Month of SEPTEMBER
Unit: ALL ABOUT ME
WEEK ONE
English Language Arts / Standard PK.LL.1 - communicate experiences, ideas, needs and choices and feelings by speaking.Key Skills:
- understands and participates in conversations, taking turns with peers and adults.
-uses tone of voice that is appropriate to the setting.
Meta-cognitive / I know that most of my students will be coming into school that first day with verbal skills and for those that do I want them practicing taking turns to talk and using an “inside voice”. I must keep in mind that for some students, it will be something for them to work on all year long. Hand raising and quiet voices just don’t come natural to some but peer pressure and constant reminders usually do the trick eventually.
Math / Standard: PK.N.3 Verbally count by 1’s to 10
SWBAT: Collectively count in a group up to 10 (by rote).
Meta-cognitive / It will be helpful to count to 10 on all the days that I have at least that many students. First I will model it and then the children can do it collectively. Months from now they will be counting to 20 on their own!
Social Studies / Standard PK.SS.1 - apply the skills of communicating, sharing and cooperating with others who have similar and different perspectives.
Key Skill: participates in the classroom community by formulating and following class rules.
Meta-cognitive / Creating a list during circle time of “things we CAN do in school” and “things we CANNOT do in school” is the probably the easiest way to initially create a list of classroom rules. As time goes on the rules can be refined but eventually they need to be posted where everyone can see them.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 - pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions
Key Skill: observes, investigates and asks questions about the world around him/her.
Meta-cognitive / As there is only one NYC science standard for Pre-K I will want to take it slow at first in building up their mastery of the key skills then expanding on the ways in which they will demonstrate their mastery of the standard. This is why I will only be covering one key skill for the month – to ensure total mastery.
WEEK TWO
English Language Arts / Standard: PK.LL.2 - Listen with understanding to conversations, directions, rhymes, songs and stories.Key Skills: understands and follows simple and multi-step directions.
Meta-cognitive / Ah yes! The listening part of being a child. This will probably be more difficult to master than the talking aspect of communication. However they will need to listen especially to their teachers and follow directions so that they will be safe, have fun, be happy and learn many things.
Math / Standard: PK.G.2 Informally play with solids (e.g., building blocks)
SWBAT: Use wooden blocks appropriately (stacking, aligning, turning) during center play.
Meta-cognitive / Wooden blocks, the staple of any early childhood classroom. One of my professors once told me that she felt blocks should be in classes up to 3rd grade! Well regardless of that, I need to ensure that they are properly introduced and after that, appropriately used by the children. Also, I will set a height limit (probably the shoulders) to protect them from falling objects. Lastly my block shelf should have pictures of the different shapes for easy pick up and shape differentiation practice.
Social Studies / Standard PK.SS.1 - pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions
Key Skill: identifies similarities and differences among him/herself and others.
Meta-cognitive / I know that this won’t be something I need to teach. In fact, I want the children to be able to come together with the things about them that are similar. Many ideas about being different – what I hope to keep their focus on is that “different is good”.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 - pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions.
Key Skill: observes, investigates and asks questions about the world around him/her.
Meta-cognitive / Being that there are actually 3 skills within this particular key skill it will take at least the first month for me to get all of my students to understand what it means to observe, investigate and ask appropriate questions. A KWL chart is excellent to introduce along side the beginning of a unit or lesson.
WEEK THREE
English Language Arts / Standard: PK.LL.1- communicate experiences, ideas, needs and choices and feelings by speaking.Key Skill: engages in meaningful conversations to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions and needs.
Meta-cognitive / Hopefully by now they are really trying to practice the whole “taking turns” aspect of conversation. They may not be the best listeners yet but they are developing those skills of proper communication.
Math / Standard: PK.M.2- Relate specific times such as day and night
SWBAT: Have a meaningful discussion about when certain activities take place (day or night)
Meta-cognitive / Most of the students should be able to tell if it is day or night but I want them to really hone their abilities to recognize connections between activities/events and the time of day so that eventually they will have internalized the schedule. Many of the group discussions in circle time will use words like (yesterday, now, soon, after, next, tomorrow, et al.)
Social Studies / Standard PK.SS.1 - apply the skills of communicating, sharing and cooperating with others who have similar and different perspectives.
Key Skill: works with others, takes turns, speaking, shares ideas and participates cooperatively in joint activities.
Meta-cognitive / This will be something of a work in progress for these new students. They will learn to work together, take turns, and participate in activities but for some it will take longer. For some it will be immediate. Two things will be working in my favor, peer pressure and consistency in the schedule will help the children adjust.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 - pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions
Key Skill: observes, investigates and asks questions about the world around him/her.
