Raising Creative Children » lesson plans

E is for Elephant – Preschool Lesson Plans

Lorelei — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:26:13 +0000

Children Adore Elephants

This week, E is for Elephant, you and your child will learn about the largest land mammal on Earth. You will also focus on the oval shape, the number nine, and the color gray.
Your child may learn:

The sound of the letter E
The shape of the letter E
Words that begin with E
Elephants are large animals.
There are two types of elephants – African and Indian.
African elephants are larger than Indian elephants, they have baggier skin and bigger ears, too.
Elephants live together in families. Several families living together form a herd.
The leader of the herd is usually the oldest female, called a matriarch.
Elephants eat plants. They eat a lot of plants!
They eat leaves, grass, hay, tree bark, and fruit
Elephants flap their ears to cool themselves.
Elephants spray water on their skin.
The wrinkles hold the water, which helps to cool them.
Elephants live for eighty years!
Elephants have four teeth and two tusks.

Children Love Elephants

Children seem fascinated with elephants, perhaps more so than any other Jungle animal. There have long been picture books capitalizing on this phenomenon, from Babar the Elephant, to today’s Elephant and Piggy series. Dumbo the Elephant was once a popular film. There are stuffed elephants, Beanie Baby elephants, plastic toy elephants, Duplo elephants, and even elephant costumes for children of all ages. You can use your child’s interest to help him learn the sound of the letter e. Practice saying “eh – eh – elephant” to help him hear the sound. Vowels are often much harder to learn than consonants. For one, they have multiple sounds, and they can be harder to hear in the word. It is not uncommon for children to assume that the word “elephant” begins with the letter L!

Musical Help

Elephants Continue to Fascinate Us

The songs this week are all listed on the new Songs page at the top of this blog. You can click on the links, and hear different vocalists perform the song for you, to help you learn the words and the melody. You can listen to them alone, or with your child. I especially enjoyed the Elephant Lullaby I found while searching, and plan to buy this one.

Elephant Activities for Preschool

Your child will make some elephant crafts. He will string “emerald” elbow macaroni to make a necklace. You will color the pasta the same way you would color rice. You will play some counting games, and practice large muscle skills by tossing peanuts into a cardboard “elephant”. If your child or children may have an allergy to peanuts, substitute Styrofoam packing peanuts instead.

If possible, try to plan a trip to the zoo on Friday or Saturday. Make sure you visit the elephants! But also find out if there are elk, or eels, or eagles at your zoo.

If you can afford only one book this week, I’d strongly suggest the Tarra and Bella story, although Twenty-One Elephants and Still Holding is also excellent. Hopefully, you can find them all in your library, if your budget doesn’t cover new books this week.

Five Star Picture books for Your Preschooler

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Quality Toys and Products(Optional)

Preschool Worksheets (Optional)

E is for Elephant – Preschool Lesson Plans

Photo Credits:
Top:photo by Brett Holt
Middle: photo by Ryan McFarland
Bottom: photo by Stuart Bassil

Sensory Play

Lorelei — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:00:57 +0000

Sensory Play is play that involves the use of one or more of the five senses. One could argue that all play involves the senses. A child cannot play with blocks without touching them. He cannot do puzzles without seeing the picture on them. But in sensory play, the play is focused on exploring and sharpening one or more of the senses. When a child plays with blocks, he is focused on building something, creating a project either on his own or with a friend. When a child plays with sand paper, he is discovering how it feels. He may sniff it, lick it, shake it, and tear it to pieces. He is focused more on what his senses can tell him about sand paper, rather than on what he can use the sandpaper for. Sensory Play is often synonymous with messy play.

Exploring the World Through the Sense of Sight

Young Children Learn By Exploring With Their Senses.

First they may see something new, using their sense of sight. Then they will want to reach out and touch it – their sense of touch. They will shake it, to discover if it makes a sound – their sense of hearing. Then they bring it close to their face, and will smell and taste it, using two more senses. This is the way infants, toddlers, and preschool children learn. Once children learn how to read, then they may learn by reading about something, but it is still best whenever practical, to involve two or more senses in the learning process. You can help your young child by teaching him about his five senses, and giving him lots of experiences to use those senses.

