Ideas for pre-K through grade 4.9: Your green pages

Teaching Pre K-8, Nov 1995 by Brown, Virginia S, Shaw, Martin, Chakarian, Kathleen

Pre-K Through 1.6

TOGETHER WAYS

1 SOCIAL STUDIES Read "On My Sled," Poetry 1, to the group. Help them recall how many children were on the sled. Brainstorm how two children could play together using only one sled. Guide them in considering rules for doing activities with others. Have individuals dramatize such activities. Identify with the class the rules being used in the dramatization. Repeat the poem with the group substituting we for I and our for my as appropriate.

YOUR SAY

2 LANGUAGE ARTS Go with the child to borrow a picture storybook from a school or public library. Select a short sentence in the book. The child listens as you read the sentence aloud. Invite him or her to repeat it correctly. If necessary, read the sentence one more time. Continue the activity, giving longer sentences to challenge the child's listening ability. Be sure to compliment his or her efforts.

HOW MANY?

3 MATH Display a chart containing four rows of five squares each. Number the squares 1 to 20. Point to a square and have the children name the numeral. Ask a volunteer to say a phrase or sentence using the corresponding number. Model an example: if a child points to the numeral 14 say, "Fourteen friends went shopping."

PICTURE QUESTIONS

4 LANGUAGE ARTS Display a large seasonal or holiday picture. Ask the children to look at it closely. Then ask a variety of questions about the picture, e.g., What is -- doing? Why do you think -- is --? What time of day could it be? What color is -- ? Ask the children what they might name a story about the picture. On a paper strip, write the name. Help the children read it. On another day, help them tell a story about the picture.

WHITE AND COLD

5 SCIENCE Read "Tiny Snowballs," Poetry 5, to the children. Display pictures of snowflakes, snow figures and snow scenes. Guide the group in describing snow. Introduce the properties and source of snow. If it snows in your area, after a storm and some accumulation of snow, take the children outside to make snow figures. Have them tell the color of snow and describe how it feels. As they create figures, help the children recall some facts about snow.

JOB TOOLS

6 SOCIAL STUDIES Assemble a collection of items associated with different careers: hammer, battery, hinge, artist's paintbrush, etc. Have the children close their eyes. Place some of the items near the door. Point to the item as the children open their eyes. Say, "What is this? Who might have been here and left it?" Help the children identify the item and the worker(s) associated with it. Guide them in explaining why and how the worker uses the tool.

START READING

7 LANGUAGE ARTS Challenge the children to tell how they might learn to read. Probe for details. Read "I Can Read." Poetry 7, to the children. Display letters of the alphabet. Help the group identify some of the letters. On chart paper, write I can read. I like to read. Have the children note that letters of the alphabet are used to make the words and see if they can identify some of the letters in the words. Then read the sentences aloud as you point to the words. Invite the group to read the sentences with you. Then say the poem again with the children "reading" the first and last lines.

NUMBERS COUNT

8 MATH In a small container, place a collection of small objects, e.g., buttons, rocks or jacks. Display a flashcard labeled with a numeral, e.g., 3. Ask a child to count and remove from the jar the number of objects that the numeral card tells. The child removes the designated objects and spreads them on a table. The group counts the objects as the child points to each item. Then call attention to the displayed flashcard. Help the children identify the numeral on it.

MITTEN HOLDER

9 PERCEPTION Using heavy cardboard, construction paper, markers, spring-clip clothespins and yarn, make large mitten holder. Then make small pairs of mittens of different designs and/or colors. The children take turns finding two mittens that match and hanging them on the holder. Extra: Make similar holders labeled with the children's names, on which they hang their own mittens.

SHAPE A TREE

10 ART Assist each child, if necessary, in cutting out triangles of different sizes.

A CONSTRUCT. PAPER

B CARDBOARD PASTE

C COTTON PASTE

SOUNDSEARCH

11 LANGUAGE ARTS Show and identify the name of the month November. Have the children listen for the beginning sound as you repeat the name. Say the word again with the children. Next, the students search the room for objects that begin with the same initial sound. Each child shows and names his or her found object to the group. The class repeats the name and tells if it begins like November. Present other sounds.

MAKING MUSIC

12 READ Sebastian's Trumpet by Miko Imai (Candlewick, 1995) Prior to reading the book, ask the child what musical instruments he or she might like to receive for a gift. Show and read the title of the book. Explain that in the story, Sebastian has difficulty playing his trumpet. After brainstorming reasons for the character's problem, read the story. Then, with the child, discuss what Sebastian did and how his problem was solved. Invite the child to tell why he or she might like to play a trumpet or any other instrument.