Today we are going to learn how to make a new word. We will make our new word by putting two words together. The new word we make by putting two words together is called a compound word.

I have two cards. Let’s take a look at the picture on each card.

[Display word cards “foot” and “ball.”]

The first card has a picture of a foot. The word “foot” is written below the picture.

[Point to the word “foot” below the picture. Encourage children to say the word with you.]

What is the picture on the second card? (ball)

It is a picture of a ball.

[Point to the word “ball” below the picture. Encourage children to say the word with you.]

We have a “foot” card and we have a “ball” card. Let’s clap once for “foot.” Let’s clap once for “ball.”

I am going to put the “foot” and “ball” cards together. When the two cards are put together they make the new word “football”! Let’s look on our flannel board for the card with a picture of a football.

[Invite children to find the football card.]

We started with the word “foot” and then added the word “ball.” We put together the words “foot” and “ball” to make the word “football.” “Football” is a compound word.

[As you explain the above, put the “foot” card in one hand and the “ball” card in the other hand. Spread your arms wide. Then bring your hands together as you explain that together the two words make “football.”]

Let’s clap for “football.”

[Lead children in clapping once for each of the two parts of the word “football.” Say each component word as you clap it.]

We know that a foot is part of our body. We also know that a ball is something we can play with. There are many kinds of balls.

A football is a special kind of ball just like a basketball, soccer ball, or baseball. When we put two words together to make a compound word, the meaning changes. Isn’t that cool? Who knew words could do something like that?

Let’s make one more compound word.

[Display word cards “butter” and “fly.”]

The first card has a picture of butter. The word “butter” is written below the picture.

[Point to the word “butter” below the picture. Encourage children to say the word with you.]

What is the picture on the second card? (fly)

It is a picture of a fly.

[Point to the word “fly” below the picture. Encourage children to say the word with you.]

We have a “butter” card and we have a “fly” card. Let’s clap once for “butter.” Let’s clap once for “fly.”

I am going to put the “butter” and “fly” cards together. When the two cards are put together they make the new word “butterfly”! Let’s look on our flannel board for the card with a picture of a butterfly.

[Invite children to point to the butterfly card.]

We started with the word “butter” and then added the word “fly.” We put together the words “butter” and “fly” to make the word “butterfly.” “Butterfly” is a compound word.

[As you explain the above, put the “butter” card in one hand and the “fly” card in the other hand. Spread your arms wide. Then bring your hands together as you explain that together the two words make “butterfly.”]

Let’s clap for “butterfly.”

[Lead children in clapping once for each of the two parts of the word “butterfly.” Say each component word as you clap it.]

Remember, when we put two words together to make a compound word, the meaning changes.

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

[Display letter C card.]

Does anyone know the name of this letter?

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

[Demonstrate writing an uppercase C on the top of a chart paper.]

This is an uppercase C.

We can also write the letter C like this.

[Demonstrate writing a lowercase c on the top of a chart paper.]

This is a lowercase c.

We are learning what it means to be creative. We know that we are creative when we use an idea to make or do something new. Creative is a word that starts with the letter c. I will write this word on our chart. I am going to write the word “creative” with a lowercase (small letter) c.

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

Let’s all say the word “creative.”

[Invite a volunteer child to point to the letter c in the word “creative.”]

Let’s look at the very first letter of our name. Pop up if you have the letter C 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 a C at the beginning of their name. If there are children whose name begins with the letter C who do not stand, point to the letter C in their name card. Compare the letter C in their name as you hold the letter C card next to their name card.

If no one in the group has a first name beginning with the letter C, say “No one popped up because no one has a name that starts with the letter C.” 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 C.

If a child indicates there is a letter C 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 c that appears somewhere else in a child’s name.]

Today we learned that sometimes we can put two words together to make a new word. Who can tell us what the new word is called? (compound word)

We also learned about the letter C. What is a word that begins with the letter c? (creative, perhaps the name of a child in your group)

Let’s count 10 claps of our hands. We will say a number each time we clap. We will stop clapping and counting when we get to number 10.

[Lead children in clapping and counting to 10.]

[Distribute 10 counters to each child.]

Today we are going to play a new counting game. We will make equal groups in our game.

Who remembers what equal means? (Equal groups have the same amount in each group.)

Let’s pretend we are going on a trip and need to fit people into a car. On our first trip, only two people will be in our car. I will put two circles (counters) on the table for two people in my pretend car.

Now it’s your turn to make a group with an equal number of people in your pretend car. Remember, equal means they are the same. So, you need to make a group with the same number of people in your pretend car.

[Encourage each child to put two counters in front of him/herself.]

How do you know our groups of people are the same? Let’s count together.

