Let’s practice finding letters we know by looking for them in a sentence. Remember, a sentence is a group of words that gives us information or tells us what to do. A sentence can also ask a question.

[Write the following sentence on a chart or whiteboard. Read each word as you write the sentence:

We like to hear the national anthem.]

We want to find lowercase letters l and n in our sentence. Let’s begin with the letter l.

[Display letter L card. Point to the lowercase l on the card.

Encourage a volunteer child to look for and point to the two lowercase letter l’s in the sentence as you display the letter L card.]

What sound does the letter L make?

Yes! Letter L says /l/. Let’s together say the sound of the letter L: /l/.

[Repeat the above procedure with the letter n.]

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: 

• Display book cover and encourage children to discuss what the book might be about.
• Explain that reading a book is a good way to learn new words. We will talk about some words each time we read the book this week. Remind children of the Words We Understand chart. 
• Read title of book as you point to each word. Point to and say the names of the author and illustrator. 
• Introduce and provide child-friendly descriptions of two novel words included in today’s book. Write words on the chart as you point to and say each again. 
• Point to the first text word and explain this is where we begin reading the book. Read the book verbatim. Pause to discuss words, events, or characters that seem confusing to children. Point to and describe illustrations directly related to book text. 
• After reading the book, engage children in recalling main parts of the book and novel words emphasized today: 
  • What is our book about? 
  • Who were the main characters? 
  • What happened first? What happened next?
• Engage children in a brief discussion of novel words emphasized today. Display and discuss book pictures that pertain to each word.
  • What does each word mean? 
  • How was each word used in today’s book?]

Let’s say together the rhyme “1, 2, Buckle My Shoe.” This is a counting rhyme we know!

[Lead children in the rhyme as they hold up the appropriate number of fingers throughout.

Arrange children in a large circle on the floor.]

Today we are going to practice counting on with play coins. Each of us will receive a cup with play coins in it. Please keep the coins in your cup until each person has a cup. The number of coins in your cup may be different from the number of coins the person next to you gets.

[Give each child a cup with 1–5 play coins. Help children identify the child who is their neighbor.]

Please count your coins. Then tell your neighbor how many coins you have.

[Pause for children to count their coins and tell their number to their neighbor.]

We are going to work with a neighbor to count how many coins you and your neighbor have all together. Let me show you how.

• [Invite one child to join you with his/her cup of play coins. 
• Ask the child how many coins he/she has. Together with the child, count the child’s coins. Do the counting so all children can see. 
• Tell how many coins you have. Count your coins in the same manner for all children to see and hear. 
• Explain that we want to find out how many coins we have all together. We can count on to add the two groups of coins. Demonstrate counting on as you begin counting with the largest group of play coins. Example: “I have a group of five play coins. You have a group of three play coins. Five play coins is a larger group than three play coins. We will begin counting with the number five.” 
• Continue counting the second group of play coins. Encourage the volunteer child to count out loud with you. Be sure that all children can see the coins as you count them. Example: “5, 6, 7, 8.”]

Now it is your turn to work with your neighbor to find out how many coins you have all together.

[Encourage child pairs to count out loud together.]

After we’ve counted our coins all together with one neighbor, we will do the same with our neighbor sitting on our other side.

[Help children identify their other neighbor.]

Please tell each other how many coins you have in your cup. Then count your coins together.

[Guide children in working with their other neighbor. Encourage children to count how many coins they have all together by beginning with the larger group and then counting on to the smaller group. Have another adult help, if available.

If time allows:

Invite children to move to a different seat to work with each new neighbor.]

Today each of us had some play coins. We worked with a neighbor to find out how many coins we had together. We used counting on when we counted our two groups of coins.

Today we will do an activity we’ve done before where we concentrate on our breathing. We know that when we concentrate we pay close attention to something. This will help our mind to calm down and our body to be more relaxed.

We will concentrate on our breathing by pretending we are a starfish.

What is a starfish?

We know that a starfish is an animal with five legs that lives in the ocean.

[Display picture of a starfish.]

The legs of a starfish come together in the center of its body.

[Point to the center of the starfish body.]

Let’s point to the center of our own body.

Let’s find a place on the floor to spread out like a starfish. When we find a place to lie down on our backs, we will spread out our arms, legs, and neck like a starfish. We need to make sure our body is not touching someone else.

