All About Fall

It is really hard to believe that we are starting our 10th week of school. This week is a short week because of our Fall Break (Yeah)! So, we are going to be studying Fall and the changes that we are beginning to see. We are also concentrating on fine motor skills in the form of puzzles, writing, and painting. Since my class has a wide range of abilities, I am taking advantage of this short week to re-teach skills students have not mastered yet. This week I have three small groups, and yes I am grouping the students by ability. The individual groups will be working on the following skills: copying and repeating an AB pattern using leaf die cuts. Constructing a leaf tree where they are practicing fine motor skills by cutting out the tree and crumpling up color tissue for the leaves. They are also practicing counting out objects up to ten. Finally combing sets by using a roll and cover mat and dice.

Below is a link to our fall theme lesson plans for the week. The lesson plans include the following types of activities: Morning Message with activity, Large Group Literacy, Phonemic Awareness, Small Group, two planned story times, and a closing activity. The standards are based on Bright From the Start GELDS.

DOWNLOAD>> All About Fall Five Day Lesson Plans



Classroom Activities:

Students will be involved in a variety of activities to promote language and literacy skills, mathematical reasoning, exploration, and fine motor control. Some of our center activities will include the following:

• Art - Leaf paintings using a variety of methods such as q-tip painting, brushes, and marble.
• Sensory Table - Students will explore picked cotton. Students will have to "pick" the letters using tweezers and place them in sorting cups.
• Writing Center - Students will practice copying fall vocabulary words and creating their on Fall Stories.
• Library - Students will read and listen to books about the Fall. They can also practice their writing skills by using Magna Doodle Boards.
• Math - Students will practice counting, sorting, and classifying objects.
• Science - Students will explore ornamental pumpkins, pine cones, and squash using magnifying glasses. The students can sort objects based on how they feel: bumpy, smooth, rough, hard, etc.
• Dramatic Play - Students will practice socio-dramatic play. BUT check back next week as the dramatic play center is transformed into a pumpkin patch! 

The students practiced copying and extending a pattern during small teacher led group. 

After reading the book, Rosie's Walk, the students answered the drawing prompt: If you could go for a walk anywhere, where would you like to go?

This is our sensory box for the students to explore fall themed items from nature. The fall box contains the following real and found items: picked cotton, dried guards, pine cones, dried beans, and corn husks. The only item in the fall box that is not real are the leaves. I purchased the leaves from The Dollar Tree.

YouTube.com Educational Links:

I have put together a collection of songs and read alouds about Fall both fiction and non-fiction.

CLICK HERE>> Fall Theme Pre-K

Songs and Poems:

The Leaves are Falling Down   

(Sung to: "Farmer in the Dell")

The leaves are falling down

The leaves are falling down

Red, yellow, green, and brown

The leaves are falling down

~ Original Author Unknown

Scarecrow   

(Sung to: "Teddy Bear, Teddy bear turn around")

Scarecrow, Scarecrow, turn around.

Scarecrow, scarecrow, jump up and down

Scarecrow, scarecrow, arms up high

Scarecrow, Scarecrow, wink one eye

Scarecrow, scarecrow, bend your knee

Scarecrow, scarecrow, flap in the breeze

Scarecrow, scarecrow, climb into bed

Scarecrow, scarecrow, rest your head

~ Original Author Unknown

Five Leaves

Five little leaves so bright and gay,

We’re dancing about on a tree one day.

The wind came blowing through the town,

And one little leaf came tumbling down.

[Continue with 4 leaves, then 3, 2, & 1.]

~ Original Author Unknown

Five Red Leaves

Five red leaves, five and no more (Hold up 5 fingers)

The caterpillar ate one, now there are four (Thumb down)

Four red leaves, that's easy to see.

Along came a rainstorm, now there are three. (Index down)

Three red leaves, nothing much to do.

A big wind blew, now two! (Middle down)

Two red leaves, that's not much fun.

I glued one on my paper (Ring down)

Now there is one. (Hold up pinky)

Hang on, pretty red leaf! Your branches won't break.

You're one less leaf for me to rake!

~ Original Author Unknown

Leaves are Falling   

(Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")

Leaves are falling round the town

Watch them fall right on the ground

Autumn's coming, it is true

Then comes winter just for you

Leaves are falling round the town

Falling, falling all around.

~ Original Author Unknown

Credits: The Doodle Oven

All About the Letter Aa - Letter of the Week Activities

The "A" Box 

Decorate a box with the letter "A". Inside the box place items or pictures of items that begin with the letter "A". This also works well if you use pictures, and have each child in turn draw out one picture and tell it's name and what they would do with it.

Acrobatic "A"'s
Divide the children into groups of threes. Have the children in each group lie on the floor and use their bodies to form the letter "A". Let the children in each group trade places and form the letter "A" again, so each child gets a turn at being a different part of the "A".  

YouTube.com Educational Links:

I have put together a collection of songs and read a-loud books about the Letter A.

GO TO>> YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

Note: All books and songs are copyrighted by original owners. Youtube links change periodically. If you find a broken link please email me at:lanieslittlelearners@gmail.com

All About the Letter Aa

The SMARTBoard file contains the following activities:

• Where is the letter A? Circle the upper and lowercase letter out of a random group of letters. Then count and write how many uppercase and lowercase A’s you found.
• Direct teacher-led instruction on how to write both the upper and lowercase letter A.
• Let’s write the letter A. Individual practice for students.
• Write the missing letter. Students write the missing letter of words beginning with the letter A.
• Help Andy Astronaut get to the asteroid. Draw a line from Andy to the asteroid following the path of upper and lowercase letter A.
• What comes next? Drag the picture and or letter which come next in the pattern.
• What does not belong? Put an X on the letter and or picture that does not belong.
• Sort uppercase and lowercase letter A. Upper and lowercase letters are printed on red apples. Drag the apples to the matching tree.
• Sort beginning letter /a/ sound. Drag the pictures that begin with the /a/ sound to the apple.
• Find, Graph, and Tally. Find the letters, count the letters, and color in the correct number of squares. Then practice using tally marks to count the letters. Then determine which letter had the most and which had the least.
• Find, Graph, and Tally. Find the picture, count the pictures, and color in the correct number of squares. Then practice using tally marks to count the pictures. Then determine which picture had the most and which had the least.

