Unit 6:
Light Unit
Week 4
Essential Question: How and why do we use different kinds of light?
Focus Question: What are shadows?
Outcomes: Shadows appear when an object blocks light.
Week 4
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, light, shadows
Other words to consider: opaque, translucent, transparent
EXAGGERATE the target letters below and pair those sounds with the vocabulary words
(Focus Letters: Y, Z)
*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.
**No paint? No Play Dough? No Problem!! Click on our "Resources" page for recipes!**
*This is where you can use the items gathered during your park trip or neighborhood walk.
Stop and Go! Game: Let's target fine motor skills, color identification, and following directions. Assist your child to trace circle shapes on to either green and red construction paper OR white paper and have your child color the circles green and red; write GO and STOP on the corresponding circles. While you write the letters, have your child imitate letter names and read signs. Practice stop/ go actions with your child while holding up the sign. Use the signs during stop/ go game, freeze dance, and be creative.
Traffic Light Matching Activity: Assist your child to trace three circles in red, yellow, and green. Present corresponding colored construction paper and model tearing, cutting and crumpling small pieces of paper; provide assistance as needed. Consider using glue or tape to affix paper to the corresponding colored circles. While your child is matching the colors, label colors and the meaning (i.e. red: stop, yellow: slow, green: go).
Egg Carton Traffic Light: Using construction paper or recycled egg carton, popsicle stick, play dough and paint, engage your child in an art activity where they will create a miniature traffic light. Consider having your child use scissors to cut the egg carton or pull apart in portions of three. Once the carton is painted, tape to the popsicle stick and have your child roll play dough into a ball and insert the popsicle stick so that the light will stand up straight. While engaged, narrate the activity, colors used and their meaning. Consider taking turns and adding the finished product to your child's play area.
Finger Paint and Play Dough Signs: Trace circles in red, yellow, and green. Present your child with corresponding colored finger paint and play dough. Assist your child to paint within the circles and/ or press play dough pieces into the circle. As a challenge, have our child pull apart small pieces of play dough, roll into small balls and press into the corresponding colored circles.
Traffic Light Graham Cracker Snack: Using M&M's or Skittles, chocolate frosting or Nutella, and graham crackers, assist your child to construct an edible traffic light. Assist your child to dip and spread your preferred topping, then add the colored candies. Discuss the textures, flavors, and colors.
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!
