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 J ?
SNAKE 🐍 / JAGUAR 🐆 / GOAT 🐐 / JELLY
Let’s start with Jumping Jim from Letterland and listen to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OUEtSROwE8 After listening to the song, have your child trace a capital J and a lower case j, starting at the top (song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJnZePnDo-U), go down and jump back up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzQCbX_7wDs
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 J (Jacquet, jam, January, jar, jaw, jelly, jigsaw, job, jog, joke, jolly, journey, joy, jug, juggle, juice, July, jump, jumper, June, jungle, just.) You might want to add a picture of an Snake, so that your child can say that Snake does not start with J! Here is a book of J word pictures: https://twistynoodle.com/j-minibook/ and https://www.first-school.ws/t.asp?t=http://www.first-school.ws/images/alpha/ap1/j.gif Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter J every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.
Science
Preparing Reindeer Chow is a fun activity for your child if you celebrate Santa Claus. For reindeer food, you need (1) sandwich ziplock bag, (2) oats, (3) a big spoon, and (4) some sparkle or colored sand. Have you child spoon oats with a spoon in a sandwich ziplock bag and shake some sparkle or colored sand in it. This rhyme will tell your child what to do:
“Make a wish and close your eyes tight.
Then sprinkle the chow on your lawn at night.
As Santa Claus’ reindeer fly and roam.
This chow will guide them to your home!”
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
Reindeer Literature Time:
1. The Littlest Reindeer by Brandi Dougherty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI51ds2sTUY.
2. Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jN_BCI1w-Y
3. Olive the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDcCVXou1G8.
4. The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan (advanced) Brett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOqqFrtj3iM
After viewing a book, help your child to sequence the story: what happened first, next,… at the end. The major theme in all four books is to praise differences. Brainstorm with your child how differences are good like Rudolf’s red nose guided Santa’s sled or Olive’ s smell found Santa’s home.
“Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” Song
You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid,
And Donner and Blitzen.
But, do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer use to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolf join in any reindeer games.
Then, one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say,
“Rudolf with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleight tonight?”
Then, all the reindeer loved him, as they shouted out with glee,
“Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history!”
“Five Little Reindeer” Rhyme
Five little reindeer playing in the snow.
The first one said, “Can you see my nose glow?”
The second one said, “Listen to me sing!”
The third one said, “can you hear the bells ring?”
The fourth one said, “Look Santa came by!”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready to fly!”
Then clomp went their hooves on a blanket of white,
And the five little reindeer flew out of sight!
“I’m a Little Reindeer” Song (“I’m a Little Teacup” tune)
I’m a little reindeer ready to fly.
I pull Santa’s sleigh up in the night sky.
When Christmas is here, we can’t be late.
All the little children just cannot wait!
Math
When I start holiday traditions and celebrations in the classroom, I send families a cardboard star to decorate at home and return to me. I then decorate the classroom with al the beautifully and creatively decorated stars. Here is one for you:
The night sky is full of stars! Jupiter and Saturn are about to meet in the sky. Many websites will provide information for night sky observers. Encourage your child to go outside on a clear sky to count the stars! Here is a Maryland site: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@4361831
December is here now! 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/december-calendar-set/december-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 Reindeer Paper Ornament Art Project, you need (1) light brown construction paper, (2) dark brown tempera paint with brush, (3) red Pom-pompom, (4) 2 googly eyes, (5) scissors, (6) piece of ribbon, (7) glue, and (8) hole puncher.
Directions:
1. Paint your child’s hand with dark brown tempera paint and brush. This is the reindeer.
2. Print on light brown construction paper, cut around hand with fingers and laminate if you can. This is the ornament.
3. Glue the red pompom at the base of your child’s palm and 2 googly eyes above it.
4. Punch a hole between tip of fingers and loop/tie a piece of ribbon.
5. Picture http://mrswilliamsonskinders.blogspot.com/2012/12/grinch-and-reindeer-fun.html
For Letter J for Jellyfish Art Project, you need (1) J print out https://twistynoodle.com/letter-j-cutting-practice-2-coloring-page/, (2) scissors, (3) white, yellow and blue construction paper, (4) glue, (5) light blue yarn, and (6) 2 googly eyes.
Directions:
1. Cut letter J out of white construction paper with stencil and cut a half-circle for Jellyfish’s head in yellow construction paper.
2. Glue white construction paper letter J and yellow head on blue construction paper sheet.
3. Cut long pieces of light blue yarn and glue them on letter J starting at its head for jellyfish’s arms dangling.
4. Glue 2 googly eyes.
5. Insert the page in your Letterland binder, if you have one. Picture: https://crystalandcomp.com/j-is-for-jellyfish-letter-of-the-week-preschool-craft/
Small Motor Skills
Reindeer Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/reindeer-11-coloring-page/.
Help Reindeer find the Candy Cane https://twistynoodle.com/help-the-reindeer-find-the-candy-canes-coloring-page/
Letter J Activity Book https://twistynoodle.com/letter-j-activity-book-minibook/
Gross Motor Skills
Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.
Let’s do the Reindeer Pokey (“Hokey Pokey” tune) (With Jack Hartmann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pgB82Ok_Pk)
You put your hooves in.
You put your hooves out.
You put your hooves in and you shake them all about.
You do the reindeer Pokey and you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
Other verses: antlers, tail, …..