Unit 6:
Light Unit
Week 2
Essential Question: How and why do we use different kinds of light?
Focus Question: What is darkness?
Outcomes: When there is little or no light it is dark.
Week 2
Story Time: Scroll down for the Books of the Week
Choose one book each day to focus on
Scroll down for the Books of the Week. Pause during the book reading to discuss what you see and ask your child to identify items either by labeling or pointing. Keep a list of what they were able to identify and share it with us!
After reading the books/watching the videos, MASK UP and go on a neighborhood walk, even if it's just around the block! Invite your child to find various modes of transportation in their environment, i.e. bus, car, van, truck. While walking ASK QUESTIONS and talk about vehicles you see, and sounds you hear, ie. beep, honk, vroom, zoom. Discuss colors, patterns, quantity, and shapes. Discuss what types of vehicles you see, what is similar or different? What did you notice about the vehicles? Were they large/ small, clean/dirty? Did they have a lot of windows?Did you notice vehicles using turn signals or hazard lights, why use those lights?
Literacy Activity:
Choose an activity to work on over a couple of days or choose one activity per day
Vocabulary words to target this week: dark, day, light, night
Other words to consider: morning, shadow
EXAGGERATE the target letters below and pair those sounds with the vocabulary words
(Focus Letters: U, V)
*Feel free to add your own words, the key is consistency. KEEP LANGUAGE GOING ALL DAY*
CLICK HERE FOR LETTER PRINTABLES
*Explore the links above: there are puzzles, tracing, painting, and play-dough mats to choose from. The goal is to have your child engage with letters of the alphabet and also to be able to identify the letters in the vocabulary words. Experiment with what your child shows the most interest in. Target fine motor skills, following directions and communication. Allow your child to use glue, safety scissors, paint, markers, stickers, etc. For play-dough and paint recipes, click on this link below or check our "Resources" page.
NO PRINTER? NO PROBLEM! DRAW LETTERS FOR YOUR CHILD TO TRACE WITH THEIR FINGERS, MARKER, ETC
STEAM:
Science/ Technology/ Engineering/ Art/ Math/ Science
Choose an activity to work on over a couple of days or choose one activity per day
Examples of questions to ask:
What happens when ___? How do you think that works? How could you change that?
What does that remind you of? What would happen if ___? Tell me more.
*Remember to narrate play and ask questions; label objects, animals, parts of things (i.e. wheel on car), colors, sizes, patterns, quantity.
*This is where you can use the items gathered during your park trip or neighborhood walk.
Starry Night Foil Painting: Show your child images of Van Gogh's Starry Night. Talk about the colors and what is depicted in the painting, as well as the painting strokes used. Sample questions: What do you notice about the painting? Where do you see light in this art? What colors do you notice? What might these colors mean? What does the title of the painting tell us?
Recycled Bottle Lantern: Using recycled plastic bottles, markers and tea lights, create a lantern with your child. Discuss the differences between darkness and light, the colors used and how they change whether the lantern light is on or off. Assist your child to count, scoop and pour materials into the lantern. Ask questions throughout the activity, including immediate recall/ retell (i.e. where did you just put the light?); model language as needed using 1-2 words at a time.
Star Light Flashlight (1&2): Using cardboard, tape, tin foil and recycled cans, engage your child in an art activity where they can explore light and darkness. Allow your child to experiment with patterns or shapes in the foil, as well as holding the flashlight from varying distances and levels of light. Remember to narrate the activity and ask questions!
Paint the Night Sky: Using paint and glitter, allow your child to explore the "stars" scattered in the night sky. Consider asking them to paint the first letter of their name or trace letters and numbers. Remember to narrate the activity and questions throughout.
Rocket Name Building: Assist your child to cut out squares and write the letter of their name on the squares. Consider having your child identify the letters as they build their name rocket. During the activity, have your child identify colors, shapes and parts of the rocket; model rocket sounds, and letter identification as needed.
Books of the Week
Once finished with the book, go through it again and PAUSE video to get a better look at pictures; assist your child to identify pictures (focus on labels, body parts, sounds, shapes, verbs, colors, quantity).
Use this as an opportunity to talk about vehicles, where we see them in the neighborhood, how and when we use vehicles. Discuss colors, shapes, quantity, and patterns. Pause the books at any time to answer questions, ASK questions, and point out important information. At the end of the book, talk about it some more. Ask WH questions (ie WHAT did we just read?/ WHAT did you see?)
Interested in reading some more? Check this out: Joan Snow PreK Library
Videos of the Week/ Music and Movement
When exploring these videos, use this as an opportunity to talk with your child about parts of their bodies and the function of body parts (ie touch/ feel with hands/ feet), EMOTIONS and following directions and imitations.
I've included some videos that target daily living skills; review these videos and talk about your daily routines, allow your child to practice and remember to narrate and model.
It's important to engage with your child, narrate videos and PAUSE video if you need to. Have your child perform emotions and movements with their bodies. Write down any reactions or words and share with us!
The goal here is to HAVE FUN! Making mistake and having a do-over is OKAY, it's all part of the learning process!