Oral language
Children will understand basic information, including the meaning of several novel words, presented in a book read aloud.
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.
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:
Geometric and spatial knowledge
Children will understand basic characteristics of a circle, triangle, and square.
New:
Be Prepared: In a basket, place circles, squares, and triangles. Be sure that each type of shape is of the same size and matches the set of shapes you use in the activity.
Let’s clap five times. Let’s count to five together while we clap. Counting while we clap tells us how many times we have clapped.
[Count to five a second time as children stomp their feet once for each number.]
Today we will begin learning about shapes.
Do you know what a shape is?
[Encourage children to describe what they know about shapes.]
A shape is something that has a certain outline. Let’s look at this shape.
[Hold up a circle.]
This is a circle. How would you describe this circle? (it is round, it has a curved line)
A circle is a round shape.
What are some other shapes you know?
There are many different kinds of shapes. Today we will look at shapes and try to match each shape to a shape I hold up.
[Invite each child to choose one shape from the basket. As you describe each shape, move your hand around its edges.]
Let’s look at our shapes. This is a circle. A circle has a curved edge that is not straight.
Now let’s look at a triangle and square. They each have straight edges.
This is a triangle. A triangle is a shape with three straight sides.
This is a square. A square is a shape with four equal and straight sides. Equal means they are the same.
Do you see the difference between the curved edges of the circle and straight edges of the triangle and square?
A curved edge bends around and a straight edge does not bend around.
Let’s count together the number of sides of a triangle and square.
[Lead children in counting the number of sides of each shape displayed.]
A triangle always has three sides. A square always has four sides.
Let’s talk to the person next to us about our shape. Tell the person next to you what your shape looks like and the name of your shape, if you know it.
[Give children a brief period to talk about their shape with their neighbors. Use the following questions at appropriate intervals to prompt discussion among children:]
[If many children are not familiar with the name of their shape, review shape names and characteristics. Be sure to hold up and point to key characteristics of each shape when you describe it.]
I have shapes just like yours. I will put my shapes up on the board. Please come up to the board and see if you can find the shape that is the same as your shape when I say your name. Say the name of the shape if you can.
[Encourage each child to describe the shape and name it. Invite each child to feel the outline of the shape. Repeat or say the name of the shape out loud for all children to hear, and briefly describe the shape.]
Today we learned about three shapes. We learned about a circle, a triangle, and a square. Shapes can have straight or curved lines. A triangle always has three sides and a square always has four sides. A circle always has curved lines.
Extra support
Enrichment
Supply a set of shapes (pattern blocks) for children to explore. Encourage children to describe, name, and tell how many sides each shape has.
School-age children will enjoy matching more advanced shapes, such as ovals, diamonds, and hexagons. Encourage children to name and describe shapes as they are matched. Throughout the day, encourage children of all ages to find shapes in your setting as you play an I Spy game with shapes. Example: “I spy a shape that has four straight sides.” Encourage preschool-age children to name the shape you describe and school-age children to find the described shape in your setting.
Concentrate
Children will understand the concept of concentration.
New:
Last week we learned a way for everyone to be heard when they want to speak in a group. Show us what we should do when we want to say something in a group. (raise our hand gently and keep our body quiet) Raising our hand is a way for each person to have a chance to talk and be heard.
Today we will talk about what it means to concentrate on something. Let’s say the word concentrate together: con-cen-trate. When we concentrate on something we pay close attention to it. We might concentrate on the person who tells us how to play a new game. We might concentrate on an art project or when we are doing an activity like putting together a puzzle.
[Display a simple puzzle.]
When I do a puzzle, I need to concentrate on the pieces. I think about where the pieces go in the puzzle. Watch as I concentrate while doing this puzzle.
[Put the puzzle together while describing your concentration. Example: “I am thinking to myself, ‘This puzzle piece may go here because. . . .” Show children what it looks like to not concentrate (look around, talk to others, etc.). Explain that it is much easier to do a puzzle when we concentrate.]
I have some pictures of people concentrating on something. Let’s look at them.
[Display two pictures and discuss how each person is paying close attention to what he/she is doing.]
Today we will practice concentrating by paying close attention to our breathing. Let’s notice what happens to our bodies when we breathe.
What does it feel like when we breathe?
When we breathe, air goes in and out of our bodies. Air is all around us. We need air to live.
Today we learned what it means to concentrate. When we concentrate on something, we pay close attention to it. What would it look like for you to concentrate on what I am saying? (looking at you, no talking, etc.)
Extra support
Enrichment
Supply simple puzzles. Encourage children to concentrate on the pieces as they put the puzzles together. Model how to concentrate when doing a puzzle. If appropriate, point out what you are thinking about as you concentrate. Example: “This puzzle piece has part of a red flower on it. I need to find another puzzle piece with part of a red flower.“
Invite preschool-age children in your setting to play a memory game. Memory games can be purchased or made by gluing identical pictures to index cards. As you play the game with children, comment on how we need to concentrate while playing. Example: “I know that the top card is a cat. Now I need to concentrate and think about where I saw the other cat card.” School-age children will enjoy concentrating as they repeat tongue twisters. Say a tongue twister aloud and encourage children to concentrate as they repeat it. Try some of the adjacent tongue twisters.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.
Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.
Three fluffy feathers fell from Phoebe’s flimsy fan.
Cooks cook cupcakes quickly.
Inquiry skills
Children will understand how to explore a characteristic of an object (magnet).
New:
[Display a refrigerator magnet or magnetic letter.]
This is a magnet. Today we will explore magnets.
A magnet is an item that can attract certain things. Attract means to pull something closer. Magnets can also be attracted to things. Refrigerators attract magnets.
[The following discussion of refrigerator magnets is intended to help children connect today’s topic to a familiar item.]
Today we are going to be scientists by exploring some items to see if they are attracted by a magnet. Remember, attract means to pull something closer. We will see if the magnet pulls these items closer. There are seven different kinds of things that we will explore today.
[Display and describe each of the items (paper clip, crayon, cotton ball, bolt, small plastic object, plastic key, bobby pin). Tell what the items are made of. Pass around the items so children can feel them.]
We will put each item near our magnet to find out if the magnet attracts the item.
Let’s begin with a bolt. It is made of a kind of metal.
Let’s observe what happens when we put the bolt near the magnet.
[Repeat as you choose a volunteer to try each of the remaining six items. Invite a different child to help with the magnet each time.]
Now let’s look at our items and put them in two groups: things the magnet did attract and things the magnet did not attract.
[Display items, one at a time, and ask children whether the magnet did or did not attract the item. Place each item in the corresponding group.]
Today we explored whether a magnet would attract some different things. Then we put our items into two groups.
[Point to first group.]
Did the magnet attract these items?
[Point to second group.]
Did the magnet attract these items?
Magnets attract some kinds of items but not others. We will use what we learned about magnets today to explore them more tomorrow!
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide children with various types of magnets and items the magnets will attract and some things they won’t attract. Invite children to explore the magnets. Encourage children to place items in two groups: things magnets will attract and things magnets will not attract.
Fill a tub with magnetic letters. Tie a piece of yarn to a stick with a paper clip attached to the end of the yarn. Invite all children in your setting to “fish” for letters. Alternatively, you may wish to tie bolts or small magnets that will attract the letter magnets to the end of the yarn. Preschool-age children will enjoy “catching” the letters as they are attracted to the paper clip or bolt. Encourage school-age children to name the letters they “catch.”
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