Teacher Juliet, Teacher Genet, Teacher Mahi, Teacher Meskerem
August 16 – 20, 2021 Summer Newsletter Volume 37
Preschool Prep: How to Prepare Your Toddler for Preschool
Learn what you can do to make this big transition to preschool easier for your child. You will find a timeline for all the things that need to be prepare for preschool and guidance on saying a “good good-bye” on your child’s first day.
https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/78-preschool-prep-how-to-prepare-your-toddler-for-preschool
Seattle Public School 2021-22 School Year Calendar
At the regular School Board meeting on February 10, 2021, the School Board voted to approve the district calendars for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.
https://www.seattleschools.org/news/school-calendar/
HIGHLINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CALENDAR
Here is a look at the 2020-21 school calendar. These dates and breaks reflected in the website calendar. A year-at-a-glance calendar is now available for download.
https://www.highlineschools.org/about/calendar
Problem Solving
Toddlers Corner
Colored Sticker Sort
By: Lakeshore Learning
Objectives
- Toddlers will sort objects by color.
- Toddlers will develop fine motor skills.
Materials Needed
- Colored paper
- Colored stickers
Getting Started
- Gather all items and tape the colored paper on the wall.
- Give your kid an instruction on how to play with colored sticker sort by color.
Activity
- Point to your child the colored paper that sticks on the wall.
- Give to your child the colored sticker and give your kid the instruction how to play with colored sticker sorting.
- Watch how your kid play and support him/her if needed.
- Continue the play and ask your child the color for color identification.
Language / Literacy
60 minutes
https://s7d9.scene7.com/is/content/OCProduction/content/lesson%20plans/stackBuildSightWordTower.pdf
Stack & Build Sight-Word Tower
Objectives
Children will recognize and read high-frequency words.
Children will develop vocabulary.
Materials Needed
Plastic or paper cups
Marker
Getting Started
Write a sight-word on each cup. Use 10–25 sight-words from this list:
the in he as at of is was with be and you for his this a that on they have
to it are I from
Activity
- Show the child the cups and point out the sight-words written on them. Have the child read a few of the sight-words aloud. Make sure you have reviewed all the sight-words before playing.
- Inform the child that you will be playing a game. You will pull a cup at random, and the child will need to identify the sight-word on the cup. If he or she is correct, you will give the child the cup. If not, you will keep the cup. Tell the child that the goal of this game is to collect as many cups as possible in order to build a tall cup tower.
- Play the game and use any cups that you keep to build your own tower while the child builds a tower with the cups he or she keeps. Who will build the taller tower?
(If you are playing with more than one child, whoever builds the tallest tower is the winner.)
Math / Science
60 minutes
Shape Pizza
By: Lakeshore Learning
View PDF https://s7d9.scene7.com/is/content/OCProduction/content/lesson%20plans/shapePizza.pdf
Objectives
- Children will recognize shapes.
- Children will count.
Materials Needed
- Construction paper
- Paper plate
- Crayons
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Photographs of pizzas (optional)
Getting Started
- Cut out the shapes.
- Prepare the materials and create a recipe card
Activity
- Talk with your child about pizza. What shape are most pizzas? If possible, show pictures of different kinds of pizzas and all the toppings.
- Tell your child that he or she will be creating a pizza using special shape toppings. Review the different shapes and talk about what pizza topping each piece could represent.
- Show the paper plate and explain that this is the base of the pizza and that the child will be gluing the different-shape toppings on it.
- Point out the recipe card and tell the child that this is where he or she will write out the pizza recipe by writing the number of “toppings” he or she used on the pizza. Explain that the toppings are the different shapes.
- Now it is time for the child to create the pizza and then fill out the recipe card. Help as needed.
Art / Writing
60 minutes
Summer Rainbow
By: Lakeshore Learning
Kids use watercolors, tissue paper, and cotton balls to make colorful rainbows they will love to display.
Materials
- Watercolor
- Art Tissue Paper
- Construction Paper
- Cotton balls
- Yarn Laces with Tips
- Glue
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Rainbow Template
Directions
- Using the templates, trace and cut out one rainbow and 2 clouds.
