Oral language
Children will strengthen their comprehension of information presented in a book read aloud and increase the number of novel words they understand.
New:
Review:
Be Prepared: This is the second of three repeated readings of a book with children. Today’s session focuses on children’s comprehension of information presented in the book, especially connections to children’s experiences. The session also helps children understand more novel words. From the list of novel words you identified prior to your first reading of the book, select 4–6 words to define for children today. Remember, it is okay to select words that a few children may know if you anticipate most children do not understand the word’s meaning. See the Language/ Literacy section of the ELM User Guide: 3–5 Years for additional information on how to select and define novel words.
[Display book cover.]
This is the book we read on Day 1. The title of our book is _____. Let’s talk about what we remember about the book.
What is our book about?
We are going to read our book again. We will stop during our reading to talk about what some of the words mean. We learned on Day 1 that some books use words we may not know. Reading a book is a good way to learn new words.
On Day 1 we talked about some words in our book. The words are written on our chart.
[Point to title of chart.]
The title of our chart is Words We Understand. On Day 1 we talked about the word “understand.”
Who remembers what it means to understand something? (to know what something means or how something works)
Our chart reminds us of the words we are learning to understand.
[Point to and say each of the novel words defined on Day 1.]
Does anyone remember what one of the words on our chart means?
[Remind children of the meaning of each novel word defined on Day 1.]
[Point to where to begin to read on the first text page of the book.]
We are going to begin reading here. This is the first word inside our book.
[Pause during reading to briefly define words identified for today’s session, using the following approach:
If there is a text pattern in the book, invite children to fill in phrases or repeat a refrain or chant as part of the book reading.]
We learned ___ new words while reading our book today. I am going to write each word on our chart. Let’s talk about what we understand or know about each word. Remember, the title of our chart is Words We Understand.
[Promote understanding of each word by engaging children in one or more of the following ways as you write novel words on the chart:
Our book was about _____. Are there other ways you know about _____?
[Facilitate discussion of book connections to children’s experiences. Examples:
We learned more words today when we read _____. Let’s look at our chart to remember the words we are learning to understand.
[Say and point to each word on the chart. Invite children to say one thing they know about the word.]
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide paper and writing tools for children to draw an item or book character(s) related to one of the novel words you review on the Words We Understand chart. Ask children to say the word they selected and to describe their drawing.
Encourage school-age children to help you read an age-appropriate book to preschool-age children in your setting. Ask preschool-age children to describe some pictures in the book, point to items in pictures as they are mentioned in the book, and point to the place where you begin reading.
Number knowledge
Children will recognize and make groups of two.
New:
Review:
[Hold up three fingers on one hand and two fingers on the other hand.]
Let’s all hold up two fingers on one hand.
We are holding up a group of two. A group of two has two things. Some of the pages we looked at in our book yesterday have a group of two.
[Display one or two pages of the book that shows a group of two. On each page, count the items as you point to each. Emphasize that this is a group of two.
Turn to a book page that shows a group of three or four. Ask children whether this is a group of two. Count the items in the group as you point to each.]
[Place the following groups of counters (circles) on the table: Two groups of 2 counters, two groups of 3 counters, and a single counter by itself.]
Who can find the groups of two circles?
How do we know those are groups of two circles? (we can count them, we know what two items look like)
[Repeat the above activity with a different set of manipulatives such as identical teddy bear counters or cubes.]
Now I would like you to make groups of two with our circles. I will give each of you five circles. Let’s count them together after I’ve passed them out to be sure each of us has five circles.
[After each child has received five counters, invite children to point to each counter and count their counters out loud together.
Next, demonstrate how to make a group of two with your counters. Then encourage children to make one group of two with their counters.]
How do we know we’ve made a group of two? (we counted them) Let’s make a group of two with our fingers. How do we know this is a group of two? (we counted them)
Today we found and made groups of two. We can find and make groups of two with our fingers or things we find in our classroom.
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide pieces of paper that each have four circles in different places. Invite children to place counters in each circle to make groups of two. Invite children to turn over the paper (where there are no circles) and make a group of two.
Preschool-age children and school-age children will enjoy using markers and paper to make groups of dots as described below. Provide all children with a piece of paper with four large circles drawn on it. Invite preschool-age children to use the markers to make a group of 1, 2, or 3 dots in each circle. School-age children may enjoy the challenge of making larger groups of dots in each circle. Schoolage children may also enjoy drawing a group of items in each circle. Examples: group of 10 pencils, group of 11 snakes.
Appreciation of art, music, drama, and dance
Children will engage in and reflect on creative efforts in classroom centers.
