Homeschool Step by Step: letter A

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K4 Week 7: A for Apples

New Concepts:

Theme: Weather & Seasons
ABC's: Letter A
Math: Introducing #1; Same vs. Different
Color: Red

Theme Activities:

1. Read a book about the seasons.

Sunshine Makes the Seasons (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

2. What are the seasons?

Use a large piece of paper and divide it into 4 sections. Talk about each of the seasons. Using pictures cut out from magazines or the Internet, talk about various things that belong in each season. Be sure to include holidays that occur in each season, what the weather is like, what clothing people wear, and what activities people enjoy doing. You could also use this Four Seasons Sorting Activity.

3. Paper Dolls

Print out a set of paper dolls and a variety of clothes for all seasons. Talk about in what season the doll would wear each item of clothing and have your child dress the doll appropriately.

4. Read a book about weather.

Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today?: All About Weather (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library)

Down Comes the Rain (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Clouds (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

What's the Weather? (Rookie Preschool: Learn about Nature)

5. Weather Words

Use these Weather Word Picture Cards to play a matching game. Print 2 sets, then turn them all upside down and have students take turns finding 2 that match. Use the cards to continue discussions on weather.

6. Tree for All Seasons

Talk about how the trees look during the different seasons of the year. What is the weather like in each season? Then create your own trees, one for each season, illustrating what the weather is like during each.

ABC & Handwriting Activities:

1. Letter A Introduction:

Review letters D, K, and Q. Show "A" Flashcard. Use Foam Letter Builders to build letter A. Show a collection of items that begin with A (at this time focus only on the short A sound, although you could mention that A has other sounds, as well): astronaut, apple, axe, alligator.

Color the Letter A Words Coloring Page

2. Letter A Words

Cut out the Letter A Words cards from Raising Rock Stars and talk about each word. Mix them up with the K and Q Words and help child sort the words based on their beginning sound.

3. Read a book about apples.

4. A is for Apple Craft

Letter A Template

There's no instructions for this one-- just cut out the shapes as seen in the picture below and help child glue them on like an apple and an apple tree.

5. More Letter A Activities:

A Words 2-Part Puzzles

Capital A/ Lowercase A Matching Game

6. Write the letter A.

Help child draw the lines that form "A" in "Getting Ready for A" and then practice tracing the letter A.

7. Review A, B & C

Letters A, B & C Sorting (Part 4)

ABC Which is Different? (Part 3)

Math Activities:

1. Same vs. Different
Remind child of the Opposites book you read in Week 1. Review big vs. small as opposites. Tell child another set of opposite words is "same" and "different." Show several of 3 different types of coins. Make a row of nickels, a row of dimes, and a row of pennies. Ask if the ones in each row look the same? Then mix it up a little to make one coin different in each row. How is the coin different? (Talk about size or color or picture.)

Help child complete the "Which One is Different?" Worksheet in Part 1 of the Apple Pack.

Apple Printables

2. Introduce #1.
Begin a Numbers Book. Color a cover page. Talk about the differences between letters and numbers. Show this #1 Poster with a fun rhyme to help learn how to write the number. Go over the rhyme several times. Display the poster for review. Find things in the room that you have only 1 of.

Number Formation Rhymes Pin

Cover this #1 Template with 1 piece of yarn or ribbon. Add to your Numbers Book.

Color the #1 Coloring Page

3. Review the color RED

If you have color flashcards, review brown and purple. Add red. Go on a "red" hunt around the room. Find objects that are red on this worksheet.

4. Dot Marker Pages
Use these pages with small dot stickers, pom poms, or Dot Markers.
#1 Dot Marker Page
"Find the #1" Page (Part 3)
A is for Apple Dot Marker Page
Dot the A's on the Apple (Part 1)

5. Write #1
Part 2 of the Rompin' & Roarin' #1 Pack has some practice with writing the number one.

Here is some more practice writing #1.

