OUR PRESCHOOL HOMESCHOOL BLOG

OUR PRESCHOOL OUTLINE

2008-12-03T11:50:00.000-05:00

We Use the free online

Brightly Beaming Resources Plan

source

26 WEEK PRESCHOOL PLAN WEEK BY WEEK

COLOR SONGS (click here)

1ST:

CLICK HERE TO PRINT OUT THE WEEKLY ROUTINE

2ND

AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH WEEK CLICK HERE TO PRINT OUT THE WEEK'S PLAN

3RD

CLICK HERE
TO PRINT TO BOOKLIST THAT COORDINATES WITH EACH WEEKS LESSON

OKAY HERE WE GO! :-)

LESSON #1 THEME POSTER EXAMPLE

WEEKLY THEMES

CLICK ON WEEK NUMBER TO FIND THE PICTURE TO PRINT FOR THE THEME BOARD

Each week (lesson) you will introduce a new theme to your child. Introduce the theme by showing pictures of the specific theme, or pictures related to it. I have included links to sites with pictures and/or printouts. These pictures can be posted on a special poster you will create for your child. Click here for more information on this special poster.

In each lesson plan you will find suggested books to read, poems to recite, and songs to sing all based on the week's theme. You can choose to read a different book related to the theme each day, or choose to read the same book all week. Some children love repetition, others like variety. Decide what will work best for you. The same suggestion applies to the poem(s). Recite a different poem each day, or recite the same one all week.

When it comes to choosing the song to sing based on the theme, I recommend choosing only one. Repeat the same song each day, and by the end of the week you may find your child singing along with you. If this happens, you may want to tape record your child singing to keep as a special memory.

Also listed in the lesson plans are activities to develop both gross motor and fine motor skills.

Here is a summary of the weekly themes:

Week 13 - cars/trucks

Week 14 - horses

Week 15 - rain

Week 16 - butterflies

Week 26 - airplanes

WEEKLY VOCABULARY WORDS
CLICK ON THE WEEK # TO PRINT PICTURE FOR THE THEME BOARD

Young children are eager to learn new words. There is a vocabulary word associated with each theme. Post the vocabulary word on your learning poster. Include a drawing or picture that shows the meaning of the word. Discuss the word daily as you talk about the theme. Children will learn the meaning of the word when they hear you use it often.

Week 1 - calf - a calf is a baby cow.
Week 2 - vines - vines are plants with long, thin bendable stems; they grow along the ground or climb up trees, etc.
Week 3 - claws - claws are the sharp, curved nails on a kitten's paws.
Week 4 - iris - the iris is the colored part of your eye surrounding the pupil.
Week 5 - beacon - a beacon is a signal, a light to guide and warn.
Week 6 - prism - a prism can be made out of glass or other clear material in a solid, sometimes triangular, shape. When light passes through the prism it separates into the different colors of the spectrum/rainbow.
Week 7 - twinkle - to twinkle is to flash, sparkle or gleam.
Week 8 - ray - a beam of light.
Week 9 - dough - the dough is the (cookie) mixture before it has been cooked.
Week 10 - engine - an engine of a train is the train car that usually pulls all the other cars along the track.
Week 11 - full (moon) - the moon is full when it is round like a circle and all lit up. When something is full it is completely there.
Week 12 - duckling - a duckling is a baby duck.
Week 13 - gasoline - gasoline is a liquid substance that is used to fuel cars and trucks. You buy it at the gas station.
Week 14 - mane - the long hair growing on the neck of a horse.
Week 15 - downpour - during a downpour the rain is falling very fast and heavy.
Week 16 - antennae - the feelers on the head of the butterfly.
Week 17 - wool - the curly, soft, hair-like covering of a sheep.
Week 18 - noise - any sounds that we can hear, some sounds may be soft and others loud.
Week 19 - sail - the piece of cloth attached to a sailboat, that allows the boat to move when it catches the wind.
Week 20 - helium - a gas that when used to fill a balloon, allows the balloon to float up by itself.
Week 21 - gust - a sudden strong blast of wind.
Week 22 - autumn - explain that this is another name for the season we more commonly call fall.
Week 23 - flake - a flake is usually a thin, small, flat piece of something. Snow falls in flakes.
Week 24 - leash - a leash is a strap, rope, or chain used to lead an animal, such as a dog.
Week 25 - whiskers - the long hairs growing near the mouth of a rabbit.
Week 26 - contrail - the trail of condensation left behind the path of a jet airplane.

NURSERY RHYMES

CLICK ON THE NUMBER TO PRINT THE RHYME FOR THE THEME BOARD

Each week you will introduce a new nursery rhyme to your child. If you have been sharing nursery rhymes with your child from birth, they will already be familiar to him or her. At this age your child's vocabulary is increasing. You may find your child begin to repeat some of the words of the rhyme along with you. Offer praise and encouragement.

As a reminder for you, the parent/teacher, post the words of the rhyme on the learning poster. Don't worry, if you didn't know the nursery rhymes before, you will after you learn them with your child!

Learn to the sing the rhyme if possible and then sing or say the rhyme often through the day. Review the rhyme daily till the next week. You can sing the rhyme in the car, recite at meal times, etc.

When I find a great story book based on the nursery rhyme of the week, I will post the title and author in the appropriate lesson.

Here is a summary of the nursery rhymes for each week:

Week 1 - Hey Diddle Diddle

Week 2 - I Had a Little Nut Tree

Week 3 - Pussy-Cat Pussy-Cat

Week 4 - Lavender's Blue

Week 5 - Bobby Shaftoe

Week 6 - Humpty Dumpty

Week 7 - Wee Willie Winkie

Week 8 - Hickory, Dickory, Dock

Week 9 - The Queen of Hearts

Week 10 - Little Boy Blue

Week 11 - The Man in the Moon

Week 12 - Curly Locks

Week 13 - See Saw Margery Daw

Week 14 - Ride a Cock Horse

Week 15 - Doctor Foster

Week 16 - Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Week 17 - Baa Baa Black Sheep

Week 18 - Jack and Jill

Week 19 - Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Week 20 - Hot Cross Buns

Week 21 - The North Wind Doth Blow

Week 22 - Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

Week 23 - Little Miss Muffet

Week 24 - Old Mother Hubbard

Week 25 - Jack Be Nimble

Week 26 - Old King Cole

SHAPES/COLORS

Shapes

In this curriculum you will alternate between teaching a shape and a color each week. You will start with a shape. If possible, collect 3 - 5 everyday objects in the shape of the week. Talk about each object and the shape with your child. Walk around the house looking for more signs of this shape.

Using playdough or cookie dough, cut out the shape of the week. If you decide to use cookie dough, you can bake and eat some shape cookies!

Put a picture/cutout of the shape on the learning poster. Continue to remind your child of the shape throughout the week.

Colors
CLICK ON THE SHAPE TO FIND AN ACTIVITY AND ALSO A PAGE FOR THE THEME BOARD

The week after you teach a shape, you will be teaching a color. Teaching the colors can be fun. Many young children will already know their colors, but these activities will still be fun for them.

Show the color to be learned by coloring in the shape (from the previous week) on your learning poster in the color of the week. For example, in week 5 you teach the shape of an octagon. Color the octagon red for week 6.

Wear some article of clothing in the color you are learning, the day it is introduced. Point out the color in everyday objects. Add the color to your meals by eating a food that color, eating off a plate of the week's color, etc. Have your child use a crayon of the week's color when using their coloring books.

I will be writing poems and/or songs to go along with the colors and shapes that you can share with your child as you learn them. I will add them to the lesson plans as they are written.

Here is a summary of the shapes and colors each week:

Week 1 - square

Week 25 - parallelogram

Week 26 - grey

NUMBERS
CLICK ON THE NUMBER TO FIND AN ACTIVITY AND TO PRINT THE NUMBER FOR THE THEME BOARD

Introduce the number for the week with the corresponding number of objects of your choice. You may wish to use snacks such as crackers, cheerios, etc. to eat and count at the same time. After you have counted the objects show your child the written symbol for the number. Put it on the learning poster.

Here are two activities you can do to teach the numbers:

First - create a counting book for your child. Prepare the book with a page for each number to be learned this year. Write one number at the top of each page. See the list of numbers below. As you learn a new number each week, allow your child to place the correct number of stickers on the page for that number.

Second - create a matching game for your child. Take 2 sets of 26 index cards. On the first set write the numbers to be learned. On the second set put the appropriate number of stickers for the same numbers. The first week you will show your child the number one card and the card with one sticker. As the weeks progress you can have your child match up the cards correctly. This may take time before your child can match them properly, but keep at it by keeping it fun and helping your child when needed.

A couple more ideas for teaching the number:

Draw the appropriate number of shapes (using the shape of the week) and then count the shapes. This will help to reinforce the shape you are teaching.

Walk around your home with your child and count objects up to the number you are learning.

Here is a summary of the numbers for each week:

CLICK ON THE WEEK NUMBER TO FIND AN ACTIVITY

AND

CLICK HERE FOR *more* NUMBER WORKSHEETS

Week 1 - 1
Week 2 - 2
Week 3 - 3
Week 4 - 4
Week 5 - 5
Week 6 - 6
Week 7 - 7
Week 8 - 8
Week 9 - 9
Week 10 - 10
Week 11 - 11
Week 12 - 12
Week 13 - 13
Week 14 - 14
Week 15 - 15
Week 16 - 16
Week 17 - 17
Week 18 - 18
Week 19 - 19
Week 20 - 20
Week 21 - 21
Week 22 - 22
Week 23 - 23
Week 24 - 24
Week 25 - 25
Week 26 - 100

LETTERS
CLICK ON THE LETTER TO FIND AN ACTIVITY SHEET AND ALSO PRINT FOR THEME BOARD

At this level we are going to work on teaching our children to recognize the letters. We will start with the capital letters. The lower case letters will be introduced in the Letter of the Week Preschool Curriculum.

Introduce the letter with a printout of the week's capital letter your child can color. You can use the Letter coloring pages from the Preschool Coloring Book page. I will be adding my own printouts to the Brightly Beaming site in the future.

