ALL About ME!

CIRLCLE TIME

It is important for all children to develop a love for themselves early in their lives. They need to know that they are special. This week we will focus on things that make each child unique and help to foster an appreciation of who they are!

Tell the class a unique fact about yourself that they probably don't know. Then encourage each child to do the same. You will probably find out some very interesting information!

"ME" Bags!

You Will Need:
Plain brown "lunch" sacks
Stickers
Markers or crayons
Magazine cutouts of all kinds

The idea is to decorate their bag in a way that they love and then fill the bag with items with things that represent them. You need to write their names on the bottom of the bags. Once they are completed, you should gather the bags up and let the class try to decide who each bag belongs to based on what is inside!

BIBLE

God Made Me! Psalm 139:13-14

Follow this lesson from MinistryToChildren.com! http://ministry-to-children.com/god-made-me-preschool-lesson/

LETTER/READING

Name Game

Materials:

File cards or sentence strips with each student’s name printed on it.

Even though these activities are encouraging reading, the students are still being exposed to everyone’s name.

1. To begin, you need to say everyone’s name. Sit in a circle. Hold up a card to see if the student whose name is on the card recognizes his or her name in print. Then say it aloud and give it to the student. Continue until all names are passed out.

2. Study the name cards together to see if any of them are the same. Then look at the beginning letter. Ask the children with the same beginning letter to stand together. Which beginning letter is used the most? Which is used the least? Which alphabet letter is not used at all?

3. Toss the name cards in the center of the circle and mix them up. Can the students find their own name cards? Can students find someone else’s card?

4. Use these nametags or other permanent ones at the place where the child sits. Curious children will begin to study other classmate’s written name.

Long A Reading Lesson

You Need:
Index cards
Marker
Scissors

Write long A (with silent E) words on the index cards. Use words such as Tame, Late, Care, Cake, Plate, Cage, Game, Bake, Snake, etc. Cut all of the silent E's off of the ends of the words.

Set the cards in front of the kids. Show them the words without the silent E's. Pronounce it. Now show what happens to the words when you add the silent E to the end. Have the children pronouce the completed words.

SCIENCE

Measure Me Activity

You Will Need:
Several rolls of colored ribbon
Pictures of the kiddo's faces
Tape or sticky tac
Scissors

Lay each child on the floor and have them hold the end of the ribbon on top of their head as you roll the ribbon down to the feet. Make sure they are laying as straight as they can! Cut the ribbon at their feet. Stick the ribbon to the wall with the bottom touching the floor. Stick their picture at the top. Line up each child's ribbon side by side in a row. Once completed, you can talk about how each person is a different height and how some people are the same. Who is the tallest? Who is the shortest? Extend it and ask who thinks they are going to be the tallest when they are finished growing?





MATH

Graphing - All About Us

Make a graph chart on a piece of poster board. Include hair color and eye color. Across the bottom, make categories for brown hair, blonde hair, red hair and black hair. Also add the categories for blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes etc. Count up the number of people with each characteristic and add a square for each person who has it in each category. Its fun to look at the chart when it is complete and compare the similarities and differences in the class.

Sort & Count Bottles

Collect several empty water bottles. Remove any labels they may have. Write a number on each in sharpie marker. Provide a bowl full of craft poms. The idea is to have the kids count and add the number of craft poms to each bottle as is listed on that bottle. You can also color code them to add another layer if you wish!

From The Imagination Tree

MOTOR SKILLS

Fine - Tactile Names

You Will Need:
Paper
White School Glue
Small Plastic Beads

Write each child's name in the glue and then have them place the beads in the glue to trace each letter. This makes a really cool effect once dry! Hang them up in the room.

Gross - ABC Exercise Cards

Print the cards HERE. These are really fun! Each child should pick a card and then say the letter. They then should perform the activity listed on the card. Tons of fun and a great way to reinforce the letters.

ART & CRAFT

Art - Funny Faces Paper Plate Masks

You Will Need:
Paper plates
Lots of different kinds of dry noodles
Magazine cutouts
White school glue
Crayons
Craft Popsicle sticks

Give each child a plate. Draw where their eyes will be. Then allow the kids to create funny faces using the materials provided. When they are done and dry, cut out the eye holes so they can see. You can have a funny face parade during the week!

