K4 Week 3: C for Caterpillars

New Concepts:

Theme: Feelings

ABC's: Letter C

Math: Introducing Rectangles; Big vs. Small

Color: Brown
Nursery Rhyme: "Rub-a-Dub-Dub"

Theme Activities:

1. Read a book about feelings.

(In case you haven't figured it out, reading to your preschooler is the most important part of this curriculum! If you do no other activities, at least read the books!)

     

2. Color your feelings.

Make faces together in the mirror: "Show your..." Face (happy, sad, mad, silly, etc.)

Work together on the "Color My Emotions" Mini Book.

3. Play the "Feelings" Matching Game

Turn them all over & try to find matches, while talking about the different emotions. (Page 4 & 5)

4. Feelings Puppet Show

Work together to make up a puppet show using these different puppets on craft sticks. Place them in different scenarios in which the child has to decide how he/ she would feel.

5. Feelings Find

Using the "Feelings" Matching Cards from #3, spread the different emotions all around the room. Talk about a scenario the child might find himself in and have him go run to find the correct emotion he might feel.

ABC & Handwriting Activities:

1. Rhyming: Read a Nursery Rhyme

Begin to learn the concept of rhyming. Rhyming is a very important pre-reading concept to grasp. One way to learn rhyming is to read lots of nursery rhymes. Get a great nursery rhyme book. Read one a week, and work on memorizing them. Point out the rhyming words as you read.

This week: Rub-a-Dub-Dub!
Here is a printable poster & coloring page.

2. Rhyming Matching Game

Print out & laminate one of these sets of Rhyming Matching Cards. Help child understand what words rhyme as you play the game together.

3. Letter C Introduction:

Review Letter B Flashcard. Add letter C. Show how it is just a big curved line. Use Foam Magnetic Letter Builders if you desire, or practice writing it on a big chalkboard. 

Talk about the "hard" sound of "C". Show a collection of several items that begin with C, emphasizing the sound at the beginning of each: cat, corn, couch, cup, candle, car, etc.

4. Letter C Coloring Page

Color the "C's" (Part 1) on the Caterpillar

5. Letter C Words:

Using the Letter C Template (scroll down to bottom), help your child cut out pictures of words that begin with C from the Learning the Alphabet: Letter C Pack and paste them onto the C's. Talk about each word, emphasizing the "C" sound at the beginning. Add to your Alphabet Notebook.

6. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Be sure to point out that caterpillar begins with the "C" sound!

Use these Sequencing Cards to help your child re-tell the story after you've read it.

7. Make a caterpillar craft.

Make a "C" for Caterpillar craft using different colored pom-poms, or circles of construction paper. Talk about the colors as you go along, as well as how they are shaped into the letter C.

8. Write Letter C
Practice tracing letter C's. (Part 2)

Math Activities:

1. Review the color BROWN.

If you have color Flashcards, review the BLUE card from last week, and add BROWN.

Go on a "brown" hunt around the room.

Find the objects that are brown on this worksheet.

2. Rectangle Introduction:
Review previous shapes: Circle, Square & Triangle. Show the rectangle flashcard. Point out how it is different from the square. Use the Rectangle Shape Viewer to go around the room and find objects shaped like rectangles.

Rectangle Song
(To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")
I am a rectangle
I am a rectangle
I have four sides, oh yes I do,
I am a rectangle.

My sides aren't the same,
My sides aren't the same,
2 are long and 2 are short,
I am a rectangle!


Eat a rectangle-shaped snack: a graham cracker or a candy bar?

3. Rectangle Coloring Page
Add to your Shapes Notebook.

4. Shapes Review Game
Using sidewalk chalk outside, or masking tape on the carpet, draw the four shapes we have learned so far. Play music and have child jump from shape to shape. When the music stops, call out a shape and have her run to that shape as fast as she can.


5. Shape Sorting
Cut circles, rectangles, triangles, and squares in several sizes and colors out of construction paper. Help child sort the shapes to make one group for each shape.

6. Introducing big vs. small

Remind child of the Opposites book you read last week. Talk about some opposites you know. A new one this week is big vs. small. Use animals as an example. What are some BIG animals? (elephant, giraffe, whale) What are some SMALL animals? (mouse, bird, caterpillar) Find several pairs of shoes around your house. Arrange them in order from BIG to SMALL.

7. Size Sorting Caterpillars

Use this Size Sorting Caterpillar game to further understand the concept. (Do it first without the Game Board, just lining them up biggest to smallest, then use the Board and help child sort into Small, Medium & Large.)

 

8. Color by Size
Use these Color by Size C's or Color by Size Caterpillars (Part 4) to practice small, medium & large.

Independent Activities:

Lacing Cards:
Teach your child how to use a shoelace or yarn to "sew".

Letter C & Caterpillar Lacing Card




Shape Lacing Cards Printable

Materials Needed:

- 2 different colors of construction paper for Caterpillar craft
- markers
- colored pom poms
- pipe cleaner
- googly eyes
- craft sticks for puppets
- Rectangle Shape Viewer
- Flashcards: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, letter B, letter C, blue, brown
- construction paper cut-out shapes: triangles, rectangles, circles & squares