December Week 2: Silly Sally

phoneme: /s/

Transition Song: Must Be Santa by Raffi

Materials: Silly Sally by Audrey Wood, Silly Sally big book and manipulatives, laminated letter S, laminated Santa.

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts:  front/back, right side  up/upside down, up/down, high/low, fast/slow, awake/asleep, labeling animals, walk, jump, crawl, march, dance, muddy, silly, singing, tired, tickle/d, What questions, Who questions, alliteration, predicting.

Preliteracy - Draw the letter S.  What words have the /s/ sound?  soup, sneaky, snow, sweet, salty, Santa, silly, Superman, Snack Time.

This week we are using some of our brand new materials we received from our Donors Choose benefactors!  Thank you to everyone who donated towards this.  We read the book Silly Sally by Audrey Wood.

Silly Sally likes to walk backwards and upside down.  There are a lot of rhyming and repetitive words in this book which makes it a lot of fun to read together.  First we read the book.  Everyone called out UPSIDE-DOWN when we got to that part. We predicted who Sally would see next by looking down the path on which she was walking. We listened for alliteration and rhyming words.

Then we used the cards and the character bean bags and made up our own version of Silly Sally.  We danced.  We flew.  We sang.  We attempted to walk upside-down.

That is a GIANT book!  Everyone could see the pictures!

DO THIS AT HOME:  Read Silly Sally together (it's at the library!) or another book with simple words.  Point out rhyming words and alliteration.  What do the animals sound like?  Can you do that?  What do they move like?  Can you do that?  Parents, get down on the floor and do it with your child.  Ask them to show you how to do it.  Change the animals in the story to their favorite ones?  You could even draw you own pictures to make your own book.

Favorite Books at Preschool

Every year, parents ask "What are the favorite books at preschool?  What do the kids like?"  Here's the list.  It's not complete by any means, but it is a good start.  We aim for books that are great for language.

My Big Animal Book by Roger Priddy.  This is a HUGE board book.  Bright, colorful pictures with simple labels.  He also has a My Big Farm Book that the children always ask if they can read my copy. These books are well-loved.

White Rabbit's Color Book by Alan Baker.  This cover keeps changing but the book is the same.  This rabbit starts out white but keeps jumping into the paint.  The children LOVE to predict what color the rabbit will be next!  I love the simple phrases and how it keeps the children engaged.

Another good color book is Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman.  Another fun book where the kids predict what color will be next.  It's also fun to identify the animals and bugs in the pictures and talk about their actions.

Anna Dewdney and her Llama Llama books are always a great choice.  But one of the new favorites is all about Nelly Gnu and her Daddy Too.  Great language opportunities include relatable scenarios such as when Nelly loses her dad at the home improvement store. (Don't worry, she finds him!)  They are spending time together and make a fun project.  This is a fun book where you can point out the rhyming words!

Donald Crews wrote and illustrated Ten Black Dots the year I was born and Freight Train when I was 10 years old.  These books have not lost their charm.  The children love the art.  The love counting and learning basic concepts.  Just wait until you see how Donald Crews depicts fast in the book Freight Train.

The Mine-O-Saur by Sudipta Bardha-Quallen and illustrator David Clark tells the tale about a dinosaur (and you know the children love dinosaurs!) who thinks he needs to have everything.  No one gets to play with the toys when he yells "MINE!" and takes the toys away. This is a great book for problem solving in the same way we do problem solving at school.  What is the problem?  I wonder how they can solve the problem?

There is also the favorite books post I wrote last year with some fun suggestions.  You can find that by clicking here.

I'm sure Miss Jen and Miss Jeana have more recommendations.  Happy reading!

November Week 3: TOES!

Large  Group Activity

Date:  November Week 3

Title:  Toes

Phoneme: /t/

Pre-Literacy:  Trace the Letter T.  “Top to Bottom.  Now Back to the Top.  Left to Right and now we STOP.”  Talk about words that have the /t/ sound.  Tongue, Teeth, Toes, Turkey, Tomato. Tickle, Two. Does anyone have a name with the /t/ sound?

Materials required:  Laminated Letter T, mirror, Gobble Gobble Picture Binder

Concepts:  Toes, Who/What/Where questions, Rhyming, Counting, body parts, predicting, alliteration

Transition activity:  Song:  Gobble Gobble (What Does The Turkey Say) by Nooshi.

Discussion: Let’s talk about Toes!  Who has toes? Let’s count them.  Take off your socks and shoes and we’ll count.  Where are your toes?  What can your toes do?  Can your wiggle them?  Can you walk on tippy toes?