Children Love to Play Looking Games

You can help them to learn the vocabulary to describe what they are seeing. Whenever you have a moment to talk with him, ask him to describe how something looks. You can play word games with him, like “I spy” and “I’m thinking of something”. Play the card game Memory – looking for matched pairs of things. Teach him to recognize colors – but go beyond the basic eight crayola colors! Teach him to notice different shades of red, like crimson, rose, burgundy and salmon. Help him to see the differences between two similar objects. This is an important skill, as the letters d, p, q, and b are all very similar indeed!

Help Your Child Develop His Sense of Hearing

Can You Hear Me Now?

Lots of parents complain that their child has selective hearing. When he’s busy playing, you can tell him a dozen times that it’s time to wash up for dinner and he won’t hear you. But whisper to your spouse that there’s ice cream for desert, and your little child is suddenly jumping up and down and asking you for a bowl right now!

There are some studies which may indicate that listening to classical music can actually raise your child’s I.Q. This is known as the Mozart Effect, if you’d like to read more about it. I’m not sure if the results of the study are even important. You certainly can’t harm your child by playing classical music for him, so go ahead and give it a try!

You can play various listening games to help your child develop his sense of hearing. Classic games like “Simon Says” and “Mother May I” require attentive listening. There are new lotto games available that has the child listening to various common sounds – like a sheep baaing, a cow mooing, or a man snoring – and then cover that picture on his playing board.

Every Meal is a Discovery of Taste

Yummy!

Be careful when serving casseroles and salads – most young children prefer their food separated. They may eat carrots, corn, and beef, but not an entree with carrots, corn and beef in it. They don’t generally like sauces and gravies. It’s best to serve them simple basic foods, cut in small chunks to make it easier to chew and to prevent choking. Don’t get them addicted to ketchup, which is high in sugar and low in nutrition. Let them learn to eat their foods plain. They will thank you when they grow up.

Don’t forget to teach your child when it’s NOT appropriate to taste something! If you garden, you need to teach him that some parts of some plants are not good to eat. Don’t let him eat mushrooms he’s picked in the yard, or chow down on crickets (yuck!) whether they’ve been sprayed with insecticide or not! (Okay, my youngest ate a lot of crickets in her toddler years).

The Sense of Smell is Often the Poorest Developed Sense

Most children’s toys have no real smell. Sometimes picture books or stickers may have a “scratch and sniff” feature, but it quickly wears out. Some things are not safe to smell, like ammonia or bleach. But you can still help your child develop this sense. Again, at every meal, ask him to smell the food and describe what it smells like. When you’re baking a savory roast, help him to identify that scent. When you wash his hair with lavender shampoo, help him to identify that scent. Let him smell your perfume, or an onion when you are slicing it. You can even make a smelling game. Collect a dozen small uniform containers, like empty plastic film cans. Then put six pairs of different scents into the containers. Cover the top with gauze, so the child cannot see what’s inside, but can smell it. Have him sniff each can, and match them up accordingly. You could put a pair of cotton balls sprayed with perfume in two, a pair of onion slices in two more, and so forth. This game will eventually lose it’s potency, but the ingredients are cheap enough that you can refresh it periodically.

Children Love to Touch Things

Bunny Fur is Soft

This can be a lot of fun for both you and your child. I just love to touch things! When I shop for clothes, I usually shop with my hands before I use my eyes. (My wardrobe probably reflects that!) Something has to feel right, before I’ll consider trying it on. I’m allergic to latex, and I really don’t care for clingy knits. I love pure cotton, silk, and wool. Hate synthetics, except for synthetic fur. Now all my kids and even my three-year-old granddaughter shop with their hands outstretched!

