Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Creation Lessons 13-16

Math: Trace Hands and Number

Week 13

Monday             
Tuesday
Thursday
Topic
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Smell)
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Taste)
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Touch)
Intro
·     Scratch Art
·     Assemble paper cupcakes from Volume Twentyfive
·     Cars
Bible
·     2 Cor. 2:14
·     Ps. 34:8
·     Ps. 119:103
·     Ps. 73:23
·     James 4:8
Math
·     Stamp numbers in snicker doodles or sugar cookies then bake them.
·     Or Count chocolate chips as you put them on/in cookies.
·     Have kids mix food coloring into frosting to make a variety of colors. Have the kids guess what new colors will be made when mixing two primary colors.
·     Trace the kids’ hands then write 1-10 on each finger. Color or decorate the rest of the hand
·     Trace feet, cut out about 12 pairs, and play follow the leader. The leader gets to create a path with the feet for everyone to follow.
Music
·     “I’m a Little Striped Skunk”
·     “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”
·     “If You’re Happy and You Know It”
·     God is so Good
·     “Apples and Bananas” by Raffi
·     “On Top of Spaghetti”
·     “I’m a Little Tea Cup”
·     “The Muffin Man”
·     “Big Rock Candy Mountain”
·     “Hokey Pokey”
·     “Father Abraham”
·     “Fingers and Toes”
·     “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”
Snack
·     Cookies baked during Math
·     Cupcakes (bake ahead of time and decorate during math/craft time.
·      
English
·     Alphabet Song
·     Alphabet binder Z worksheet
·     Books: Sniff, Sniff, The Story of Ferdinand, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
·     Alphabet binder A worksheet  (You can start over with the same worksheets or print new ones)
·     Books: If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
·     Alphabet binder B worksheet
·     Books: Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, The Kissing Hand, Here are My Hands, any Touch and Feel book or book with textures
Science
·     Saturate cotton balls with strong scents (lemon, vanilla, coffee, cinnamon, rose water, pineapple, syrup, peppermint) and have the kids guess the scents
·     Have the kids taste something sweet, sour, salty, and savory
·     Let the kids play with a pin art toy
·     Collect items with different textures (feather, boa, cotton balls, fur, fleece, rock, wood, metal pan, plastic), put them in paper bags, have the kids describe each one based on touch and try to guess what it is.
Craft
·     Mango scented play dough from Blog Me Mom
·     Decorate Cupcakes
·     Make a card with two hands connected with a construction paper strip folded accordion style that reads “I love you… this much” (Tiff Keetch)
Friday Field Trip: Bakery (smell and taste some goodies)


Math: Sort Coins and Discuss Value


Week 14

Monday             
Tuesday
Thursday
Topic
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Uniqueness)
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Speech)
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Talents)
Intro
·     Stack plastic cups
·     Stuffed animals
·     Beads
Bible
·     Ps. 139:14
·     Ps. 139:13
·     Gen. 2:19-20
·     Prov. 15:23
·     Prov. 18:21
·     Eph. 4:29
·     The parable of the talents from Matt. 25.
Math
·     You are one of a kind! Pick a worksheet on the number one and/or decorate a number one with pictures of the child.
·     Running on the number mat while counting to ten (we have foam number squares, but you could tape numbers on the wall and have kids count as they run past each number)
·     Sort coins and discuss their value.
·     Play store with real money or fake money.
Music
·     “No One Like You” by John Denver
·     “What I Am” by Will.i.am Sesame Street version
·      “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”
·     “Jesus Loves Me”
·     “Stand Up and Shout It If You Love My Jesus”
·     “I’m Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing”
·     “Sing” (Sesame Street song)
·     “I’ve Got a River of Life”
·     “Good Morning God”
·     “Our God is so Big”
·     “Thanks A Lot” by Raffi
·     “This Old Man”
·     “If You’re Happy and You Know It”
Snack
·      
·      
·      
English
·     Alphabet Song
·     Alphabet binder C worksheet
·     Books: God Thinks You’re Wonderful, I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, All the Things I Love About You,The Very Sleepy Sloth, It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny, Giraffes Can’t Dance, The Story of Ferdinand
·     Let the kids take turns pointing to letter in the alphabet while everyone says the sound that letter makes.
·     Books: Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words, Big Words for Little People, Oh Say Can You Say?, Curious George Learns the Alphabet, Mr. Brown
·     Draw the kids’ names on a chalkboard or whiteboard in block letters and let them decorate them.
·     Books: The Tale of Three Trees, You Are Special board book
Science
·     Make snowflakes and talk about how no two snowflakes and no two people are exactly the same.
·     Make a wax comb kazoo with scissors, fine-toothed comb, wax paper, and clear tape.
·     Discuss vocal cords. Have students put their hands on their throat while humming and explain that the vibrating vocal chords are what make the noise.
·     Read Meet Einstein or Lives of the Scientists or On a Beam of Light and explore the room with magnifying glasses.
Craft
·     Make a snow scene with stamps, silver ink, and chalk.
·     Make megaphones out of construction paper.
·     Print a picture of the world and have kids stamp their fingerprints on the World. Tell them that God gave them unique gifts that will impact the world!
Friday Field Trip: Science Museum