Review:
Be Prepared: The majority of today’s activity occurs during one of your classroom’s regular center times. The activity includes brief but important opportunities to promote cognitive skill by encouraging children to think about or describe their plan for creative activity in a center (prior to going to a center) and to reflect on their efforts (at the conclusion of center time).
Yesterday we visited some centers in our classroom. We talked about ways we can be creative in our centers. Remember, we use our ideas to make or do something new when we are creative. We can do creative things in any of the centers in our classroom. Let’s talk a little bit about our centers before we move to center time.
Who would like to tell us their idea for something they would like to do during center time today?
[Encourage volunteer children to describe an idea or plan. Then encourage children to act on their ideas during center time. If possible, take pictures of each child’s efforts for later display and/or children’s portfolios.
At the end of center time, invite children to join you in your classroom’s large group gathering area. Encourage volunteer children to describe what they did or created during center time.
If you were able to take pictures of children’s activities or creations, add to paper on which you write the child’s name and take some dictation from the child about what he/she did or created.]
All of our ideas are special and important. We learned today about how each of us can do or create something from our ideas.
Extra support
Enrichment
Design an “idea” gallery for all children’s activities or creations to be viewed for an extended time. Use pictures of activities or creations, if available, and post them in a family-friendly area of your setting or use pictures to create a book of children’s creative work.
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Getting Along With Others
Social-Emotional
Skill and Goal
Relationship skills
Children will strengthen their understanding of how to initiate play with others.
Materials
Needed
*Printables provided
Key
Concepts
New:
Let’s look at our pictures from last week to help us remember some ways to ask someone to play.
[Engage children in discussing each picture by asking why each way might be a good way to ask someone to play.]
We don’t need to feel bad if someone does not want to play with us. Sometimes children may want to play by themselves or do not want to share a toy.
[Possibilities: Ask if we can play together later, ask a different person to play.]
Today we are going to practice some different ways to ask someone to play. When we practice something, we do it many times so we can get better at it! We will use a puppet to practice.
[This activity offers two different practice sessions. If there is insufficient time to use both sessions, select a practice session that addresses children’s interests and relationship skills.
Point to puppet. Give puppet a child-friendly name, if you wish.]
We will pretend this puppet is a child who is asking someone to play. We can look at our pictures and talk about a good way to ask someone to play.
Practice Session 1: Invited Child Says “Yes”
[Invite a volunteer child to help with this practice session. Ask the child to stand near you. Tell the volunteer child that he/she should say “yes” when the puppet asks to play.]
(Puppet) wants to ask (volunteer child) to play. We know some different ways to ask someone to play.
[As a reminder, point to the three pictures of a child asking someone to play. Briefly review each if necessary.]
[Use the puppet to ask the volunteer child to play. Use the strategy suggested by most children. If two strategies seem to be equally preferred by children, use both strategies. Explain that the puppet is practicing two different ways.
When the volunteer child says “yes,” use the puppet to show excitement. Example: “It will be fun to play together!” Encourage children to think of other things we might say when someone says “yes.” (thank you, this will be fun, etc.)
Ask the volunteer child to return to where he/she was sitting. Select a different volunteer child for other practice session(s).]
Practice Session 2: Invited Child Says “No”
[Invite a volunteer child to help with this practice session. Ask the child to stand near you. Tell the volunteer child that he/she should say “no” when the puppet asks to play.]
(Puppet) wants to ask (volunteer child) to play. We know some different ways to ask someone to play.’
[As a reminder, point to the three pictures of a child asking someone to play. Briefly review each if necessary.]
[Use the puppet to ask the volunteer child to play. Use the strategy suggested by most children. If two strategies seem to be equally preferred by children, use both strategies. Explain that the puppet is practicing two different ways.
When the volunteer child says “no,” have puppet ask children the following questions:]
Remember, we do not need to feel bad when someone does not want to play with us. Sometimes children want to play by themselves or with someone else.
Today we practiced asking someone to play. What does it mean to practice something? (try it many times so we can get better) There are different ways we can ask others to play with us.
Scaffolding Tips
Extra support
Enrichment
Center Activity
Supply puppets. Invite children to engage the puppets in a role play asking each other to play. Some children may benefit from your active involvement in the play. You could assume one of the roles with a puppet. As children role play different ways to ask each other to play, encourage them to try the three different ways shown in the pictures.
Family Child Care
Encourage preschool-age and school-age children to practice asking a friend to play by using dolls and stuffed toys in the housekeeping center. Help guide children by asking questions as they role play. Example: “Sasha’s doll wants to play with Hector’s doll but Hector’s doll said he didn’t want to play. What should Sasha’s doll do?”