Post the new letter on your learning poster. You can also designate a wall space in your home to fill up with the letters as they are learned.

You can teach your child to trace the shape of the letter using their finger. You can trace in pudding, finger paint, a shallow tray (cookie sheet) filled with rice or beans, etc.

Point out the letter of the week in signs, on cereal boxes, and other places your child sees print. Review all letters learned often.

Here is a summary of the letters each week: CLICK ON A LETTER FOR LETTER PRINT-OUTS

Week 1 - A
Week 2 - B
Week 3 - C
Week 4 - D
Week 5 - E
Week 6 - F
Week 7 - G
Week 8 - H
Week 9 - I
Week 10 - J
Week 11 - K
Week 12 - L
Week 13 - M
Week 14 - N
Week 15 - O
Week 16 - P
Week 17 - Q
Week 18 - R
Week 19 - S
Week 20 - T
Week 21 - U
Week 22 - V
Week 23 - W
Week 24 - X
Week 25 - Y
Week 26 - Z

SEESAW MARGERY DAW

2008-07-12T11:37:00.000-04:00

Nursery Rhyme & History

History in a game for children in "Seesaw Margery Daw"
The seesaw is the oldest 'ride' for children , easily constructed from logs of different sizes. The words of "Seesaw Marjorie Daw" reflect children playing on a see-saw and singing this rhyme to accompany their game. There was no such person that we can identify who had the name Marjorie Daw and we therefore make the assumption that this was purely used to rhyme with the words 'seesaw' i.e "Seesaw Marjory Daw". The last three lines of "Seesaw Margery Daw" appear to reflect the use of child labour in work houses where those with nowhere else to live would be forced to work for a pittance (a penny a day) on piece work (because he can't work any faster). The words of "Seesaw Margery Daw" might be used by a spiteful child to taunt another implying his family were destined for the workhouse.

Seesaw Margery Daw poem

Seesaw Margery Daw
Johnny shall have a new master
He shall earn but a penny a day
Because he can't work any faster

CURLY LOCKS

2008-04-30T17:57:00.002-04:00

Curly locks , Curly locks,

Will you be mine?

You shall not wash dishes,

Nor feed the swine,

But sit on a cushion,

And sew a fine seam,

And feed upon strawberries,

Sugar , and cream.

click picture for coloring page

APRIL 4, 2008

2008-04-04T15:23:00.004-04:00

Daxx and Kole have started working in a bought curriculum. They wanted

to try Kindergarten that I bought for next school year. The curriculum is

Language and Math from Alpha Omega Publications. It is made for homeschooling

families. I've used it for some of our older sons when they were little and I have

to say it's a nice, easy to use, comprehensive curriculum for all grades and subjects.

Here are the boys displaying their work proudly. :-)

They are so proud of themselves and

I am too. :-)

FEBRUARY 18, 2008

2008-02-18T12:49:00.003-05:00

DAXX AND KOLE

~ Watched "The House that Jack Built"

It is a story that was first published in 1755 and
probably dirived from an ancient Hebrew chant in the 16th century.
It was Illustrated by Randolph Caldecott in 1878.

~ They began a "beginning writing" workbook.

Daxx did very well drawing lines and holding his pencil.
He even made a few "e" letters tracing the lines.
Daxx also did very well connecting numbers 1 thru 12 to
make a picture on the dot to dot page.

Kole has some trouble holding his pencil well enough to
make a dark mark on his paper. He did try to trace the
lines but couldn't quite get a straight line on paper. He
doesn't know his numbers well enough by sight or order
to complete the dot to dot page. He is eager to learn and
I think will do well as we go along.

FEBRUARY 14, 2008

2008-02-14T15:50:00.003-05:00

DAXX AND KOLE

TODAY WAS HOMESCHOOL GYMNASTICS DAY. They had a ball. All the big kids were so nice and watched out for the little ones. They played with their friends and built a giant "fort" to jump from into the pit.

On the way out I realized that Daxx had something in his pocket. I asked him what it was and he denied having anything in there. LOL He finally put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a half melted ice cream that he stole from the ice cream freezer in the lobby. He had to pay for it and apologize. :-) That was punishment enough...that and the fact that it melted.

We had a good day all in all.

FEBRUARY 12, 2008

2008-02-12T12:25:00.001-05:00

DAXX AND KOLE

~Counting to 10 using flashcards
~Coloring pages

FEBRUARY 11, 2008

2008-02-11T09:12:00.001-05:00

DAXX AND KOLE

FLASHCARDS: COUNTING TO 10

FIRST GYMNASTICS CLASS

JANUARY 23RD, 2008

2008-01-23T10:34:00.000-05:00

DAXX AND KOLE

Watched Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD

Reviewed alphabet flash cards w/ emphasis on letter recognition then sound.

Reviewed number flash cards 1 - 13.

Reviewed shape flashcards.

OCTOBER 29TH 2007

2007-10-24T23:02:00.000-04:00

LIFE HAS GOTTEN IN THE WAY OF PRESCHOOL! WE SHALL BEGIN AGAIN ON MONDAY.

WE DO HAVE OUR POSTER MADE!

OUR WEEKLY THEME IS KITTENS

OUR SHAPE IS A DIAMOND

OUR NUMBER IS 3

OUR VOCABULARY WORD IS CLAWS

OUR LETTER IS "C"

OUR NURSERY RHYME IS...

"PUSSY CAT, PUSSY CAT, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

OCTOBER 2ND 2007

2007-10-02T13:42:00.000-04:00

THIS WEEK'S THEME IS THE JUNGLE!

We are learning about:

The word "Vines" - The letter "B" - The nursery rhyme "I Had A Little Nut Tree"

- The number 2 - The Color Green

~ Today we pasted the information on our Theme Board, Drank Green Koolaid, Colored an Alligator Green and Listened to the nursery rhyme...then we went through the usual gammut of poses for our Preschool Homeschool Blog. LOL

OCTOBER 1ST 2007

2007-10-01T18:34:00.000-04:00

DAXX AND KOLE

Today the boys played Hide and Seek. They counted to 10 and then seeked! :-)

It was fun and Cute! I captured them on video actually. I just realized that I can upload videos so how fun is that?! :-) Here are a few moment's in the life of our preschool homeschool.

LESSON COUNTING T0 TEN

SEPTEMBER 29TH 2007

2007-09-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

DAXX AND KOLE

Today in our homeschool preschool

Daxx and Kole answered all the questions about our Theme Board correctly. They laughed at the nursery rhyme.

They colored and cut out Cows and pasted them to "green grass." (green poster board)

They got to pick from 3 coloring pages.

Kole chose to color the letter A page and

Daxx chose to color the number 1 page.

Today was a fun and happy day.

SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2007

2007-09-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

DAXX AND KOLE

Today Daxx and Kole reviewed their Theme Board of the Week. They know what the name of a baby cow is. I changed the number on the board and they noticed that is was now a number two. They liked the Nursery Rhyme....well Kole liked it. I said it over and over for him.... "Hey Diddle Diddle"

They were given two pieces of paper to look at today. One had shapes printed on it that were colored bright colors and the other worksheet had the same shapes printed on it but they needed to be colored. I asked them to color their shapes the same colors that they were colored on the colorful page. When they were done trying to pick the right colors and coloring their pages they got to cut out the squares out of the page. (wow we need to work on cutting! LOL)

SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2007

2007-09-25T17:11:00.000-04:00

DAXX AND KOLE

~Today we made our first weekly THEME POSTER.

It now hangs on our wall in our diningroom. Daxx keeps going over to it to say
"Baby cow...mooo" Hopefully by the end of the lessons he will be saying, "Calf...mooo"

Kole picked up on the letter, number and the vocabulary word "calf" right away. He's sharp as a tack.
Daxx is working hard to say square and is just fascinated with saying "moo" LOL

OUR WEEK ONE THEME BOARD

HOW WE TEACH THEM TO READ...

2007-09-25T08:50:00.001-04:00

Many parents ask how a homeschooling parent can teach their child to read. The answers are plentiful.
I have developed a system in our home. The outline is pretty simple so I'll just post it here. :-)

1. At around 2 years of age we buy the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD.
By the time the kids have watched it for a few weeks they know their letters and sounds.
You'll be sick of the movie but they soak it up like a sponge. :-)

Note: They stopped watching this after a while. We carry the lesson into daily life by pointing to letters in signs on buildings..like at the bank or grocery store. If they forget a few letters they quickly remember when we pop the video back in at around 3 1/2 years of age. Brisan remember all his letters and sounds again in a jiffy and loved the Nostalgia that he felt as he recognized the movie. LOL
True! "MOM I remember that!"

2. At about 3 1/2 years of age we introduce them to www.starfall.com
It is wonderful, keeps them entertained and is a fun way to learn.

3. At around 4 1/2 we begin using the Dolch Flash cards. I used to make them by printing them from this site, pasting the pages to construction paper and then cutting them out to make the cards. They were flimsy so I broke down and bought them from Super Duper Publications.

4. Bob Books from our local library are fun for kids and then early reading books help them take off on their reading adventure.

The flash cards were a must for us to help them have a nice, firm basis for reading.

That's what we did! :-)

RAINBOW, STARS, SUN, COOKIE

2007-09-11T09:49:00.000-04:00

TRAINS, MOON, DUCKS, CARS AND TRUCKS

2007-09-08T10:01:00.000-04:00

DUCK COLORING PAGE

CAR PAGE

MATER

COLOR SONGS...

2007-09-07T10:17:00.000-04:00

My sister-in-law sent these to me.
They are very cute and helpful. :-)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red (Three Blind Mice)

R-e-d, R-e-d, red is the word, red is the word

Apples and strawberries both are red.

Tomatoes and cherries both are red

Do you know how to spell the word red

R-e-d, R-e-d

White (Happy Birthday)

W-h-i-t-e

W-h-i-t-e

W-h-i-t-e

That Spells White

Green (Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

G-R-E-E-N,

G-R-E-E-N,

I know how to spell green,

G-R-E-E-N.

