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 name and sound of the letter S.
New:
Be Prepared: This is the first of three repeated readings of a book with children. Today’s reading focuses on children’s understanding of basic information presented in the book. In advance of the session, identify all novel words in the book you intend to define for children across three days of reading the book. Select one or two important words to define for children today, especially words that are essential to understanding the book. See the Language/Literacy section of the ELM User Guide: 3–5 Years for additional information. Write the following at the top of the chart paper: Words We Understand.
[Display letter S card.]
The word “syllable” begins with this letter. What is the name of this letter?
Letter S says /s/, just like in the word “syllable.” /s/, /s/, syllable. Let’s together say /s/, /s/, syllable.
Who would like to tell us another word that begins with the letter S?
Now let’s read a book!
[See Week 3, Day 1 of Language/Literacy for a description and examples of how to approach today’s book reading. Key aspects are summarized below:
Pattern knowledge
Children will strengthen their understanding of an ABAB pattern.
Review:
[Display chart paper and boy and girl cutouts.]
Today we are going to make a boy-girl pattern on this chart. This will be a simple pattern. We know that a simple pattern uses two things that repeat themselves.
What two things do we use for a boy-girl pattern?[Place a boy or girl cutout on the left side of the chart.]
Then we add a second thing, which is a _____.
Next we add one of the first things again.
What should we add?
Finally we add one of the second things again. What should we add?
[Point to and say the pattern after you finish placing cutouts on the chart.]
We can make other kinds of simple patterns. Let’s make one with colors. We can make a black-white pattern.
[Use a black marker to draw four circles directly under the boy-girl pattern on the chart. Color the first circle black and leave the second circle unfilled so it remains white.]
So far we have a black circle and a white circle.
What color comes next in our simple pattern? (black)
Let’s color the circle black.
What comes next in our pattern? (white)
Let’s leave this circle white.
[Point to and say the pattern again.]
Let’s make one more simple pattern. We can use two different types of shapes.
What shapes should we use? (triangle, square, rectangle)
[Restate the two shapes selected by children.]
Let’s draw the pattern on our chart.
[Continue drawing an ABAB pattern with shapes on the chart. Once you’ve drawn the pattern, encourage children to say the pattern aloud.]
Today we learned more about patterns that use two different things. We made simple patterns with pictures of boys and girls, colors, and shapes.
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide colored craft sticks and Unifix® cubes. Encourage children to put the cubes in an ABAB pattern. Then encourage children to copy the cube pattern while using the sticks.
Point out to children simple patterns you make throughout the day. Examples: doll, truck, doll, truck or cracker, cheese cube, cracker, cheese cube. Encourage children to look for simple patterns outside.
Executive function
Children will regulate their behaviors in response to changes in aural prompts.
Review:
Be Prepared: Suggested song with both fast and slow tempos: “Bop ‘Til You Drop” on the CD Kids in Action by Greg and Steve.
If time permits, offer Orange Circle, Purple Circle from Week 13, Day 2 as a second game. If the game described below is too challenging for a majority of children, stop at an appropriate place and offer Orange Circle, Purple Circle from Week 13, Day 2. The game for today may be less challenging when offered again at a later point.
Today we will play a game we’ve played before. When we play this game, we freeze! What does it mean to freeze? (stop what we are doing and hold our body in the position it is in)
How do we play The Freeze Game?
We dance to music and then freeze when the music is turned off.
Let’s try it again!
[Play music and encourage children to dance as you dance. Then stop the music and freeze. Encourage children to do the same. Play the game for several minutes.]
When we played the game before, we danced slowly to a slow song and danced quickly to a fast song. Let’s try it again!
[Play a fast song and encourage children to dance quickly. Then play a slow song and encourage children to dance slowly. Intermittently turn off the music and encourage children to freeze in place.]
Now let’s change the game a little bit. This time when we hear slow music, we will dance quickly. When we hear fast music, we will dance slowly.
How will we dance when we hear slow music? (quickly) How will we dance when we hear fast music? (slowly) Let’s try it!
[Play a slow song and encourage children to dance quickly. Then play a fast song and encourage children to dance slowly. Intermittently turn off the music and encourage children to freeze in place. Continue as long as time permits.]
Today we played The Freeze Game again. We paid close attention to what we were expected to do and remembered new rules.
Extra support
Enrichment
Invite children to continue playing The Freeze Game. Provide music and encourage children to take turns turning the music on and off.
Send the new game rules home with children and encourage them to explain the new rules to family members at pickup time. Invite families to play at home.
Knowledge of living things
Children will understand how the parts of a plant help it live.
New:
Review:
[Display picture of a flowering plant.]
This is a plant. A plant is a living thing that grows in soil or water.
Plants have different parts. Today we will talk about the parts of a plant and how each part helps the plant to live and grow.
Are there any plants at your house or yard or maybe at the house of someone you know? What are the plants like?
[If your classroom has a plant, encourage children to describe it.]
We know that all living things need food. We also know that living things grow and can make other things like themselves. And we know that living things breathe. Air goes into and out of living things when they breathe.
Where does air come into our own bodies? (nose, mouth)
Plants do not have a mouth and a nose. Plants breathe through small holes on the stem and leaves. Remember, we cannot see the holes because they are very, very small. The stem of a plant is the main part that grows from the ground. The leaves of a plant are the thin, flat parts of the plant.
[Point to the stem and to the leaves in the picture as you describe each.]
A plant also has some other parts that help it live.
[Point to the flower on the plant in the picture.]
This is the flower. A flower is the part of a plant that makes seeds. A seed is a small part of a plant that can grow into a new plant.
Remember, a plant uses sunlight, water, and important nutrients from the soil to make food. We know that a nutrient is something that helps a living thing to grow. The plant uses its roots to get these nutrients from the soil. Usually we do not see the roots because they are in the soil.
[Point to the roots in the picture. Point to the stem and leaves as you describe each.]
The water and nutrients move from the roots, up the stem, and into the leaves. The sun helps the plant make its own food in the leaves.
Today we learned about the parts of a plant. Different parts of a plant help it to live.
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide a non-toxic plant with exposed roots. Encourage children to explore the plant with magnifying glasses and draw pictures of the plant in their science journals. If you have a spider plant in your classroom, place one of the small plantlets in a cup of water. Encourage children to check on the plantlet daily, as its roots begin to grow.
Invite children to help plant a real plant inside or outside.
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