6. Apple-Themed Math Review Activities:

A for Apple Shapes Matching Puzzles

appleshapepuzzles

Apple Size Sorting (Part 2)

Color by Size A's & Apples (Part 4)

Romping & Roaring A Pack

Apple Pattern Cards

Apple Printables

Hands-On Activities

Apples provide so many opportunities for learning science. If there's an orchard near you, go pick apples! Taste several different kinds of apples together. Cut an apple open and show the seeds. Talk about how they grow.

1. Apple Life Cycle Photo Cards

2. Apple Observations
Introduce the Scientific Method with this very basic Apple Observation sheet.

Apple Observation Chart

3. Cook something with apples.

Easy Crockpot Applesauce

Apple Tree Snack

Apple Pie

Materials Needed:

- large butcher paper
- photos from magazines that show different seasons (weather, clothing, etc.)
- construction paper for trees & for apples: brown, green, blue, orange, red
- cotton balls, leaves (real or fake)
- paint & paintbrushes for trees
- stack of nickels, dimes & pennies
- 1 piece of yarn or ribbon
- Dot Markers or dot stickers
- apples
- Flashcards: Letters C, D, K, Q, A; purple, brown, blue & red, #1, crescent, diamond, oval & rectangle

Learn to Read Unit 1: Short Vowels-- Days 1-10

Before Day 1:

Be sure the child can recognize each of the consonant letters (both uppercase & lowercase) and knows the sounds they make. You can use our Preschool Theme Weeks or any "Letter of the Week"-type program.

Get the child excited about his very own Reading Notebook. You can use any 1" or 1 1/2" 3-ring binder to store all of the worksheets and activities you complete throughout the course of this program. Let him personalize it by decorating his own cover sheet.

Day 1: short "a" sound.

Listen to the "Short A Song" on Starfall.

Do the "A" Letter Find Worksheet.

Color the "A is for..." Coloring Page for your Reading Notebook. Help child to find other objects around the room that begin with a short "a" sound.

Day 2: "-at" Word Family

Using letter magnets, show the word "at." Have child blend the two letters together to read the word. Then, begin to add other beginning letter sounds to blend new words: bat, sat, cat, hat, and mat.

Complete the "-at Sight Word Search" to recognize the word "at".

Play the Pocket Chart Matching Game for the "-at" Word Family. Mix up the pictures and the beginning letter sounds. First have child put a letter at the beginning of each "-at" and read the word. Then have him/ her match the word to its picture.

Help the child put together the "-at Word Puzzles."

Day 3: Sight word "the"; "-an" Word Family

Help child fill in the "-at Word Family Flower" for his/ her Reading Notebook by using letter stamps or just writing in the words.

Introduce the sight word "the" by writing it on an index-sized flashcard. You can display this on a Word Wall or put it in a special place where you can review it each day. (Other sight words will be added over the course of this study.) Use one or two of the worksheets from Learning2Walk to practice the word (you could even use one of her sheets as your flashcard or wall display).

Using the letter magnets again, show the word "an." Help child blend letters together. Then begin to add beginning letter sounds to make new words: man, can, van, fan, and tan.

Choose an activity from 3 Dinosaurs' "-an Word Family" page: the PlayDoh Mat or the Word Family Pack (which contains the Pocket Chart Matching like you did yesterday).

Day 4: Sight word "I"; reading sentences

Complete the "-an Word Family Flower" for your Reading Notebook in whatever way you choose.

Introduce the sight word "I" in the same way you introduced "the." Display it on your Word Wall or in your special review box. Here are some practice worksheets to learn the word "I." This may be a good opportunity to teach that when the word "I" is in a sentence by itself, it is always capitalized.

Write the following sentences on the board or on a piece of paper. Show your child that now he/ she can read sentences all by himself!
Pat the fat cat.
I can fan the tan cat.
The man ran.

(Take an opportunity to discuss the period at the end of each sentence. Tell child that all sentences end with some type of punctuation mark, and in this case it is a period.)

Day 5: Sight word "on"; "-ad" Word Family

Time for another new sight word. Introduce "on" in the same way you have been introducing all the sight words. Here are some more practice worksheets for the word "on" from Learning2Walk. Review the other sight words you have learned.

