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.
Have you seen babies in…. ? STROLLER / CRIB / PAPOOSE / SWING
If you have My First School Book from Handwriting Without Tears methodology https://www.lwtears.com/hwt. Have your child complete page 38 and 39.
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 Southwest of the United States is also called the Desert Southwest. For Build a Desert in a Jar, you need (1) a medium jar with a lid, (2) sand, (3) rocks, (4) dirt, (5) sticks, (6) little cactus, if you can, or toy cactus, (7) water, and (8) toy desert animal(s) or insect(s).
Instructions:
- Put cactus in jar and surround it with a mixture of sand and dirt.
- Arrange rocks, sticks, animal(s)/insect(s) in jar.
- Pour water (about a 1/2-1 cup) in jar.
- Close lid and put jar in sunny spot.
- Observe jar every day for 1 week. What happens? Condensation at the bottom of the lid and water droplets falling back on cactus. Your desert biome works!
Let’s show the Southwest region of the United States on a map/Globe where the Apaches 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
Making popcorn with Tomie dePaola’s book: The Popcorn Book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCp59TLWmZI
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)
Language Arts
Here are more Native American stories:
- Baby Rattlesnake told by Native American Te Ata https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb9QppdgH-Y
- The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie dePaola (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyaifWkUWr0
- The Turtle Story – A Native American Account of Earthquakes told by told by storyteller and USC alumna Jacque Tahuka-Nunez (tribal descendant of the Acjachemen Nation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_83ppaxT74
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.
Native American Lullaby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB9W5PntH3s
Math
For the Clap and Spray the Number Math activity, you need (1) chalk and (2) spray bottle with water. The skills used are auditory discrimination, small motor and number sense. This activity is played outside. Write numbers from 1-5 with chalk (1-10, 10-20 depending of your child’s skills). Clap your hands a number of times and have your child recognize the number associated to the number of clapping. Your child then sprays with the water bottle the corresponding written number in chalk the same number of times.
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
For the Papoose Art Project, you need (1) brown construction paper, (2) scissors, (3) hole puncher, (4) yarn, (5) tape and (6) paper baby print-out https://twistynoodle.com/hi-baby-coloring-page/
Directions:
- Cut 2 large ovals out of brown construction paper. It is a papoose to put on your child’s back like a backpack.
- Punch 10-20 holes on the edge of bottom halves of both ovals together.
- Cut long piece of yarn.
- Keep both ovals together.
- Attach one end of piece of yarn to a hole and put a piece of tape around the other end.
- Lace both ovals together through their holes from one side to another.
- Color and cut the paper baby print-out, as well as draw designs on brown construction paper papoose.
- Fold outward 1 of the other half of 1 oval and slide colored paper baby in-between.
- Punch 2 holes on each side of papoose, cut 2 long pieces of yarn and attach to be the shoulder straps.
Free watercolor day!
For Native American Mat Weaving Art Project, you need (1) yarn, (2) scissors, (3) construction paper, (4) glue and (5) tape.
Directions:
- Cut a rectangular piece of construction paper (8×6 inches). That is the mat.
- Cut 3 slits equal distance on each side.
- Cut 3 pieces of yarn of 10 inches and attach to the mat. Ends go through slits and attached at the back of paper.
- Cut many pieces of yarn of 5 inches.
- Weave over and under attached strings of yarn with each piece of yarn. Repeat.
- Cut 2 10×8 pieces of construction paper and cut the inside of one piece to form a frame.
- Glue the rectangular piece with the weaving on the 10×8 and glue the cut frame on top.
- Picture http://missyellowshoes.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-activities-in-preschool.html
Small Motor Skills
The Snake Booklet https://twistynoodle.com/snake-booklet-3-minibook/
Sun Dot Painting https://twistynoodle.com/sun-dot-painting-coloring-page/
Quilt Pattern Coloring Page https://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/quilt-patterns-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.
Social-Emotional Development
What makes you unique? We all have unique talents that makes us shine! What‘s My Superpower? by Native American writer, Aviaq Johnston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WXYuPxbZ34 explores this theme. After viewing the story, help your child to tell you the superpowers of each child. Then, brainstorm what your and your child’s superpowers are.