Meta-cognitive / Much of getting mastery of this standard for my students is going to be about exposure to new things and then having a meeting (i.e., circle time) to discuss and record the observations, questions, etc.
WEEK FOUR
English Language Arts / Standard: PK.LL.1- communicate experiences, ideas, needs and choices and feelings by speaking.Key Skill: interacts in a variety of conversation exchanges (one to one, small group, whole group).
Standard: PK.LL.2- Listen with understanding to conversations, directions, rhymes, songs and stories.
Key Skill: listens to a variety of stories, songs, poems, dramas and rhymes.
Introduce Library
Meta-cognitive / The “conversation exchanges” will be a part of the student’s day. They may be interacting one to one with friends during choice time, in small groups during art activities and with a whole group during circle time.
This week the students are beginning using the books in the classroom and exploring with them but I’m not leaving the books out permanently. It must be modeled how to proper hold, use and care for the books. The next month they will be putting what they have learned into practice. The former key skill of this week (varity of conversation exchanges) is what I want to start setting my students up for. This means having them not only participate during circle time, but present. It also means that I will be modeling the ways in which they need to talk to each other.
Math /
Standard: PK.G.1-Match shapes, first with same size and orientation, then withdifferent sizes and orientation
SWBAT: Identify simple shapes (i.e.: triangle, square, & circle)Meta-cognitive / It has been two weeks of “informal play with blocks. Now it is time for a term to be attached to different shapes. I could add labels to the shelves and group the blocks by shape and size. For the oddly shaped blocks the children could help develop names for them based one what they look like.
Social Studies / Standard PK.SS.2- begin to understand time, change and continuity and to relate past events to their present and future activities.
Key Skill: identifies routines and common occurrences.
(Create schedule)
Meta-cognitive / I will want to have pictures to correspond to the schedule. It can be a group activity – they can decorate the background and when it finally goes up on the wall, they will see themselves as acting out the schedule.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 - pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions
Key Skill: observes, investigates and asks questions about the world around him/her.
Month of OCTOBER
Unit: FAMILY/COMMUNITY
WEEK ONE
English Language Arts / Standard: PK.LL.5 - Exhibit a variety of behaviors when interacting with books.Key Skill: holds a book right side up and turns pages from right to left.
Meta-cognitive / Now that the books are out permanently I’ve had to ensure that all of the children are being respectful and careful with the materials. Any damage to the books means repairing or replacing the book and could mean having their “library card” suspended.
Math / Standard: PK.N.1- Count the items in a collection and know the last counting word tells how many items are in the collection (1 to 10)
SWBAT: Count how many boys/girls there are in the circle and be able to say how many are present.
Meta-cognitive / This may be difficult for everyone to do at first but if I make it part of the morning routine and keep a chart the children will eventually get it. I will model it first and then allow for them to practice.
Social Studies / Standard: PS.SS.3 – develop a growing understanding of position in space, geographical location and direction.
Key Skill: identifies common areas in the home and the school environment for example the kitchen, the office, the auditorium.
Meta-cognitive / Students will, by now, have been exposed to many of the places in the school. By talking about these locations before, during and after, I can improve the skills of identification.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 – pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions
Key Skill collects, describes and records data.
Meta-cognitive / A chart that corresponds to the amount of children present can connect to this.
WEEK TWO
English Language Arts / Standard: PK.LL.5 - Exhibit a variety of behaviors when interacting with books.Key Skill: verbalizes personal reactions to books.
Meta-cognitive / In circle time I am continuing to challenge the children with the books they are being exposed to. With this key skill I hope to have them expressing not only if they liked or disliked the book but what were their favorite parts and why this liked and disliked them.
Math / Standard: PK.M.1- Develop language such as bigger, longer, and taller to discuss length.
SWBAT: Participate in discussion about objects being “taller, bigger, shorter & smaller.”
Meta-cognitive / At first I can do this with inanimate objects but eventually I can have the children look at each other. The only thing that I want to be careful about is not allowing any of the children to feel bad about being taller or shorter. I could make a horizontal line on the wall and have the children guess if a person is taller or shorter. For “bigger and smaller.
Social Studies / Standard: PK.SS.1 - poses questions, seek answers and develop solutions.
Key Skill: identifies similarities and differences among him/herself and others
Meta-cognitive / I will have my students focusing more on what is similar first and then looking at differences. It is important to do this in a sensitive way so that feeling are not hurt and children to not feel ostracized.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 – pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions
Key Skill collects, describes and records data.
