Letter knowledge
Children will practice writing their first name in sand.
Review:
Be Prepared: Place enough sand on each tray to provide a visible line when a finger makes a mark in the sand, and so that all letters of a first name can be written.
Display a tray with sand and explain that today we will practice writing our first name in the sand. Provide a demonstration in which you describe each letter. Example: “I am going to write an uppercase A. We know that all names begin with an uppercase letter. I am going to make three straight lines to write an uppercase A.”
Give each child a tray of sand and his/her name card. Encourage children to write as much of their name as possible. Children who are experienced writing their first name may wish to write their last name.
Children can gently shake their tray to erase what was written and practice again. Continue the activity as long as time and interest permit.
Number knowledge
Children will strengthen their understanding of how to learn information from a chart and use math words.
Review:
Offer the Week 29, Day 1 activity to review sorting and counting.
Engage children in collecting and interpreting chart information on children’s favorite dinosaurs.
Be Prepared: Organize a three-column chart with the three pictured dinosaurs. Add the following title to the chart: Our Favorite Dinosaur.
Open the session by displaying and describing the chart. Invite children to name each dinosaur. (The dinosaurs were introduced in Science Weeks 46–47.) Provide the name of any dinosaur not identified by children. Children may wish to comment on each dinosaur. Keep in mind that the focus of this activity is using a chart, not reviewing what we know about dinosaurs.
Explain that we will use our chart to find out which of the three dinosaurs on our chart is a favorite of children in our room. Each of us will put an X above the dinosaur we like the best. Remind children that we know how to vote. We are collecting information when we vote. The dinosaur on our chart that is our favorite will have the most X marks above it. A group that has the most of something has more than any other group.
Invite children, one at a time, to use a marker to place an X above their favorite dinosaur on the chart. After all children have placed an X on the chart, lead children in counting together the number of X marks above each dinosaur. Point to each X mark as children count. Remind children that the last number counted tells us how many X marks are in each group. Write the numeral that represents the number of X marks for each dinosaur at the top of each column. Restate the number of X marks in each dinosaur group before moving to the next dinosaur group.
Ask: What do our numbers tell us about which of the three dinosaurs is a favorite? Encourage discussion of the following:
Executive function
Children will understand how to focus on facial expressions and body movements of others.
Review:
Be Prepared: If time permits, offer the “Silly Faces Song” from Week 49, Day 2 as a second activity. If the game Mirror, Mirror described below is too challenging for a majority of children, stop at an appropriate place and offer the “Silly Faces Song.” The game for today may be less challenging when offered again at a later point.
Today we are going to play a game we’ve played before called Mirror, Mirror. During this game, we will pretend we are looking in a mirror. Remember, when we pretend, we make believe we are a different person, or we make believe a toy we are playing with is something different. We will pretend this craft stick is a mirror.
I will go first to remind you how the game works.
[Stand face to face with another adult.]
When I hold up my craft stick and look at (adult helper), I am going to pretend I am looking in a mirror. When I pretend to look in the mirror, I will pretend (adult helper) is what I see when I look in the mirror. Whenever I do something (adult helper) will copy me by doing the same thing!
[Demonstrate by making silly faces or moving your body. Each time you move, the other adult is to move in the same way.]
Now we are all going to play. We will each have a partner for this game. As we play the game with our partner, we will take turns holding the craft stick and pretending to look in the mirror. After the person who is pretending to look in the mirror does several things, we will switch and the other person will hold the craft stick and pretend to look in the mirror.
[Observe as children play Mirror, Mirror. Encourage children to copy the other person’s movements as they pretend to look in the mirror. Invite children to switch roles after a few minutes.]
Today we pretended to look in a mirror during the Mirror, Mirror game. What would happen if we didn’t pay close attention to our partner? (we wouldn’t know what to do)
Extra support
Enrichment
Encourage children to take turns playing Mirror, Mirror. Provide a craft stick as a prop.
Play Mirror, Mirror while outside. Encourage children to mimic each other while playing on the swings or playing with a ball.
Knowledge of creative processes, Skills that support creative expression
Children will strengthen their awareness of art in their communities.
Review:
Be Prepared: If you were able to take or secure pictures of art in your community (see Creative Expression Week 48, Day 2), use them in addition to, or in place of, the three provided pictures.
We are learning that art is all around us. We can find art in our room, our center, in the books we read, and in our homes.
Many communities have artwork. Several weeks ago we looked at pictures of murals that are in communities. A mural can be on the outside of a building or on the inside of a building.
Let’s look at some pictures of art that can be found in a community.
[Display pictures of art in your community, using pictures you have taken or secured, and/or the provided pictures of art in communities. Show pictures one at a time and use questions, such as the following, to facilitate discussion:
Art can be found in many places. We can find art in our classroom, our center, in the books we read, and in our homes. Today we talked about art that can be found in a community.
Extra support:
Enrichment:
Encourage children to create drawings of different kinds of art that they would like to see in their community. Example: children could plan a playground that is made of a sculpture that can be played on.
Invite children to use recycled items to create an example (a prototype or miniature version) of a sculpture that could be used outside. Another option is to provide sidewalk chalk for children to create art outside of your home.
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