Week 22 Lesson Plan for Homeschooling Preschool

Cognitive activity ideas

Objective: (Remember) Commits knowledge to long-term memory

When your child commits something to long-term memory, we deem that they have “learned” it. They can recall this information even after a long period of time has passed. This part of memory is the counterweight to short-term or working memory and plays its own critical role in your child’s learning life.

Repetition is the key to locking something into long-term memory. Short but frequent practice sessions are best, and some research shows that practicing information before going to sleep also helps commit it to memory. Help your child practice committing knowledge to long-term memory with these fun (and functional) activities:

• Have your child learn their full name, parents' full names, and/or parents’ telephone numbers.
  
  
• Memorize and recite songs, nursery rhymes, and poems.
  
  
• Memorize and recite facts about topics of interest (eg. dinosaurs, animals, or space).

Literacy

Objectives:

• Identifies uppercase and lowercase V
  
  
• Tells the main sound of /v/

Parent instructions

Choose one activity a day with the exception of #1 and #3, which should be done a few times a week if possible.

NOTE: Don’t forget to make sure you’re not adding a schwa (vowel sound) to the end of your V sound. Say /v/, not /va/.

Activities

• #1 Say the ABCs using your chart from beginning to end once a day, pointing to each letter as you say it. After going through all the letters, ask your child to find this week’s letter—V. Look at and have them trace with their finger the upper and lowercase examples. Tell your child that V is a consonant, which is a name for all the letters that are not vowels. Say, “V says /v/ like violet.” Try to ask your child a few times a week (during bathtime, driving in the car, etc.) to tell you the sound of T. (Don’t forget to include some previously learned letters, especially those vowels!) If they need help or say it incorrectly, model the correct way by repeating, “V says /v/ like violet.” Always say it with its example word. (Estimated Time: 5 minutes)
  
  
• While out and about or while reading books, point out words that begin with V. This will help your child connect the written letter with the sound it makes. As you identify the letter V, say the word and prompt your child to listen for the sound of V at the beginning. (You could also use your V flashcards for this.):  Van, Vat, Vine, Vase, Violet, Valentine, Violin, Valley, Village, Vail. (Estimated Time: 10 minutes spread throughout the week)
  
  
• #3 Continue going through your letter flashcards 2–3 times a week. By this point, it usually takes less time since your child has fewer cards to practice. Revisit cards your child has mastered only occasionally. Make sure you are mixing up the order of the cards. Pay special attention to the vowels. (Estimated Time: 5 minutes throughout the week)
  
  
• Complete a “Find the Letter” worksheet to locate all the upper and lowercase Vs. Use a marker, highlighter, or dauber to mark all the letters they find. Alternatively, you can substitute a tracing or writing activity for the letter V, since it is a good letter to practice early writing skills. This could be done with paper and pencil or crayons, or have your child write the letter in sand or shaving cream with their finger. (Estimated Time: 5 minutes)

Math

Objectives:

• Understands that 0 (zero) means none
  
  
• Knows that a non-standard unit can also measure
  
  
• Continued from Week 19: Knows months of the year
  
  
• Identifies names and values of common currencies
  
  
• Continued from Week 19: Knows months of the year

Parent instructions

Choose one activity a day with the exception of #3, which should be done a few times a week if possible.

NOTE: This week you introduce the concept of 0 to mean none. Your child has been introduced to the concept of 0 previously as all multiples of 10 end in 0. If your child points this out or is confused by it, simply state that 0 by itself means none, but 0 with other numbers can mean different amounts. A detailed explanation of place value is not necessary at this point.

Activities

• Introduce your child to the number 0 (zero) by writing it on a piece of paper. Tell them that it is a special number called zero. Ask them if they know how many things 0 things are. If they have never encountered this concept before, you should go straight to an explanation without asking. Tell them that 0 (by itself) means none—no things. Set two apples (or other objects) on the table and ask your child how many. When they answer, “two,” tell them, “Very good,” then remove all the apples. Ask how many apples there are now. Continue with several examples until your child confidently and immediately answers, “zero,” when you take away the objects. (Estimated Time: 5 minutes)
  
  
• Continue playing with measuring using non-standard units. Two fun items to use are your child’s (or your) shoe and your child themself! If you measured a table, as suggested, using a ruler or tape measure last week, find out how many size-8 shoes the same table is long this week. Measure how many Johns or Sarahs wide your living room is. The purpose of this exercise is to show your child that you can measure using any unit as long as it is constant and as long as you measure carefully. To illustrate this, show your child how to line up the beginning of the shoe with the beginning of the table and then mark where the shoe ends with your finger and carefully move the shoe to that mark and repeat. Show your child how measuring carelessly (with gaps in your measurements, for example) or using different shoe sizes each time will result in an incorrect measurement. Let your child practice carefully measuring with a non-standard unit. You can use a book, a pencil, or anything that holds its shape and size. (Estimated Time: 15 minutes)
  
  
• #3 Continue to practice the months of the year in order. Say the names of the months a few times during the week, and invite your child to say each one after you. (Estimated Time: 10 minutes spread throughout the week)
  
  
• Show your child a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and dollar. Discuss what each one is called and what its value is. Count out 100 pennies and stack them on the dollar. Explain that 100 cents equals 1 dollar. Count out 20 nickels (by 5s) and stack them on the dollar. Explain that 20 nickels equals 100 cents or 1 dollar. Repeat with the dimes and quarters. Expect that it will take a long time for your child to absorb and remember all of this information. It will have to be repeated many times before it sticks, but an introduction to the concept at this time will get them started. (Estimated Time: 15 minutes)

Fine Motor

Activities:

• 1 tripod grasp activity
  
  
• 1 finger isolation activity
  
  
• 1 open thumb web space
  
  
• 1 wrist extension and stability

Parent instructions

Choose one fine motor objective each day and then select an activity that practices that objective from the list in Appendix A. Feel free to choose more than one activity or work on more than one objective a day if you like! Just remember that little hands tire easily and short, regular practice sessions are better than long, sustained ones. (Estimated Time: 5-10 minutes)

Download the Appendix A that lists all the fine-motor activities.

Social-Emotional

Objectives:

• (Relationship skills) Recognizes when assistance is needed
  
  
• (Self-awareness) Shows pleasure in the mastery of skills or tasks

Activities

Choose one activity a day (Monday - Thursday)

• Read books about identifying big feelings, conflicts, or challenges and discuss with your child at what point the characters do (or should consider) asking for help. Talk with your child about potential situations where they should ask for assistance from an adult. (Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes)
  
  
• Your child is now engaged in all sorts of new activities and skills. Are they enjoying mastering riding their bike or counting to 100? This is a good time to take inventory of the activities your child is doing on a regular basis and make sure there is a good balance of new skills your child is learning, skills they are on their way to mastering, and ones that they feel confident and masterful at. Too many new activities at once may frustrate your child, while too few can result in boredom and a lack of skill growth. Choose one activity this week that your child feels exceptionally skillful at. Make sure that they have dedicated time to engage in it and congratulate them on their accomplishments. Some good choices may be: singing, dancing, storytelling, pretend play, clay modeling, painting, or building. (Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes)

Additional resources

• “Jabari Jumps” by Gaia Cornwall