Purple (This Old Man)

P-u-r-p-l-e spells the color purple, see

Like the grapes on a vine

Or some plums on a tree

P-u-r-p-l-e

Brown (The Farmer in the Dell)

B-r-o-w-n, b-r-o-w-n, b-r-o-w-n, that’s how you spell brown

Big tree trunks are brown, big tree trunks are brown

b-r-o-w-n, that’s how you spell brown.

And chocolate chips are brown

Yes, chocolate chips are brown

B-r-o-w-n that’s how you spell brown.

Blue (Frere Jacques)

B-l-u-e, b-l-u-e

That spells blue, that spells blue

Like the color of the sky,

Like the color of the sea

Blue, blue, blue, Blue, blue, blue

Pink (Frere Jacques)

P-i-n-k, p-i-n-k

That spells pink, that spells pink

Like some bubblegum

Or a piggy’s belly

Pink, pink, pink.

Pink, pink, pink

Black (Bingo)

There was a class that had a cat and this is what its name was

B-l-a-c-k, B-l-a-c-k, B-l-a-c-k

And that spells black, black, black.

Yellow (I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm the color yellow
Look at me.
I'm as sunny
As can be.
When you want to spell me
Here's what you do:
Y-E-L-L-O-W

Days of the Week (Happy Days Theme Song)

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days.
Thursday, Friday, Happy Days.
Saturday, What a day,
Groovin' all week with you.

JUNGLE, KITTENS, EYES,LIGHTHOUSE

2007-09-05T12:57:00.000-04:00

EARS, BOATS, BALLOONS, WIND

2007-09-02T10:24:00.000-04:00

HORSES, RAIN, BUTTERFLIES, SHEEP

2007-09-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

SEASONS

2007-09-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

COW AND CALF PICTURE

2006-09-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE FOR COLORING PAGE

KINGERGARTEN

2006-09-25T13:07:00.000-04:00

KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM GUIDE BY MONTH

source

CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE KINDERGARTEN!

AUGUST

Establishing a Full Day Kindergarten routine

School day Rules

Manners

SEPTEMBER

Themes:
All about me,

Bears,

Apples,

Autumn,

The 5 senses

Reading Readiness:

Color recognition

Likenesses and differences in colors, shapes, pictures, letters

Develop vocabulary through listening and speaking

Following Oral Directions

Orally combine words to make a complete thought

Listen to stories and poems

introduction to the letters of the alphabet

Letters: Begin first letter the week of Sept. 26—A for Apples and Autumn

Writing:

Theme journalizing, coordination, left to right progression,

Dictate a sentence to the teacher

Practice proper writing posture

Math:

shape recognition and form-circle, square, triangle, rectangle

Recognize simple patterns

Compare sets to determine more, less and equal

Introduction to the days of the week

Calendar Activities

Explore the months

Interpret and explore simple graphs

Science:

Introduction to weather patterns and appropriate dress

Identify the 5 senses

Distinguish sounds in the environment

Social Studies:

State reasons for rules

Practice address phone number and birthday

Recognize how people are alike and different

Recognize Patriotic symbols and holidays (Ongoing throughout year using calendar)

OCTOBER

Themes: Fire Safety, Spiders and Skeletons, Pumpkins

Reading Readiness:

Letters of the week: F, S, P—capital and lowercase letter recognition and match

Discriminate Likeness and Differences in Beginning Sounds F,S,P

Follow oral directions

Likenesses and differences in colors, shapes, letters

Orally combine words to make a complete thought or story

Listen to stories and poems

Identify and use spatial concepts

Produce from memory the details, sequence and main idea of a story or poem

Writing:

Write his or her first name using capital and lowercase letters

Recognize that a name begins with a capital letter

Demonstrate proper writing posture

Theme Journalizing at various developmental levels from the scribbling to inventive spelling stage

Dictate a sentence to the teacher

Demonstrate proper form when writing letters F, A, P, S - capital and lowercase

Math:

Recognize and form simple shapes

Recognize and write whole numbers 0-10

Count sets of object for numbers 0-10

Recognize and extend patterns

Make reasonable predictions about story problem outcomes

Recall the days of the week

Calendar Activities

Explore the months

Interpret and construct simple graphs

Determine objects that are smaller, larger, heavier, lighter, more, less, longer, shorter

Science:

Recognize weather conditions and appropriate dress

Observe seasonal things that are living and non-living

Social Studies:

Use simple directions-Left, Right, Front, Behind

Recognize how people are alike and different

Know address, phone number and birthday

NOVEMBER

Themes: Fall Harvest, November, Thanksgiving

Reading Readiness:

Letters of the week: H,N,I

Recognize, Form (caps and lc) and Identify beginning sounds for H,N,I

Match caps with lowercase for letters F,A,P, S, H,I, N

Identify and use likenesses and differences in colors, shapes, pictures, letters and words

Orally combine words to make a complete thought or story

Listen to stories and poems

Develop vocabulary through listening, speaking and print

Identify and use combined letters to make a word

Share a favorite story, book or poem

Follow oral directions

Summarize ideas

Writing:

Write first and last name using capital and lowercase letters

Recognize that first and last names begin with a capital letter

Recognize that a sentence begins with a capital letter

Demonstrate proper writing posture

Demonstrate proper writing form for letters F,A,P,S,H,I,N

Theme Journalizing at various developmental levels from the scribbling to the inventive spelling stage

Math:

Recognize and write whole numbers 0- 15

Count and compare sets of whole numbers 0-15

Recognize, extend and create patterns

Calendar Activities-Days of the week and exploring the months

Interpret and construct simple picture and bar graphs

Illustrate word problems with drawings and manipulatives

Science:

Observe and classify the characteristics of animals

Social Studies:

Identify and locate the United States on a map

Identify land and water on a globe and map

Know address, phone number and birthday

Use simple directions- right, left, in front of, behind

DECEMBER

Themes: Toys, Cookies, Christmas, Santa, Reindeer, Helping Others

Reading Readiness:

Letters of the Week: C , T

Capital and lowercase recognition and match

Recognize beginning sounds for F,A,P,S,H,N,I,T,C

Discriminate likenesses and differences in beginning sounds

Orally combine words to make a thought or story

Listen to stories and poems

Produce from memory details, sequence and main idea from a story or poem

Name the letter that corresponds to beginning sounds of words

Develop vocabulary through listening, speaking and print

Summarize ideas

Identify and use spatial concepts-Top to bottom, Left to Right

Recognize a person, place or thing in a story

Writing:

Demonstrate proper writing posture

Write first and last name using capital and lowercase letters

Recognize that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with punctuation

Demonstrate correct writing form of letters F,A,P,S,H,I,N,T,C

Theme journalizing at various developmental levels

Math:

Recognize and correctly form whole numbers 0-20

Count sets of objects for whole numbers 0-20

Compare sets to determine more, less and equal

Supply the missing number in whole numbers 0-20

Make reasonable predictions about story problem outcomes

Recall days of the week, months, patterns and sequence through daily calendar activities

Interpret and construct simple picture and bar graphs

Discuss alternative ways to solve a problem

Science:

Recognize weather conditions and appropriate dress

Classification

Social Studies

Identify the difference between wants and needs

Recognize how people are alike and different

Know address, phone number and birthday

Recognize penny, nickel, dime and quarter (Ongoing throughout the rest of the year

during calendar activities)

JANUARY

Themes: The new year, Mittens, Dr. Martin Luther King, Winter, Quilts

Reading Readiness:

Letters of the week: Y,M,E,Q—capital and lowercase recognition and match

Discriminate likenesses and differences in letters in taught beginning sounds

Follow oral directions

Likenesses and Differences in colors, shapes, letters, and words

Listen to stories and poems

Identify and use spatial concepts

Identify cause and effect relationships

Develop vocabulary through listening, speaking and print

Identify sequence, details and main idea of a story

Draw conclusions from a story

Identify the difference in fact and fantasy

Identify and use combined letters to make a word

Recognize action words in a story

Writing:

Demonstrate correct form when writing letters F,A,P,S,H,I,N,T,C,Y,M,E,Q

Demonstrate correct writing posture

Write full name using capital and lowercase letters

Recognize that a sentence begins with a capital and has ending punctuation

Theme journalizing at various developmental levels

Math:

Recognize and form whole numbers 0-20

Supply missing numbers in whole numbers 0-20

Compare more and less in whole numbers 0-20

Explore days, months and numbers through calendar activities

Interpret and construct simple picture and bar graphs

Be aware of fractional parts, wholes, halves, thirds and fourths

Show directional words-Up, down, near, far, etc.

Science:

Recognize weather conditions and appropriate dress

Observe and predict if objects will respond to a magnet

Social Studies:

Recognize how people are alike and different

State reasons for rules

Know address, phone number and birthday

FEBRUARY

Themes: Shadows, Valentines Day, Opposites, Dental Health

Reading Readiness:

Letters of the week: G,V,O,D-Capital/Lowercase recognition and match

Discriminate likeness and differences in taught beginning sounds

Follow oral directions

Orally combine words to make a thought or story

Listen to stories and poems

Identify and use spatial concepts

Identify and use combined letters to make words

Be exposed to opposites and words that mean the same thing

Develop vocabulary through listening, speaking and print

Identify sequence, details and main idea of a story

Draw conclusions from a story

Writing:

Demonstrate proper writing posture

Demonstrate proper form in writing letters F,A,P,S,H,I,N,T,C,Y,M,E,Q,G,V,O,D

Theme journalizing at various developmental levels-inventive spelling encouraged

Write full and last name using capital and lowercase letters

Recognize names and sentences begin with a capital letter

Recognize a sentence ends with punctuation

Math:

Identify penny, nickel, dime, quarter and their values

Tell and record time by hour

Supply missing number in whole numbers 0-20

Add and subtract 1 digit numbers up through 5

Illustrate word problems with manipulative and pictures

Discuss alternative ways to solve a problem

Science:

Recognize weather conditions and appropriate dress

Discuss Healthy Habits for a healthy body—Drug Awareness—HLAY2000

Social Studies:

Identify major officials and their job (President, Principal)

