children in a game that provides guided practice in skipping and galloping. This is a modified version of an activity offered in Week 6, Day 5.

Be Prepared: Consider offering this activity outdoors, weather permitting, if indoor space is limited. Place two pieces of tape on the floor or ground near each other to designate two starting points. Place a small table about 20 feet away from each of the starting points. Place two toys on each table. Secure the assistance of another adult for the activity.

Explain that today we will play a game that involves skipping and galloping. The game helps us practice how to skip and gallop while having some fun. We are not competing in this game. Offer reminders of how to skip (Week 30) and how to gallop (Week 6) as summarized below.

• Gallop: We take a large step forward with one foot and leg. We then bring our other foot and leg forward. We start the next gallop with the same foot and leg. Invite a volunteer child to demonstrate.
• Skip: We hop and land on one foot, and then we hop and land on our other foot. We move our body forward when we skip. Invite a volunteer child to demonstrate.

Explain how our game works:

• We wait behind the starting line for our turn. We participate one at a time.
• When it is our turn, we skip to the table and pick up one of the toys.
• We gallop back to the starting line with the toy in our hand. We give the toy to the child who is waiting at the starting line. We sit down (in an area you designate) to watch other children play the game.
• The child skips with the toy to the table, puts the toy on the table, and picks up the other toy.
• The child gallops back to the starting line with the toy and gives the toy to the child who is waiting at the starting line.
• We continue until all children have an opportunity to participate.

You may wish to invite a volunteer child to demonstrate skipping to the table, picking up a toy, and galloping back to the starting line with the toy in hand.

Organize children into two groups (one for each starting point) and clearly indicate where children are to stand while waiting for a turn and where to sit after taking a turn. Remind children of pertinent safety rules.