You might put a tray of different objects out for your child to touch. One day you might do “prickly” and put out a whole pineapple, a brush curler, a pine cone, pine needles, hair brushes, etc. Let your child touch them, play with them, and describe them to you. Help him to learn new words to describe them. Then a few days later, repeat this activity with “soft” things, like cotton balls, fur scraps, velvet, a feather.

Set Aside a Special Place for a Sensory Table

In a Day Care Center, this might be referred to as a Sand/Water Play table, but you can put so much more than sand or water in it. In fact, there are so many activities to do with this, that I will put it in another post.

Teaching your preschooler doesn’t have to be hard, or expensive. It means just being there, and being alert for the teachable moments in his life.

Lesson Plans on the Senses:
Sight
Sound
Touch
Taste

Photo Credits:
Top:photo by Aaron Escobar
Upper middle:photo by Tony Crider
Lower middle:photo by Pink Sherbert
Bottom: photo by K.H.Rawlings

Thanksgiving

Lorelei — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:00:25 +0000

This week you and your child will celebrate Thanksgiving!

The Family Thanksgiving Feast Awaits

Your child can learn:

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. Today many people celebrate it by eating a big dinner with friends and family.
Many families eat turkey, vegetables, and pumpkin pie.
Many years ago, the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated a thanksgiving feast together.
The pilgrims were thankful for the help of the Wampanoag, and their good friend Squanto, a Patuxet Indian, who gave them seeds and taught them how to plant them.
There were 51 colonists and 91 American Indians at that first feast, and it lasted three days.
The American Indians lived in America before the Pilgrims came.
The Pilgrims came across the ocean to have a better life
The Pilgrims and the Indians both dressed and lived differently from the way we do today.
The Wampanoag taught the Pilgrims how to grow and use many foods that were new to them – corn, berries, squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, beans, and maple syrup.

Follow Your Child’s Daily Routine When You Are Away

If you are traveling, you may not be able to do all the activities, but print them off and bring them with you, along with some materials for the craft projects. Your child, and any nieces and nephews at the family gathering, may enjoy the activities. Be flexible, but at the same time, try to stick as closely to your child’s routine as possible. If you don’t, temper tantrums and tears may be the only thing anyone remembers.

Learn About American Indian Cultures

Be careful not to perpetuate misleading stereotypes. Not all Indians lived in wigwams, wore buckskin, or carried their babies in cradleboards. If you wish to teach your child about American Indians, it is better to teach about several different tribes and how their customs varied, than to teach “All American Indians are “this”.

Children in American Indian Costumes

One thing I discovered during my research before writing this lesson or this blog, is that the term “Native American” is no longer considered politically correct. It isn’t exactly “wrong” but it is considered insulting by many of the American Indian peoples. Native American is a generic term that encompasses not only all of the North American tribes, but also the people of the American Samoas, the original Hawaiians, the Inuits, the Aleuts, and those incorrectly labeled “Eskimos” -the Upiks and Inupiats. I read that the North American Indians prefer to be called “American Indian”.

I also learned that Columbus did not label them “Indian” because he thought he’d reached India! That was a myth perpetuated by our public schools. Europe didn’t call India “India” until several hundred years AFTER Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Columbus would have called India “Hindustan”. He knew he was in a new land, and he called the native peoples he met “En Dios” – which translates as “In with God”.

Five-Star Picture Books on Thanksgiving

Pilgrim’s First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern
…If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern
The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks by Jan Berenstain
Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac
Saying Grace: A Prayer of Thanksgiving by Virginia Kroll
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
The First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss
Thank You for Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall
The Star People: A Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson
Tapenum’s Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times by Kate Waters

Quality Toys and Gifts for Thanksgiving Week (optional)

For more information, visit
American Indian Culture
Teaching young children about Native Americans

If you are new to this website, you may wish to read:
Working with the Lesson Plans
Play Areas for Encouraging Creativity
Calendar Activities

Thanks for visiting, and I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Lesson Plans for Thanksgiving!

