[Display letter S card.]

What is the name of this letter? What sound does the letter S make?

Letter S says /s/, just like in the word “syllable.” /s/, /s/, syllable. Let’s together say /s/, /s/, and syllable.

Now let’s spend some time with our book.

[See Week 3, Day 5 of Language/Literacy for a description and examples of how to approach today’s book reading. Key aspects are summarized below:

• Display book cover. Explain that we have read our book two times this week. Each time we read the book we learn something new. Point to and say title of book. Engage children in describing what they remember about the book:
  • What is our book about?
  • Who were the main characters in our book?
  • What happened first? What happened next?
• Point to and say the names of author and illustrator. Point to where to begin reading.
• During the reading, pause on pages that include a word defined in the prior two readings of the book. Ask or remind children what the word means. Also pause during the reading to define the 2–3 words identified for today’s session, using the following approach:
  • Read the sentence with the novel word. Identify the novel word.
  • Repeat the sentence in which the word is used.
  • Define the novel word and connect the definition to the book.
• After the book reading, write the 2–3 words targeted for today on the chart and engage children in a discussion of each word, using one or more of the following strategies:
  • Ask children to describe a picture related to the word.
  • Define a word without naming it and ask children to identify the word.
  • Encourage children to think about a novel word or phrase in another context.
• Explain that different types of things happened in our book. Facilitate a discussion of children’s interpretations of events and/or characters in the book, especially events or characters related to one or more words defined this week. See Week 3, Day 5 for examples.]

We are learning about patterns. We know that a pattern is something that repeats itself. This week we looked at and made simple patterns. A simple pattern uses two things that repeat themselves.

Sometimes we can find patterns on our clothes. Let’s see if we have any simple patterns on our clothes today.

[Discuss simple patterns that children may have on their clothing. Patterns may be in stripes, dots, shapes, etc. Encourage children to together say the patterns as you point to the elements of the pattern.]

[Display four blue and four yellow Unifix^® cubes.]

Let’s make a simple pattern with these cubes. I have blue cubes and yellow cubes.

What kind of simple pattern could we make with blue cubes and yellow cubes?

[Encourage children to help you assemble the cubes into an ABAB pattern. Invite children to say the pattern together as you point to each element of the pattern.]

We can make a pattern by moving parts of our body. Let’s make some patterns by moving our hands.

Let’s first clap our hands high and then clap our hands low. Let’s try it together. High, low, high, low, high, low, etc.

[Say and do the pattern slowly as children do the pattern with you.

Invite children to suggest other movement patterns you can try together.]

We are learning how to find and make patterns. Do you like to make patterns? Why?

Today we will continue working together in groups to make places in our center neighborhood with boxes. Remember, when we work together we take turns and talk about what we want to do.

Today your group may want to add some items to the outside of your place. Maybe your group would like to add a tree or bushes to the front of your place.

[Help children continue to decorate their places as necessary. Display pictures of your center neighborhood or chart used on Day 4.]

Today we worked together to make some places in our center neighborhood.

Yesterday we practiced running and jogging in place. What is jogging? (running slowly)

Today we are going to play a game that involves jogging. We will play the game in our activity space. Remember, our activity space is the area of our classroom (and the outside area) we can use for physical activities.

How can we stay safe when we play our game?

[Encourage discussion about movement safety: watching where we are jogging, keeping a distance from others, jogging only in the activity space, listening for the signal, and other ideas children have for staying safe.]

Before we start our game, let’s make sure we can jog safely in our activity space. I will give the signal to start jogging. Please jog around our activity space one time and come back to your place. Remember the ways we can stay safe while jogging.

[Offer a “start” signal. Jogging in a large circle is best. Acknowledge children’s efforts to stay safe.]

The game we are going to play today is called Zig Zag. We start jogging in one direction when I say “zig” and then change our direction when I say “zag.” We go the opposite direction when I say “zag.”

Let me show you.

[Demonstrate switching jogging direction when you say “zag.”]

Remember, we will start jogging around our activity space when I say “zig.”

What do we do when I say “zag”? (change direction)

[Say “zig” for children to start jogging. At different intervals, say “zag” as a signal for children to change direction. Provide a “stop” signal when appropriate.]

Today we practiced our jogging skills by playing the Zig Zag game. We started jogging when we heard “zig” and we changed directions when we heard “zag.”