Craft - Body Part Puzzle

Print the puzzle HERE. Cut the pieces out and provide a clean piece of paper and some glue. Allow the kids to put the body back together. Discuss the different body parts.

BOOKS

http://www.amazon.com/I-Like-Me-Picture-Puffins/dp/0140508198

"Little ones in need of positive reinforcement will find it here. An exuberant pig proclaims "I like me!" She likes the way she looks, and all her activities....When she makes a mistake she picks herself up and tries again." --Booklist "Wonderful in its simplicity, here's a story that will help kids feel good about themselves." -- Boston GLobe

http://www.amazon.com/All-Myself-Little-Critter-Look-Look/dp/0307119386

In this simple, sweet, and very human picture book, Mercer Mayer's popular Little Critter shows us all the things he can do by himself, from tying his shoes (almost) to pouring his own juice (and only spilling a little). The wry illustrations often point up the fact that Little Critter doesn't do everything perfectly, but he makes an effort to do the best he can.







MUSIC

Hokey Pokey
http://bussongs.com/songs/hokey-pokey.php

Follow the link to find the lyrics and the music! Such a fun song to review body parts and get moving.

COOKING

ME! Gingerbread Cookies

You can make these from scratch (here is a good recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gingerbread-Cookies-II/) or you can buy them pre-made and just do the decorating part.

The easiest way to let young kids decorate cookies is to put the icing in those cheap squeeze bottles. These make drawing on the cookies super easy.

Have the kids decorate their cookie however they like.

Safety & Law Enforcement

CIRCLE TIME

There are many topics to cover in circle time this week. I have planned it so that you can talk about 1 each day!

Stranger Danger
When kids get to be around this age, it is (unfortunately) time to teach them that they should be weary of strangers. For the kids who are pretty reserved already, this is not very hard for them. For the kids who are very outgoing and friendly, this concept is pretty tough to understand. A really great way to help with this concept is to read "The Berenstein Bears Learn About Strangers". Read the book and then answer questions as best as you can afterward. You can also do some role play scenarios with them so they will better understand how to handle different situations.

Being Lost
Kids are always getting lost. It is really important to teach them what to do in case this happens so that you can be reunited quickly!
1-Tell them to stay put! It will be much easier for you to find the child if they aren't wandering around. Find a place that is in the open and stay there.
2-Teach them to call the parent's name (real name). In a crowded shopping center, no one will pay attention to a child yelling for their "Mommy"! You will be much more apt to hear them if they are calling your actual name.
3-Ask another mom for help. It is a pretty safe bet that a woman with small children will be safe to talk to. Let them know that they can ask a woman with kids for help.
4-Talk to your kids about safety often, and in a calm and reassuring way. It is a very delicate balance, between making sure they know that things are dangerous and scaring the crap out of them. Make safety and finding you when lost a part of normal conversation so that, when the time comes, they feel comfortable dealing with the situation. A frantic child will have a much more difficult time figuring out what to do next.
5-A great idea that I have seen on Pinterest recently is to write your cell number on their arm and cover it with liquid bandage so it can't be easily wiped off. Teach the child to find a mom and ask them if they can call their mom and show them the phone number. Why not use the technology we have now to our advantage?

Role of a Police Officer

Show the kids a picture of what police officers look like in your area. Make sure they will be able to identify them easily.
Police Officers are there to serve and protect the public. That means that if you are in trouble, they are there to help! You should always feel comfortable asking a Police Officer for help if you are hurt, lost or in trouble.
Police Officer's jobs are to try to stop people from breaking the law (or rules). When they see someone breaking the law, or if someone tells the Officer that they saw someone breaking the rules, the Officer will go to that person and probably arrest them. When someone is arrested, it means they are taken to jail, which is kind of like a really big time out.


