Saturday, May 3, 2008

Letter R

Books:
Rainbow Fish
What Makes a Rainbow?

Science--Reptiles:

Learn the charachteristics of a reptile, look at pictures of reptiles.

Make a "poisonous frog" poster

Arts and Crafts:

Rainbow Coloring Page

Rainbow painting

Necktie snakes

SnakeTake a large circle, cut a spiral into the circle. Add two eyes and a tongue and hang. It will bounce a little!

Tissue paper rainbow.
Pre-cut tissue paper in rainbow colors (small squares).
Cut a half circle for each student.
Glue squares on the half circle in the order of the rainbow to make the rainbow stick out. Let dry over night and then add long streamers from the bottom and add a yarn hanger at the top to display the rainbows in your class.

Math:
Measuring SnakesMeasure out different kinds of snakes with yarn. The kids will be amazed by how long a boa constrictor really is!

Count the colors in the rainbow.
Review numerals and counting.

Fine Motor:
Play-doh snakes

Snack:
Slippery Salamanders (from jello)

Learning Time:
Letter R mini book from first-school.ws
Game/Gross Motor:
Leap Frog
Sensory:
Discovery bottles of the different colors.

Song:

Lizard Finger play(Use fist of one hand to represent the lizard - have pointer finger move in and out of fist quickly to be the lizard's tongue. 5 fingers of the other hand are the bugs that "disappear" as the lizard's fast tongue "gets" them.)
5 little bugs on the forest floor Along came a sticky tongue lizard ... SLURP!!!
Now there are 4.
4 little bugs on a kapok tree
Along came s sticky tongue lizard ... SLURP!!!
Now there are 3.
3 little bugs without a single clue.....
2 little bugs soaking up the hot sun....
1 little bug knew that he was done.....
Now there are none.

Boa Constrictor Song--
I am being swallowed by a boa constrictor,
I am being swallowed by a boa constrictor.
Oh no, he's swallowed my toes. ( grab toes)
Oh no, he's swallowed my toes.
Oh gee, he is up to my knees. (grab knee)
Oh gee, he is up to my knees.
Oh fiddle, he swallowed my middle.( wrap arms around your middle)
Oh fiddle, he swallowed my middle.
Oh heck, he is up to my neck.( put hand around neck)
Oh heck, he is up to my neck.
Oh dread, he swallowed my...(Gulp very loud)
Oh dread, he swallowed my...gulp

Letter M

Social Studies:
Manners (focus on good manners and asking for things we want, not demanding)
Review parent's names, and begin learning address.

Science:
magnets

Song:
We think mice are nice.
Oh, we think mice are nice!
Mice have [ noses that twitch and sniff].
We think mice are nice!

Repeat the song using feet that hurry and scurry and then with whiskers that wiggle and jiggle.

Math:
Counting to three
Recognizing numerals 1, 2, and 3
CENTER: Moose Muffin game

Fine Motor:
Muffin cups: scraps of paper with the numbers 1-3 on them, using small tongs, move the correct number of pom-pom's into the cup with the matching number;

Art:
Moose Magnets http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/MooserefrigeratorRecipeHolder.htm
Mouse craft: http://www.first-school.ws/t/craft/hearts_mousebw.html
May Day baskets

Learning Time:
M Mini Book: http://www.first-school.ws

Snack: Muffins

Monday, April 21, 2008

Update

Just to update things, I will be posting a lesson for this week, but probably not until Wednesday. We are spending all day tomorrow at the zoo, and then on Thursday we'll be doing a review of all the letters/numbers/shapes/colors/concepts we've learned so far (since we will only be having sit down school one day this week). I'm also going to use this week to attempt to plan further in advance....we'll see.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A great link

http://jojoebi.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-downloads-veggie-cards.html

This is another blog, and it has some great stuff in general, but these free downloads (there are more than just the veggie cards) are GREAT!

Enjoy.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Letter F

Math:
Fractions: 1/2 using fraction circles
Counting, recognizing numbers, and number correspondence

Concept:
On top of, underneath: using blocks (put the red one on top of the blue one; now the blue one is underneath the red one)

Music:
The Farmer in the Dell
Old McDonald Had a Farm

Growing Flowers (Fingerplay)
Little flowers in the ground (wiggle fingers on the floor),
Watch the wind blow you round and round (move fingers in circular motion)
Grow up to the sky so tall (wiggle fingers slowly upward),
If I don't water you, you will fall (quickly move fingers back to ground).