[Dim the lights or turn them off, if possible, as children concentrate on their breathing.]

Let’s close our eyes and concentrate on our breathing. Let’s take a deep breath while stretching out our arms, legs, and neck on the floor like a starfish. Let’s relax our arms, legs, and necks while we breathe out.

[Invite children to take a deep breath while stretching out their arms, legs, and neck like a starfish. Encourage children to relax their arms, legs, and neck as they exhale. Continue this exercise five more times as children practice stretching and relaxing and concentrating on their breathing.]

Now let’s bring our arms in to our sides and our legs together while we lie still on the floor. Let’s keep our eyes closed and concentrate on our breathing; in and out, in and out.

I am going to gently place a stuffed animal on the center of your body. Keep concentrating on breathing in and out. The animal on your stomach will slowly move up and down.

[Gently place a stuffed animal, or other small toy, on each child’s stomach. Walk slowly, and talk quietly and calmly as you explain how the animal or toy on our stomach helps us concentrate on our breathing.]

Notice how the animal (toy) goes up on your stomach when you breathe in, and down on your stomach when you breathe out. Let’s pretend our stomach is rocking the stuffed animal or toy to sleep by breathing in and out. Let’s concentrate on our breathing as we quietly rock our animal (toy) to sleep.

We may breathe slower when we concentrate on our breathing. Let’s relax as we think about our animal rocking to sleep on our stomach.

[Continue this activity as long as children are appropriately engaged. Encourage them to think about rocking the animal to sleep as they breathe in and out.]

Today we pretended to be a starfish while we concentrated on our breathing. We also pretended to rock our animals (toys) to sleep while we breathed slowly in and out, in and out. Concentrating on our breathing and body can help our mind to calm down and our body to relax.

[Introduce activity dressed in a coat, hat, and gloves.]

We are learning about different types of habitats. We know that a habitat is a place where certain types of animals and plants live.

I am dressed in my warmest clothes because today we will talk about another habitat that is very cold.

Who has an idea about which habitat this might be?

This week we will learn about polar regions. A polar region is a habitat that is always very cold. Polar regions are covered with snow and ice and are very windy. There also is icy water in polar regions.

We will use a globe to see where the polar regions are located.

[Display a globe.]

A globe is a round map of the earth. Remember, a map is a picture that shows where things are. A globe shows where different places are located on the earth. Before we find the polar regions on this globe, let’s find on the globe where we live.

[Show children the state or country of their current location on the globe.]

The polar regions are far away from where we live. The polar regions are located here and here on the globe.

[Point to North and South Poles.

Display picture of a polar region habitat.]

What does this picture tell us about what we might find in a polar region? (ice, snow)

Today we are going to learn about the polar region at the top of the earth. The polar region at the top of the earth is called the North Pole.

[Point to the North Pole on the globe.]

People who live in the North Pole cannot grow many kinds of food because it is so cold.

How do you think the people in the North Pole might get some of their food?

Many people who live in the North Pole hunt for animals to eat. Seals, walruses, and caribou are some of the animals that live in the North Pole.

[Display pictures of a seal, walrus, and caribou.]

People in the North Pole wear very warm clothing all of the time because it is so cold there. Some of the clothing they wear to go outside is made from animal skins. The skins usually come from animals that live in the North Pole. The animal skins keep people warm.

[Display and describe picture of people who live in the North Pole wearing clothing made of animal skins.]

• What do you notice about the clothing made from animal skins? (furry, long sleeves)
• What do you think we could do to have fun if we lived in the North Pole?

Children who live in the North Pole play games just like we do. One game some children like to play is called the Back Push. This game is played by two people who sit on the floor with their backs against each other. Then they try to push each other back. This game helps to keep their bodies strong.

Let me show you how to play the game.

[With another adult, sit on the floor with your backs against each other. Put your hands and feet on the floor. Gently push against each other, trying to make the other move.]

Let’s try this game with a partner!

[Invite children to find a partner and play the game. Observe and encourage children to use their hands and feet to help push the other person back.]

Today we learned about another habitat called the polar regions. The North Pole is the polar region at the top of the earth. It is very cold in the North Pole. People in the North Pole cannot grow many types of food because it is so cold all of the time. We also played a game that some children who live in the North Pole like to play.