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 capital/uppercase and the rest in lowercase. If your child is starting to write on paper, you can write your child’s name with a highlighter and your child can use a crayon to trace it.
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 Q?
QUAIL / OWL 🦉/ QUEEN 👑/ QUILT/ EAGLE 🦅
On Day 1, we started with Quarrelsome Queen from Letterland and listen to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIk5veO2Ecw After listening, your child traced a capital Q and a lower case q, starting at the top (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJnZePnDo-U). Let’s listen in the Letterland Story Corner, Quarrelsome Queen and Her Quiz book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSIpbDnxekE After listening to the story, help your child to retell the story using lots of Q words.
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 Q (Quack, quarrelsome, quarter, queen, question, queue, quick, quiet, quill, quilt, quite, quiz, Quincy, quail, quinoa.) You might want to add a picture of an owl, so that your child can say that owl does not start with Q! Here is a book of Q word pictures: https://www.first-school.ws/t.asp?t=http://www.first-school.ws/images/alpha/ap1/q.gif Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter Q every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.
Science
The Seminole tribe are part of the Cherokee Nation. In the Muskogean language, hello is “Istonko” Let’s go on a field trip to Florida. Learning about Seminole Native Americans – Seminole Native American village Field Trip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67rLTlENejY
Let’s show your child the Southeast region of the United States where the Cherokees and Seminoles live. https://csl.noaa.gov/assessments/climate/2017/guide.html
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 our adventurous children, Kevin Noble Maillard gives us the Kevin’s Fry Bread Recipe in his book. For another easy fry bread recipe, you need (1) 4 cups flour, (2) 1/2 tsp salt, (3) 1 tbsp baking powder, (4) 1 1/2 cups warm water, (5) 4 cups of shortening for frying (or coconut oil), (6) bowl and spoon, (7) pan, and (8) paper towel.
Directions:
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder and stir in lukewarm water.
- Knead until smooth.
- Shape into 3-inches balls.
- Flatten into 1/2 inch thick patties and make a hole in patty’s center.
- Fry one patty at a time in hot shortening and turning both sides brown.
- Drain on paper towels.
Language Arts
Every day in the Native American theme, I will introduce Native American writers with their books. Did you know Sequoyah was a Native American polymath of the Cherokee Nation, who in 1821 created a Cherokee Syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible?
- Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MibEeGiFThM
- At the Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnNoyNNhDkg
- We are Grateful – Otsaliheliga – by Traci Sorrel (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLD5YbPXSl8
- Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun to Earth told by Elaine J. Cohen (oral tradition of Cherokee tradition) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNBNGL9uLCI
After viewing a book/oral story, encourage your child to tell you what the story was about and brainstorm with your child what is the same or different with your family traditions.
The Popcorn Song (“I’m a Little Teapot” tune) and Movement
I’m a little corn kernel yellow and round. (Roll into a ball)
Heat me up and watch me pop! (Jump high)
When I’m white and fluffy, I’m done. (Open arms)
Popping corn is so much fun! (Clap hands)
”A Silly Slippery Snake” Song (“If You’re Happy and You Know It” tune)
Oh, I wish I was a silly slippery snake. (2x).
Oh, I’d slither across the floor and I’d slip under the door.
Oh, I wish I was a silly slippery snake.
The Cherokee Morning Song with translation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhcgX1VHsgk&app=desktop
Math
For Cherokee “Chunkey” Game, you need (1) ball (big stone) or hoop and (2) lots of little sticks. Roll the hoop or ball. Each player tries to throw sticks at a distance either through the hoop or at the ball as many times as possible. Each player counts hits. The winning player is the one with the highest number!
November is here! 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/november-calendar-setbr4-pages/november-calendar-set-2
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
Cherokee people are well-known for their handmade beautiful clay pots. You can use readymade clay or use this modeling clay recipe (https://www.familyeducation.com/fun/clay/homemade-clay-recipes). You need (1) 2 cups of salt, (2) 2/3 cup of water, (3) small pot, (4) 1 cup cornstarch, (5) 1/2 cup cold water, (6) bowl with spoon, and (7) paint or markers. Store your unused clay in a ziplock bag.
Directions:
- Mix salt and 2/3 water and heat for 5 minutes in small pot.
- Remove from heat and add cornstarch and cold water.
- Mix until smooth and return to heat until thick.
- Once clay cool, shape into desired bowl or other of your choice.
- Once dry, decorate or draw with paint, markers,….
For Native American Symbols on Rocks, you need (1) smooth or other rocks, (2) markers, and (3) print https://e-warren1114-aho.blogspot.com/2012/08/native-american-symbols_5.html Your child can draw/copy symbols on one side of rocks and you can label each rock on the other side.
Small Motor Skills
Cherokee Indian Coloring Page https://coloringhome.com/cherokee-indian-coloring-pages
Letter Q Dot Painting https://twistynoodle.com/letter-q-dot-painting-coloring-page/
I can trace and color the letter Q https://twistynoodle.com/i-can-trace-and-color-the-letter-q-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.
Let’s learn to dance with “How to Powwow Dance” video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI2gnTZh0-I
Social-Emotional Development
In this pandemic era, children experience many feelings of change and loss. Here is a story of a girl moving to a new house, meeting an elderly woman, Agnes, and seeing her get sick. Bird Song is written by a Native American, Julie Flett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zos158j-He0 After viewing the story, encourage your child to describe the feelings the girl had in the story about moving and in her relationship with Agnes.