Print knowledge
Children will understand a word is made up of letters.
Review:
Be Prepared: Print out and cut apart five clapping hands. Affix tape or sticky tack to the back of each clapping hand. If the “Bingo” activity offered in this plan is challenging for children to engage, you may wish to break up the activity into two parts offered at different times: (1) introduce and lead children in singing “Bingo” 2–3 times and (2) introducing and doing the clapping part in a separate session (once children have learned the song without clapping). Note that this activity is not used to teach specific letters.
As indicated on Day 2 of this week, the Center Activity for today is an opportunity for children to personalize the cover of their letter journal that will be used each week a letter is introduced, beginning in Week 7. Suggestions are offered in the Center Activity description for today. Encourage all children in your classroom to spend some time at the center to make the cover of their journal.
Today we are going to learn a new song. This song will help us pay attention to the letters in a word. The name of the song is “Bingo.” Have you ever heard this song? I will write the name of the song on this paper.
[Write the word Bingo on a chart with large separated letters.]
Bingo is a word. We know that words are made of letters.
Let’s count the number of letters in the word Bingo.
[Point to each letter as you lead children in counting.]
There are five letters in the word Bingo.
Listen as I sing the song first.
[Sing the song as you point to the letters in the word Bingo.]
Let’s practice singing the song together!
[Lead children in singing the song 2–3 times as you point to the letters in the word Bingo.]
Let’s sing “Bingo” again. This time we will clap our hands in different parts of the song.
[Place clapping hands below the word Bingo.]
These clapping hands will tell us when to clap. We will sing the song five times. Each time we sing the song, we will clap our hands instead of saying a letter.
This time when we sing the song we will clap instead of saying the first letter of the word Bingo.
[Hold up one clapping hand printout.]
This clapping hand will remind us when to clap. I will show you.
[Cover the first letter with a clapping hand printout. Sing the song again, clapping rather than singing the first letter.]
I clapped instead of saying the first letter. Let’s try it together.
[Lead children in singing the song. Model a clap instead of singing the letter B and encourage children to clap instead of singing the letter B also.]
This time when we sing the song we will clap instead of saying the first two letters of the word Bingo.
I will cover up the second letter in the word Bingo with a clapping hand.
[Cover the letter I under a second clapping hand printout. Sing the song again, clapping rather than singing the letters B and I.]
Now we will sing the song again. This time when we sing the song we will clap instead of saying the first three letters of the word Bingo.
I will cover up the third letter in the word Bingo with another clapping hand.
[Cover the letter N under a third clapping hand printout. Sing the song again, clapping rather than singing the letters B, I, and N.]
Now we will sing the song again. This time when we sing the song we will clap instead of saying the first four letters of the word Bingo.
I will cover up the fourth letter of the word Bingo with another clapping hand.
[Cover the letter G under a fourth clapping hand printout. Sing the song again, clapping rather than singing the letters B, I, N, and G.]
Now we will sing the song one more time. This time I will cover up all five of the letters in the word Bingo!
Do you think we will sing any of the letters this time? (no) We will clap for each letter of the word Bingo!
[Sing the song one more time, clapping instead of singing each letter in the word Bingo.]
The song “Bingo” helped us pay attention to the letters in a word!
Today we learned a new song called “Bingo.” The song helped us pay attention to the letters in the word Bingo. How many letters are in the word Bingo?
Extra support
Enrichment
Today children have another opportunity to decorate the cover of their letter journal. Provide colored pencils, markers, and crayons for children to write the first letter of their name (or as much of their name as possible) or, if appropriate, draw whatever they wish on the cover of their journal. Be sure to write each child’s name on the top of their journal cover.
Invite children to help put letters together to make words by playing the Name Game. Create a set of letter cards the size of an 8½ × 11 piece of paper. On each card, write a letter of the alphabet. Ensure the letters in each child’s name are represented on the cards. Example: If a child’s name is Gail you would need letters G, A, I, and L. Also, write each child’s name in large print on a sheet of paper. Give each preschool-age child a letter card to hold. Invite school-age children to hold the remaining letter cards (one each). Keep the other name cards on your lap. Invite children to help you spell each child’s name. Example: “Let’s spell Amy’s name.” Hold up paper with Amy’s name. “Let’s count the letters in Amy’s name. 1, 2, 3. Amy has three letters in her name.” Point to the letter A on the name card. “This is the first letter in Amy’s name. Who has this letter?” Invite child with the letter A to stand next to you. Continue with the remaining letters in Amy’s name. Point out that the name card has three letters and there are three people holding letters to make Amy’s name. Amy’s name has three letters. School-age children will enjoy practicing sight words using letter cards. Encourage schoolage children to name each letter and say its sound.
Number knowledge
Children will understand the use of “more” and “fewer” when comparing two groups.
New:
Review:
Yesterday we practiced counting up to 10 items. How many fingers do we have? Let’s count to make sure.
Today we will play a game with dice. Have you ever played with dice before?
[Display two large dice.]
These are dice. People use dice to play games. Each side of a die has a different number of dots. Let’s look at the groups of dots and see if we can tell how many dots are on each side.
[Turn the die slowly to show children each side. Lead children in counting together how many dots are on each side.]
We will play with two dice. When we roll the dice, they will land on two groups of dots. I will show you how to roll the dice.
[Demonstrate how to roll the dice gently. Point out how each one has a different set of dots facing up when it stops rolling. Sometimes, both dice have the same number of dots.]