- Prompt your child to decorate both sides of the rainbow with watercolors. Set aside to dry.
- Glue the clouds to the ends of the rainbow.
- Cut brightly colored tissue paper into strips.
- Encourage your child to glue the tissue paper strips to the clouds.
- Glue cotton balls onto the clouds.
- Attach yarn to the top of the rainbow and display!
Problem Solving
60 minutes
Cereal Towers
By: Lakeshore Learning
View PDF https://s7d9.scene7.com/is/content/OCProduction/content/lesson%20plans/cerealTowers.pdf
Objectives
- Children will make predictions.
- Children will engage in design and building.
- Children will develop fine motor skills.
- Children will make tactile discoveries.
Materials
- Play dough
- Dry spaghetti
- Cereal (shaped like a doughnut, with a through hole)
- Activity tray
Getting Started
- Place the play dough on a table.
- Place cereal and dry spaghetti on the tray.
Activity
- Tell your child that you will be making cereal towers! Inform the child that he or she can use only the materials on the table and tray, and the challenge is how tall the child can make the tower without it tipping over during a wind test. Describe the wind test (blowing on the tower) so the child considers it as he or she designs and builds.
- Invite your child to try building. During building, ask the child to describe what he or she is doing and give hints about adjustments the child can make to the tower.
- Once the tower is complete, have the child conduct the wind test. Instruct the child to blow on the tower to see if it is structurally sound/strong. If the tower stays standing, challenge the child to build a taller tower. If it falls, encourage the child to keep trying until he or she is successful. Remind the child that it is okay if the test was not successful and to use what he or she learned from the previous test(s) to build a new tower.
Social Emotional
60 minutes
Kindness Stone
By: Lakeshore Learning
View PDF
https://s7d9.scene7.com/is/content/OCProduction/content/lesson%20plans/kindnessStones.pdf
Objectives
- Children will identify feelings and emotions.
- Children will receive emotional support.
- Children will be aware of the feelings of others.
- Children will build friendships.
Materials Needed
- Smooth stones
- Permanent markers
- Paint
- Paper plate
- Paintbrush
- Small basket
- Newspaper or butcher paper (optional)
Getting Started
- Gather smooth stones and clean them so they are free of dirt and debris.
- Create a paint palette on a paper plate for the child by squirting three or four colors of paint onto a paper plate.
- For easier cleanup, place everything on top of newspaper or butcher paper.
Activity
- Talk to your child about kindness. Ask, Has anyone said something kind to you today? What is something nice that a friend has said to you?
- Give your child a stone and say that this is a special kindness stone that is meant to be painted and shared with friends. Kindness stones help people feel one another’s friendship.
- Invite your child to paint the stone. The child can paint the whole thing, only one side, or a pattern.
- Allow the stone to dry and then use a permanent marker to write a message on the stone. It could be “You Rock!” “Thanks for Being a Great Friend!” “I Love You!” “You Are Special!” and so on.
- Place the stone in a basket read and discuss all the messages.
- Remind your child that in order to keep the paint on the stones, the stones should remain in the basket or indoors.
- Tell your child that if he or she sees a friend who is upset, sad, or mad, the child can choose a stone and give it to the friend once the friend has calmed down.
Movement / Play
60 minutes
Cotton Ball Race
By: Lakeshore Learning
View PDF
https://s7d9.scene7.com/is/content/OCProduction/content/lesson%20plans/cottonBallRace.pdf
Introduction
- Here is a simple game that will get your family blowing way to the finish line!
Materials Needed
- Painter’s tape
- Cotton balls
- Straws
Getting Started
- Tape a starting line and a finish line some distance apart on a flat surface.
- Place the cotton balls behind the starting line.
How to Play
- Give each player a straw and have him or her select a cotton ball. Tell them that they will be blowing through the straw to push their cotton ball to the finish line.
- On the count of three, have everyone go! The first player whose cotton ball reaches the finish lines wins.
- Restart and play again. Move the finish line farther away if players want more of a challenge.