Unit 1 Overview

Theme: Family

 

In Unit 1, the children will be exploring and talking about families and the many different ways family members relate to and help one another. Through the Story Time books, children will hear about a boy who helps his family take care of his baby sister, a boy who realizes how much he has grown when a new baby arrives, a girl who behaves badly when she wants attention, and a lonely stuffed bear who finds a new friend.  Besides listening to stories, children will begin to recognize initial sounds in words and identify rhyming words as they build vocabulary and comprehension skills. They will also be participating in a variety of music, poetry, mathematics, science, and art activities during Center Time and in Small Groups.

 

Theme Concepts:

• Family members have role names: mother, father, sister and brother.
• Some family members live together; some live on other places but are still family members.
• Grown-ups in a family take care of the children. Younger children need more care. Older children can take care of younger siblings.
• Sometimes grown-ups in a family don’t like things that children do and tell them to stop or be quiet.
• Families do things together that are fun.
• Children sometimes get angry at parents.

 

Story Time:

Oonga Boonga

Peter’s Chair

 

Songs, Letters and Word Play (SLWP):

If You’re Happy and You Know It

Eentsy Weensty Spider

Ten Little Fingers

Stand Up

If Your Name Starts With_____, Raise Your Hand

 

Small Group:

Storytelling through pictures and words: the children will tell a story about a picture

Alphabet Letter Matching: Children will match uppercase letters

Patterns: Children will extend an AB pattern

Watch Me Count: Children will work on 1:1 correspondence

Draw and Label Pictures of Family: Children will draw a picture of their family

 

Choice Time:

Book Area: Exploring Books

Art Area/Table: Making Paper Collages, Painting with Primary Colors

Blocks: Building with Blocks

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Constructing Puzzles, Sort Buttons

Dramatic Play: Playing House

Writing Center: Writing My Name and My Friends Names