Following Rules (or Laws)
Just like there are many rules in your classroom that you must follow or you will have consequences, there are rules for all people that must be followed or they will also have consequences. Most of the rules that you must follow in the classroom are the same as the rules that grown ups must follow also. The consequences for grown ups who don't follow the rules are much worse than for kids! By the time you are a grown up, you should know how to follow the rules! Most rules are there to protect us and keep us safe. One example is "No hitting our friends". If we went around hitting each other all the time, we would get really hurt! If a grown up hit another grown up, a Police Officer would come and take the grown up that did the hitting to jail, because that is against the rules (law).

Safety
Some safety topics that we haven't covered yet this week include:

Crossing the Street
Buckling Seat Belts in the Car
Walking Outside at Night
Being Careful Around Strange Animals
Playing around Train Tracks, Ditches, Streams, and Drainage Systems
(There is always Fire Safety, but we are going to go into that fully in a few weeks!)



BIBLE

Sheep Protected by a Shepherd
This lesson focuses on God as a Father who protects his children. (taken from ministrytochildren.com)

In John 10:27, God says that, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Let’s play a game to practice using our listening ears. You get to pretend to be sheep and I am the Shepherd.  Do you know the game Simon Says?   It’s just like that except we’re going to call it “The Shepherd Says.” Play the game Simon Says, substituting the word Shepherd for Simon.

 Say:  It’s very important to listen to God, our Good Shepherd.  His words are written in the Bible.  They will help us follow God and do what is right.  In John 10:28 it says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish:  no one can snatch them out of my hand.” Hmmm… let’s try to be detectives and figure out what this verse means.

Put on whatever protective gear you have access to (the more the funnier.)  As you put each piece, tell the students what it is for.  (For example, I wear my helmet on my bike to protect my head from getting hurt.  I wear my mouth guard in my mouth to protect my teeth when I’m playing sports.  I wear my shin guards so that I do not get bruised legs….)


Say:  Wow!  Look at me!  I am well protected.  It is very important to wear your helmets, life jackets, and seat belts.  All of these things will help you from getting hurt.  But, sometimes accidents still happen. 

Because of sin, there will always be problems on this earth.  People will need band-aids, will have to see the doctor, and need help from police men, firefighters, and pastors.  Our hearts will get hurt and broken.  Sometimes we’ll be sad and afraid.
But there’s good news.  Really good news!  If you choose to follow Jesus and invite Him to live in your heart, God will heal your broken heart.  He will give you eternal life.  That means you will live forever with Him in Heaven one day.  In Heaven, you won’t get hurt.  There won’t be crying or hurting or being afraid.
God is and will be the best Father we’ll ever have.  He’ll take care of us.  No one will be able to take us out of His hands.  We will be more protected than even I am today!

Say:  Today I want you to think about whether Jesus is living in your heart.  Have you asked for your sins to be forgiven?  If not, think about doing that today.  If you have any questions, please ask me.  I would love to help you understand His love!

READING/LETTER OF THE WEEK

Long A: http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f

Things can start getting confusing from this point, since letters will start making different sounds, depending on which vowel they are with. It is really very simple, it just takes practice. Teach a rule, then practice it in single words, then go on a hunt for the words and rules in stories, allowing them to read as much as they can by themselves.
NOTE: When learning to read, a child should read out loud so you can hear how they sound through words and articulate sounds. The most difficult thing for you to do at this point is - sit quietly while the child sounds through a word; it is very tempting to help them. Don't get them into the habit of waiting for you to give them the words! We don't step in and help unless the student is becoming frustrated, and only after at least two or three tries.
When we help, we never give the whole word if they have already learned all the phonics rules that apply; we only help with specific sounds within the word. If the word is new and contains rules that have not been covered yet, we let them try to figure it out, then help with some sounds, and only after that do we give them the word (if they are still stuck).

This is a good worksheet for working on the Long A sound: http://www.abcteach.com/free/b/beginningsound_longvowel_a.pdf

SCIENCE

Examining Finger Prints!

Each and every person in the world has their very own set of fingerprints that no one else has! Even when a person is a twin, each twin's fingerprints are special. For this reason, fingerprints can be used to find a person who committed a crime. When a person touches things, like a door and a light switch, they leave invisible fingerprints on those objects. We have oils on our skin and that oil comes off onto the things we touch. In the oil, our fingerprint pattern is able to be seen. The oil is invisible, so we must do some special things to be able to see the fingerprints.

