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 I.
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 I card.]
The word “inch” begins with this letter. What is the name of this letter?
Letter I says /i/, just like in the word “inch.” /i/, /i/, inch. Let’s together say /i/, /i/, inch.
Who would like to tell us another word that begins with the letter I?
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:
Number knowledge
Children will strengthen their understanding that when we take items away from a group, the group gets smaller.
Review:
Offer the Week 31, Day 3 activity to review take away.
Engage children in determining and describing how many counters are left after a specific number of counters are taken away.
Display the large numeral cards. Invite children to name the numeral on each card and hold up the corresponding number of fingers.
Give 10 counters to each child. Explain that the numeral cards will tell us how many counters to take away from our group of 10 counters. Ask what happens when we take away items from a group. (the group gets smaller)
Place numeral cards face down. Select a numeral card, display it to children, and ask what numeral is shown on the card. Invite children to remove from their group the number of counters shown on the card. After children have removed the stated number of counters, ask how many counters are left and how we know.
Use smaller numbers (and fewer counters) if you anticipate 10 will be too challenging for children. To support short-term memory skills, put the numeral card face down after children identify its number. Lead children in counting aloud their remaining counters if there is uncertainty about how many counters are left. Use numeral card 10 to reinforce children’s understanding of zero.
Repeat the above process with different large numeral cards as time and interest permit.
Knowledge of earth and space
Children will understand basic characteristics of the spring season.
New:
It’s Spring! by Linda Glaser
Be Prepared: Be Prepared: Wear a raincoat and rain boots; and carry an umbrella (if available) for today’s activity.
Today we will begin learning about seasons. A season is one of the four parts of the year. Look closely at what I am wearing. What season of the year would we wear the things I am wearing right now? (spring)
Spring is one of the four seasons. Spring is the season when plants begin to grow. I am dressed in a raincoat because there is usually a lot of rain in the spring.
[Display picture of tree in the spring.]
This is a picture of a tree in the spring. In some places, trees begin to grow new leaves in the spring. Some trees also have flowers. This tree has small white flowers growing on it.
[Display book cover.]
We are going to read a book about the spring called When Spring Comes. The author is Kevin Henkes and the illustrator is Laura Dronzek.
[As part of reading the book, use your own words to describe illustrations.
After reading the book, use questions, such as the following, to engage children in a discussion:]
Not all places have these changes in the spring.
Do we see these kinds of changes to the trees and plants in the spring where we live?
Today we learned about the season called spring. We looked at a picture of a tree and talked about what happens to some trees in the spring. Not all places have these changes in the spring.
Extra support
To help children understand that the seasons do not feel the same way everywhere, remind children of the desert and polar habitats. These places may not have the same kind of weather in the spring as you do in your area.
Enrichment
After reading the book, ask children to describe how each of their five senses could be used to learn about spring. Encourage children to use examples from the book.
Supply several books about the spring season. Invite children to draw a spring picture in their science journals, using book illustrations for ideas. Encourage children to label the picture, if they are able. Examples: Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson, Spring is Here! by Heidi Pross Gray.
Discuss with children how they could use their five senses in the spring. Examples: Sense of sight to see the changes that take place in the spring, sense of smell to smell the flowers, sense of hearing to hear the rain, sense of touch to feel the new plants growing.
© 2024 The Trustees of Purdue University | All Rights Reserved
Exploring Where We Live
Social Studies
Skill and Goal
Knowledge of social and physical environments
Children will understand the concept of transportation.
Materials
Needed
Key
Concepts
New:
Everyone came to our program today from their home or some other place. I came to our program today in a car (or whatever form of transportation you used). How did you get to our program today?
We are going to talk about different ways people and things move around. We will learn about transportation. Transportation is the way people or things move from one place to another place. Transportation is a big word. Let’s together say the word transportation: trans-por-tation.
[Display blank chart.]
Let’s find out how many different types of transportation we can think of. I will write our ideas on our chart. We can start by writing the way(s) we got to our program today.
[Write forms of transportation mentioned at the beginning of the session. Encourage other ideas. Follow-up prompt related to the topic of moving, if needed: “How do families get their things from one home to another home when they move?” In the discussion, emphasize these are types of transportation.
After children generate the list, count out loud the number of transportation types as you point to each on the chart.]
We thought of ___ different types of transportation!
Let’s think about different places we might want to go to and what type of transportation we could take to get there. There may be more than one way to get to some of the places we think about.
[If a suggested transportation type is listed on your chart, point to and repeat the word. Encourage children to think of more than one way to get to a destination: “Is there another way we could get to ______?”]
Transportation is the way people and things move from one place to another place. We thought of many different ways that people and things can move from one place to another. We will learn more about transportation during the next few weeks.
Scaffolding Tips
Extra support
Enrichment
Center Activity
Place your classroom’s toy vehicles in the block center. Encourage children to talk about their play with the vehicles. Examples: “What are you playing?” “Where is your (name of vehicle) going?”
Family Child Care
Look for and point out different forms of transportation used near your setting.