Letter knowledge
Children will understand the name and sound of the letter Q.
Review:
Quietly
Today we are going to learn more about the letter Q.
[Display letter Q card.
If a child(ren) whose name begins with the letter Q 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 Q when you say the name.]
Maybe someone in our group has the letter q somewhere else in their name. The letter might be in the middle or at the end of their name. It will be a lowercase q, and it will look like this.
[Point to the lowercase q on the letter card.]
Pop up if you have the letter q somewhere else in your name (not at beginning).
[If a child has the letter q somewhere else in his/her name, point to the name and to the letter q on the list of children’s first names so all children can see the name and the letter q.]
What is our word that begins with the letter Q? (quietly) Remember, when we raise our hand quietly, we do not make any sound.
The letter Q says /q/, just like at the beginning of the word “quietly.” /q/, /q/, quietly. Let’s say that together: /q/, /q/, quietly.
I have two pictures of things that begin with the letter Q. I wonder what they could be?
[Hold up one picture card and invite children to identify the item in each picture. After children have an opportunity to guess or say the pictured item, point to and say the word written at the bottom of the card. Example: “This word says queen. The letter q is at the beginning of the word.” Repeat this procedure with a second picture card.]
Let’s think of some other words that begin with the letter Q and write them on our chart. Remember, the letter Q says /q/, /q/.
[Help children by suggesting other words that begin with q. Examples: quick, quarter, question, quack.
Invite one or more volunteer children to find the letter q in words 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 mark the uppercase letter Q on your chart paper.]
We use two lines to make an uppercase Q. We begin by making a curved line that goes all the way around like a circle. Then we make a short straight line.
[Give each child his/her letter journal.]
Now we are going to write the letter Q in our letter journal. Please write the uppercase (big) letter Q in your journal. Write as much of the letter as you can.
Today we learned that the letter Q says /q/, just like at the beginning of the word “quietly.” We made the uppercase (big) letter Q in our letter journal. Let’s say together the sound the letter Q makes. (/q/)
Extra support
Use one or both of the picture cards not selected for inclusion in the main activity to help children understand the first letter of the pictured animal or item.
Enrichment
Encourage children to look for letters they know in the classroom. As children find letters they know, invite them to write the letters on a clipboard. Be sure to positively recognize all forms of writing, including scribbles and letter-like scribbles.
Encourage children to sort letters they know. Provide *small letter cards and invite children to sort the letter cards into groups depending on their characteristics. Examples: only straight lines, and only curved lines; letters with holes, and letters with no holes. School-age children may enjoy sorting letters by more detailed characteristics. Examples: letters with both curved and straight lines, and letters with only straight lines; letters made with only one line, and letters made with more than one line.
*Printables provided
Number knowledge
Children will determine the number of missing items by splitting a whole group into two parts.
Review:
Offer the Week 28, Day 3 activity to review how to identify the missing number of items when a whole group is split into two parts.
Support children in forming a whole group and one of its parts by using numeral cards. This option involves determining which of two numeral cards shows the larger number and how many items are in a hidden part.
Be Prepared: Organize one set of large numeral cards (1–10) in random order (shuffled).
Put in front of you the 10 counters and the set of shuffled large numeral cards (1–10) face down.
Pull and display two cards from your stack of cards. Invite children to say each of the two numbers and then which of the two cards shows the larger number. Form a group of counters that corresponds to (matches) the number on the card that shows the larger number. This is your whole group. Set aside the counters you do not use. Describe your actions. Then use the second card (the one with the smaller of the two numbers you pulled) to form one part of the whole group. Example: You pull numeral cards showing 8 and 3. You form a whole group of eight counters and set aside the remaining two counters. You then form a part with three counters taken from the whole group of eight counters.
Use a piece of cloth (or paper) to cover the counters that remain in your original whole group. Remind children of the number of counters in the whole group and lead children in counting the number of counters in the part you formed. Ask how many counters are hidden (under the cloth). Example: There were eight counters in our whole group. We put three of the counters in a part. How many counters are hidden?