How many people are in our car? (two) We have equal groups. Each of us has two people in our car!

[Ask children to return their two counters to their collection of counters.]

Let’s go on a second trip. This time we are going to take more people on our trip. I am going to put five people in my pretend car.

[Put five counters in a group on the table in front of you.]

Now it’s your turn to put five people in your pretend car.

[Encourage each child to put five counters in front of him/herself.]

Let’s count our circles together. How many people are in your car? (five) We have equal groups. Each of us has five people in our car!

Where would you like to go with five people on a pretend trip?

Now let’s take one more trip! This time we are going to go on a long trip with lots of people. We will take a van! We can fit 10 people in each of our vans. I am going to put 10 people in my pretend van.

[Put 10 counters in a group on the table in front of you.]

Please put an equal number of people in your pretend van.

Let’s count them together. How many people are in your van? (10) We have equal groups. Remember, when we have equal groups our groups are the same. Each of us has 10 people in our van!

Where would you like to go with 10 people in your pretend van?

Today we pretended our circles were people in a car or van. You matched the number of people in my car or van by putting the same number of people in your pretend car or van. We made equal groups. When we have equal groups, each group has the same amount.

Last week we read a book called The Mitten Tree.

[Display book cover.]

We learned how Sarah was helpful by making mittens for children who did not have mittens. Sarah did something good for others. Remember, to help means to do something that makes things easier or better for someone.

Someone else in our book was helpful to Sarah. What did someone else do to help Sarah? (left Sarah a basket of yarn)

There are many ways we can help others. Being friendly toward others is one of the ways we can be helpful. Being friendly means being nice to someone.

[Display book cover. Point to raindrops when you mention them.]

Today we are going to read a book called Try a Little Kindness. The book was written by Henry Cole. This book shows pretend animals being kind to each other. Being kind is one of the ways we can be friendly.

There is a big animal (a bear) and a little animal (a mole) on the cover of our book. It is raining. Here are the raindrops.

• The big animal is doing something friendly. What is the big animal doing? (offering an umbrella to the little animal)
• How would an umbrella help the little animal (mole)? (keep raindrops from falling on the little animal)

Let’s look inside our book to find out about friendly things done by animals in our story.

[Use the following strategies to share the book:

• Use your own words to help children understand text that may be challenging to comprehend. Example: On the first page, explain how a smile, a hug, and saying “thank you” and “yes, please” are ways to be kind.
• Define novel concepts and words. Examples: daily habit (something we do every day), an ally (a friend), good deeds (doing something that helps someone), and praise (saying something nice about something or someone).
• Explain or ask questions that help children focus on the meaning of a picture or concept. Examples:
  • “How is being last in a line a way to be friendly to others?”
  • “The outside of the peacock and the small bird are different. The large peacock has beautiful feathers. The small bird has one color of feathers. The peacock in our story is saying what is most important is how we feel on the inside, not how we look on the outside.”]

Today we learned that being friendly means being nice to someone. Being friendly is a way to help someone.

Yesterday we learned that we have five senses that help us to learn about things around us. Who remembers one of our five senses?

[Invite children to name and discuss all five senses and how they could use each sense to learn about things around them. Point to pictures on Day 1 chart to help children recall.]

Today we will use our five senses to learn about something else.

 

[Display a Mr. Potato Head^® toy without its parts attached.]

This is Mr. Potato Head^®. He is missing some things from his body. Let’s observe Mr. Potato Head^® for a moment.

• What does it mean to observe? (to look carefully at something)
• What is Mr. Potato Head^® missing? (eyes, nose, mouth, ears, arms, feet)

[As children describe what is missing, put the identified item on the Mr. Potato Head^® and ask what he uses it for. Then reference the children’s own bodies. Example: “What does he use his eyes to do? Let’s point to our eyes. What sense can we use with our eyes?”

Continue this format with each body part.]

[Display a banana with its skin fully on.]

Here is a banana. Let’s use our five senses to learn more about the banana and then describe it.

• What does it mean to describe? (to tell about something)
• What can you tell us about this banana?

[As children tell what they know about the banana, ask which body part they used to make that observation. When they’ve run out of descriptions, pass around the banana and ask children to feel and smell it.]

• Do you know more about the banana now that you have felt and smelled it? We can see, feel, and smell the banana.
• Can we hear the banana?
• Can we taste the banana?

[Peel and then cut the banana into small, bite-sized pieces so each child has a piece. Invite children to taste it.]

• What else do we know about the banana now? (how it tastes)
• Who would like to describe how it tastes?

Today we used a chart and Mr. Potato Head^® to remind us of our five senses. We used our five senses to learn more about a banana and then we described what we learned.