[Display letter B card.]

The word “book” begins with this letter. What is the name of this letter?

Letter B says /b/, just like in the word “book.” /b/, /b/, book. Let’s together say /b/, /b/, book.

Who would like to tell us another word that begins with the letter B?

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 count to 10. First let’s count to 10 while clapping our hands. Saying a number while we clap tells us how many times we should clap.

Now let’s count to 10 while stomping our feet. Remember to say one number with each stomp so we know when to stop counting.

We are going to read a book we’ve read before. Our book is called What Comes in 2’s, 3’s, & 4’s?

[Display book cover. Introduce the book by pointing to the title of the book as you read it. Introduce author and illustrator. Point to text as you read.

Pause on each page to discuss the picture and count the groups. Point to each object as you lead children in counting. Invite children to count the same groups on their bodies. Examples: “Do you have two eyes? Let’s count them!” “Do you have two legs? Let’s count them!”]

Today we read a book called What Comes in 2’s, 3’s, & 4’s? What is something that was in a group of two in our book? How about a group of three? What is something that was in a group of four?

Today we will play a game. The game will help us learn how to focus our attention on what we are expected to do. When we focus on something, we concentrate on it.

[Display an orange circle and a purple circle.]

Our game is called Orange Circle, Purple Circle. Today we will use an orange circle and a purple circle to play this game.

When I hold up the orange circle, we will clap our hands. Let’s practice.

[Display only the orange circle. Encourage children to clap their hands.]

When I hold up the purple circle, we will stop clapping. Our bodies should not move when I hold up the purple circle. Let’s practice.

[Hold up the orange circle for a few seconds and encourage children to clap their hands. Then hold up the purple circle and encourage children to stop clapping their hands.]

What do we do when we see the orange circle? (clap) What do we do when we see the purple circle? (stop clapping) Let’s play!

[Play the game for several minutes. Be sure to clearly say “Orange Circle!” or “Purple Circle!” when you hold up a circle. Hold up each circle for several seconds. Be sure to vary the timing of holding up the action circle. Example: hold up orange circle for 10 seconds, then hold it up for five seconds. When children have mastered when to clap, discontinue saying “Orange Circle!” and “Purple Circle!” when circles are displayed.

After children have mastered the game with a clapping action, change the action for the orange circle. Introduce a new action when children demonstrate skill in following requests for the current action. Some suggestions include:

• Stomping
• Jumping
• Wiggling]

Let’s change the game a little. This time when we see the orange circle we will clap. When we see the purple circle we will stomp. If I put both circles behind my back, we will stop!

• When we see the purple circle, what will we do now? (stomp)
• When I put both circles behind my back, what will we do? (stop action)

Let’s practice!

[Be sure to clearly say “Orange Circle!” or “Purple Circle!” when you hold up a circle for all to see. Hold up the orange circle for a few seconds and encourage children to clap their hands. Then, hold up the purple circle and encourage children to stomp. After several seconds, place both circles behind your back and say “stop.”]

Now let’s play again!

[Play the game for several minutes. Be sure to clearly say “Orange Circle!” and “Purple Circle!” when you hold up the circles for all to see, and “stop” when you put both circles behind your back. When children have mastered the new movement, discontinue saying “Orange Circle!” and “Purple Circle!” when circles are displayed. Play as long as time permits.]

Today we focused on what we were expected to do when we played the game Orange Circle, Purple Circle. We learned that the word focus means to concentrate on something.

• How did we know what to do during the game? (look at circles, listen to what teacher told us)
• Why did we need to pay close attention? (because the circle colors changed, the teacher told us to do different things)

Today we are going to use our bodies to learn more about things around us.

Each of us have five senses. Our senses help our body get information about things near us.

[Point to your eyes, ears, etc. as you describe each of the five senses.]

We can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, taste with our tongues, feel with our hands and bodies, and smell with our noses.

I have a chart that lists each of our five senses. Let’s point to the different parts of our body that we use with each of our five senses. I will point to the picture of the body part on our chart and you can point to the body part on your own body.

The first picture on our chart is an eye. We see with our eyes. The sense of sight is what we use when we see something. It is one of our five senses.

[Encourage children to point to their eyes. Point to the picture of an eye on the chart. Also point to the word “see.”]

This word says “see.” We use our eyes to see things around us.

[Continue with this format for each sense. Point to picture and word. Encourage children to point to the pertinent body part.]

Now let’s think of ways we can learn more about things around us by using one of our five senses. I will record our ideas on our chart.

[Say each word as you write it on the chart.]

• Who can tell us something we can see with our eyes?
• What can we hear with our ears?
• Can you think of something we can taste with our tongue?
• What can we feel with our hands or bodies?
• Can you think of something we can smell with our nose?

We thought of many things we can learn more about by using our five senses. Our chart helps us remember the things we thought about.

I have something special under this cloth (or napkin) on the table. We are going to use our five senses to learn more about it.

Let’s use our sense of smell to help us when we think about what might be hiding under the cloth.

[Encourage children to smell and make predictions. Then uncover the food item and give each child a cup. Ask children not to eat the food item yet. Use the following questions to encourage discussion of what children can learn about the food item with their five senses:]

• What do you see with your eyes?
• Let’s use our sense of touch to find out what the _____ feels like. Who can tell us what the _____ feels like?
• Now let’s put a piece of _____ in our mouths. What does your _____ taste like? What body part do we use for our sense of taste?

[If appropriate to food item:]

• Listen to what it sounds like when we chew it. What do you hear?

We can use our five senses to learn about things around us. What senses did we use with our _____?