Use letter magnets to introduce the "-ad" Word Family. First allow child to read "ad" by itself, then add one beginning letter at a time to sound out each word: pad, mad, sad, dad, had.j

Use some activities from the "-ad" Word Family Pack at 3Dinosaurs.

Complete the "-ad Word Family Flower" for your Reading Notebook.

Day 6: "-am" & "-ap" Word Families; review short A

On a piece of paper, write the words: am, jam, ham, Sam, and Pam. Help child to blend the sounds of each word in order to read it, in the same way he has been doing with the letter magnets. (You may have to explain that if a word begins with a capital letter, it may be a person's name.) Repeat with the words: cap, tap, lap, and map.

If your child is still having trouble blending letter sounds together to make words, you can use these Foldable Short Vowel Word Strips to show them one letter at a time. (Instructions are included in the download.)

Read the following words out loud while the child is seated. Tell him to jump up from his seat if he hears the short "a" sound in the word. Remain seated if he does not hear the "a" sound like in "apple."
pad, cot, red, tag, wet, big, got, yam, sit, can, yet, pop, gap, den, gum, rat

Help child to put together several of the Short A CVC Word Family Puzzles. Show how they can now read many words that have the short "A" sound in the middle.

Now the child can read the first book in the BOB Books, Set 1 series on his/ her own! Go through each page together, sounding out each word. (You will have to help with the word "end" but we will not introduce that as a sight word just yet.)

Day 7: short "E" sound

Listen to the "Short E Song" on Starfall.

Do the "E" Letter Find Worksheet.

Go through the Mini Book of words that begin with the "e" sound. Or choose another activity from the Printable Pack.

Day 8: "-ed" & "-et" Word Families

Review the sight words "I," "the," and "on."

Use letter magnets, or your dry erase board, to help child read the ending "-ed." Then, one at a time, add a beginning letter and help child to sound out each word: red, led, bed, fed, Ted (reminding child that often words beginning with a capital letter are a person's name).

Repeat with the ending sound "-et". Use the words get, bet, let, yet, wet, jet, and set.

Now practice reading some sentences with these words in them. You can write the entire sentence on the board or in a notebook for child to read, or you could write each word on a separate card and have fun building sentences together using the words.
I pet the sad, wet cat. (Introduce the "comma" as another mark of punctuation that separates two words.)
Set the wet pet on the mat.
Let Sam get on the red bed.

You can also build sentences using the words from the BOB Book you read on Day 6.

Choose some activities from the "-ed" Word Family Pack and the "-et" Word Family Pack at 3 Dinosaurs.

Day 9: Sight word "and"; "-en" Word Family

Complete the "-ed" & "-et" Word Family Flowers in your Reading Notebook. Review all the other flowers you have created.

Introduce sight word "and" and add it to your Word Wall or flashcard collection. Choose an activity or two from the "and" Sight Word pack at 3 Dinosaurs.

Practice reading the following words using letter magnets or just writing on the board: hen, pen, ten, Ken. Also, help the child read the word "yes," even though it is not officially part of the "-en" Word Family!

Help the child to read the following sentences you write on the board:
Ben had a red van. The red van ran.
Dad fed the tan hen at the pen.
Pam let Ken get the net wet.

The child is now able to read BOB Book Set 1, Book 2 on his/ her own. Help child go through each page, sounding out the words.

Day 10: Review short A & E vowels

Write the endings -at, -ed, -ap, -et, -an, and -en on the board in big letters, allowing room for the child to put a letter magnet at the beginning to make different words. Have him read each word as he builds it.

Sort Short A & Short E Vowel words only with this Ice Cream Scoop sorting Game.

Review the BOB Books you have already read.

Preschool Theme: Ants

Go to: Preschool Themes Home Page

Letter of the Week: A

Learning the Alphabet: Letter A Pack (This Reading Mama)
Confessions of a Homeschooler: A is for Ant Printables
3 Dinosaurs' Rompin' & Roarin' Letter A Pack