Related Resources: a Teacher S Guide to Opening Centers, Heritage Tree Parent Handout
(A) General Information
Study/Topic - BIG IDEAS this week:Children will deepen their exploration of weather by discussing the seasons and how animals prepare for winter. This relates to children’s experience (since most climates have some form of seasonal change) as well as interests (since animals are typically of great interest). NOTE: Depending on when you implement this theme and where you live, modifications may be needed to ensure it is meaningful to children (for example, focusing less on snow per se, and more on weather becoming colder). / Key vocabulary:
1. Seasons 1.Temporadas
2. Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn/ Fall 2. Invierno, Primavera, Verano, Otoño
3. Hibernate 3. Ibernar
Words to describe weather: Hot, cold, chilly, freezing, warm, cool, sunny, cloudy, etc.
Palabras que describen el clima: Calor, Frio, Congelacion, Tibio,frio, Soleado, Nublado etc.
Friday “To Do” List: / - Review Planned Read-Alouds; read books through at least once.
- Review Small Group Activity forms and gather/create materials, including pom-poms, paper plates, squeeze bottles for paint, playdough, mitten/glove cut-outs, pattern cards
- Gather/create materials for centers and circle time, including materials to reenact The Mitten; magazine photos / greeting cards showing different seasons; ice-cube trays; examples or pictures of cold and hot items
- Second Step (SS) Week-
Support for Dual Language Learners: / Plan how you will incorporate multiple strategies for supporting Dual Language Learners throughout the day. When are good times to scaffold their acquisition of English, through clear descriptive language and gestures? What are opportunities to use their home language, to show it is valued while also encouraging them to speak in whatever language they wish? Within the teaching team, discuss specifics of how you will support individual DLLs. For example, Spanish-speaking teacher could sit with children during center time and talk about what they are doing; teacher doing read-aloud could use different voice or gestures to emphasize unfamiliar words. For non Spanish speaking teacher the use of picture cards or gestures.
Family/ Community Involvement: / Encourage parents to talk to their children about the weather, using words like overcast, foggy, bright, sunny, pouring rain, drizzling, breezy, chilly, warm, etc. Suggest that they ask their children what they think they should wear for school each day (long pants or shorts, sweater or t-shirt).
Families can do further explorations with their child. For example, go on a walk with their child in their neighborhood or a nearby park, and talk about what they see; notice the changes of the seasons and what it means to their child.
At the end of the week, post the results of “Charting the Weather” (see circle time) with a caption for parents explaining the activity, and suggesting that they could continue it at home too.
(B) Materials to Enhance Children’s Play
Blocks / Dramatic Play / Toys and GamesAdd:
Pictures of familiar buildings or park settings (or other places) in different seasons. / Add:
Materials to re-enact The Mitten –animal puppets, blanket/sheet/sleeping bag / Add:
“How Many Meatballs?” – pompoms, small paper plates (see small-group activity)
Art / Library/Writing / Discovery/Science
Add:
Magazine/ greeting card cut outs showing different seasons
Symmetrical pictures (children’s creations from previous unit and/or other images you find)
If desired: Food collage materials – pompoms, yarn, paper plates (see How Many Meatballs small-group activity) / Add:
Read-aloud books from this week / Keep: Collections of natural objects ( sticks, leaves, rocks, etc.)
Add:
Magnifying lenses
“Find That Number”: have number cards (1-10, with numeral and dots) and encourage children to count a set of natural items that corresponds with a particular number card.
Sand and Water / Music and Movement / Computers
Add:
Snow, finely crushed ice, or water with ice cubes in it.
OR ice cubes in sealed baggies
Or, if weather is cold enough, leave water table outside overnight to chill or freeze!
Ice-cube trays, other items for pouring, measuring or “cooking”
Outdoors / Cooking
C) Group Experiences
/ Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday /Arrival
Opening Circle
Movement
Relaxation
Transitions
Closing Circle / Arrival: Attendance graph
(QOTD): Which do you like better, wearing short sleeves or long sleeves? Provide visuals of each answer choice. Have children answer charting with whiteboard/pocket chart/etc.
Morning Circle:
Welcome song & one other
Chart Weather
Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day
Review results of QOTD with the full group, counting each column and writing the numeral.
SS Puppet Script
Transition:
Music/Movement: SS Song & Mr. Sun
Relaxation:
Transition: SS Brain Builder-
Closing Circle:
Goodbye song / Arrival: Attendance graph
Morning Circle:
Welcome song & one other
Chart Weather
Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day
Transition: QOTD: What is your favorite season? (Spring/ Fall/ Winter/ Summer) Provide visuals of each answer choice. Have children respond so you can engage in individual feedback loops; e.g., “why summer? What do you like about winter?”
Music/Movement: “Hibernation Dance” (see below) & one other
Relaxation:
Transition:
Closing Circle:
Revisit QOTD weather, count, write numeral.
Goodbye song / Arrival: Attendance graph
Morning Circle:
Welcome song & one other
Chart Weather
Cold vs. Hot: Show a variety of items/pictures and ask children to identify which are cold and which are hot. (E.g. snow vs. sun, ice cream vs. soup, etc.)
Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day
Transition: Pull up TS Gold Activity “Rhyming Riddles”
Music/Movement: SS Song & “Whistling Wind”
Sung to If you're happy and you know it"
If you hear the whistling wind,
Cup your ears.
If you hear the whistling wind,
Cup your ears.
If you hear it in the trees
Making music with the leaves,
If you hear the whistling wind,
Cup your ears.
If you feel the Blustery wind,
Whirl around
If you feel the blustery wind,
Whirl around.
If you feel it lift your hair
Like a kite up in the air,
If you feel the blustery wind,
Whirl around.
Relaxation:
Transition:
Closing Circle:
Goodbye song / Arrival: Attendance graph
Morning Circle:
Welcome song & one other
Chart Weather ** After tallying today’s weather, look back at the week and make comparisons. E.g., how many days was it sunny this week? Were there more rainy days or sunny days? What kind of weather happened the least? Etc.
Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day
Transition:
SS Skill Activity
Music/Movement: Choose on other and “Rainy”
Sung to "Frere Jacques"
It is raining, It is raining,
On my head, on my head.
Pitter, patter raindrops,
Pitter, patter raindrops,
I'm all wet, I'm all wet!
Relaxation:
Transition: SS Brain Builder-Mixed
Closing Circle:
Goodbye song
Read-Alouds / Group 1: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
Group 2: The Mitten by Jan Brett
(focus on children’s understanding and enjoyment / Group 1: The Mitten by Jan Brett
(focus on children’s understanding and enjoyment
Group 2: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming / Group 1: SS Story and Discussion
Group 2: SS Book- / Group 1: SS Book-
Group 2: SS Story and Discussion-
Small-Group Activity / Group 1: Animal Homes; have children draw and talk about the animal homes in the book (See Activity Guide) TS Gold Objectives- 8a,s8a,10a,s10a,11a,11b
Group 2: Mitten-Glove Patterns (See Activity Guide) TS Gold Objectives- 20,20b, 23 / Group 1: Mitten-Glove Patterns (See Activity Guide) TS Gold Objectives- 20,20b, 23
Group 2: Animal Homes; have children draw and talk about the animal homes in the book(See Activity Guide) TS Gold Objectives- 8a,s8a,10a,s10a,11a,11b / Group 1: SS Skill Practice Activity
Group 2: Exploring Symmetry (continued) (See Activity Guide) TS Gold Objectives- 17b,s17b,21a,33 / Group 1: Exploring Symmetry (continued) (See Activity Guide) TS Gold Objectives- 17b,s17b,21a,33
Group 2: SS Skill Practice Activity
Special Activities / Noticing changes in weather: Discuss the clothes children wore to school and how those relate to the weather. E.g. is anyone wearing shorts? Did anyone wear a jacket to school? (etc.) If possible, show photos of children from earlier in the year (wearing warm-weather clothes), as a contrast. / Play music and have children move/dance like an animal. When music stops, children ‘hibernate’ by lying down on the carpet. After, ask what animals they were? / How Are These Books the Same? Lay out books from this week and/or last week. Encourage children to think about their similarities and to find two books that “match” in some way. (E.g., two books about animals; two books that have snow in them…) Point out that two books can be similar in one way, but other items are similar in another way.
Tangible Acknowledgment System
Inclement Weather Plan
Emergency Drill
Outside / Point out and discuss with children any changes in weather or signs of the season (snow, wind, plants growing, leaves, etc). Use vocabulary like chilly, breezy, warm, bright, foggy, etc. / Observe any “wild animals” near your center: squirrels, chipmunks, birds, etc.
“Gathering Food for Winter” – hide acorns or other small items in advance, then children can play at being field mice, gathering the “food” and storing it in a safe place.
Individual Child Planning Form
Teachers: / Classroom: / Week of:Focus Date / Child’s
Name / School Readiness Goal Focus Domain(s) / Focus TS GOLD Objective(s) / Why Chosen?
(IFSP, observation/assessment
, family input conference goal, etc.) / Strategy/Activity
NOTE: Children with similar needs may benefit from differentiated instruction (e.g. during small-group activity). You can use the “Small Group” column at right to make notes about possible groupings. / Possible small-group? / CHECK when implemented
Soc-Emotional / Approaches to Learning / Language & Literacy / Cogn./ Gen. Knowledge / Physical
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IFSP Child Planning
Child’sName / School Readiness Goal Focus Domain(s) / Focus TS GOLD Objective(s) / IFSP GOAL / Strategy/Activity
NOTE: Children with similar needs may benefit from differentiated instruction (e.g. during small-group activity). You can use the “Small Group” column at right to make notes about possible groupings. / Possible small-group? / CHECK when implemented
Soc-Emotional / Approaches to Learning / Language & Literacy / Cogn./ Gen. Knowledge / Physical
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*Please review all IFSP plans including Speech Only to ensure implementation of all classroom goals.
*For speech goals the what/who would be: Directed by the Speech Language Therapist
*If you have additional goals, highlight the last row for that child, right click with mouse, scroll to Insert rows, scroll to insert row below. Do this as many times as needed.