Song:  Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Fingerplay:  Everybody Knows I Love My Toes

(This is one of my favorite large group activities!  Be sure to wear the craziest socks you can find, especially if they have the toes knitted separately so you can really wiggle them.  Or just take off your shoes and socks.  I like to have the kids all take off their shoes - but make sure you leave enough time to put all of those shoes back on.  Oy!  I like to treat this as a rap with some choral recitation thrown in. EX:  Everybody knows I LOVE my toes! {have children repeat this phrase}.  Recite the first verse as written.  On the remaining version, have children suggest body parts and add them in.  Be sure to use great inflection and enthusiasm.  Clap a beat on your toes.  Point out the body parts.  Point out the rhyming words.  This is a lot of fun!)

Everybody knows I love my toes.

Everybody knows I love my toes.

I love my nails, my knees,

My neck and my nose.

But everybody knows I love my toes!

Everybody knows I love my eyes.

Everybody knows I love my thighs.

I love my legs, my lips, my neck, and my nose.

But everybody knows I love my toes.

Everybody knows I love my feet.

Everybody knows I love my seat.

I love my skin, my chin,

My knees and my nose.

But Everybody knows I love my toes.

Every body knows I love my toes.

Everybody knows I love my toes.

I love my nails, my knees,

My neck, and my nose.

But everybody knows I love my toes!

What about your eyelashes?  Wrists? Shins? Belly/Stomach? Cheeks? EARLOBES?! (We learned that one a few weeks ago and all the kids thought it was a hilarious body part.  Go figure.)

October Week 1: GO! (and stop)

Phoneme: /g/

Gathering song:  Five Little Ghosts by the Kiboomers

It's our first week singing a new song for gathering.  Five Little Ghosts is a fun song.  We learn how to show numerals on our fingers, count backwards, predict what comes next, and pretend to be ghosts.

Preliteracy:  Trace a capital G.  "Draw half a circle, not a frown.  Go across the middle and then down." Go.  Girl.  Ghost.  Good.  Gorilla.  Good night.  Game.  Feel your throat with your fingers as you make the g-g-g sound.  Your throat vibrates and tickles your fingers.

Concepts:  Stop/Go, Fast/Slow, High/Low, What questions, rhyming, rhythm

This week we are talking about GO!.....and Stop.  Miss Jeana tells us to GO to Planning Time, to Review Time, to Large Group, to Small Group, and to line up for Outside Time.  Sometimes our teachers tell us to STOP at a particular spot, or STOP if we are not being safe.  Sometimes, STOP means to freeze.

We are dancing to Jim Gill's Silly Dance Contest where we get to GO and dance fast or slow, jump high or low.  Sometimes we freeze which means STOP.  This is a very fun activity to do at home with moms and dads, brothers and sisters, or grandmas and grandpas.  Don't forget to say GO and STOP (which in this case means freeze).

February Weeks 1-2

Phoneme:  /d/

Transition Song:  Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink

Concepts:  Who Questions, sequencing, following directions, choral recitation, rhythm

Materials:  Laminated letter D, Laminated placemat

Pre-Literacy Skills:  To draw the letter D:  Start at the top, and d-d-draw d-d-down.  Go back to the top and d-d-draw around.

Today we're talking about the letter D and Dinner!  Who has a name with the letter D? Who eats dinner?  What do we do before we eat dinner?  We set the table.  (I've worked out a choral recitation for setting the table that is similar to Going On A Bear Hunt.  The leader starts and the group repeats each line.  We beat out a 4-count rhythm on our knees (this really encourages the kids to sit criss cross applesauce just so they can keep the beat).

Time to eat?
No, not yet.
What do we need?
A napkin/fork/plate/knife/spoon/cup!
Put it on the table!

(Repeat until each item is placed on the table.)

Final verse:
Time to eat?
Look! (point to finished table setting)
YES!!! (throw hands in air)

Change it up.  The kids love it when we speed it up (because we are SUPER HUNGRY!)  Sometimes I will point to a child to tell me what comes next.  Other times I will appoint a child to be the choral leader and they start the recitation.  Children with more challenges with verbal skills will find it easier to participate because they know what comes next.  This activity is great because choral recitation allows children with all levels of communication skills to participate and have fun.

We're practicing with these great placemat printouts.  I laminated three printouts for each classroom.  The kids really get into this and are excited to have a turn helping to set the table.  Print out the placemat and let them do it at home.  You can find it here.