Recognize Penny, nickel, dime, quarter

Recognize how people are alike and different

MARCH

Themes: Dr. Seuss, Kites, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter

Reading Readiness:

Letters of the Week: W,K,L,B-Capital/lowercase recognition and match

Discrim. Likenesses and differences in taught beginning sounds

Follow oral directions

Orally combine words to make a thought or story

Identify and use spatial concepts

Identify and use combined letters to make words

Develop vocabulary through listening, speaking and print

Identify sequence, details, and main idea of a story

Draw conclusions from a story

Writing:
Demonstrate proper writing posture

Demonstrate proper form when writing letters F,A,P,S,H,I,N,T,C,Y,M,E,Q,G,V,O,D,W,K,L,B

Theme journalizing at various developmental levels-inventive spelling and story writing encouraged

Write full name using caps and lowercase letter

Begin a sentence with a capital

End a sentence with punctuation

Identify the difference between fact and fantasy

Math:

Identify penny, nickel, dime and quarter and their values

Tell and record time by the hour and half hour

Supply missing numbers in whole numbers 0-20

Add and subtract 1 digit numbers up through 10

Illustrate word problems with pictures and manipulatives

Be aware of fractional parts

Science:

Observe and identify things as living and non-living

Observe and predict if objects will sink or float

Observe and classify the characteristics of plants

Social Studies:

Use simple directions

State reasons for rules

Recognize how people are alike and different

APRIL

Themes: Weather, Spring, Earth Day, Zoo

Reading Readiness:

Letters of the week: R,U,J,X,Z-Capital and Lowercase recognition and match

Discrim. Likeness and differences in taught beginning sounds

Follow oral directions

Orally combine letters to make words and words to make sentences

Listen to stories and poems

Identify and use spatial concepts

Develop vocabulary through listening, speaking and print

Identify sequence, details and main idea of a story

Draw conclusions from a story

Visually discriminate simple sight words

Writing:

Demonstrate proper writing posture

Demonstrate proper form in writing letters F,A,P,S,H,I,N,T,C,Y,M,E,Q,G,V,O,D,W,K,L,B,R,U,J,X,Z

Write full name using capital and lowercase letters

Recognize names and sentences begin with capitals

Recognize sentences end with punctuation

Math:

Identify penny, nickel, dime, quarter and their value

Tell and record time by hour and half hour

Add and subtract 1 digit numbers up through 10

Illustrate word problems with manipulatives and pictures

Discuss alternative ways to solve a problem

Science:

Recognize weather conditions and appropriate dress

Observe the sun, moon and earth

Distinguish man made objects in space

Recognize ways to help our environment

Social Studies:

Describe how community helpers work in their community

MAY:

Themes: Zoo, Mother’s Day, End of the School Year

Reading Readiness:

Recognize and discriminate simple sight words: I, see, a, do, you, come, in , the, will,

Listen to stories and poems

Follow oral directions

Identify and use spatial concepts

Name and recognize ALL letters of the alphabet

Match all capital and lowercase letters

Discriminate beginning sounds of all letters of the alphabet

Name the letter that corresponds to the beginning sound of words

Summarize ideas

Share a favorite book, story or poem

Writing:

Demonstrate proper writing posture

Demonstrate proper form when writing all letters of the alphabet

Theme journalizing at various developmental levels-inventive spelling and sentence writing encouraged

Write full name using caps and lowercase letters

Recognize a sentence ends with punctuation

Math:

Coins and their value Review

Telling time the hour and half hour Review

Addition and subtraction up to 10

Fraction Review

Whole numbers 0-20 review

Shape Review

Science:

Animal characteristics

Social Studies:

Maps and Globes-Review

Wants and Needs-Review

Recognize how people are alike and different

WEEKLY PLANNING

2005-09-25T15:46:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE TO GET BACK TO PRESCHOOL OUTLINE

WEEKLY PLANNING

source

MONDAY:

Introduce the weekly theme with pictures and post one or two on your learning poster.
Choose one story to read based on the theme.
Share a poem based on the theme with your child.
Sing a song based on the theme.
Do the gross motor skills activity with your child.
Introduce the vocabulary word & post a picture for it on your learning poster.

TUESDAY:

Introduce the Shape/Color

For the weeks you teach a shape:

Collect 3 - 5 everyday objects in the shape of the week to share with your child and discuss.
Walk through your home looking for the shape.
Cut the shape out of playdough or cookie dough... bake the cookies!
Put a drawing of the shape on your learning poster.

For the weeks you teach a color:

Introduce the color by coloring in the shape on your learning poster with the color of the week.
Put on an article of clothing in the color of the week.

Point out objects around your home in the color of the week.
Add the color to a meal by choosing a food in the color, or using a plate, cup, or utensil in the color of the week.

Let your child color in a coloring book or on a printout in the color of the week.

Review the Weekly Theme

Choose one story to read based on the theme.
Share a poem based on the theme with your child.
Sing the song based on the theme that you chose on Monday.
Review the vocabulary word and use it as you talk to your child about the theme

WEDNESDAY:

Introduce the Letter for the Week

Give your child a printout of the (capital) letter to color.
Teach your child to trace the shape of the letter using their finger. You can trace in pudding, finger paint, a shallow tray (cookie sheet) filled with rice or beans, etc.
Point out the letter in signs, cereal boxes, etc.
Post the letter on your learning poster.
Review the Weekly Theme
Choose one story to read based on the theme.
Share a poem based on the theme with your child.
Sing the song based on the theme that you chose on Monday.
Review the vocabulary word and use it as you talk to your child about the theme.
Review the Shape/Color
Point out the shape and/or color on your learning poster and discuss with your child.

THURSDAY:

Introduce the Number for the Week

Show your child the appropriate number of objects to count, or eat the appropriate number of snacks of crackers, cheerios, etc..
Show your child the written symbol (numeral) for the number and put on your learning poster.
Add the correct number of stickers to your counting book.
Show your matching index cards for the number of the week to your child.
Draw the appropriate number of shapes (using the shape of the week) and count them.
Walk around the house counting objects up to the number of the week.
Review the Weekly Theme
Choose one story to read based on the theme.
Share a poem based on the theme with your child.
Sing the song based on the theme that you chose on Monday.
Review the vocabulary word and use it as you talk to your child about the theme.
Review the Shape/Color
Point out the shape and/or color on your learning poster and discuss with your child.
Review the Letter
Point out the letter on your learning poster and discuss with your child.

FRIDAY:

Introduce the Nursery Rhyme for the Week
***Continue to recite this rhyme daily till the next Friday***

Post the words to the rhyme on your learning poster.
Sing and/or recite the nursery rhyme for your child.
If possible, read a book based on this nursery rhyme.
Review the Weekly Theme
**Do the Fine Motor Skills Activity for the Weekly Theme on Friday
Choose one story to read based on the theme.
Share a poem based on the theme with your child.
Sing the song based on the theme that you chose on Monday.
Review the vocabulary word and use it as you talk to your child about the theme.
Review all Shapes, Colors, Letters, Numbers
Review all the shapes, colors, letters, and numbers previously learned.
Point out the current ones on the learning poster.
Use the matching index cards of all the previously learned numbers and play a matching game.
Create a small booklet that has a page for each week in the program. Each page of the booklet will have the shape/color, letter, and number for one lesson(week). Add to the booklet as you work through the program and look through this booklet every Friday.

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE

2005-09-25T15:22:00.000-04:00

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE

Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

WEEKLY LESSON PLANS

2004-09-25T16:44:00.002-04:00

~THE LESSONS~

CLICK ON THE LESSON AND PRINT

THE PLANS & IDEAS FOR THAT WEEK

WEEK ONE

WEEK TWO

WEEK THREE

WEEK FOUR

WEEK FIVE

WEEK SIX

WEEK SEVEN

WEEK EIGHT

WEEK NINE

WEEK TEN

WEEK ELEVEN

WEEK TWELVE

WEEK THIRTEEN

WEEK FOURTEEN

WEEK FIFTEEN

WEEK SIXTEEN

WEEK SEVENTEEN

WEEK EIGHTEEN

WEEK NINETEEN

WEEK TWENTY

WEEK TWENTY-ONE

WEEK TWENTY-TWO

WEEK TWENTY-THREE

WEEK TWENTY-FOUR

WEEK TWENTY-FIVE

WEEK TWENTY-SIX

PRE-K CURRICULUM GUIDE

2004-09-25T13:12:00.000-04:00

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Language and Early Literacy

source

During the prekindergarten years, children’s experiences with communication and literacy begin to form the basis for their later school success. Given adequate opportunities to interact with responsive adults and peers in language and print-rich environments, young children develop vocabulary, extended language skills, and knowledge of the world around them. They develop listening comprehension and phonological awareness; understanding of the everyday functions of print; motivation to read; appreciation for literary forms; and print awareness and letter knowledge. They learn what books are and how to use them. Understanding the value of literacy as a means of communication, as well as coming to enjoy reading, are accomplishments typical of the future good reader. These language and literacy accomplishments are best achieved through activities that are integrated across different developmental areas: cognitive development, fine and gross motor development, and social and emotional development. It is important to consider native language, augmentative communication, and sensory impairments in accomplishing these guidelines.

Prekindergarten educators should provide opportunities to promote language and literacy learning in children who speak a language other than English. Except where specified, the following guidelines outline language and literacy accomplishments for three- and four-year-old children in their native language. For students whose first language is other than English, the native language serves as the foundation for English language acquisition. Specific guidelines for the language and literacy development of prekindergarten children whose home language is not English in English-only settings appear below in each domain.

Language and Early Literacy Development

(1) Listening Comprehension

Prekindergarten-aged children are able to comprehend what they hear in conversations and in stories read aloud with increasing accuracy, though three-year-old children may respond in single words or brief phrases to some questions, especially “why,” “how,” and “when” questions. Children demonstrate understanding through their questions, comments, and actions. Prekindergarten children in English as Second Language (ESL) settings listen purposefully to English-speaking teachers and peers to gather information about their new language.