Math: Plus One Terminology


Week 15

Monday              
Tuesday
Thursday
Topic
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Growth)
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Healing)
Creation Day 6: Mankind (Cells)
Intro
·     Pattern blocks
·     Dress Up
·     Paint with do-a-dot markers
Bible
·     Luke 2:52
·     Ex. 15:26
·     Ps. 139:13
Math
·     Measure each person.  Measure hands. Measure feet. Measure dolls or stuffed animals and put them in order from smallest to largest.
·     Write numbers 10-30 on a paper and on band aids. Have the kids match the band aids to the numbers on the paper.
·     Work on “plus one” terminology with cars. Say: We have one car. When we add another, we say “Plus one.” How many do we have now? Plus one. How many do we have now? Plus one. Etc.
Music
·     “I Wonder if I’m Growing” by Raffi
·     “Everything Grows” by Raffi
·     “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”
·     “Our God is so Big”
·     “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”
·     “On Top of Spaghetti”
·     “God is so Good”
·     “London Bridge is Falling Down”
·     “Ring Around the Rosie”
·     “Good Morning God.”
·     “This is the Day.”
·     “I am” by Will.i.am (Sesame Street version)
·     “Hokey Pokey”
Snack
·      
·      
·      Jello cells made during craft time.
English
·     Alphabet Song
·     Find the letters in “GROW”
·     Books: No Haircut Today!, Growing Like Me
·     Alphabet binder D worksheet
·     Books: Llama Llama Home with Mama, Miss Nelson is Missing, Parts, Little Critter Just a Little Sick, It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny
·     Have kids sort “C” words beginning with a hard c sound (cat, car, camel, can, card, cape) and a soft c sound (cell, celery, city, circus, cent). Print the words on a card with a picture.
·     Books: Enjoy Your Cells
Science
·     Animate objects vs. inanimate objects:  Explain that living things grow. Have the kids sort objects by whether they grow or not. Hypothesize about how big certain objects will grow.
·     Talk about germs and do the Cinnamon Germ lesson from Cultivated Lives

·     Watch “The Magic School Bus Goes Cellular.” I was having a hard time finding a way to show preschoolers how we are made up of cells. This was the best visual concept I could find.
·     If you can get your hands on a microscope, look at slides of cells.
Craft
·     Growing Sock Hedgehog

·     Make tissue faces with the poem “Cover your cough, cover your sneeze. This is the way we stay healthy, please.
·     Make cells out of Jello and candy (remember to make the Jello the night before)
Friday Field Trip: Bowling



Math: Number Order


Week 16

Monday              
Tuesday
Thursday
Topic
Day 6: Mankind (Circulatory System)
Day 6: Mankind (Circulatory System)
Day 6: Mankind (Muscular System)
Intro
·     Play Dough
·     Blocks
·     Stretch rubber bands between nails
Bible
·     Prov. 4:23
·     Deut. 6:5
·     Heb. 12:1
Math
·     Put hearts labeled 1-10 on stuffed animals and have the kids arrange them in the right order.
·     Candy heart patterns from  PreKinders
·     Sort hearts by color and size

