Preschool outline: Trains, Letter Ii

Here is my latest preschool recap and outline. Recap, because I'm posting this after Tuesday's class -- these days, that's how I roll. I did have it all in my head, of course. We had a lot of fun!

Monthly theme: Transportation
Weekly topic: Trains
Letter Ii, number 11

Tuesday

Gathering activity: words printed on an envelope, with corresponding letters printed on individual cards inside. Encourage each child to arrange the cards and spell the word on her envelope.

Calendar/weather report. Sing days of week song (to "Clementine").

Introduce letter I and its sounds.
Our preschool uses a big flip chart of song lyrics, one song for each letter of the alphabet. Before singing the song, pretend index finger is an inch worm (curve up, then down). Finger-walk the text of the song, asking children to shout "stop!" when I get to a word that begins with I or i.

Read R. M. Schneider's Add it, Dip it, Fix it, an alphabetical exploration of the many things you can do to the word "it."

Workbook practice writing I.

Display a toy train and discuss trains, their different uses and parts. Read books about trains. Encourage children to share their experiences seeing or riding trains. Ask: can trains go anywhere they want? Could they arrive in your driveway? Talk about the significance of the track.

Use prepared worksheet of a train with sections of the track missing. Hmm, what shape could make the tracks? Ah-hah! The letter I. (It probably took me longer to write about this worksheet than it did to draw all the copies, it's that basic.)

Tell children that the cars of a train are connected in a chain, just like paper loops can be connected. Practice writing numbers 1-12 on paper strips for a advent chain we'll complete Thursday.

Gross motor activity: outside, walk across two 2x4s placed side by side, like a railroad track. Encourage children to do this while connected to each other.

Singing time with alphabet song and "Wheels on the Train" variation.
Story time: My Little Train by Satomi Ichikawa, with animal sounds for children to mimic; If ... by Sarah Perry, a family fave. Encourage children to come up with their own "if" scenarios.

Social studies lesson: introduce the culture of the Inuit people through Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse and Barbara Lavallee.

Finish by building "igloos" of half an apple spread with peanut butter and topped with marshmallows.

Thursday


Gathering activity: Continue working on numbers 13-25 for advent chain.

Calendar/weather. It's a new month! Who has a birthday this month?

Have children help pour ingredients into ice cream maker. Make a show of bringing out ice cube from freezer and leaving it in bowl in room (for science lesson below).

Fine motor activity: Use small round stickers to dot the lower case "i"s in a simple sentence I'll type out.

Finish advent chains. Possibly make picture ornament. (I took everyone's pictures Tuesday but haven't come up with anything other than a canning ring presentation. Anyone?)

Outside play.

Science lesson: What has happened to ice cube? Talk briefly how temperature affects physical state. Eat ice cream!

Read The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper and Imogene's Antlers by David Small. Afterwards decorate paper antler crown (made of what else? Two upper case "I"s). Encourage children to imagine how they would use antlers if they had them.  (Thanks, Katrina, for reminding me of this book.)