The child:

· listens with increasing attention

· listens for different purposes (e.g., to learn what happened in a story, to receive instructions, to converse with an adult or a peer)

· understands and follows simple oral directions

· enjoys listening to and responding to books

· listens to and engages in several exchanges of conversations with others

· listens to tapes and records, and shows understanding through gestures, actions, and/or language

· listens purposefully to English-speaking teachers and peers to gather information and shows some understanding of the new language being spoken by others (ESL).

(2) Speech Production and Speech Discrimination

Young children must learn to vocalize, pronounce, and discriminate the sounds and words of language. Although most children in prekindergarten can accurately perceive the difference between similar-sounding words, they continue to acquire new sounds and may mispronounce words quite often in their own speech. The ability to produce certain speech sounds such as /s/ and /r/ improves with age. Just as infants and toddlers develop control over the sounds of their first language, young children in ESL settings gradually learn to pronounce the sounds of the English language.

The child:

· perceives differences between similar sounding words (e.g., “coat” and “goat,” “three” and “free,” [Spanish] “juego” and “fuego”)

· produces speech sounds with increasing ease and accuracy

· experiments with new language sounds

· experiments with and demonstrates growing understanding of the sounds and intonation of the English language (ESL).

(3) Vocabulary

Prekindergarten children experience rapid growth in their understanding of words and word meanings. Vocabulary knowledge reflects children’s previous experiences and growing knowledge of the world around them and is one of the most important predictors of later reading achievement. As children learn through experiences, they develop concepts, acquire new words, and increasingly refine their understanding of words they already know.

The child:

· shows a steady increase in listening and speaking vocabulary

· uses new vocabulary in everyday communication

· refines and extends understanding of known words

· attempts to communicate more than current vocabulary will allow, borrowing and extending words to create meaning

· links new learning experiences and vocabulary to what is already known about a topic

· increases listening vocabulary and begins to develop a vocabulary of object names and common phrases in English (ESL).

(4) Verbal Expression

Effective communication requires that children use their knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and sense of audience to convey meaning. Three- and four-year-old children become increasingly adept at using language to express their needs and interests, to play and pretend, and to share ideas. Children’s use of invented words and the overgeneralization of language rules (for example, saying “foots” instead of “feet” or [Spanish]“yo no cabo” instead of “yo no quepo”) is a normal part of language acquisition. Second language learners in English-only prekindergarten settings may communicate nonverbally (e.g., through gestures) before they begin to produce words and phrases in English. The ESL accomplishments noted below represent a developmental sequence for second-language acquisition in young children.

The child:

· uses language for a variety of purposes (e.g., expressing needs and interests)

· uses sentences of increasing length (three or more words) and grammatical complexity in everyday speech

· uses language to express common routines and familiar scripts

· tells a simple personal narrative, focusing on favorite or most memorable parts

· asks questions and makes comments related to the current topic of discussion

· begins to engage in conversation and follows conversational rules (e.g., staying on topic and taking turns)

· begins to retell the sequence of a story

· engages in various forms of nonverbal communication with those who do not speak his/her home language (ESL)

· uses single words and simple phrases to communicate meaning in social situations (ESL)

· attempts to use new vocabulary and grammar in speech (ESL).

(5) Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is an auditory skill that involves an understanding of the sounds of spoken words. It includes recognizing and producing rhymes, dividing words into syllables, and identifying words that have the same beginning, middle, or ending sounds. Phonological awareness represents a crucial step toward understanding that letters or groups of letters can represent phonemes or sounds (i.e., the alphabetic principle). This understanding is highly predictive of success in beginning reading. Some basic proficiency in English may be prerequisite to the development of phonological awareness in English for second-language learners.

The child:

· becomes increasingly sensitive to the sounds of spoken words

· begins to identify rhymes and rhyming sounds in familiar words, participates in rhyming games, and repeats rhyming songs and poems

· begins to attend to the beginning sounds in familiar words by identifying that the pronunciations of several words all begin the same way (e.g., “dog,” “dark,” and “dusty,” [Spanish] “casa,” “coche,” and “cuna” )

· begins to break words into syllables or claps along with each syllable in a phrase

· begins to create and invent words by substituting one sound for another (e.g., bubblegum/gugglebum, [Spanish] calabaza/balacaza).

(6) Print and Book Awareness

Through their daily experiences with reading and writing, prekindergarten children learn basic concepts about print and how it works. They learn that print carries meaning and can be used for different purposes. They begin to differentiate writing from other graphic symbols and recognize some of the common features of print (for example, that writing moves from left to right on a page and is divided into words).

The child:

· understands that reading and writing are ways to obtain information and knowledge, generate and communicate thoughts and ideas, and solve problems

· understands that print carries a message by recognizing labels, signs, and other print forms in the environment

· understands that letters are different from numbers

· understands that illustrations carry meaning but cannot be read

· understands that a book has a title and an author

· begins to understand that print runs from left to right and top to bottom

· begins to understand some basic print conventions (e.g., the concept that letters are grouped to form words and that words are separated by spaces)

· begins to recognize the association between spoken and written words by following the print as it is read aloud

· understands that different text forms are used for different functions (e.g., lists for shopping, recipes for cooking, newspapers for learning about current events, letters and messages for interpersonal communication).

(7) Letter Knowledge and Early Word Recognition

Letter knowledge is an essential component of learning to read and write. Knowing how letters function in writing and how these letters connect to the sounds children hear in words is crucial to children’s success in reading. Combined with phonological awareness, letter knowledge is the key to children’s understanding of the alphabetic principle. Children will use this sound/letter connection to begin to identify printed words.

The child:

· begins to associate the names of letters with their shapes

· identifies 10 or more printed alphabet letters

· begins to notice beginning letters in familiar words

· begins to make some letter/sound matches

· begins to identify some high-frequency words (age 4).

(8) Motivation to Read

Prekindergarten children benefit from classroom environments that associate reading with pleasure and enjoyment as well as learning and skill development. These early experiences will come to define their assumptions and expectations about becoming literate and influence their motivation to work toward learning to read and write.

The child:

· demonstrates an interest in books and reading through body language and facial expressions

· enjoys listening to and discussing storybooks and information books read aloud

· frequently requests the re-reading of books

· attempts to read and write independently

· shares books and engages in pretend-reading with other children

· enjoys visiting the library.

(9) Developing Knowledge of Literary Forms

Exposure to storybooks and information books helps prekindergarten children become familiar with the language of books and story forms. Children develop concepts of story structure and knowledge about informational text structures, which influences how they understand, interpret, and link what they already know to new information.

The child:

· recognizes favorite books by their cover

· selects books to read based on personal criteria

· understands that books and other print resources (e.g., magazines, computer-based texts) are handled in specific ways

· becomes increasingly familiar with narrative form and its elements by identifying characters and predicting events, plot, and the resolution of a story

· begins to predict what will happen next in a story

· imitates the special language in storybooks and story dialogue, and uses it in retellings and dramatic play [(such as “Once upon a time…”)]

· asks questions and makes comments about the information and events from books

· connects information and events in books to real-life experiences

· begins to retell some sequences of events in stories

· shows appreciation of repetitive language patterns.

(10) Written Expression

Prekindergarten-aged children generate hypotheses about how written language works and begin to explore the uses of writing for themselves. They also begin to ask adults to write signs and letters for them. Through these early writing experiences, young children develop initial understandings about the forms, features, and functions of written language. Over time, children’s writing attempts more closely approximate conventional writing.

The child:

· attempts to write messages as part of playful activity

· uses known letters and approximations of letters to represent written language (especially meaningful words like his/her name and phrases such as “I love you” or [Spanish] “ Te quiero”)

· attempts to connect the sounds in a word with its letter forms

· understands that writing is used to communicate ideas and information

· attempts to use a variety of forms of writing (e.g., lists, messages, stories)

· begins to dictate words, phrases, and sentences to an adult recording on paper (e.g., “letter writing,” “storywriting”).

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Mathematics

Mathematics learning builds on children’s curiosity and enthusiasm, and challenges children to explore ideas about patterns and relationships, order and predictability, and logic and meaning. Consequently, quality instruction occurs in environments that are rich in language, encourage children’s thinking, and nurture children’s explorations and ideas. These ideas include the concepts of number pattern, measurement, shape, space, and classification.

(1) Number and Operations

Understanding the concept of number is fundamental to mathematics. Children come to school with rich and varied informal knowledge of number. A major goal is to build on this informal base toward more thorough understanding and skills. Children move from beginning to develop basic counting techniques in prekindergarten to later understanding number size, relationships, and operations.

The child:

· arranges sets of concrete objects in one-to-one correspondence

· counts by ones to 10 or higher

· counts concrete objects to five or higher

· begins to compare the numbers of concrete objects using language (e.g., “same” or “equal,” “one more,” “more than,” or “less than”)

· begins to name “how many” are in a group of up to three (or more) objects without counting (e.g., recognizing two or three crayons in a box)

· recognizes and describes the concept of zero (meaning there are none)

· begins to demonstrate part of and whole with real objects (e.g., an orange)

· begins to identify first and last in a series

· combines, separates, and names “how many” concrete objects.

(2) Patterns

Recognizing patterns and relationships among objects is an important component in children’s intellectual development. Children learn to organize their world by recognizing patterns and gradually begin to use patterns as a strategy for problem-solving, forming generalizations, and developing the concepts of number, operation, shape, and space. Pattern recognition is the first step in the development of algebraic thinking.

The child:

· imitates pattern sounds and physical movements (e.g., clap, stomp, clap, stomp,…)

· recognizes and reproduces simple patterns of concrete objects (e.g., a string of beads that are yellow, blue, blue, yellow, blue, blue)

· begins to recognize patterns in their environment (e.g., day follows night, repeated phrases in storybooks, patterns in carpeting or clothing)

· begins to predict what comes next when patterns are extended.

(3) Geometry and Spatial Sense

Geometry helps children systematically represent and describe their world. Children learn to name and recognize the properties of various shapes and figures, to use words that indicate direction, and to use spatial reasoning to analyze and solve problems.