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by Sharon Mollerus
Bottom: photo by Seattle Municipal Archives

Sight Preschool Lesson Plans

Lorelei — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:44:00 +0000

This week you and your child will focus on Sight, one of the five senses. Young children can learn:

A Magnifying Glass Will Draw Interest to Your Discovery Table

we see with our eyes.
We learn things by seeing with our eyes.
We need light to help us see.
When it is very dark, we cannot see.
Some people need glasses to to help them see better.
We need to take good care of our eyes so that we can see.
Some people cannot see at all. They are blind.
Our eyes can help tell us what color something is, how big or small it is, and what shape it is.

A good way to introduce this lesson is to go on a “sight” walk. Bring along binoculars, a magnifying glass, and a bag for collected treasures. What will your child find? Look for pretty stones, a feather, a bit of snake skin, a dragonfly, or a penny.

Children Are Often Fascinated by Airplanes, Although The Noise May Frighten Them

Don’t forget to look up. Point out airplanes, helicopters, clouds, the network of branches overhead, tall buildings, or a helium balloon.

Look all around you. What do you see? A firetruck, an ambulance, a grocery store, a taxi, or a bus?

If you are very lucky, you will have a thunderstorm this week, complete with rainbows!

At the end of the lesson plans are directions for making popcorn “the old-fashioned way” and for making play dough. Old-fashioned popcorn is not only cheaper and better for you, it’s also really easy once you’ve got the hang of it. And best of all – you don’t need a microwave.

Have fun!

Interesting Toys for this lesson:

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by Lieutenant Pol
Bottom: photo by Charles Roberts

Transportation

Lorelei — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:14:36 +0000

Concepts: Tt, 4, rectangle, red

Young Children Are Often Fascinated by Trains

Welcome to Transportation Week!

Your child can learn:

Transportation means moving people or things from one place to another
People can move themselves by walking, running, swimming, and crawling
People can be moved by animals- riding one, or being pulled by one in a cart, sled or wagon
People can be moved by a machine – car, train, plane, ship, bus
Machines need something to make them go – gas, wind, water, steam, or people
A person who drives a machine is called a driver
We may buy a ticket to ride on a machine
People who own their own car must take good car of it and buy gasoline and oil for it
We can travel or carry things on the ground, in the water, and in the air
People can do many things while they travel – they can eat, read, sleep, talk, and sometimes stand or walk around.
Drivers must pay attention when they drive and follow signs and safety signals
There are many specially trained people who help us with transportation, like conductors, flight attendants, pilots, captains, bus driver, taxi driver

Riding the Schoolbus

Many Ways to Travel

Young children are often fascinated by trucks, planes, trains, boats and automobiles. My granddaughter has gone on several dog sled rides. Even if you own a car, consider taking a city bus sometime this week. The destination isn’t important. Go to the library by bus, or to a favorite restaurant for lunch. But show your child the ticket – let him hold it- or let him drop in the coins or tokens for the ride. Point out the driver’s uniform, and how he must pay attention to the traffic as he drives, yet you and your child do not. You can look out the windows, sing songs, talk, read a book – even close your eyes if you wish.

If your town doesn’t have a city bus, talk to the school about riding the school bus. Ask a friend to pick you up and bring you back. Or check out a tour bus, if there is an affordable trip you’d be interested in. Contact your Chamber of Commerce for other transportation ideas – is there a train excursion available? Even a roller-coaster might work, although you won’t find me getting on one!

How Many Different Types of Vehicles Can You Find

Some day as you’re leaving the grocery store, point out all the different vehicles in the parking lot. Are there any motorcycles, scooters, delivery trucks, pickup trucks, SUVs, Humvees, Jeeps, hybrid cars, convertibles, antique cars, or school buses? Point out the license plates (are they on front and back in your state, or only the back?) Are there some of different colors and designs (out of state)? Why are there so many different shapes and sizes? What color does your child like best? What kind of car would he like to be, if he were a car?

Young Boy Riding a Horse

Take a New Car Out for a Test Drive

You could visit a car dealership, and test drive a new car with your child. Many dealerships are having awesome sales this year, but even if you aren’t in the market, it can be a fun afternoon activity. Bring along your car seat and don’t go too far! Fifteen minutes is a long time for a two year old.