·     Count while doing 10 sit ups, pull ups, crab steps, bear steps, jumping jacks, crunches, seconds of stretching
Music
·     My Bodyworks book with songs
·     “Love the Lord Your God”
·     “I’ve Got Peace Like a River”
·     “You Are My Sunshine”
·     “I Love You Lord”
·     “Love the Lord God”
·     “You are my Sunshine”
·     “Skidamarink”
·     “Jesus Loves the Little Children”
·     “Jumping Up and Down”
·     “Hokey Pokey”
·     “Father Abraham”
·     “Stand Up and Shout It”
Snack
·      
·      
·      
English
·     Alphabet Song
·     Practice spelling the kids names. Trace the letters of their name on a large paper and have them put brightly colored foam letters on the outlines
·     Books: I’ll Always Love You, From Head to Toe, Hear Your Heart
·     Write the kids’ names on a white board and have them find hearts with the corresponding letters
·     Books: Runaway Bunny, Guess How Much I Love You, Love You Forever
·     Alphabet binder E worksheet
·     Books: Inside Your Outside
Science
·     Heart-shaped candy science experiment from Coffee Cups and Crayons
·     Fill a balloon with water and put a straw in it. Have the kids squeeze the balloon (heart) to see it pump water through the straw (vein).
·     Put tacks on a picture of a body and stretch rubber bands where large muscles are. Have the kids flex their muscles and explain that the muscles help us move.
Craft
·     Pencil heart craft from Children’s Ministry Magazine
·     Make a heart craft
·     Make a self-portrait with paint or markers and yarn for hair
Friday Field Trip: Go sledding and build a snowman with a heart and a couple muscles (red scarfs) wrapped around the arms


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Circle Time


    Having  a consistent routine can help make the day run smoothly. It gives children a sense of security to know what is coming next and what is expected of them. As a teacher and as a parent, I like to have an intro activity. When I taught middle school, my students would walk in, grab their journals, and look at the board for their writing prompt. The writing prompts were varied to reduce boredom, but the system was predictable. I didn't have to explain what we were doing. We didn't lose any class time, and I had five minutes to take roll and get organized. Every morning, as I change my young ones' diapers, I ask them how they slept and spell their names in a sing-song voice. Then we go straight to the kitchen for breakfast. It's a comforting ritual that helps the day start on a happy note.

     For preschool, I have an intro activity table. The children will know that when school starts, they are to sit down and do whatever activity is on the table. It will be different every day (play-dough, puzzles, dress up, etc.) and won't need an explanation. That way I can make sure everything is set up and ready to go for the day. This is a final check, of course. I like to set up the night before, but there are always last minutes loose ends that need set out or prepared. Transitions can be such a time waster. It's really helpful to start the school day with a smooth beginning. Even if you just take a breath or a sip of coffee, you will start the day relaxed instead of rushed. 
    

     After the intro activity, we will have circle time. My circle-time board reminds us of this year's main idea: God is good! It also reinforces important skills that I am trying to teach them: days of the week, weather, feelings, time, and prayer.  I don't remember where I read this idea, but someone suggested letting the students move bookmarks labeled yesterday, today, and tomorrow through pockets labeled with the days of the week. I thought this was a great hands-on idea for teaching the progression of the days. 


    I love to make preschool lessons as visual and active as possible, so the kids will also be able to choose the card with the picture of today's weather, a card that shows how he or she is feeling, and prayer cards. They touch, and see, and hear, and move each element. I was on the fence about sharing our emotions--I am part Norwegian, after all--but decided it would be helpful for toddlers to learn to identify their emotions. When conflicts arise, they need to be able to recognize and communicate that they are angry because someone took their toy or sad because their feelings were hurt. 

     I might try to add pictures or color to the prayer cards, but for right now, it reminds me to pray an attribute of God, thank Him for His provision, and make a request. 


   I would love to hear how you begin your day, how you develop fun rituals or routines, and how you help smooth transitions!