Meta-cognitive / I can connect this to the Math lesson, also to the attributes of their environment.
WEEK THREE
English Language Arts / Standard: PK.LL.4 - Look for meaning in visual symbolsKey Skill: shows a growing interest in asking for books to be read aloud and taken home.
Introduce Lending library
Meta-cognitive / This is per my discretion. It can be very difficult to do this especially if the parents are not going to be a part of this. During open house I will discuss this with parents and if I feel that they are on board then I’m all for lending books out. I may decide to exclude library books but this depends on if I believe the children and families of my class can be fully trusted.
Math / Standard: PK.S.1- Sort and organize objects by one attribute (e.g., color, size, or shape)
SWBAT: Sort manipulative objects by color.
Meta-cognitive / I can introduce this in small groups or large group and even create an art project out of it. Most of the manipulatives or table top activities (pegs, attribute blocks, beads, etc.) come in more than five different colors. Given that the students are all ready comfortable with them by now, they should have no trouble using them to improve their sorting abilities.
Social Studies / Standard: PK.SS.3- •develop a growing understanding of position in space, geographical location and direction.
Key Skill: produces block buildings and drawings to represent home, school and neighborhood.
Meta-cognitive / Labels can be created to represent certain neighborhood buildings and they can be attached to the wooden blocks. Blocks should by now be used to make buildings and other known structures.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 - poses questions, seek answers and develop solutions.
Key Skill: compares, contrasts and classifies objects and events.
Meta-cognitive / This can be linked to the Math standard.
WEEK FOUR
English Language Arts /- Standard: PK.LL.3- Talk for a variety of purposes:
- play monologues
- play dialogues
- imaginative discourse
- information and understanding
- social interaction
- critical analysis
- literary response and expression
Meta-cognitive / What I will be looking for is the type of language they are using. I want children standing up for themselves and expressing themselves appropriately during play. Sometimes it is best for me to stand back and let a situation play itself out before getting involved. Too much involvement on my part takes away from the children.
Math / Standard:PK.N.7- Recognize numerals (0-5)
SWBAT: Recognize at least three numbers (out of sequence) from a group 1-5.
Meta-cognitive / We have been doing calendar for almost 2 months now so it is hopefully sinking in. There should also be posters on the wall linking numbers with quantity.
Social Studies / Standard: PK.SS.5- understand that all people have basic needs.
Key Skill: identifies food, clothing and shelter as essential to everyone’s survival.
Meta-cognitive / Draw a list of things that people need. Create a parallel between being a community and how we all need the same things
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 - pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions.
Key Skill: compares, contrasts and classifies objects and events.
Meta-cognitive / Again, I wish to achieve mastery in my students. This is the purpose of repeating the same key skills from week to week. As the year goes on, particular key skills will be used in connection to what else is being done in the particular unit (especially math).
Month of NOVEMBER
Unit: FALL
WEEK ONE
English Language Arts / Standard: PK.LL.3- Talk for a variety of purposes:1.play monologues
2.play dialogues
3.imaginative discourse
4.information and understanding
5.social interaction
6.critical analysis
7.literary response and expression
Key skill: asks questions to obtain information.
Meta-cognitive / Asking questions may come quite natural to pre-k students but at this point in the year it is important for them to master the proper usage and times for using who, what, when, where, why and how. Having them formulate appropriate questions for a KWL chart is a good way to check for mastery. Also, if I am in circle and they raise their hand, I can ask them if they have a question or a statement. I will need to remind them if what they have said is in fact a statement or a question.
Math / Standard: PK.A.1- Duplicate simple patterns using concrete objects
SWBAT: Add three manipulatives to a pattern, keeping with the pattern.
Meta-cognitive / This will be something that I will work on with my students in small groups. Unifix cubes are great for this because this link together. I can also have the children color in boxes that correspond with the patterns they create.
Social Studies / Standard: PK.SS.2- begin to understand time, change and continuity and to relate past events to their present and future activities.
Key Skill: identifies changes in their environment such as growth in plants. (i.e.: Changing of Leaves)
Meta-cognitive / It will usually take this long in NYC for the leaves to begin to change. Perhaps in colder parts of the country it would be affective to begin a unit on Fall in September or October but here in New York there would be a gap between what my students are learning and what they are seeing outside.
Science / Standard: PK.ST.1 - pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions.
Key Skill: compares, contrasts and classifies objects and events.
Meta-cognitive / Perhaps I could use pictures, taken at the beginning of the school year of a well know neighborhood tree, to have them begin comparing, contrasting and classifying the effects of fall.
WEEK TWO