DOWNLOAD>> All About the Letter A (SMARTBoard Activities)

Alligators and the Monkeys 

5 little monkeys
Sitting in a tree
Teasing the alligator
"Can't catch me!"
Along came the alligator
Quiet as can be (whisper this part loudly)
SNAP!!! No more monkeys sitting in the tree! (snap your hands together and tickle the kids)


Sing Hurray for A!
(To the tune of "Farmer in the Dell")
Let's sing hurray for A,
Let's sing hurray for A,
Let's sing hurray for A today
Let's sing hurray for A.
Astrounaut starts with A,
Asteriod starts the same way,
Let's sing hurray for A today,
Let's sing hurray for A.


When the Ants Go Marching In
Oh when the ants
Go marching in
Oh when the ants go marching in
How I want
To be in that number
When the ants go marching in

Letter Hunt: Go on a Letter Aa hunt around your home. Encourage your child to see how many objects he can find with names beginning with the long /a/ sound like in apron or short /a/ sound like in apple. Support your child’s writing process by encouraging him/her to write the word on an index card. Then have him/her tape it to the object.

Odd Sound Out: Say three words, two beginning with the /a/ sound like in apple and one sound that is different. Have the student repeat which sound does not belong.

apple, attendance, bee

astronaut, asteroid, bear

Adam, cat, Abigail

dog, ax, alley

absent, elephant, avenue

/a/ Listening Game: Read the following sentences. Have the students repeat the words that begin with the /a/ sound like in apple.

•     Abigail eats a red apple.
•     Adam bought an axe.
•     Abby was absent this afternoon.
•     Andy is an astronaut.
•     An asteroid can be found in outer space.

Fill in the Missing Word:  All of your guesses should begin with the /a/ sound like in axe.

• It’s crunchy, sweet, and red and grows on a tree. It is an __________. (apple)

• An _______ is a small insect that lives in a hill and likes to bite. (ant)

• It’s sharp, has a wooden handle and is used to cut down trees. It is an _______. (axe)

• An __________ is a person that flies a space shuttle and works in outer space. (astronaut)

Circle and Find: Have students practice reading environmental print. Use newspapers, junk mail, and/or sales flyers and have them highlight all of the letter Aa’s using a  highlighter.

Credits: Images by www.MyCuteGraphics.com

Winter Songs and Poems

Chubby Little Snowman (action rhyme)
A chubby little snowman,

(Hold hands out to demonstrate "chubby.")

Had a carrot nose.
(Point to nose.)

Along came a bunny,
(Hop like a bunny.)

And what do you suppose?
(Shrug shoulders; hold out hands, as if to question.)

That hungry little bunny,
(Rub stomach.)

Looking for his lunch.
(Hold hand above eyes, as if searching for something.)

Ate that snowman's carrot nose,
(Pretend to eat.)

Nibble, nibble, crunch!!

Five Little Snowmen (action rhyme)

Five little snowmen standing in a row.

(Hold up five fingers; stand up straight like soldier.)

Each had two eyes and a carrot nose.
(Point to eyes; point to nose.)

Along came the sun and shone all day,
(Form sun with hands; wipe sweat from brow.)

And one little snowman melted away.
(Hold up one finger; slowly "melt" to the ground.)

Four little snowmen...
Three little snowmen...
Two little snowmen...
One little snowman...

I'm a Great Big Snowman
to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"

I'm a great big snowman,
Tall and fat.
Here's my tummy.
Here's my hat.
Raisins for my eyes,
And a carrot nose,
I'm all snow from head to toe!

Snowball
by Shel Silverstein

I made myself a snow ball as perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet and let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas and a pillow for it's head.
Then, last night it ran away.
But first -- it wet the bed.

Snowflakes, Snowflakes
to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?"

Snowflakes, snowflakes,
Snowflakes, snowflakes,
All around,
All around--
Whirling, twirling snowflakes,
Whirling, twirling snowflakes,
Hit the ground,
Hit the ground.

The Winter Pokey
to the tune of "The Hokey-Pokey"

You put your right mitten in,
You take your right mitten out.
You put your right mitten in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter pokey, [shiver]
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left mitten in....
You put your right boot....
You put your left boot....
You put your long scarf in....
You put your warm cap in....
You put your snowsuit in....

Frost 

(Sung to The Farmer In The Dell)

The frost is on the roof (point hands over head)
The frost is on the ground (point to the floor)
The frost is on the window (make a window with your hands)
The frost is all around (make large circles with hands)

Making A Snowperson
Roll it, roll it, get a pile of snow. 
(make rolling motion)Rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling we will go.Pat it, pat it, face it to the south. 
(patting motion)Now my little snowman's done, eyes, nose and mouth 
(point to each)


 
Zippers
Three little zippers on my snowsuit, 
(hold up three fingers)Fasten up as snug as snug can be.It's a very easy thing as you can seeJust zip, zip, zip! (do three zipping motions)I work the zippers on my snowsuit.Zippers really do save time for meI can fasten them myself with one, two, three.Just zip, zip, zip! (do three zipping motions)

Credits:

Images provided by www.MyCuteGraphics.com