The child:

· begins to recognize, describe, and name shapes (e.g., circles, triangles, rectangles—including squares)

· begins to use words that indicate where things are in space (e.g., “beside,” “inside,” “behind,” “above,” “below”)

· begins to recognize when a shape’s position or orientation has changed

· begins to investigate and predict the results of putting together two or more shapes

· puts together puzzles of increasing complexity.

(4) Measurement

Measurement is one of the most widely used applications of mathematics. Early learning experiences with measurement should focus on direct comparisons of objects. Children make decisions about size by looking, touching, and comparing objects directly while building language to express the size relationships.

The child:

· covers an area with shapes (e.g., tiles)

· fills a shape with solids or liquids (e.g., ice cubes, water)

· begins to make size comparisons between objects (e.g., taller than, smaller than)

· begins to use tools to imitate measuring

· begins to categorize time intervals and uses language associated with time in everyday situations (e.g., “in the morning,” “after snack”)

· begins to order two or three objects by size (seriation) (e.g., largest to smallest) (age 4).

(5) Classification and Data Collection

Children use sorting to organize their world. As children recognize similarities and differences, they begin to recognize patterns that lead them to form generalizations. As they begin to use language to describe similarities and differences, they begin sharing their ideas and their mathematical thinking. Children can be actively involved in collecting, sorting, organizing, and communicating information.

The child:

· matches objects that are alike

· describes similarities and differences between objects

· sorts objects into groups by an attribute and begins to explain how the grouping was done

· participates in creating and using real and pictorial graphs.

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Science

Young children are natural scientists. They are eager to discover all they can about the world in which they live. In prekindergarten, children participate in simple investigations that help them begin to develop the skills of asking questions, gathering information, communicating findings, and making informed decisions. Using their own senses and common tools, such as a hand lens, students make observations and collect information. Through these processes, prekindergarten children learn about their world.

Children enter the prekindergarten classroom with many conceptions about the natural and constructed world-ideas that they have gained from prior experiences. Meaningful science learning experiences help children investigate those pre-existing ideas while building a foundation for additional knowledge. These meaningful experiences increase children's understanding of the natural world, living things, cycles, change, and patterns—concepts that organize the learning of science.

(1) Science Processes

Children use the processes of science to develop an understanding about their world. They use their senses to gather information, make tentative statements about events and relationships, and begin to test observations, draw conclusions, and form generalizations. Children learn by participating in a simple investigation (for example, adding water to a dried-up sponge), and then thinking about it, and finally discussing what happened. This inquiry approach enables students to build understanding over time.

The child:

· begins to demonstrate safe practices and appropriate use of materials

· asks questions about objects, events, and organisms

· shows an interest in investigating unfamiliar objects, organisms, and phenomena

· uses one or more senses to observe and learn about objects, events, and organisms

· describes observations

· begins to perform simple investigations

· gathers information using simple tools such as a magnifying lens and an eyedropper

· explores by manipulating materials with simple equipment, (e.g., pouring from a cup, and using a spoon to pick up sand or water)

· uses simple measuring devices to learn about objects and organisms

· compares objects and organisms and identifies similarities and differences

· sorts objects and organisms into groups and begins to describe how groups were organized

· begins to offer explanations, using his or her own words

· predicts what will happen next based on previous experience

· solves simple design problems (e.g., making a box into a little house for a storybook character, toy, or pet)

· participates in creating and using simple data charts

· shares observations and findings with others through pictures, discussions, or dramatizations.

(2) Science Concepts

As prekindergarten children learn science skills, they develop concepts about the natural and constructed environment. They identify components of the natural world including rocks, soil, and water. Children observe and describe changes, and they name organisms and describe basic needs of living things. Prekindergarten children observe cycles (for example, wet and dry) and structures (such as fences or buildings) and describe simple patterns that help predict what will happen next. They compare and sort objects and organisms based on observable differences and similarities. The children begin using what they know to solve problems, such as where to hang a wet cloth so it will dry quickly. The prekindergarten children can also develop an awareness that investigations help them learn about the natural world, that certain questions can be answered by investigations, and that those answers can change as new observations are made.

The child:

· observes and describes properties of rocks, soil, and water

· describes properties of objects and characteristics of living things

· begins to observe changes in size, color, position, weather, and sound

· identifies animals and plants as living things

· groups organisms and objects as living or nonliving and begins to identify things people have built

· begins to recognize that living things have similar needs for water, food, and air

· begins to identify what things are made of (e.g., distinguishing a metal spoon from a plastic spoon)

· uses patterns (such as growth and day following night to predict what happens next)

· identifies similarities and differences among objects and organisms

· begins to use scientific words and phrases to describe objects, events, and living things.

(Back to Contents)

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Social Studies

Social studies concentrate on the nature of people and their world, the heritage of the past, and contemporary living and culture. The social studies are both integral to young children’s lives and of great interest to them. Driven by a desire to know and achieve mastery over self and their environment, children are eager to gain understanding of the many aspects of their cultural and environmental world. Through social studies, children begin to develop the self-understanding that will serve as a foundation for learning about others and the world around them.

Although all aspects of education have the goal of preparing children to become contributing members of society, social studies are particularly well suited to foster the skills and attitudes necessary for participation in a democracy. Skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and working independently and with others in a classroom prepare children to become fully functioning citizens.

(1) Individual, Culture, and Community

All children live in some type of group or social organization. Prekindergarten children must learn the skills of communicating, sharing, cooperating, and participating with others. These individual skills are necessary for all groups to function successfully and fairly. The better children are able to understand others, the more they will feel a sense of community and connection with other people and with their world.

The child:

· shares ideas and takes turns listening and speaking

· cooperates with others in a joint activity

· identifies and follows classroom rules

· participates in classroom jobs and contributes to the classroom community

· identifies similarities among people like himself/herself and classmates as well as among himself/herself and people from other cultures

· begins to examine a situation from another person’s perspective.

(2) History

Prekindergarten children are aware of time and begin to organize their lives around it. Three- and four-year-old children learn to depend on events and routines that occur in a regular and predictable order. They begin to understand past events and how these events relate to present and future activities, demonstrating evidence of their growing understanding of time, change, and continuity.

The child:

· identifies common events and routines (e.g., snack time, storytime)

· begins to categorize time intervals using words (e.g., “today,” “tomorrow,” “next time”)

· recognizes changes in the environment over time (e.g., growth, seasonal changes)

· connects past events to current events (e.g., linking yesterday’s activity with what will happen today)

· begins to understand cause-and-effect relationships (e.g., if one goes outside in the rain, one will get wet).

(3) Geography

Geographic thinking for young children begins with the concepts of location and direction. Children use directions to locate their relative position in space and to locate their home and school in their community. They learn to recognize common features in their immediate environment and begin to represent them symbolically through drawings and constructions.

The child:

· identifies common features in the home and school environment (e.g., the library, the playground)

· creates simple representations of home, school, or community through drawings or block constructions

· begins to use words to indicate relative location (e.g., “front,” “back,” “near,” “far”)

· identifies common features of the local landscape (e.g., houses, buildings, streets).

(4) Economics

In prekindergarten, children learn about the world of work in their community. They explore the roles and relationships of consumers and producers, and become aware that people produce services as well as goods. Children learn that their community benefits from many different people working in many different ways.

The child:

· understands the basic human needs of all people for food, clothing, and shelter

· understands the roles, responsibilities, and services provided by community workers

· becomes aware of what it means to be a consumer.

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Fine Arts

Young children express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings using a variety of symbols. Through their art, music, and dramatic play, children actively engage in representing what they know and how they think, using problem-solving strategies to express ideas in different forms. The fine arts enhance children’s ability to interpret symbols and are associated with growth in all areas of development, including academic learning.

(1) Art

Children explore a wide variety of materials and make discoveries about color, shape, and texture through art experiences. They learn to express what they know and begin to recognize how others express themselves through art. They also begin to gain control of fine-motor muscles and practice hand-eye coordination.

The child:

· uses a variety of materials (e.g., crayons, paint, clay, markers) to create original work

· uses different colors, surface textures, and shapes to create form and meaning

· begins to use art as a form of self-expression

· shares ideas about personal artwork

· begins to show interest in the artwork of others.

(2) Music

Three- and four-year-old children express themselves through singing and movement, and by playing simple instruments. Like art, music is a form of experiencing, learning, and communicating with others. Children learn to experiment with music concepts, volume, tempo, and sound. They begin to appreciate different types of music.

The child:

· participates in classroom music activities

· begins to sing a variety of simple songs

· begins to play classroom instruments

· begins to respond to music of various tempos through movement

· begins to distinguish among the sounds of several common instruments.

(3) Dramatic Play

Creative drama in prekindergarten involves young children in expressive and spontaneous productions. Children demonstrate their unique interpretation to music, songs, and stories through movement and dramatic experiences. These experiences contribute to children’s ability to communicate more effectively and engage in cooperative activity with others.

The child:

· expresses feelings through movement

· begins to create or recreate stories, moods, or experiences through dramatic representations

· begins to engage in dramatic play with others.

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Health and Safety

Young children learn health-promoting habits and routines in prekindergarten. In these early years, they develop basic concepts, attitudes, and skills about nutrition, safety, hygiene, and physical activity that contribute to their well being. Children’s experiences with their health and discovery of ways to improve it enhance their desire and ability to make wise decisions for healthy living in the future.

(1) Health

Health education includes personal hygiene and nutrition education. Children learn that regular hygiene routines and good nutrition are important to their health.

The child:

· becomes aware of routine healthy behaviors (e.g., brushing teeth)

· begins to follow health-promoting routines (e.g., washing hands)

· begins to understand the need for exercise and rest

· refines use of eating utensils

· begins to recognize and select healthy foods

· prepares simple healthy snacks.

(2) Safety

Prekindergarten children acquire everyday routines and procedures to remain safe and avoid injury. They learn about fire, traffic, environmental and personal safety, and what to do in emergency situations.

