[Display letter H card.]

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

Letter H says /h/, just like in the word “home.” /h/, /h/, home. Let’s together say /h/, /h/, home.

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.]

This week we learned more about numbers. We know how to find the number that comes after another number. We also know which number is more and which number is less when we compare two numbers.

[Hold up the correct number of fingers to represent “pretzels” as you ask the following questions:]

• If I have four pretzels and Kathy has five pretzels, who has more pretzels?
• Who has fewer pretzels? How do we know?

We know how to use our number list to help us determine which number comes after another number. I have a number list for us to use if we need it.

Let’s pretend we went walking down the street. We walked by a house with a number one on it. The next house had a number two on it.

[Point to the numeral one and the numeral two on the number list.]

What number would be on the next house?

Number three is next because it comes after number two.

[Point to the numeral three on the number list as you explain the number sequence.

Point to the numeral four on the number list.]

Let’s find and point to this number on our number chart. We know that our number chart has numbers from 1–10 on the bottom. There are dots for each number in the rows above.

[Display number chart. Choose a volunteer child to find and point to the numeral four on the number chart.]

Now let’s point to and count each of the dots above number four on our number chart.

[Choose a different volunteer child to find and point to the numeral four on the number chart.]

We can also use a number chart to determine which of two numbers is more or less.

Let’s use our number chart to answer some questions.

• Which number is more: two or three? How do we know?
• Which number is less: nine or eight? How do we know?

Let’s try some numbers that are close to each other on the number chart but not next to each other.

• Which number is more: three or one? How do we know?
• Which number is less: five or three? How do we know?

We are learning more about numbers. We know how to use our number list to tell which number comes after another number. We also know how to tell which number is more and which number is less when we use our number chart.

We are learning about small communities and large communities. We know the words city and town. Is a city a large community or a small community? Is a town a large community or a small community?

Last week each of us made a picture of skyscrapers, and yesterday we drew a picture of a farm building(s). We learned that a farm is a piece of land used for growing plants or raising animals.

Today we are going to describe our picture of skyscrapers or the drawing of our farm building(s). Remember, when we describe something we tell others about it.

[Invite volunteer children to describe either their picture of skyscrapers or their picture of a farm building(s). Encourage children to describe the item they chose and how the building is used. Example: “What happens in a skyscraper?” (people live or work there)]

Today we described our pictures of skyscrapers and farm buildings and discussed how the buildings are used. Pop up if you’d like to live in a large community! Pop up if you’d like to live in a small community!

Yesterday we practiced underarm throwing. We know that an underarm throw involves moving our throwing arm backward and then forward. Remember, each of us decides which arm we want to use for throwing. Let’s all raise our throwing arm.

[Demonstrate—or invite a volunteer child to demonstrate—the movements described below.]

We begin an underarm throw by standing tall with both feet flat on the floor and our toes and shoulders facing the direction we want to throw. We look forward and keep our eyes on where we want to throw our item.

[Point to target as you describe it.]

Today we will use underarm movements to throw our beanbags at (name of target).

Why do we want to point our toes and shoulders in the direction we want to throw, and look forward and keep our eyes on where we want to throw? (so we can focus on our target)

[Follow-up prompt, if needed: “Would we have a good chance of hitting our target if we faced our body in a different direction or didn’t look at what we want to hit?”]

We move our throwing arm backward and put our opposite leg forward. Remember, opposite means someone or something that is across from us or on a different side. The opposite of an arm or leg on one side of the body is the arm or leg on the other side of the body. We can keep our balance by putting our opposite leg forward when our throwing arm moves backward. Our body might tip a little bit, or we might even fall over, if we didn’t use our opposite leg to help us keep steady while our throwing arm is going backward.

Moving our throwing arm backward and then forward helps us throw our beanbag further away from us. Look at what happens to the beanbag when I do not move my throwing arm backward and then forward.

[Demonstrate “throwing” the beanbag without moving your throwing arm backward and then forward.]

Let’s practice our underarm throw by trying to hit (name of target). It is okay if our beanbag does not hit the target. We are practicing. We are not competing.

[Distribute beanbags and describe rules of activity. Provide enough space between children so their movements do not interfere with each other. Provide verbal guidance as appropriate. Provide clear direction for all children to stop throwing beanbags before all children retrieve their beanbags. Provide clear direction for when to resume practice throwing. Continue as time and child interest permit.]

Today we practiced underarm throwing by trying to hit (name of target). How can we keep our balance when our throwing arm moves backward? (move opposite leg forward) Was it easy or hard to hit our (name of target)? Why?