September 8-10, 2020
Tuesday, September 8
▸ Calendar Video
▸ Morning Work
▸ PRINT: Morning Work Vertical Lines
This week we are working on beginning to pair properly holding our pencil (pinchy,pinchy) with writing some basic lines.
Look at the “Morning Work Vertical Lines” page with your child and talk about the top line, center dotted line, and bottom line that they will be practicing writing on. Emphasize that they should begin their vertical lines at the dot on the top line, trace all the way through the dotted line in the middle, and stop on the bottom line (we like to tell our kids no floating lines or letters).
Have your child practice tracing the vertical lines and writing some of their own in the extra space provided!
▸ Activity 1 – Learning the Letter “M”
▸ PRINT: Mm
▸ PRINT: M Search and Find
We are learning our first letter this week… the letter M! Please watch the video with your child so they can learn all about the sound the letter M makes and look at some objects that begin with the letter M.
After watching the video, please look at the “Mm” practice page with your child and encourage them practice tracing and writing M’s. For some extra practice recognizing the letter M, they can circle all of the M’s they can find on the “M Search and Find” page
▸ Activity #2 – Pattern Practice
▸ PRINT: M & Ms Pattern
We are introducing patterns this week. Discuss with your child different ways that we can make patterns (using colors, shapes, motions, etc.). Find something fun around the house that they can use to make a pattern on the “M & M’s Pattern” page (pompoms, beads or blocks are just a few ideas). After a few rounds of making patterns on the paper, try getting those muscles moving and playing a game of “repeat the pattern” (i.e. clap, clap, jump… clap, clap, jump)!
▸ Activity #3 – “M” Mouse Craft
▸ PRINT: M is for Mouse Templates
▸ PRINT: Mouse M
What begins with “M”? Mouse! We are making a letter M mouse this week!
There are a few options for the pieces you will need to put together the letter M mouse. The “M is for Mouse Templates” page has all of the pieces that will be glued to the “Mouse M” page. You can cut these out as they are and have your child color them (the large ear pieces and the tail will need to be brown, the small ear pieces will need to be pink, and the whisker pieces will need to be black), or you can use one of each piece as a template to trace onto colored paper (such as construction paper) and cut them out.
After all of the pieces have been cut and colored, including the M on the “Mouse M” page, help your child assemble their M Mouse to look similar to the finished M Mouse sample we have included. Don’t forget to color on a cute little black nose and add some googly eyes or draw your own!
Wednesday, September 9
▸ Calendar Video
▸ Morning Work
▸ PRINT: Morning Work Horizontal Lines
Reminder: This week we are working on beginning to pair properly holding our pencil (pinchy, pinchy) with writing some basic lines.
Look at the “Morning Work Horizontal Lines” page with your child and talk with them about taking their time and trying to stay as close to on the line as possible. Remind them that when we are tracing we always start at the dot. Have your child practice tracing the horizontal lines and writing some of their own in the extra space provided.
▸ Activity 1 – Learning the Letter “M”
▸ PRINT: Melissa is a Mess
Re-watch the Letter “M” Phonemic Learning video to review the sound that the letter M makes:
Talk with your child about some of the things they should do to get ready for school in the morning (eat a healthy breakfast, brush their teeth, get dressed, etc.), then help them figure out what Melissa needs to do to get ready for school and complete the “Melissa is a Mess” activity page.
▸ Activity #2 – Pattern Practice
▸ PRINT: Pattern Shape
First, be sure to have the “Pattern Shape” worksheet out, and then watch the video. Follow along as we talk about patterns with shapes and figure out which shape comes next. After we work through the first few patterns together, help your child complete the rest of the shape patterns on their worksheet.
Challenge: help your child color their shapes using a color pattern. For example: red diamond, blue square, red diamond, blue square, etc.
▸ Zoom Story Time LIVE! 12:15 pm (Arizona Time)
PRINT: If You Give a Moose a Muffin Sequencing
If You Give a Moose a Muffin – One of your teachers will be reading this story to you live, and you won’t want to miss it!
▸ Join our Zoom Classroom
▸ Meeting ID: 789 8163 7719
▸ Password: greatleaps
After the story, practice sequencing with your child by having them color and cut the pictures on the “If You Give a Moose a Muffin Sequencing” page and gluing them in the order that they happened in the book. This may take a little bit of reminding and a few tries. If you have the book at home, you and your child can look back at the story as a reminder of the order in which the events occurred. If you do not have your own copy, try searching for a read-along on YouTube that you can listen to and pause as you go.
Thursday, September 10
▸ Calendar Video
▸ Morning Work
▸ PRINT: Morning Work Diagonal Lines
Reminder: This week we are working on beginning to pair properly holding our pencil (pinchy, pinchy) with writing some basic lines.
Look at the “Morning Work Diagonal Lines” page with your child and talk again about the top line, center dotted line, and bottom line that they will be practicing writing on. Emphasize that, just like with vertical lines, they should also begin their diagonal lines at the dot on the top line, trace all the way through the dotted line in the middle, and stop on the bottom line. Have your child practice tracing the diagonal lines and writing some of their own in the extra space provided.
▸ Activity 1 – Learning the Letter “M”
▸ PRINT: What Begins with M
Let’s break out those coloring supplies and review some things that begin with the letter M. Help your child emphasize the beginning sound of each picture on the “What Begins with M” worksheet. Remind them that the sound an M makes is what you might say when tasting yummy food. They can color in any pictures on the page that begin with an M.
▸ Activity #2 – Fine Motor Practice
Practice those fine motor skills! Find a fun, creative way to practice fine motor skills at home (choose a different activity than the one you did last week). Below are some ideas:
- Roll PlayDoh into “worms” and cut into small pieces
- Use a clothespin or chop sticks to pinch pompoms and move them from one bowl to another
- Punch holes in a piece of paper and practice lacing yarn through the holes
- Cut coupons with Mom
- Hide small objects in a bowl of rice and have your child dig through for them (challenge: ask your child to tell you what sound each object begins with)
▸ Activity #3 – Making Patterns to Wear
Using different shapes or colors of pasta to make a pattern necklace is a great hands-on way to solidify the concept of patterns… and make some fun jewelry! If you would like to dye your pasta different colors you can do so fairly easily.
Follow the link below for step-by-step instructions (please note that the dyeing will take about 45 minutes to complete). After your dyed pasta has dried, help your child decide on a pattern and use some yarn or string to make a pattern necklace. If you do not have pasta on hand, or would like to make a pattern that isn’t jewelry, feel free to search around the house for something else that you may have readily available. Some ideas include:
- Beads
- Colored straws that can be cut into small pieces and strung into a necklace or bracelet
- Build a LEGO tower in a pattern of colors
- Make a tasty fruit kabob (i.e. grape, apple, grape, apple, grape, etc.)