The child:

· recognizes the danger of fire and learns to treat fire with caution

· responds appropriately during a fire drill

· knows how to seek help in an emergency

· knows how to cross a street safely

· recognizes the symbol for poison

· knows never to eat substances that are not food

· recognizes the danger of poisonous substances, including drugs

· knows not to talk to, accept rides from, or take treats from strangers

· knows how to get help from a parent and/or trusted adult when made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe by another person/adult

· knows never to take medicine unless it is administered by an adult

· knows about safe behavior around bodies of water (e.g., pools, lakes).

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Personal and Social Development

Prekindergarten children develop personal and social skills that enable them to function well within the social setting of the classroom. Children develop a sense of who they are and their capabilities, and establish positive relationships with others, which enables them to effectively participate in class and community and accomplish meaningful tasks.

(1) Personal Development

Children develop a sense of self in prekindergarten. They begin to show initiative in learning and begin to take greater responsibility for their own behavior. They learn to channel their energies in ways that promote effective learning experiences.

The child:

· develops a sense of personal space

· expresses interests and self-direction in learning

· begins to show self-control by following classroom rules

· begins to be responsible for individual behavior and actions

· begins to show greater ability to control intense feelings (e.g., anger).

(2) Social Development

Children develop interpersonal and social skills for communicating with others. They learn alternatives for resolving conflicts and communicating their needs and feelings verbally, and they begin to develop and maintain productive relationships with other children.

The child:

· begins to share and cooperate with others in group activities

· respects other people’s space and personal belongings

· begins to develop friendships with others

· begins to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas through language as well as through gestures and actions

· responds to the suggestions of others.

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Physical Development

Movement is at the center of young children’s lives. Prekindergarten children participate in experiences that foster fundamental motor and movement skills, such as walking and running, which are necessary for participation in games and sports throughout life. They begin to develop gross motor skills that involve throwing, catching, and kicking, and fine motor skills that involve greater precision and accuracy of movement.

1) Physical Movement

Children explore their physical space and understand how their bodies function in space through active movement experiences. They become more skillful and expressive in their movement from one point in space to another through running, jumping, hopping, and skipping movements.

The child:

· explores moving in space

· shows an awareness of name, location, and relationship of body parts

· moves within a space of defined boundaries, changing body configuration to accommodate the space

· becomes more able to move from one space to another in different ways (e.g., running, jumping, hopping, skipping)

· becomes more able to move in place (e.g., axial movements such as reaching, twisting, turning, and bending)

· begins to move in rhythm

· begins to participate in group games involving movement (e.g., Duck, Duck, Goose).

(2) Gross-Motor Development

Gross-motor development requires thought and deliberate movement. Three- and four-year-old children develop greater control of gross-motor manipulative movements that involve giving force to objects and receiving force from objects. Throwing, catching, bouncing, and kicking are fundamental gross-motor manipulative skills.

The child:

· begins to throw or kick an object in a particular direction

· begins to play catch with a bean bag or a large ball

· bounces a large ball and catches it

· begins to coordinate arms and legs (e.g., swinging, stretching).

(3) Fine-Motor Development

Fine-motor manipulative movements involve object-handling activities that emphasize motor control, precision, and accuracy of movement. Using a computer mouse, cutting with scissors, and drawing are the foundational skills needed for the demands of handwriting and other small-motor skills in later school years.

The child:

· begins to develop pincer control in picking up objects (e.g., weaving, touching small objects)

· begins to practice self-help skills (e.g., zipping, buttoning)

· begins to hold writing tools with fingers instead of with a fist

· begins to manipulate play objects that have fine parts

· begins to use scissors.

Prekindergarten Guidelines

Technology Applications

Young children have much to gain from use of technology. In prekindergarten, they expand their ability to acquire information, solve problems, and communicate with others. Regular access and exposure to computers and related technology can enhance this learning. Children use engaging, age-appropriate, and challenging software, and technology to extend their knowledge and to enrich their learning of curriculum content and concepts. These technologies serve as important learning tools and are integrated throughout the instructional program.

Children learn the basic functions of the computer and related technologies. They develop techniques for handling and controlling various input devices, and become increasingly confident and independent users of age-appropriate software programs.

The child:

· starts, uses, and exits software programs

· uses a variety of input devices, such as mouse, keyboard, voice/sound recorder, or touch screen

· begins to use technical terminology, such as “mouse,” “keyboard,” “printer,” “CD-ROM”

· follows basic oral or pictorial cues for operating programs successfully

· enjoys listening to and interacting with storybooks and information texts (e.g., multimedia encyclopedia) in electronic forms

· uses a variety of software packages with audio, video, and graphics to enhance learning experiences (e.g., improving vocabulary, increasing phonological awareness).

BEAM: RAY OF LIGHT

2003-09-25T20:58:00.000-04:00

VINES

2003-09-25T20:45:00.000-04:00

MILESTONES AGES 3 - 5

2003-09-25T13:04:00.000-04:00

MILESTONES

Milestones: 3-Year-Olds

Motor Development: Gross Motor Skills

walks with an agile, almost adult style
runs around obstacles
catches large balls and throws overhead
climbs ladders; uses slide independently
rides a tricycle
alternates feet when climbing stairs
Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills

assembles simple puzzles
manipulates clay; finger paints
copies simple shapes, such as a cross or circle
stacks blocks up to nine high
Language and Thinking Development

understands most of what is said and 75 percent of speech is understandable
speaks in complete sentences of three to five words
matches pictures to objects
learns by doing and through the senses
understands concepts of "now," "soon," and "later"
begins to recognize cause-and-effect relationships

Social and Emotional Development

follows simple directions; enjoys helping with household tasks
begins to recognize own limits — asks for help
likes to play alone, but near other children
does not cooperate or share well
able to make choices between two things
begins to notice other people’s moods and feelings
Tips for Parenting 3-Year-Olds

No longer a toddler, your 3-year-old takes in knowledge about himself and the world around him.

Transitions are difficult at this age. Provide warning of changes so your child has time to shift gears: “We’re leaving in 10 minutes.”
Rituals are important. Household routines and schedules give your 3-year-old a sense of security. Point out colors and numbers in the course of everyday conversation: “You’re wearing your blue shirt” or “We made six cupcakes.”
Encourage independent activity to build self-reliance. Provide lots of sensory experiences for learning and developing coordination — sand, mud, finger paints, puzzles.

Milestones: 4-Year-Olds

Motor Development: Gross Motor Skills

running is more controlled; can start, stop, and turn
turns somersaults; hops on one foot; gallops
can easily catch, throw, and bounce a ball
can brush teeth, comb hair, wash, and dress with little assistance

Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills

copies crosses and squares
prints some letters
uses table utensils skillfully
cuts on a line

Language and Thinking Development

uses a 1,500-word vocabulary; speaks in relatively complex sentences ("Mommy opened the door and the dog ran out.")
understands words that relate one idea to another — if, why, when
continues to learn through experience and the senses
understands, mostly, the difference between fantasy and reality
understands number and space concepts — more, less, bigger, in, under, behind
thinks literally; starting to develop logical thinking
begins to grasp that pictures and symbols can represent real objects
starts to recognize patterns among objects — round things, soft things, animals
grasps the concepts of past, present, and future but does not understand the duration of time

Social and Emotional Development

takes turns, shares, and cooperates
expresses anger verbally rather than physically
can feel jealousy
may sometimes lie to protect herself, but understands the concept of lying
enjoys pretending and has a vivid imagination
Tips for Parenting 4-Year-Olds

Silly, imaginative, and energetic, your child loves to try new words and new activities.

4-year-olds crave adult approval. Provide lots of positive encouragement.

Display calendars and analog clocks to help your child visualize the concept of time.
Play word games to develop his growing vocabulary; overlook his fascination with bad words.
Offer opportunities for sorting, matching, counting, and comparing.
Provide lots of play space and occasions to play with other kids.
Milestones: 5-Year-Olds

Motor Development: Gross Motor Skills

runs in an adult manner
walks on tiptoe, broad jumps
walks on a balance beam
skates and jumps rope

Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills

hand preference is established
laces (but cannot tie) shoes
grasps pencil like an adult
colors within lines
cuts and pastes simple shapes
Language and Thinking Development

speaks fluently; correctly uses plurals, pronouns, tenses
very interested in words and language; seeks knowledge
understands and names opposites
uses complex language
still confuses fantasy and reality at times
thinking is still naïve; doesn’t use adult logic

Social and Emotional Development

distinguishes right from wrong, honest from dishonest, but does not recognize intent
plays make-believe and dresses up
mimics adults and seeks praise
seeks to play rather than be alone; friends are important
plays with both boys and girls but prefers the same sex
wants to conform; may criticize those who do not

Tips for Parenting 5-Year-Olds

Your cooperative, easy-going 5-year-old loves to play and that’s how he learns.

Join in activities that develop coordination and balance — skipping and hopping, walking on the curb or crack in the sidewalk, or climbing trees.
Encourage fine motor skills by letting your child cut pictures out of magazines, string beads, or play with take-apart, put-together toys.
Take advantage of his interest in numbers by counting anything and everything; teach simple addition and subtraction by using objects, not numerals.
Let your child know what to expect from an upcoming event or activity so he can prepare. Avoid springing things on him.
Help him recognize his emotions by using words to describe them: "I see you’re angry at me right now."

A “Snapshot” of Two 5-Year-Olds

This story of Jimmy and Maria illustrates the range of skills, interests, and abilities considered typical development for this age.

Jimmy pressed his forehead against the window as he watched his neighbor Maria drive away in the car with her mother on their way to her first day of kindergarten. He sighed and waved. He hoped Maria would see him, yet he didn’t want to go outside to make sure.

Jimmy felt sad and disappointed that he was’t going, too. At the same time he was glad that he could stay home.

Motor Activity

Jimmy had asked his mother why he wasn’t going to school. He was going to be five soon, just like Maria. And he could do all kinds of things. He was good at running, jumping, and climbing. He could roller skate and ride a tricycle. Maria could do some of those things, too, but not like Jimmy.

Maria couldn’t really climb a tree, but Jimmy was the best tree climber ever. He didn’t tell his mom, but he had climbed the tall tree in Maria’s back yard. She didn’t even try to climb it. She just yelled at him to come down. She thought he was going to hurt himself.