Set aside the two numeral cards you pulled, put all 10 counters in front of you, and pull two more cards for another round that follows the procedures described above. Repeat as time and interest permit.
Motor development
Children will strengthen skills in balancing their bodies.
New:
Review:
Offer the Week 8, Day 4 activity to practice basic skills in balancing our bodies.
Support children in balancing their bodies in a specific action pose.
Be Prepared: Use children’s large motor activity interests to determine statue poses for children to form. Examples: using a bat to swing at a ball, climbing a ladder on a children’s slide, running, jumping a rope, kicking a soccer ball, jumping or stretching to catch a ball.
Invite children to balance their bodies while pretending to be a statue. Explain that a statue is a sculpture of a person or an animal. Remind children that a sculpture is made from clay or stone or some other material that we can carve or mold.
Our statues today will show someone who “freezes” while moving their body. Remind children that when we freeze, we stop what we are doing and hold our body in the position it is in. Explain that we need to balance our bodies when we are in a “freeze” position.
Stand in front of children in your activity area. Invite children to pretend to do a large motor activity you specify. You may wish to invite a volunteer child to demonstrate the activity. Explain that we can pretend to be a statue when you say “freeze.” After a brief period of children engaged in pretend activity, say “freeze” and encourage children to hold their body in position. If appropriate, offer suggestions of how to balance our bodies while not moving.
Continue to offer large motor activities for children to imitate. Increase challenge by slightly expanding the amount of time children are a statue.
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Exploring Where We Live
Social Studies
Skill and Goal
Knowledge of social and physical environments
Children will understand ways to say goodbye to a child who leaves their classroom.
Materials
Needed
Key
Concepts
New:
Also
Promotes
Optional
Reading
We say goodbye when a child leaves our classroom to move to a different classroom or program. We say goodbye to a person who is leaving, and the person who is leaving says goodbye to us.
Children who move from our classroom might like to take something to remind them of our classroom. Children who are staying in our classroom could give something to a child who is leaving.
What do you think a child who is leaving a classroom might like to take? (name label from cubbie, picture of children in classroom, picture of classroom staff with child who is departing, notes or drawings done by staff or children, goodbye book with children contributing their own page)
[Write ideas discussed on chart.]
Children who are staying in the classroom might like to have something that reminds them of the child who is leaving. A picture of the child who moves might be put in a classroom memory book that helps children remember their friend who moved.
The child who is leaving the classroom might draw a picture and leave it for the classroom as a goodbye gift. This picture could help children who stay in the classroom remember the child who left the classroom.
[Encourage children to talk about these ideas or other ideas you offer. Write ideas discussed on chart.]
Children who are staying in the classroom could say nice things to the child who is leaving. Children could say things like, “I had fun playing with you.” “We will miss you.” “I had fun building zoos with you.”
What are some other things we could say to a child who is leaving our room? (“I am sad you are leaving.” “I want to call you on the phone.”)
[Write ideas on chart.]
Maybe we would want to hug the child who is leaving.
The child who is leaving our classroom might like to say goodbye to some adults in our center. Maybe the child would like to say “goodbye” to teachers, kitchen staff, or people like your center director.
We might want to do something special with a child who is leaving our classroom. We could make sure we play together in our favorite area in the classroom. We could sing a favorite song for the child who is leaving.
We talked about different ways we can say goodbye to someone who is leaving our classroom. We also talked about ways a child who is leaving our classroom could say goodbye to the children who will stay in the classroom. I will read our ideas.
[Read ideas on the chart as you point to each.]
Scaffolding Tips
Extra support
Enrichment
Center Activity
Provide boxes of different sizes, packing materials, and a selection of materials children can pack in the boxes. Encourage children to pack up items of interest. Encourage them to experiment with packing the items in different-sized boxes and what packing material they can use to keep the items safe during a move.
Family Child Care
Engage children in a planning discussion about ways to say goodbye to a child in your setting. Encourage children to help you decide what to include in a ritual. Example: Create a goodbye card or book for the child. The departing child will create a goodbye card for children in your family child care home.