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.
Which word starts with the letter U ?
UMBRELLA ☂/ ISLAND🌴/ UNICORN 🦄 / HAT 🎩
The letter U is fairly easy to write starting at the top, going straight down and going back up. But the focus is on the two sounds. There are the short /U/ sound like in umbrella and the long /U/ sound like unicorn. It is important to point it out. Here is Letterland Uppy Umbrella Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5atjDz04yZQ After listening, show your child how to write a capital U and a lower case u, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gosWhkMwf8) and have your child trace the letter U and u. The story about letter U is Uppy Umbrella is So Upset is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS-nEeKVZ-0
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 U (umbrella, uncle, ugly, up, under, underneath, understand, upstairs, upside down, us for short /U/ and unicorn, university, uniform, United, unicycle, use, useful for long /U/.) You might want to add a picture of ice-cream, so that your child can say that ice-cream does not start with U! Here is a book of U word pictures: https://twistynoodle.com/letter-u-minibook/ Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter U every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.
Science
For the Halloween Balloon Ghost Experiment, you need (1) white balloon, (2) small plastic bottle, (3) black marker, (4) vinegar, (5) baking soda, (6) measuring spoon and (7) funnel.
Hypothesis: Ask you child what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar in a bottle attached to a balloon?
Experiment:
- Draw a face on the white balloon or ghost.
- Pour vinegar into little plastic bottle halfway.
- With funnel, put 3 teaspoons of baking soda in balloon.
- Attach balloon to bottleneck and lift balloon to mix baking soda with vinegar.
Conclusion(s): what happens? Did the balloon expand? Put more baking soda in balloon and swirl around the plastic bottle for stronger results. https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/halloween-balloon-experiment/
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.
Language Arts
Have you heard of a reading buddy from elementary school? Some schools organize reading buddy time! Let’s pretend your child has a reading buddy.
1. Boo Who? By Ben Clapton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysGPz6p22kU
2. The Little Ghost Who Lost her Boo! By Elaine Bickell (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsCYuHaEhkA
After Viewing a book, help your child to sequence the story: what happened first, next,…. and at the end. Two themes emerge from the reading: inclusion in play and positive interaction. Discuss with your child either how to invite others to have a fun play with examples or how/when to ask for help.
”Friendly Ghost” Song (“Frère Jacques” tune)
I’m a friendly Ghost, I’m a friendly Ghost!
Watch me fly! watch me fly!
I can fly right through the air.
See how all the people stare.
Way up high in the sky!
“Friendly Ghost” Movement
I saw a ghost. (Fingers make circles around eyes.)
He saw me too! (Point to self.)
I waved at him. (Wave a hand.)
He just said, “Boo!” (Try to scare a person next to you.)
“5 Little Ghosts” Fingerplay
5 little ghosts dressed all in white
Were scaring each other on Halloween night.
”Boo!” Said the first ghost. “I’ll catch you!”
”Wooo!” Said the second ghost. “I don’t care if you do!”
The third ghost said, “You can’t run away from me!”
The fourth one said, “I’ll scare everyone I see!”
The fifth one said, “It’s time to disappear!”
”See you on Halloween time next year!”
Math
More patterns! Halloween Sudoku https://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/images/msudoku.gif
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 the Cotton Ball Ghost Art Project, you need (1) cotton balls, (2) glue, (3) black construction paper, (4) scissors and (5) white chalk.
Directions:
- Draw a ghost on sheet of black construction paper.
- Cut 3 circles on black construction paper for ghost eyes and nose.
- Glue cotton balls to cover ghost drawn.
- Glue ghost eyes and nose circles.
If your child wants to hang the ghost, have cotton balls glued on black card stock or on painted black cardboard. Make a hole at the top and tie a string.
For Painted Hand or Foot Ghost Art Project, you need (1) black construction paper, (2) white paint, (3) brush, (4) white chalk, and (5) glue.
Directions:
- Paint with brush your child’s hand or foot in white.
- Press hand or foot several times on black construction paper to make a print.
- Cut 3 black construction paper circles for ghost eyes and nose.
- Once dry, glue ghost eyes and nose circles on painted hand or foot.
Your child can also use big tree leaves Painted with brush or cookie cutters in paint, coffee filters or paper tissues tied with black marker face drawings to make many ghosts.
Small Motor Skills
Ghost Cutting Practice https://twistynoodle.com/ghost-cutting-practice-coloring-page/
Ghost Book https://twistynoodle.com/ghost-book-2-minibook/
Ghost Dot Painting https://twistynoodle.com/ghost-dot-painting-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.
Your child can be a little ghost with a bed sheet and move around your home or outside.