Science:
Flowers: basic flower parts, and what flowers need to grow;
Plant some flower seeds.
File Folder game labeling the basic parts (stem, leaf, roots, petals)

Social Studies:
Fireman
Life on the Farm and a trip to the Farmer's Market;
Visit a farm

Game: Printout of a barn and printouts of several animals (both farm animals and non-farm animals), have child match all the animals that belong with the barn.

Sensory:
Smells and touching the animals at the farm; Smells at the Farmer's martket;

Reading:
The Rainbow Fish
I want to be a Firefighter

Art:
Flag (create your own)
Trace childs hand onto yellow construction paper, twice each hand. Have student cut out hands. Take round black circle from construction paper and glue all hands to back of (this is the center of the sunflower) finish by adding a green stem.
Use a cutout of a sheep and glue onto a paper plate. Spread glue onto the sheep's body and let the children put on the "wool" using dry oatmeal.
Milk Carton Barns

Dramatic Play:
Play with farm (little people farm house) and farm magnets (Melissa and Doug Farm Magnets in a Box is what I have).
Firefighters (dress up and pretend to be fireman rushing to an emergency in the truck with the siren going, put out the fire) and of course play with firetrucks!

Fine Motor:
Accordion Folding

Gross motor:
Tossing a football
Tossing a frisbee

Snack:
Flower shaped sugar cookies
Fruit

Shape: Oval

Monday, April 7, 2008

Twister! and why EVERY home should have this game

Twister is such an EXCELLENT learning tool!

You can use it to teach colors (blue, red, green, yellow).

It teaches right and left!

It teaches body parts--hand and foot anyway. (this is the way in which we'll be using it with my toddler this week).

You can tape letters/numbers onto the dots and then call things like "Put your left foot on a red R."

You can use it to teach ordinals. "Put your right hand on the third blue dot."

You can use it to teach addition/multiplication, tape the numbers into place. Spin the spinner twice. Have child do the math operation. "Add your left foot and your right hand."

You can use it for geography! Tape the names of states, countries, capitals, continents, etc to the dots. Spin the spinner. Have the child name the capital of the state/country they are on, have them identify the bordering countries, or bodies of water, etc.

Don't let your own imagination stop here! I'm telling you Twister can be used for just about anything!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Our Schedule

We do school 2 mornings a week, for 2 1/2 hours each time. I thought some of you might like to see exactly how I schedule that time.

9-9:10--Free Time
9:10-9:30--Circle Time
Finger Play/Felt Board Rhyme
Active Activity (Parachute Play, Obstacle Course, Musical Instruments)
Weather Watcher
Story
Song
Material Preview (what's on board for today??)
9:30-9:45--Learning Time
9:45-10--Arts and Crafts
10-10:15—Block/Building play
10:15-10:30--Snack
10:30-10:45--Math/Fine Motor
10-45-11--Concept/Gross Motor
11-11:15--Sensory Activity/Dramatic Play
11:15-11:20--Learning Time (review)
11:20-11:25--Story
11:25-11:30--Free Time

"Material Preview"--I have a chalkboard where I put the letter we are working on, as well as draw pictures (with my limited ability) of things that begin with that letter. I also put up the shape we are working on. And anything else that comes to mind that works up there.

"Learning Time"--We focus on the letter of the week on the chalkboard, writing it with his finger, then erasing it with both a dry and a wet cloth (small piece of tissue paper, and a small piece of cut sponge).

"Weather Watcher"--One of the kids goes to the window and looks out and the others ask questions: "Is it sunny??" "Is it rainy??" etc. until we've decided what the weather is.

Sometimes the free time doesn't happen because our activities run longer than the time allotted for them...and all times are approximate! :-) I TRY to keep on schedule because I try to pack our time full of FUN FUN learning activity, but sometimes he gets very into the activity and it extends. Usually though, something else will be shorter than I planned and it all works out.

That's the dish.