By Halloween

Let’s sing together our song “Rise and Shine – Welcome to School Today” by Dr. Jean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyAD2OoFuoY and our greeting song “Hello to all the children of the world”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nYjGy_ZUG8

My favorite Closing Song sung on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” tune with movement:

Twinkle, twinkle little stars! Time is over and we say goodbye. (Open and close hands)
We had fun with all our friends. Let’s come back and do it again! (Arm moved up and back)
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars! What a wonderful bunch you are! (Blow kisses)

For the writing/reading process, have your child trace or copy (advanced skill) daily his/her name on paper/dry eraser board/ mini blackboard (kindergarten handwriting page) starting at the top of each letter (you could draw 🙂) either in all uppercase letters or just first letter in uppercase and the rest in lowercase.

I realize that you might have to survey other members of your family for the question of the day so that your child have enough tally marks to count or have your child put more than one tally mark.

What is scary?
GHOST 👻 / MONSTER 🧟‍♂️ / FAIRY 🧚‍♀️ / WITCH 🧙‍♀️

Making Letter I shape:

  1. 1 big line and 2 little lines for capital I/ 1 little line for Lowercase i with a dot. Your child use a finger to trace the letter starting at the top, going down and going back up to make the straight line from left to right (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNNZRD1VNV0). In order to start learning letters, your child will need a set of big curves, little curves, big lines and little lines in wood. You can purchase them at https://www.lwtears.com or make them your self. Here is a picture: http://cdn.lwtears.com/images/uploads/1_787_large.png)
  2. Wet-Dry-Try on small chalkboard (Handwriting Without Tears) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6p4LUEGbwM
  3. Play dough with small chalkboard (recipe: https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/playdough-recipe/) or you can purchase the Roll-A-Dough Set from Handwriting without Tears https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spjVLDXDixI

If you have My First School Book from Handwriting Without Tears methodology https://www.lwtears.com/hwt. Have your child complete page 31.

A whole week activity:
For the phonetic part, have a big yogurt container with a lid filled with small objects or pictures that start with the letter I (infant, ink, insect, invitation, itch, ill, in, if, into, inside for short /I/ and I, ice cream, idea, iron, island and ivy for long /I/.) You might want to add a picture of a door, so that your child can say that door does not start with I! Here is a book of I word pictures: https://twistynoodle.com/my-letter-i-minibook/ Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter I every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.

Science

On the tune of “Oh, my Darling Clementine”, we can sing: what’s the weather, what’s the weather, what’s the weather like today? Is it cloudy, is it rainy, is it sunny, is it cold? (You can also change the weather words).
Let your child check the weather and tell you about it. You might want to ask your child to do a weather drawing that you can label. Some activities will be repetitive to create a routine that brings comfort to your child.

Kitchen Science

For Halloween fun, your child can bake with your help some sugar cookies to decorate wIth icing. Yummy!

For the Halloween Cookies Recipe, you need:

  1. 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  3. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 1 cup butter, softened
  5. 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  6. 1 egg
  7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  8. Tub of icing

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
  4. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  5. Gradually blend the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients.
  6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden.
  8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
  9. Apply icing.
  10. If you want to use Halloween-themed cookie cutters, sprinkle the surface with flour and roll out the dough. Press cookie cutters of your choice. Use a spatula to lift cookies and put on cookie sheet.

Language Arts

Monsters’ stories can be scary for children. Keep in mind it is ok to stop watching the books and to move to another happy activity. There are:

Go Away Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE68m7VccLk

Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73_bdvzKF1U

I need My Monster by Amanda Nola (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwCxW7Nx4Ec

After viewing a book, help your child to sequence the story: what happened first, next,… and at the end. It is important to emphasize that monsters do not exist but are fun on Halloween. In the art section, your child will create a paper monster. You can also brainstorm with your child why monsters are scary and what you and your child can do to make monsters less scary.