Catching up: October

Sound:  /g/
Transition Song:  Five Little Ghosts (The Kiboomers)

Letter recognition: 8x10 laminated sheet with large bold capital letter G.  Ask children to show their pointer fingers.  Indicate where to put their pointer finger to start the tracing.  Trace the G while reciting the rhyme:  "Draw half a circle, not a frown.  Draw across the middle and then down".  Hold the G high while chanting "Give me a Gee! (Be sure to use /g/ and /j/ initial sound).  Gay!  Guy!  Go!  Goo!"  Discuss words that start with the g-g-g sound, including names of family and friends.

Title:  G Sound, Week 1

Materials required:  Good Night Gorilla, flashlight, animal pictures

Additional concepts:  Predicting, Wh-questions.

Transition activity:  Five Little Ghosts Song

Goodnight Gorilla:

Discussion:  Read the book.

-       Ask What is going to happen next?

-       What are the names of the animals?

-       Who is the man with the flashlight?

-       What time of day is it?  Day or Night?

-       Where are the animals going when they get out of their cages?

-       Why are there two pages all black with surprised eyes?

-       Who takes the animals back to the zoo?

-       Who ate the banana?  The gorilla or the mouse?

-       What is inside the animal’s cage?

Theater:  Shine a flashlight.  Use finger puppets or popsicle stick puppets so everyone gets a chance to help tell the story as you read along.

Title:  G Sound, Week 2

Materials required: 

Additional concepts: 

Transition activity:  Five Little Ghosts

Discussion:  We’re learning more about the /g/ sound. Remember it is in your throat.  Let’s practice. Put your fingers on your neck. G-G-G.

Now let’s trace our letters. Use your pointer fingers.

“Draw half a circle, not a frown.

Across the middle and then down.”

Target sound and recognition:  Gee, Gay, Guy, Go, Goo

What else starts with the G-G-G sound?  Girl, Go, Going, Gorilla, Ghost, Guitar, Grasshopper, Grapes

Show pictures of Grapes.  “What is this??  Grapes has a /g/ sound.  G-G-Grapes.

What color are they?  Green Grapes.  Green also has a /g/ sound.  G-G- Green.  Green Grapes.  Green Grapes are Good to Eat.  Green Beans are good to eat.  Gravy is good to eat. 

Song: Good to eat. (Tune: Frere Jacques.  Adapt the song to what they like to eat)

EXAMPLES:

GRAPES:  Green and juicy, Green and juicy. Nice and sweet, nice and sweet. Dripping on your fingers, dripping on your fingers. Good to eat, good to eat"

CARROTS:  Orange and crunchy, orange and crunch, nice and sweet, nice and sweet. Crunch so loud, crunch so loud.  Good to eat.  Good to eat.

PIZZA:  Hot and cheesy, hot and cheesy, Pepperoni, Pepperoni. Cheese is melty, cheese is melty.  Good to eat.  Good to eat.

Title:  G Sound, Week 4

Materials required:  Laminated G

Additional concepts: 

Transition activity:  Five Little Ghosts

Discussion:  We’re learning more about the /g/ sound. Remember it is in your throat.  Let’s practice. Put your fingers on your neck. G-G-G.

Now let’s trace our letters. Use your pointer fingers.

“Draw half a circle, not a frown.

Across the middle and then down.”

Target sound and wel recognition:  Gee, Gay, Guy, Go, Goo

What else starts with the G-G-G sound?  Girl, Go, Going, Gorilla, Ghost, Guitar, Grasshopper, Grapes

Show picture of ghost.  What is this?  Ghost has a /g/ sound in it!  G-G-Ghost.

Finger play: 

I saw a ghost (fingers circle eyes)
He saw me too (point to yourself)
I waved at him (wave your hand)
But he said, “Boo!” (try to scare the person next to you)

Song: (To the tune of The Ants Go Marching 10x10)

The ghosts go flying 10x10

oo-oo, oo-oo

The ghosts go flying 10x10

oo-oo, oo-oo

The Ghosts go flying 10x10

The little one stops to scare a hen

And they all go flying down to the town

For some fun Halloween

oo-oo-oo-

9x9 – check the time

8x8 – say “we’re late!”

7x7 – look at heaven

6x6 – do some tricks

5x5 – take a dive

4x4- fly through the door

3x3 – to say “Wheeeeee!”

2x2 – to sneeze “Achoo!”

1x1 – to say “I’m done!”