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 two repeated readings of a book with children. Today’s reading focuses on children’s comprehension of information presented in the book, as well as connections to the book. This 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 3–4 important words to define today.
Open the session by displaying the book cover and reminding children that we read the book on Day 1. Encourage children to describe what they remember about the book, such as the main characters, what happened first, and what happened next.
Use children’s recollections to provide a brief summary of the book organized by the sequence of events. See Week 46, Day 3 for examples.
Show the chart from Day 1. Remind children of the words and their meanings from Day 1. Write and define each of the new words to be introduced today.
Reintroduce the book by reading its title and names of the author(s) and illustrator. Read the book. Pause at appropriate times to help children comprehend an illustration, an event, or a character. After reading the book, ask questions that help children connect their experiences to the story or a character. See Week 46, Day 3 for examples.
Draw children’s attention to your Words We Understand chart. Point to and read each word introduced today. Help children remember how the word was used in today’s book.
Conclude the session by inviting children to describe one thing they remember the most about the book. (an event, character, illustration)
Extra support
Enrichment
Pattern knowledge
Children will strengthen their understanding of how to make other kinds of patterns.
Review:
Offer the Week 15, Day 2 activity to review extending and duplicating a simple (ABAB) pattern.
Support children in individually making an AABAAB pattern bracelet.
Be Prepared: Bend back the ends of the pipe cleaner so children are not scratched by the bracelet they can make today. Yarn may be used as an alternative to pipe cleaners. If using yarn, tape the ends to make it easier for children to string and to prevent fraying.
Open the session by reminding children that we made simple patterns yesterday. Today we can make another type of pattern. Use six Unifix® cubes to demonstrate making an AABAAB pattern. Example: white, white, red, white, white, red. Describe your actions. Encourage children to say the pattern as you point to each cube.
Explain that today each of us can make a bracelet with beads. Demonstrate making an AABAAB pattern with beads, if appropriate. Provide beads and a pipe cleaner to each child. Provide support as needed.
Knowledge of living things
Children will broaden their understanding of characteristics of plant-eating dinosaurs.
New:
Review:
Looking Ahead: Begin collecting children’s artwork to be used in a classroom art exhibition in Week 49. You may wish to collect various kinds of artwork such as sculptures, paintings, drawings, etc. See Creative Expression Week 49, Day 3.
We are learning about dinosaurs that ate plants. Yesterday we talked about how dinosaurs used their mouths and necks to eat plants. Mouths and necks are at the front part of a dinosaur’s body.
[Display picture of dinosaur with long tail.]
What do we see at the back part of the dinosaur in this picture? (its tail)
Tails helped dinosaurs keep their balance when they stretched their neck to reach for leaves in tall trees. Remember, when we balance something we keep it steady. We talk about balance when we do some movements with our body. We can tip or fall over when parts of our body are not balanced.
Dinosaurs used their tails to balance their bodies when their heads and necks reached for plants high in a tall tree. Look at how the dinosaur’s tail sticks out straight from its back. The tail helped the dinosaur keep steady so it did not fall over.
[Display and describe picture of a dinosaur standing on two legs with tail reaching backwards.]
A dinosaur’s tail also could help keep the dinosaur safe from another dinosaur that might want to eat it. A dinosaur could swing its tail fast and make the other dinosaur back away. Some dinosaur tails had clubs on them. The club could knock over another dinosaur.
[Display and describe picture of a club tail.]
Some dinosaur tails had spikes on them. A spike is pointed and hard. A spike can hurt when it is poked into something.
[Display and describe picture of a spiked tail.]
One of the ways a dinosaur could stay safe was to live with other dinosaurs that also ate plants only. Living with a group of other dinosaurs helped a dinosaur keep safe. Some dinosaurs would travel in a group and keep younger dinosaurs in the middle of the group.
[Display picture of a herd of dinosaurs protecting their young by keeping them in the middle of the group.]
Why would a younger dinosaur be safer traveling in the middle of a group of adult dinosaurs? (the adult dinosaurs could stop a dinosaur that wanted to eat another dinosaur from reaching the younger dinosaur)
Dinosaurs that ate plants used their tails to keep steady when they reached for leaves that were high in trees. The dinosaurs could swing their tails to keep other dinosaurs away from them. Some dinosaur tails had clubs or spikes that could hurt other dinosaurs. Living with a group of other dinosaurs that ate plants only was another way for dinosaurs to keep safe.
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide *animal sorting cards. Encourage children to sort the cards by whether the animals are living in groups or living alone.
*Printables provided
Children of all ages can be reminded that parents and other adult caregivers help keep them safe, just like animals that live in groups keep their young ones safe. School-age children may wish to describe how some other animals keep safe. Examples: a skunk sprays a stinky smell to protect itself, an opossum pretends to be dead to protect itself. Younger children may wish to pretend they have a tail that they can swing from side to side to keep away an imaginary dinosaur. Be sure to provide a defined area for younger children who are pretending to swing a tail from side to side.
© 2024 The Trustees of Purdue University | All Rights Reserved
Understanding Feelings
Social-Emotional
Skill and Goal
Emotion knowledge
Children will strengthen their understanding of feeling happy, silly, sad, and angry.
Materials
Needed
*Printables provided
Key
Concepts
Review:
Offer the Week 10, Day 2 activity to review the concept of emotions. Offer the Week 10, Day 3 activity to review happy and silly. Offer the Week 11, Day 2 activity to review sad. Offer the Week 12, Day 2 activity to review angry.
Engage children in identifying how each person in different scenarios might be feeling and why.
Open the session by reminding children that an emotion is the way we feel inside. Display and lead children in a discussion of each of the four feeling cards as summarized below.
Place the four cards face up in the middle of the circle as reminders.
Explain that we will listen to some situations and talk about what the child in the situation may be feeling and why.
Situation #1: Rosario likes animals. She especially likes rabbits because they feel so soft when she pets them. Today Rosario’s mom is taking her to the pet store to look at animals. Rosario is smiling. What do you think Rosario might be feeling? Why?
Situation #2: Juan Pablo picked up a clean feather from the art area. He walked very quietly to an adult in the room. He used the feather to tickle the adult. They both laughed! What do you think Juan Pablo might be feeling? Why?
Situation #3: Anthony’s mom is going on a trip. She will be gone for one night. Anthony looks down when his mom says good-bye to him. Anthony’s mom gives Anthony a big hug and tells him she loves him. What do you think Anthony might be feeling? Why?
Situation #4: Amani arranged three toy cars in a row. They are lined up just how she wants them. Another child asked to play with Amani. Amani said “Not right now.” The other child took two of her cars and walked away. What do you think Amani might be feeling? Why?
Situation #5: Mariela likes to help her parents cook. Sometimes her parents make a meal quickly and do not let Mariela help. Today Mariela’s dad asked her to help cook her favorite meal. Mariela said “Yes!” What do you think Mariela might be feeling? Why?