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 holiday tradition do you celebrate?
CHRISTMAS 🎄/ HANUKKAH 🕎/ KWANZAA / OTHERS
Make Letter D Shape:
- 1 big line, 1 big curve for capital D/1 big line and 1 little curve for Lowercase d. Your child use a finger to trace the letter starting at the top, going down and jump back up. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4BFXYlOT8k) 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 D (daddy, daffodil, daisy, dance, day, dinner, dish, doctor, dog, doll, donkey, door, down, draw, dress, dolphin, dinosaur, drink, drum, duck.) You might want to add a picture of a Jaguar, so that your child can say Jaguar that does not start with D! Here is a book of D word pictures: https://twistynoodle.com/letter-d-minibook/ and https://www.first-school.ws/t.asp?t=http://www.first-school.ws/images/alpha/ap1/d.gif Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter D every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.
Science
Let’s review colors. The primary colors are yellow, red, and blue. The secondary colors are a mix of primary colors. Ask you child what color do you get when you mix yellow and red, red and blue, and yellow,red and blue. Have different paint on hand, spoons, and sandwich ziplock plastic bags. Spoon a combination of different paint colors in each sandwich ziplock bag, close and shake. which color do you see?
The Kwanzaa colors are red, black and green. Which colors do you mix to make the color green? Have your child 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
Kwanzaa Literature:
1. My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsU91jx6ac
2. My Family Celebrates Kwanzaa by Lisa Bullard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rXsx15Ls7o
3. Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBxXzc70-nw
4. Together for Kwanzaa by Juwanda G. Ford (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbT1xaiIXCs
After viewing a book, help your child sequence the story: what happened first, next,… at the end. The story of Kwanzaa is the major theme. Brainstorm with your child the differences and similarities between Kwanzaa and your holiday tradition.
Sesame Street : What is Kwanzaa? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kV-6qVp98Q
“Happy Kwanzaa” Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPR7jsc6JRw&list=RDEPR7jsc6JRw&start_radio=1&t=114
Math
For Shape Memory Game, print on card stock https://twistynoodle.com/make-your-own-memory-game-coloring-page/ (advanced- add other shapes) To play the game, have your child turn all cut shape cards face down. Each player takes turn to turn over 2 cards and, if they match, can take them away. Play until there is no cards left.
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 Kwanzaa Paper Chain Art Project, you need (1) black, green and red construction paper, (2) scissors, (3) stapler, and (4) marker.
Directions:
1. Cut bands of red, black and green construction paper.
2. Staple bands of color in a loop inside each other to build a chain. Your child can do the Kwanzaa Kinara pattern: green, green, green, black, red, red, red.
3. With marker, write the principles on candles: unity, self-determination, responsibility, cooperation, purpose, creativity, and faith (advanced).
4. Use the bands of red, green and black to construct a Kwanza Kufi style hat.
5. Use bands to lace a Kwanzaa Mkeka or mat. (Tape in place.)
For Kwanzaa Unity Cup or Kikombe cha Umoja Art Project, you need (1) plastic wine glass (with foot), (2) glue, (3) scissors, (4) red, black and green tissue paper, and (5) other decoration.
Directions:
1. Cut little squares of black, red and green tissue paper.
2. Glue squares all over plastic wine cup.
3. Glue more decoration on top of tissue paper like beads,…
4. With a black pipe cleaner and red/black/green beads/colored straw pieces, your child can build a Kwanzaa bracelet to wear or put around plastic wine decorated cup.
Small Motor Skills
Kwanzaa Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/kwanzaa-coloring-page/
The Kinara Candles Coloring Page https://www.first-school.ws/t.asp?t=http://www.first-school.ws/images/ac/colors/cbl_kwaanza.gif
Letter D Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/uppercase-letter-d-coloring-page/
Letter d Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/lowercase-letter-d-3-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.
Inside time can bring fun to the whole family with music and dance, especially during the holiday season. Dance with your child(ren) on your favorite holiday music!