Materials Needed:
Scotch Tape
Ink Pads
White Index Cards
Powdered Paint (any color will do)
Powder Makeup Brush
Magnifying Glasses

We are going to see our fingerprints in 2 ways. The first way is to see our fingerprints on some sticky tape. Give each child a small length of tape. Ask them to stick their index finger to the center of the sticky side and then pull the tape off. If you look really closely, you can see some lines and swirls where your finger was. That is your fingerprint! You can now dust that print with the powdered ink using the makeup brush. This will make it easier to see the print. Stick the dusted print to the index card. This is exactly how the police collect fingerprints at places that crimes were committed!

You can also stick your finger into the ink pad and then onto the index card. This is messier! You can look at the fingerprints using the magnifying glass. Be sure to write the child's name on the card with their prints on it and then trade cards to other children. Then they can compare and see how each person has a different set of prints.

MATH

Measuring Shapes

Materials Needed:
Worksheet with shapes
Lengths of yarn
Rulers

This website has several free shape worksheets you can print: http://amazingworksheets.blogspot.com/2012/04/shapes-coloring-worksheet-for-preschool_08.html

Give each child a length of yarn and a ruler. Show them how to place the yarn around each shape to find it's length. When you lay the yarn straight, you can use the ruler to find out how long that was in inches. You will find that the shapes are very different in length, even when they look like they are the same size. The shapes that have more sides will be longer than those with fewer sides.

Patterning Worksheet

Practice completing the patterns using this free printable worksheet: http://www.kidslearningstation.com/patterns/pattern-worksheets-1.asp

ART & CRAFT

Art - Fingerprint Art

Materials Needed:

Watercolor paint
Paper
Crayons

Show the children how to wet their fingertips in the watercolors and then create art by making fingerprints on the paper!

Craft - Shape Police Car

Print out the template HERE and cut out the pieces. Allow the kids to put their cars together using the shapes! Glue them to a piece of paper.

MOTOR SKILLS

Gross - Police Officer Says

This is just another take on "Simon Says". Line the children up and tell them only to follow the directions IF the police officer says! Then give them simple instructions and every so often don't say "police officer says". When a child does the task when the police officer didn't say, they must sit down. The last child (or last couple of children) left standing win!

Fine - Sifting Sand for Clues

This is a fun way to work on fine motor skills! You will need a deep tub of clean sand and a bunch of sand safe items to stash in the sand to use as "clues". Provide sand sifters and allow the kids to sift the sand to find the hidden items!

BOOKS

http://www.amazon.com/Officer-Buckle-Gloria-Caldecott-Medal/dp/0399226168/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389561902&sr=8-1&keywords=officer+buckle+and+gloria

"Besides the beguiling story, the affable illustrations of the smiling Gloria, the accidental mayhem in the background, and the myriad safety tips -- such as 'always pull the toothpick out of your sandwhich' and 'never lick a stop sign in the winter' -- add to the enjoyment. A glorious picture book." -- The Horn Book "Rathmann is a quick rising star in the world of chidren's books. In this book, she again shows her flair for creating real characters, dramatic situations and for knowing what will make young audiences giggle and think." -- Children's Book Review Magazine "Rathman brings a lighter-than-air comic touch to this outstanding, solid-as-a-brick picture book." -- Publisher's Weekly "A five-star performance." -- School Library Journal

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Mikes-Police-Car-Pictureback/dp/0375823344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389562024&sr=8-1&keywords=big+mikes+police+car 

 Kids will have a ball taking a ride with Big Mike as he goes through a day in the life of a typical police officer. Whether it’s helping to find someone lost in the woods or tracking down a stolen ham, Big Mike makes it clear that police officers work hard to help people and keep them safe.



MUSIC

Listen to this great song called "Stop, Look & Listen"!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKQ5FdyMFFI


EXTRA FUN:

Print the police hat and badge for each kid to wear this week!  http://www.first-school.ws/t/policesetbw.htm