Sunday, October 18, 2015

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

Sunday, October 4, 2015

All About Fire Safety




This week is Fire Safety Prevention week and our Pre-K class is going to learn about fire safety. We will be learning how to dial 9-1-1 and what information to include, what we do in case of a fire, practice a fire drill, and visit a fire station on Tuesday.


Below is a link to our fire safety 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 Fire Safety Five Day Lesson Plans




I have turned our dramatic play center into a fire station (pictures coming soon!) In the literacy center I have included Roll and Cover letter mats with three different levels of learning. In the writing center there are fire safety vocabulary cards. I am incorporating the vocabulary cards as a method of one, increasing vocabulary and two, for my  students to practice their writing skills.


DOWNLOAD>> FREE All About Fire Safety Vocabulary Words



All About Fire Safety Activity Packet contains the following:
  • Vocabulary Cards
  • Trace the vocabulary cards.
  • Write the Room recording sheets.
  • Ff is for Firefighter (Find the letter Ff maze.)
  • Write the Letter Ff Worksheet
  • Rhyming Word Match (Match the firefighter to the fire truck.)
  • Alphabet Clip Cards (Look at the picture and use a clothespin to clip the correct upper and lowercase letter.)
  • Draw & Cover Letters (Black - Uppercase Letters), (Red - Lowercase Letters), (Yellow - Beginning Sound Pictures)
  • Number Puzzles (Numbers 1 to 5 and 1 to 10.)
  • 1 to 10 Number Cards (8.5” x 11” number cards with numeral, ten frame, and number word.)
  • 0 to 15 Number Clip Cards (Count the objects and use a clothespin to clip the matching number.)
  •  Measuring (Measure the height of two objects and determine the tallest and shortest object.
  • 1 to 10 Number Worksheets

Directions: Print on card stock, trim, and laminate for durability. Worksheets can be laminated and used with a dry erase marker.

Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards:

Approaches to Play
APL2.4a Demonstrates eagerness to learn about and discuss new topics, ideas and tasks.
APL1.4a Takes initiative to learn new concepts and try new experiences. Initiates and completes new tasks by himself/herself.

Language and Literacy
CLL1.4a Listens and responds on topic to conversations and group discussions for an extended period.
CLL1.4b Listens to and follows multi-step directions.
CLL1.4c Extends/expands thoughts or ideas expressed.
CLL6.4c Isolates the initial (beginning) sounds in words with adult guidance.
CLL7.4a With prompting and support, recognizes and names some upper/lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Mathematics
CD-MA2.4b Counts at least 10 objects using one-to-one correspondence.

Cognitive Process
CD-CP3.4b Uses both familiar and new strategies to solve a problem.
CD-CP3.4c With adult guidance and questioning determines and evaluates solutions prior to attempting to solve a problem.

Classroom Activities:


During centers the students experimented with red and yellow painting creating an orange "fire painting."


The shape fire engine is an activity to promote shape identification, fine motor practice, and composing and decomposing shapes. I varied the activity for the different levels of ability in my class. 
  • Level 1 has students constructing the fire engine out of (1) large rectangle, (1) large square, (1) small square, and (4) circles. 
  • Level 2 students will construct the fire engine out of (2) medium squares, (1) large squares, (1) small square, and (4) circles.
  • Level 3 students will construct their fire engine out of (2) triangles, (2) squares, (4) circles, and (1) small square.

Fire Station No 1:

Our dramatic play center has been transformed into Fire Station No. 1. Below are pictures showing the different parts of the fire station.

There is two parts to our Fire Station. The first is the inside of the fire station where our little firefighters can pretend to cook, answer the phone, share and take turns.The second part is the firefighters actually fighting a fire using a large print out laminated and mounted on cardboard.


This is a picture of our fire engine. The students love pretending to spray the water on the burning building.

Songs and Poems:


Four Busy Firefighters
Four busy firefighters could not retire
Because they might have to put out a fire.
The first one rang a big brass bell.
The second one said, 'It's the Grand Hotel!'
The third one said, 'Down the pole we'll slide.'
The fourth one said, 'Get ready to ride.'
The siren said, 'Get out of the way!'
'We have to put out a fire today!'
The red fire truck sped on to the fire,
As the big yellow flames grew higher and higher.
Swish went the water from the fire-hose spout
And in no time at all the fire was out.
~ Original Author unknown

I Am A Fireman
(Sung to: "I'm A Little Teapot")
I am a fireman dressed in red.
With my fire hat on my head.
I can drive the fire truck, fight fire too,
And help make things safe for you.
~ Original Author unknown

The Matches Song   
(Sung to: "Mary Had A little Lamb")

Matches are for lots of things, Lots of things, lots of things,
Matches are for lots of things that grown-up people do.

If I ever find a match, find a match, find a match,
If I ever find a match, I know just what to do.

I'll give it to a grown-up friend, grown-up friend, grown-up friend,
I'll give it to a grown-up friend, 'cause that's the thing to do.
~ Original Author Unknown

9-1-1
I know a number that is really hot.
It's only for people in a hot, hot spot.
If you see a fire, if you see a crime,
The number is the same every single time.
This very special number is never for fun.
This very special number is 911.
~ Original Author Unknown

Youtube.com Educational Video Links:
Other Links:

Sunday, September 27, 2015

All About Spiders

This week our class is studying about spiders. We are going to practice sequencing the life cycle of a spider, introducing new vocabulary words related to spiders, counting spiders, and feeding the "spider" the letter S flies.

Classroom Activities:


DAY 1


During centers the students enjoyed exploring the spider habitat in our sensory table. I added beans, un-popped corn, silk fall leaves, Halloween spider web and various spiders all from the Dollar Tree. The students experimented how spider webs catch insects.

DAY 2


During independent small groups the students experimented with art materials and discovered that spider webs were sticky and that is how insects get stuck in spider webs. I used contact paper to simulate how sticky a spider web is. Then the students with some help turn their collage over and laid it on their paper.

DAY 3



During large group literacy the students decided what are spiders, what spiders can do, and what spiders have. Remember this is 4 and 5 year old students describing spiders only after three days.


DAY 5


During small groups the students constructed a spider using (1) small Oreo cookie, (1) large Oreo, M&Ms, and black Twizzlers. We incorporated vocabulary words such as arachnid and abdomen.

Youtube.com Educational Video Links: