We are learning the sounds of different letters. Last week we learned about the letter E. What sound does the letter E make? (/e/) Yes! Let’s say /e/, /e/, exercise together.

Today we will play a game and listen carefully for the beginning sound of the name of something shown in a picture. Remember, we call the first sound we hear the beginning sound of a word.

I will show you some pictures of things that begin with the same sound. We can sing the song we learned last week to help us figure out what letter the things in the pictures begin with. Let’s try one.

[Display three picture cards for the letter B (book, bee, bear).]

Book, bee, and bear begin with the /b/ sound.

What letter makes the /b/ sound? (B)

Let’s try some more!

[Continue playing the game using picture cards for letters B, C, O, and A.]

Now we are going to learn a different letter of the alphabet.

[Display letter H card.]

Does anyone know the name of this letter?

This is the letter H. We can write the letter H in two ways. We can write the letter H like this.

[Demonstrate writing an uppercase H at the top of a chart paper.]

This is an uppercase H.

We can also write the letter H like this.

[Demonstrate writing a lowercase h at the top of a chart paper.]

This is a lowercase h.

We have learned about different kinds of homes. We know that the place where someone lives is called a home.

The word “home” begins with the letter h. I will write this word on our chart. I am going to write the word “home” with a lowercase (small letter) h.

[Say each letter as you write the word. Emphasize h.]

Let’s all say the word “home.”

[Invite a volunteer child to point to the letter h in the word “home.”]

Let’s look at the very first letter of our name. Pop up if you have the letter H at the beginning of your name. Remember, names begin with an uppercase (big) letter.

[Encourage children to look at their name cards. Say the first names of children who have an H at the beginning of their name. If there are children whose name begins with the letter H who do not stand, point to the letter H on their name card. Compare the letter H in their name as you hold the letter H card next to their name card.

If no one in the group has a first name beginning with the letter H, say “No one popped up because no one has a name that starts with the letter H.” Encourage children to look at the list of children’s first names. Point to some first letters of names. Explain that no one’s name begins with the letter H.

If a child indicates there is a letter H in his/her name, but not at the beginning of the name, fully recognize the name and invite the child to pop up. Day 4 gives attention to the letter h that appears somewhere else in a child’s name.]

Today we looked at pictures of items that began with the same sound. Then we sang the song we learned last week to help us figure out the letter the things in the pictures began with.

We also learned about the letter H. What is a word that begins with the letter h? (home)

Today we will learn about a new kind of chart.

[Display a number chart. Point to each part of the number chart as you describe it.]

This is a number chart. A number chart has numbers from 1–10 on the bottom. There are dots for each number in the rows above.

Let’s find number two at the bottom of the chart.

[Invite a volunteer child to point to the numeral two on the chart.]

• How many dots are above the number two?
  [Point to each dot above the numeral two as you count each dot. Point to the numeral three on the chart.]
• How many dots are above the number three?
  [Point to each dot above the numeral three as you count each dot.]

We can count the dots to tell which number is more when we use a number chart. We can also see which number is less. Less means fewer of something.

• If the number two has two dots above it, and the number three has three dots above it, which number has more dots? How do we know? (three has more dots above it)
• Does number two or number three have fewer dots? How do we know? (two has fewer dots above it)

Three has more dots than two.

What do you notice about the dots as we count the numbers on the bottom of our number chart? (there are more dots for each number, the row of dots gets taller)

Let’s use our number chart to see which numbers have more dots and which numbers have fewer dots.

[Point to the numerals and quantities of dots as you explain how the dots tell how many.]

Let’s look at the number chart again. The number three is before the number four on the chart. Number three has fewer dots than number four. And number four has more dots than number three.

There are more and more dots as we follow the numbers on the chart. This means that as we follow the numbers across, each number stands for a larger amount.

Let’s use our number chart to answer some more questions.

• Which number is more: five or six? How do we know?
• Which number is more: 10 or nine? How do we know?
• Now we are going to see which number is less. Remember, less means fewer of something. Which number is less: two or three? How do we know?
• Which number is less: five or four? How do we know?

[Continue using the number chart to compare numerals with more and fewer dots as time permits. Compare numerals that are next to each other.]

Today we practiced finding the number that is more and the number that is less. Remember, less means fewer of something. When we follow the numbers across our number chart, we see that each number stands for a larger amount.

[Arrange children so they are sitting in a circle on the floor.]

We are learning about many different emotions. We know what it means to feel silly. Remember, we feel happy and playful when we feel silly. Let’s all show our silly faces!

Today we are going to learn a new song called the “Silly Faces Song.” This song will help us to feel silly by making silly faces!

Each of us will get a turn to make a silly face while we sing the “Silly Faces Song.” There are many different types of silly faces we can make!

Let’s make a silly face right now!

Now (adult helper) and I are going to sing the song first to show you what to do.

[The “Silly Faces Song” is sung to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Sing the following song using the adult helper’s name:]

“_____ make a silly face, silly face, silly face. _____ make a silly face, watch and copy her!”

[Invite children to imitate the adult helper’s silly face.]

Each time we sing the song, we will use the name of a different child in our circle. The child we name will make a silly face, and then the rest of us will copy the silly face. We need to make sure we are paying attention so we know what kind of silly face to make. Remember, we need to wait patiently for our turn. If you do not wish to make a silly face when it is your turn, just say “no thank you.”

Let’s try it together!

[Lead children in singing the song as you move around the circle from child to child. As each child takes his/her turn making a silly face, encourage the other children to imitate the silly face.

If a child chooses not to make a silly face, that is okay. Move to the next child in the circle. Continue until you have sung each child’s name. If children who did not initially want to make a silly face wish to do so after all other children have had a turn, invite them to do so.]

Today we practiced paying attention to other children and copying someone else’s silly face!

Yesterday we pretended we were a marching band. What did we do? (marched around room/center, pretended we were playing a musical instrument)

The music played by a marching band is usually loud. Music can also be quiet. We know that the word volume means how loud or how quiet a sound is. Several weeks ago we sang a song loudly and then quietly.

Let’s listen to some music and pay attention to whether the music is loud or quiet.

Each of us will have a scarf. We can move our scarf in big circles with our arm when the music is loud. We can move the scarf in small circles with our hand when the music is quiet.

[Demonstrate and describe moving your scarf in big circles using your arm and then in small circles using your hand.]

[Pass out a scarf to each child. Lead children in moving their scarf in big circles (with arm) and then in small circles (with hand). Reverse the order: small circles and then big circles. Ask children which scarf movement—big circles, small circles—goes with what type of music (loud or quiet).

Then play Track one on the My First Classical Music Album CD and invite children to move their scarves.]

We are using our scarves to show loud and quiet music. Music can also be fast or slow. Let’s use our scarves to show fast music and slow music.

We can move our scarf slowly back and forth when the music is slow. We can move our scarf quickly back and forth when the music is fast.

[Demonstrate and describe moving your scarf back and forth slowly and then quickly. Scarf movements may be made with your arm or mostly your hand.]

[Lead children in moving their scarf quickly and then slowly. Reverse the order: slowly and then quickly. Ask children which scarf movement—quick movement, slow movement—goes with what type of music (fast or slow).

Then play Track seven on the My First Classical Music Album CD and invite children to move their scarves.]

Music can be fast or slow, and loud or quiet. We listened carefully to some music and moved our scarves to show what type of music we heard.