"Girls! Maybe it’s a good thing that Maria is going to school," Jimmy thought. "It’s better to play with boys anyway. Boys do more fun things. Girls like to sit and color and write and play house and cut out paper dolls and all those yucky things." But Jimmy had to admit that Maria liked to play ball and chase and run, too.

If only Billy lived closer! But mom said he’s too young to walk all the way over to Billy’s by himself.

Readiness Skills

"Young, heck! That’s what Mom told me about school — I’m too young to go to kindergarten. I’m going to be five in two weeks! That’s not too young," Jimmy had told his mother.

She replied that she wasn’t talking about being just five years old. She said that he was a "young five."

"Whatever that is!" thought Jimmy.

Mom explained that there were things he still needed to learn before he went to school.

"What things?" asked Jimmy.

"Like sit and listen," said Mom.

"I can sit and listen when I want to. Why do you have to sit and listen to something you don’t like anyway?" Jimmy wondered.

Mom had said it was OK to stay home and just go to preschool until kindergarten. She told him that not all five-year olds do everything at the same time. Maria can draw and write numbers and letters and cut with scissors, but Jimmy was just beginning to do those things.

He told her that he could run, jump, and stand on his head better than Maria could. Mom said that was great, but in school they want you to sit in a chair and write and cut and paste. That made him very, very sad, and he cried a little. Mom hugged him and told him that he was just fine and soon he’d be able to do all the things that Maria could do.

"Look at all the wonderful things you can do," she said. "You build great castles in the sand and amazing objects with Legos. You tell wonderful stories, and you listen very carefully when I read books to you. And you’re a super joke teller." Mom always laughs and laughs at Jimmy’s funny jokes.

She told him that next year would be a fun year, and he would grow and learn a lot. In preschool, she called it pre-kindergarten to make him feel better, he’d learn all those things that he’ll need to know for kindergarten. She said she would help him with the alphabet and numbers and writing at home. She said he already knew his colors and shapes and that he uses grown-up words when he talks.

"Mom is always telling me all the things I can do. That makes me feel good. I know she really loves me!"

And Finally …

Remember that these milestones represent averages, not rigid developmental deadlines. Children move through these changes at varying rates, some sooner, others later. You’re the best judge of your child’s development and what is "normal" for him, but if you have any concerns, discuss them with your child’s pediatrician. Just when you think you’ve figured out your child, something changes. Today he demands constant attention; six months from now he may be pushing you away. You may find strategies that once worked no longer have any impact on him. Don’t worry, this is normal!

------------
Other Resources[hide][show][Books]

Your Three Year Old: Friend or Enemy
By Louise Bates Ames, Frances L. Ilg, Carol C. Haber

Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful
By Frances L. Ilg, Louise Bates Ames, Carol C. Haber

Your Five Year Old: Sunny and Serene
By Louise Bates Ames, Frances L. Ilg, Carol C. Haber

[Websites]

National Network for Child Care:
Child Development Database

State of Washington Department of Social and Health:
Child Development Guide

National Center for Learning Disabilities:
Get Ready to Read!

National Network for Child Care:
Ages & Stages — Five-Year-Olds

Related Publications:

25 Fun Ways to Encourage Reading
How Parents Can Help Young Readers

© 2001, 2004 Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation Created: 07/06/2001 Modified: 10/22/2004

I HAD A LITTLE NUT TREE

2002-09-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

I HAD A LITTLE NUT TREE

I had a little nut tree,
Nothing would it bear
But a silver nutmeg,
And a golden pear;
The King of Spain's daughter
Came to visit me,
And all for the sake
Of my little nut tree.

Her dress was made of crimson,
Jet black was her hair,
She asked me for my nut tree
And my golden pear.
I said, "So fair a princess
Never did I see,
I'll give you all the fruit
From my little nut tree

TWINKLE

2002-09-25T20:57:00.000-04:00

PRISM

2002-09-25T20:56:00.000-04:00

BEACON

2002-09-25T20:54:00.000-04:00

IRIS OF EYE

2002-09-25T20:51:00.000-04:00

CAT CLAWS

2002-09-25T20:49:00.000-04:00

SNOW, DOGS, RABBITS, AIRPLANES

2001-09-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK

2001-09-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck two
And down he flew,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck three
And he did flee,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck four,
He hit the floor,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck five,
The mouse took a dive,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck six,
That mouse, he split,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck seven,
8, 9, 10, 11,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
As twelve bells rang,
The mousie sprang,
Hickory Dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory dock,
"Why scamper?" asked the clock,
"You scare me so
I have to go!
Hickory Dickory dock."

WEE WILLY WINKIE

2001-09-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

WEE WILLIE WINKIE

The original text was written in Scots and is below

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toun,
Up stairs and doon stairs in his nicht-goun,
Tirlin' at the window, cryin' at the lock,
"Are the weans in their bed, for it's noo ten o'clock?"
"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben?
The cat's singin' grey thrums to the sleepin' hen,
The dog's spelder'd on the floor, and disna gi'e a cheep,
But here's a waukrife laddie that winna fa' asleep!"
Onything but sleep, you rogue! glow'ring like the mune,
Rattlin' in an airn jug wi' an airn spune,
Rumblin', tumblin' round about, crawin' like a cock,
Skirlin' like a kenna-what, wauk'nin' sleepin' fock.
"Hey, Willie Winkie - the wean's in a creel!
Wambling aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel,
Ruggin' at the cat's lug, and ravelin' a' her thrums
Hey, Willie Winkie - see, there he comes!"
Wearit is the mither that has a stoorie wean,
A wee stumple stoussie, that canna rin his lane,
That has a battle aye wi' sleep before he'll close an ee
But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me.

A rough English translation is given below

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs in his night-gown,
Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,
"Are the children in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"
"Hey, Willie Winkie, are you coming in?
The cat is singing purring sounds to the sleeping hen,
The dog's spread out on the floor, and doesn't give a cheep,
But here's a wakeful little boy who will not fall asleep!"
Anything but sleep, you rogue! glowering like the moon,
Rattling in an iron jug with an iron spoon,
Rumbling, tumbling round about, crowing like a cock,
Shrieking like I don't know what, waking sleeping folk.
"Hey, Willie Winkie - the child's in a creel!
Wriggling from everyone's knee like an eel,
Tugging at the cat's ear, and confusing all her thrums
Hey, Willie Winkie - see, there he comes!"
Weary is the mother who has a dusty child,
A small short little child, who can't run on his own,
Who always has a battle with sleep before he'll close an eye
But a kiss from his rosy lips gives strength anew to me.

HUMPTY DUMPTY

2001-09-25T21:17:00.000-04:00

HUMPTY DUMPTY

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

BOBBY SHAFTO

2001-09-25T21:16:00.000-04:00

BOBBY SHAFTO

Bobby Shafto's gone to sea,
Silver buckles on his knee;

He'll come back and marry me,
Bonny Bobby Shafto!

Bobby Shafto's bright and fair,
Combing down his yellow hair;

He's my love for evermair,
Bonny Bobby Shafto!

LAVENDER'S BLUE

2001-09-25T21:11:00.000-04:00

LAVENDER'S BLUE (CLICK FOR MELODY)

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
lavender's green,
When I am king, dilly, dilly,
you shall be queen.

Who told you so, dilly, dilly,
who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly,
that told me so.

Call up your men, dilly, dilly,
set them to work
Some with a rake, dilly, dilly,
some with a fork.

Some to make hay, dilly, dilly,
some to thresh corn.
While you and I, dilly, dilly,
keep ourselves warm.

Lavender's green, dilly, dilly,
Lavender's blue,
If you love me, dilly, dilly,
I will love you.

Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly,
And the lambs play;
We shall be safe, dilly, dilly,
Out of harm's way.

I love to dance, dilly, dilly,
I love to sing;
When I am queen, dilly, dilly,
You'll be my king.

Who told me so, dilly, dilly,
Who told me so?
I told myself, dilly, dilly,
I told me so.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_Blue"

PUSSYCAT, PUSSYCAT WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN

2001-09-25T21:07:00.000-04:00

PUSSYCAT PUSSYCAT, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

"Pussycat pussycat, where have you been?"
"I've been up to London to visit the Queen."
"Pussycat pussycat, what did you dare?"
"I frightened a little mouse under her chair"
"MEOWW!"

DISCLOSURE

2001-06-10T15:06:00.000-04:00

I always write about my true feelings and am truthful when posting to this blog. There are portions of this blog that have been sponsored by a company or other entity. Some posts are sponsored for payment. I do not accept sponsorships that I do not believe in. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me @ mom_with_brownies@wowway.com

THE MAN IN THE MOON RHYME

2001-04-30T17:52:00.000-04:00

The man in the moon,
Looked out of the moon,
Looked out of the moon and said:

It's time for all children on the Earth,
To think about getting to bed!

LITTLE BOY BLUE

2001-04-30T17:49:00.000-04:00

Little Boy Blue
by Eugene Field (1850-1895)

The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and stanch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new,
And the soldier was passing fair;
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.

"Now, don't you go till I come," he said,
"And don't you make any noise!"
So, toddling off to his trundle-bed,
He dreamt of the pretty toys;
And, as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue---
Oh! the years are many, the years are long,
But the little toy friends are true!

Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place---
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The smile of a little face;
And they wonder, as waiting the long years through
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue,
Since he kissed them and put them there.

QUEEN OF HEARTS RHYME

2001-04-30T17:40:00.000-04:00

The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts all on a summer's day;
The Knave of Hearts he stole the tarts and took them clean away.
The King of Hearts called for the tarts and beat the Knave full sore
The Knave of Hearts brought back the tarts and
vowed he'd steal no more.

WEEKS 22 - 26 PICTURES

2001-03-19T23:51:00.000-05:00

WEEKS 15 -18 PICTURES

2001-03-19T23:48:00.000-05:00

WEEKS 13 -14 PICTURES

2001-03-19T23:44:00.000-05:00

WEEKS 9 - 12 PICTURES

2001-03-19T23:35:00.000-05:00