”The Goblin in the Dark” Song (“The Farmer in the Dell” tune)

The goblin in the dark. The goblin in the dark.
Hi-Ho, it’s Halloween! The goblin in the dark!
The goblin takes a ghost. The goblin takes a ghost.
Hi-Ho, it’s Halloween! The goblin takes a ghost!
The ghost takes a witch. The ghost takes a witch.
Hi-Ho, it’s Halloween! The ghost takes a witch!
The witch takes a cat. The witch takes a cat.
Hi-Ho, it’s Halloween! The witch takes a cat!
The cat takes a bat. The cat takes a bat.
Hi-Ho, it’s Halloween! The cat takes a bat!
The bat stands alone. The bat stands alone.
Hi-Ho on Halloween, the bat stands alone!

“5 Little Monsters” Fingerplay

5 little monsters by the light of the moon.
Stirring pudding with a wooden spoon.
The first one said, “It mustn’t be runny.”
The second one said, “That would make it taste funny!”
The third one said, “It mustn’t be lumpy!”
The fourth one said, “It would make me grumpy!”
The fifth one smiles and hums a little tune,
And licks all the drippings from the wooden spoon!

“If You’re a Monster and You Know it” Song (“If You’re Happy and You Know It!” Tune)

If you’re a monster and you Know it, wave your arms. (2x).
If you’re a monster and you really want to show it!
If you’re a monster and you know it, wave your arms.

Other verses: show your claws, stomp your feet, grind your teeth, snore very loud,….

Math

For the Halloween Cupcakes Memory Game, you need to print cupcakes https://www.dearcreatives.com/halloween-memory-game-printables/ and scissors. After cutting all cupcakes’ pictures, make sure you have sets of two identical cupcakes. Turn the pictures face down on a flat surface and take turn turning 2 pictures face up to see if they are identical. If pictures are different, turn them face down again. The winner is the person turning up 2 identical pictures. You might want to start with 5 sets and increase the number of sets, considering your child’s success.

The last week of October! The calendar is a daily activity to do with your child that develop number and pattern recognition. Here is the link to print a calendar to update daily with your child. The set has a weather component, if you like. https://www.themailbox.com/magazines/october-calendar-setbr4-pages/october-calendar-set-3

Daily counting of tally marks and show your child a number card or write the number down to show your child. The numbers of the tallies will be different every day. Extend the concept by comparing numbers: which has more? Which has fewer? Which are the same? How many more (count with fingers)?

Art

For Go Away Big Green Monster Art Project, you need (1) scissors, (2) green, red, blue, yellow, white, purple, black construction paper, and (3) glue.
Directions:

  1. Cut 1 big circle for face and 2 jellybean shapes for ears out of green construction paper.
  2. Cut 1 big oval For mouth out of red construction paper.
  3. Cut 4-5 little triangles for teeth out of white construction paper.
  4. Cut 1 medium oval for nose out of blue construction paper.
  5. Cut thin strips for hair out of purple construction paper.
  6. Cut small small circles for eyes out of black, yellow and white construction paper. Black circles fit into yellow circles that fit into white circles.
  7. Take 1 sheet of black construction paper and glue all parts together.
  8. Picture https://www.classroomfreebies.com/2014/10/marvelous-monsters.html
  9. instead of a big green construction paper circle, your child can paint a paper plate with green paint too.

For Indian Corn Art Project, you need (1) green, white and brown construction paper, (2) scissors, (3) dot painting, (4) glue, and Letter I cut-out https://twistynoodle.com/trace-and-color-the-letter-i-3-coloring-page/

Directions:

  1. Cut letter I out of white construction paper.
  2. Cut 2 leaves out of green construction paper.
  3. Take 1 sheet of brown construction paper and glue Letter I and leaves.
  4. Dot paint the letter I with red, orange, brown and yellow color.
  5. Picture https://www.schooltimesnippets.com/2015/09/letter-i-is-for-indian-corn-preschool-alphabet-craft.html
  6. Once dry and if you have a Letterland binder, put the art in.

Small Motor Skills

Go Away Monsters! Book Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/monsters-minibook/

Uppercase Letter I https://twistynoodle.com/uppercase-letter-i-6-coloring-page/

Lowercase Letter i https://twistynoodle.com/lowercase-letter-i-coloring-page/

Gross Motor Skills

Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.

With your child, you can play a Game of Hide and Seek in your home or outside.

Social-Emotional Development

The Color Monster. A Story about Emotions by Anna Llenas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWujGPb6mgo After viewing the book, brainstorm with your child the emotions you have today.