If you have a friend in the fire department, see if you can visit him “on the job” and let him show your child around. Do you have a friend who is a police officer or sheriff? A bus driver? A taxi driver, or a chauffeur in a limousine? There are so many possibilities! If one hundred people do this Transportation Week, they might do it one hundred different ways. Leave a comment, and tell us all about your field trip.

Most of all, have fun!

Lesson Plans for Transportation Week

Five-Star Picture Books for Transportation Week

The Airplane Ride by Howard White
The Noisy Airplane Ride by Mike Downs
Tupelo Rides the Rails by Melissa Sweet
The Little Engine That Couldby Watty Piper
Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures by Gertrude Crampton
Busy Boats (Amazing Machines) by Tony Mitton
Noah’s Ark (Caldecott Honor Book) by Jerry Pinkney
Sled Dogs Run by Jonathan London
The Littlest Sled Dog by Michael Kusugak

Quality Toys and Games for Transportation Week (optional)

Worksheets (optional)

Words that begin with T

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by by Cliff1066
Middle: photo by by Jack Vinson
Bottom: photo by Alicia Nigdam

Families week

Lorelei — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:18:55 +0000

This week your child will learn about Families!

Grandparents Can Give Stability and Unconditional Love

Your child can learn:

A family is a group of people who may live together
A family usually takes care of one another
Families come in many shapes and sizes
Some children are born into a family, some are adopted
Some children live with one parent, some live with both. Some live with grandparents or other guardians
A person may live alone, or with a pet
A family group may change, through divorce, birth, death, adoption, remarriage
Each family member is special. In some ways they are alike, in some ways they are different

May is Older American’s Awareness Month

May has been designated that since 1963! Wow. Guess it wasn’t advertised much, or else I’m just that clueless. I hope it’s not the later. Of course, in 1963 I was only five years old. Anyway, it seems like this is a good time to add some grandparent activities to the lesson plans. If you do not have a grandparent nearby, is there an elderly person who would be willing to volunteer as a surrogate grandparent?

Some preschoolers may be mature enough to spend the night at grandma’s house. If so, see if you can arrange an overnight visit this week. I have included an art project the grandparent can do with your child. If your child is too young for an overnighter, then after the activity, just take your child back home with you. Grandparents can be a wonderful part of your child’s life, and give you a much-needed break.

Grandparents Can Be a Great Resource

Grandpa and Me

Grandparents can be kindred spirits for your young child. They can be role-models, and help you teach family values – a topic that is undervalued or ignored in public schools today. Sometimes, a child may find it easier to speak to a grandparent than a parent, particularly if something is bothering him. Grandparents are at a different stage in their lives than young parents. They may be more financially secure. They may have more freedom and security in their job, or they may even be retired. They may be able to enjoy their grandchild at a slower pace than parents who have so much on their plate. For your child’s sake, try to build a good relationship with at least one grandparent – even if you have to borrow one.

Five-Star Picture Books for Families Week

Grandpas Are For Finding Worms by Harriet Ziefert
Grandparents Song by Sheila Hamanaka
Grandma Loves You by Hallinan
Abuela (English Edition with Spanish Phrases) by Arthur Dorros
Grandparents by Roser Capdevila
That’s What Grandparents Are For by Arlene Uslander
Are You My Mother? by P.E.Eastman
Daddy Hugs (Classic Board Book) by Karen Katz
The Daddy Book by Todd Parr
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola
I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse
Did I Tell You I Love You Today? by Deloris M. Jordan

Quality Toys and Gifts for Families Week

Lesson Plans for Families Week

I hope you and your child enjoy Families Week together. Please add a comment on this post to let me know how things are going! I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by Sherif Salama
Bottom: photo by author

Sources:
Resources for Creative Teaching in Early Childhood Education by Bonnie Mack Flemming and Darlene Softley Hamilton