Friday, August 8, 2014

Christmas Lessons

Craft: Gingerbread Houses


Christmas: Week 1

Monday              
Tuesday
Thursday
Topic
Christmas: Gabriel & Mary
Christmas: Trip to Bethlehem
Christmas: Stable, No Room at the Inn
Intro
·     Felt Christmas Tree
·     Thread Christmas piping in colander from Racheous

·     Put Christmas pegs (decorated clothespins) on the edge of a bucket from Racheous
Bible
·     Put out the nativity w/ Mary and the angel.
·     Luke 1:30-33
·     Put Joseph in the nativity and play with a stuffed donkey.
·     Luke 2:1-5
·     Add the empty manger to the nativity
·     Luke 2:6-7
Math
·     M&M Christmas wreath activity from Toddler Approved
·     12 Days of Christmas Activity from Adventures at Home With Mum
·     Nativity Printables
Music
·     “Rudolph”
·     “Angels We Have Heard on High”
·     “Away in a Manger”
·     “The 12 Days of Christmas”
·     “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”
·     “Silent Night”
·     “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
·     “Jingle Bells”
·     “Rudolph”
·     “Away in a Manger”
Snack
·      
·      
·      
English
·     Alphabet
·     Halo toss: try to spell angel by tossing the rings on the letters or into bowls with the letters on them
·     Books: Trim the Tree, Gingerbread Friends
·     Alphabet binder V worksheet
·      Books: A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Wonky Donkey, Twist and Ernest
·     Alphabet binder W worksheet
·     Books: The Tale of Three Trees, Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
Science
·     What melts ice the fastest experiment from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
·     Play Pin the Tail on the Donkey
·     Make Candy Cane Mice from Martha Stewart
·     Ask what mice at the first nativity might see, think, smell.
Craft
·     Coffee Filter Angel from Spoonful or
·     Mini Paper Angels from The Craft Train

·     Make Donkey Craft from Artistic Hands Off Faith
·     Make gingerbread houses
Friday Field Trip: Christmas Lights


English: Halo Toss



Math: Counting Sheep Game


Christmas: Week 2

Monday              
Tuesday
Thursday
Topic
Christmas: Shepherds
Christmas: Wise Men & Star
Christmas: Jesus
Intro
·     Scoop mini lights into muffin pans from Gift of Curiosity
·     Play dough snow men

·     Craft Stick Christmas Puzzles from Fireflies and Mud Pies
Bible
·     Add the shepherds to the nativity.
·     Luke 2:8-9
·     Add Wise Men to the nativity.
·     Mt. 2:1-2
·     Add Jesus to the nativity
·     Is. 9:6
Math
·     Counting Sheep Game from Mamas Like Me
Supplies: Clothespins, cups, cotton balls, dice
·         Put ornaments (poms) on construction paper trees that correspond w/ number on star from Rockabye Butterfly
·     Nativity Printables from Meet Penny
Music
·     “Jingle Bells”
·     “12 Days of Christmas”
·     “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep”
·     “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
·     “Angels We Have Heard on High”
·     “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
·     “O Christmas Tree”
·     “We Three Kings”
·     “Joy to the World”
·     “Jingle Bells”
·     “Joy to the World”
·     “Away in a Manger”
·     “Silent Night”
Snack
·      
·      
·     Sugar Cookies
English
·     Alphabet Song
·     Books: Sheep in a Jeep
·     Drop cotton balls down paper towel tubes labeled “SH” “EE” “P.” Say the sounds as each cotton ball is dropped.
·     Christmas Preschool Printables from Free Homeschool Deals
·      Books: any Christmas books
·     Nativity Printables from Fireflies and Mud Pies
·     Books: any Christmas books
Science
·     Little Bo Peep Sort from Spell Outloud

·     Make constellations by placing star stickers on black construction paper and connecting them with chalk from ehow
·     Make and decorate sugar cookies
Craft
·     Make Christmas cards
·     Salt Dough Star Crafts from Meaningful Mama
·     Nativity Craft

Friday Field Trip: Christmas Trees