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.
Who will you see for Thanksgiving?
MOM / DAD / GRANDMA / GRANDPA / COUSINS
Make Letter G shape:
- 1 Big curve and 2 little lines for capital G. Your child use a finger to trace the letter starting at the top, going down, around from left to right and jump back up (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IhunLGvptM) 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)
- Wet-Dry-Try on small chalkboard (Handwriting Without Tears) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6p4LUEGbwM
- 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
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 G (gerbil, giraffe, goat, goose, gorilla, grasshopper, groundhog.) You might want to add a picture of an Queen, so that your child can say that Queen does not start with G! Here is a book of G word pictures: https://twistynoodle.com/my-letter-g-minibook/ Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter G every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.
Science
For Growing Leeks Experiment, you need (1) leeks bottom part cut, (2) shallow cup, and (3) water. Ask your child what happens when you put the bottom cut part of a leek in water (hypothesis). You need to leave it in a sunny place, by a window if possible, and observe the transformation. What happens? What is growing? (Roots, leek)
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
My favorite quick recipe for baking corn muffins is to use the “Jiffy” corn muffin mix you can find in a grocery store. You need (1) 1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix, (2) 1 egg (or banana for vegetarians), (3) 1/3 cup of milk.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Grease muffin pan.
3. Mix ingredients (mix, egg, milk) together.
4. Fill muffin cup about 2/3 full.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (golden brown).
The children in my classroom all loved corn muffins with maple syrup! Yummy!
To make your own mix (you have to increase the amount of milk to 1 cup): (1) 1 cup of corn meal, (2) 1 cup all purpose flour, (3) 1/4 cup of sugar, (4) 3 teaspoons of baking soda, (5) 1 teaspoon salt, and (6) 1/4 cup oil
Language Arts
More Thanksgiving books for your child:
1. Over the River, A Turkey’s Tale by Derek Anderson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPUiwlKbQQM.
2. Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEnP0S7PEhA (not what you expect!)
After viewing a story, help your child to sequence the story: what came first, second,… and at the end. Share with your child what you are thankful for and encourage your child to express what your child is thankful for too.
”Thanksgiving Day is Here” Song (“The Farmer in the Dell” tune)
Thanksgiving Day is here. (2x)
Let’s give thanks for all we have.
Thanksgiving Day is here.
For all our moms and dads,
For all our families,
Let’s give thanks for all we have.
Thanksgiving Day is here.
For the flowers and the trees,
For the birds and the bees,
Let’s give thanks for all we have.
Thanksgiving Day is here.
”Five Little Pilgrims on Thanksgiving Day” Fingerplay.
Five little pilgrims on Thanksgiving Day,
The first one said, “I’ll take cake if I may.”
The second one said, “I’ll have Turkey/squash roasted.”
The third one said, “I’ll have chestnuts toasted.”
The fourth one said, “I’ll have pumpkin pie.”
The fifth one said, “I am no shy.”
The pilgrim stood up and said out loud to all , “Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day, everybody!”
”Five Fat Turkeys” traditional Song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w01pkrkMOFw)
Five fat turkeys are we.
We slept all night in a tree.
When the cook came around, we couldn’t be found.
And that’s why we’re here, you see!
Math
Have your child color in the table with this Thanksgiving Graphing (advanced) https://twistynoodle.com/thanksgiving-graphing-coloring-page/, or look for differences and color it in https://twistynoodle.com/thanksgiving-color-the-picture-that-is-different-coloring-page/
November is still 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 Pumpkin Pie Art Project, you need (1) scissors, (2) paper plate, (3) orange tissue paper, (4) brown construction paper, (5) glue, and (6) white cotton balls.
Directions:
1. Cut paper plate into 4 (4 triangles.)
2. Cut little squares of orange tissue paper for the pumpkin filling.
3. Cut little squares of brown construction paper for pie crust.
4. Glue orange tissue paper on paper plate triangular shape and brown squares on the rim.
5. Glue cotton balls on top for whipped cream.
6. Picture https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2016/11/12/fun-easy-thanksgiving-crafts-for-kids/
For Corn Display Art Project, you need (1) yellow, orange and brown construction paper, (2) scissors, (3) lego, (4) brown, orange, yellow tempera paint, (5) Cheerios, (6) glue, (7) piece of brown ribbon, (8) hole puncher, and (9) fork.
Directions:
1. Cut 1 ear or corn shape out of yellow, orange and brown construction paper and punch a hole at one end.
2. Glue Cheerios on brown ear of corn paper shape.
3. Paint with legos in brown and orange tempera paint on yellow ear of corn paper shape.
4. Glue on orange ear of corn shape with fork dipped in yellow and brown tempera paint.
5. Once dry, attach all three ears of corn shape with brown ribbon (through holes.)
6. Picture https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2016/11/12/fun-easy-thanksgiving-crafts-for-kids/
7. you can also cut brown paper corn husks to glue to ears of corn.
Small Motor Skills
Thanksgiving Bookmark https://twistynoodle.com/thanksgiving-bookmark-coloring-page/
Thanksgiving Line Tracing https://twistynoodle.com/thanksgiving-line-tracing-coloring-page/
Thanksgiving Sorting https://twistynoodle.com/thanksgiving-sorting-coloring-page/
Practice with Letter G https://twistynoodle.com/practice-writing-the-letter-g-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.
For playing Turkey Wobbling, play some music and have your child act out the following:
- Be a big turkey
- Be a small turkey
- Be a happy turkey
- Be a sad turkey,……