After our dice stop rolling, we need to decide which one has more dots. Remember, when something has more, it has a larger number of something.
This one has ___ dots. It has more dots than the other die. The other one has ___ dots.
[Give each child a chance to roll the dice. Encourage the child who rolls the dice to point to and say which one has more. If a child is not sure, count the number of dots with the child.]
Now we will play again. This time we will decide which one has fewer. Remember, when something has fewer, it has a smaller number of something. If a group has fewer, it doesn’t have as many dots as the other group. I will go first so you can see how to decide.
[Demonstrate how to roll the dice and decide which one has fewer. After you’ve pointed to and said which one has fewer, encourage children to count the dots with you to check your answer. Give each child a chance to roll the dice and point to which one has fewer.]
Today we looked at groups of dots on our dice and decided which one had more dots and which one had fewer dots. We learned how to use two number words: more and fewer. Number games are fun!
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide small cubes or cubed blocks. Encourage children to build with items in pairs. Support children’s independent work with the items (the goal is not to copy their partner’s construction). Ask children to compare their building with their partner’s. Which one has more blocks? Which one has fewer blocks? Can they count the number of blocks?
Encourage preschool-age children in your setting to practice “more” and “fewer” with dominoes. Remove from the set all dominoes with an equal number of dots on each side. Invite each child to choose one domino and determine which side of the domino has “more” and which side has “fewer.” School-age children may enjoy playing a simple game of dominoes. Place a set of dominoes facedown on a table. Invite each child to choose seven dominoes. The first child places a domino on the table. The second child places a domino with matching dots on either end of the first child’s domino. Play continues until a child runs out of dominoes.
Motor development
Children will strengthen their locomotor skills for galloping.
New:
Be Prepared: Arrange for a classroom adult or child with known galloping skills to be the leader (especially in the slower and faster galloping activity). This will free you to monitor and provide guidance as necessary. Consider offering this activity outdoors, weather permitting, if indoor space is limited.
We know how to move our bodies by walking and by marching. We walk a lot more than we march. Let’s all march in our personal space. We will stay where we are standing now to practice marching.
[Lead children in marching briefly in place.]
Today we will practice moving our body in a different way. We will practice galloping. We gallop by taking a large step forward with one foot and leg and then bringing our other foot and leg forward. We start the next gallop with the same foot and leg.
[Describe movements in a gallop as you, another adult, or volunteer child with known skills in galloping, demonstrates. Point out how the same foot/leg always takes the large step forward and the other foot/leg follows along. It does not matter whether children begin galloping with their right or left foot/leg, but it’s important to use the same foot/leg as the first step of each new gallop.]
Let’s gallop around our activity space. Listen carefully for our “start” and “stop” signals. _____ will be our leader. We want to watch people around us to make sure we do not bump into someone.
[If the perimeter of the activity space is not conducive to an approximate circle, then invite children to gallop from one end to the other end of your activity space, using “start” and “stop” signals at each end.
You may wish to “start” children in small clusters, one cluster at a time, to prevent crowding as children gallop.
Offer verbal reminders as necessary. Example: “Take a big step forward with one foot, keep it on the floor, and bring your other foot forward.”
Provide a “stop” signal at the point children seem comfortable with galloping or when it appears some reintroduction of how to gallop may be helpful.]
[Lead children in moving slowly and then faster in galloping, using the “start” and “stop” signals. Offer as much time at each pace as seems appropriate for children in your group, realizing that slower and faster galloping is a more challenging set of movements.]
We are learning a different way to move our bodies. What is it called? (galloping) What is harder, galloping slowly or galloping faster? Why?
Extra support
Enrichment
For outside play, use chalk to make a galloping track. Encourage children to gallop on the track. Or, if outside play is not an option, provide a smaller space during center time and play music that has faster and slower songs. Encourage children to gallop to the music. Provide reminders of galloping steps as necessary.
If space allows, use walking, marching, or galloping as a transition to and from activities or to outside play. Examples: “Gerrad, please march to go get your coat for outside time,” or “Emily, please gallop to the door to go inside.”
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Appreciating Our Families
Social Studies
Skill and Goal
Family diversity
Children will understand that families do many kinds of things together at home or somewhere else.
Materials
Needed
*Printables provided
Key
Concepts
Review:
Optional
Reading
We are learning about things we like to do with members of our family. Remember, a family is a group of people.
Today we are going to talk more about the things we like to do with our family. We know that families can do many things together. They can do things together at home or somewhere else.
Some of the things on the list can be done at our home and some of the things can be done somewhere else.
[Display prepared chart. Point to each side as you describe it.]
I will read each thing on the list and then write the things we do with our families on this chart. We will decide if I should write on the “home” side of our chart or the “somewhere else” side of our chart to record what we do with our families. Remember, when we record something we write it down.
[Read each item on your list, one at a time. Encourage children to discuss whether the activity is done at home or somewhere else. Example: “Erik and his family like to go hiking. Erik, is going hiking something you do at your home or somewhere else?” Write the activity on the appropriate side of the chart.]
Today we talked more about things we do with our family. We can do things with our family members at home or somewhere else.
Scaffolding Tips
Extra support
Enrichment
Center Activity
Family Child Care
Take a group photo of each child and his/her family member(s) at pickup time. Create a memory game with the family group photos and a separate photo of each child. Invite preschool-age children to match the child with his/her family group photo.