Sight Word - the

The probability of preschoolers retaining sight words, escalates when it is taught using a multi-sensory method. 

Now that the students are Kid Writing on a regular basis, we will be introducing 1 or 2 sight words, weekly, as we have found success incorporating phonics and sight words.  

  

Introducing sight words helps preschoolers learn the whole-word process in which readers are stimulated to recognize the whole word rather than breaking down the single sounds of each letter within the word.

 

 

 Phonics is the technique of teaching children to read/write, spotlighting, individual sounds of letters, or groups of letters, and blending them together. Words are broken down and decoded by sounds, then blended together to expose what the word says.

This week the students learned the sight word "the".

We used the following procedures to teach the sight word "the":

Watercolor Paint - the students painted then wrote the sight word using watercolors.

Letter Stamps:  Stamp the sight word.

Sidewalk Chalk - We gave the students sidewalk chalk and invited them to write the sight word and set them free.  They even wrote on a tree stump!  Later, they spelled and jumped on t-h-e.

I Spy - The students were instructed to "spy" the sight word on signs during a neighborhood walk. 

 Naturally and without instruction, the students spied the sight word in books and on classroom displays.

 

We sang a song entitled: "The" by: Havefunteaching on youtube. This song promotes spelling and includes the sight word in various sentences.  

Candy - The students traced the sight word with candy.

 

 

 

Cut and Paste - The students cut apart the letters h-t-e, then glued the letters, in order, spelling "the".

Library Visit
 Library visits encourage preschooler's enthusiasm for reading and books.

Therefore, it is of vast importance for them to visit libraries on a regular basis.  This routine teaches them the responsibility of borrowing and returning books ,as well as, the process of using a library card.  

We designated a particular spot in our classroom to keep our library books when the students are not reading them.  This helps the students understand that library books are special and it's important to take good care of them.

 

Here's some other ways the students will explore sight words throughout the school year:

1 - Play dough - Roll out the play dough to create long snakes or strips.  Form the letters of the word with the play dough.  

 
2 - Dot Art - We will use Dot Art Stampers to stamp the letters, spelling the word.

3 - Glitter Glue- The students will trace over the letters with glitter glue.  When the word is dry, they may trace over it with their fingers.
 

4 - Bendaroos or Pipe Cleaners -  These materials may be purchased at craft stores.   The students use these materials to form the  letters of the words.

5 - Shaving Cream– The students will squirt shaving cream on the table, spread it out and write the word in the shaving cream.

6 - Finger Painting- The students will squirt the paint on paper, spread it out and write the letters of the word in the paint.
 

Shapes

 SHAPES!

Blocks, Legos and building beads are staple materials in my classroom!  Manipulating these toys, in various ways,  makes learning fun!

 

 

  We use these toys for:

 

1 - Letter and number formation. 

2- Forming shapes.

3 - Graphing.

4 - Addition and subtraction.

5 - Comparing and contrasting.

 

6 - Measuring.

This week, the students chose one of these items to use to paint.

 

Task 1 : Find a rectangular or square Lego and bring it to the table.

Task 2: Put the Legos in order from biggest to smallest.

Task 3: Find one toy with wheels to bring it to the table. (It must be an object, that can be held with one hand.)

 

Task 4: Arrange the toys, biggest to smallest.

Task 5: Discover painting with wheels and Legos.

Task 6:  Make observations- What shapes do you see?  Are the shapes big or small?  Do you see many or few shapes?

Are the results the same or different when stamping the Lego on the opposite side?

 

What happens when you stamp the wheels?  What do you see when you roll the wheels or drive the car?

We played the game: "I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE...." a shape.   We have some excellent spies:)

Next, the girls were instructed to find a circle.

 Boys were instructed to find a square.

 

 

Shape Jump

We played: Shape Jump

This is a fantastic game for teaching shapes.

We used masking tape to create a square, triangle and rectangle.  We grabbed a hula hoop to resemble a circle.  

Instructions: The teacher calls out a shape.  The students should jump in the shape called out.

Jumping is a significant gross motor skill that requires coordination and balance.  The possibilities of incorporating jumping with academics, is endless!  And, the more a preschooler jumps, the stronger their muscle develop.

A few jumping games I like to incorporate throughout the school year:

1 - Syllable Jump: The teacher calls out a student's name.  The students clap, then jumps, the number of syllables in the name.  (following first names: last names, show and share items, sight words, etc.)

 

2 - Joyful Jump Game: One at a time, the students call out a word that begins with the letter of the week.  If that word begins with the letter, the students jump 3 times.  If the word does not match the letter of the week, the students jump 1 time.

 

3 -  Dodge Jump: Using sidewalk chalk,  the teacher, randomly, writes (letters, shapes or numbers) on the sidewalk, driveway, or playground.  The teacher calls out a (letter, shape or number)  the students must jump on a different (letter, shape or number)  avoiding what is called, or they are OUT!

 

Science Explores: "Matter Monsters". 

 

I feel privileged to be a Science Explorers Teacher.  Science Explorers, is a hands-on after school science club for elementary school students.  

Science is my favorite subject  to teach!  Therefore, I am thrilled, to incorporate some of these activities with preschoolers, at their learning level.  

 

 

This week, we learned that SOMETIMES mixing 2 different liquid matters, creates  a solid matter.  We mixed polyurethane A, with polyurethane B to discover, a growing solid.  The chemical reaction made the cups warm, indicating an exothermic reaction.  

These ingredients may be purchased online at  www.flinnsci.com

Gloves on hands, and goggles over eyes, the kiddos were tickled with delight!  

Instructions: pour and mix the 2 ingredients. 

 

I wish I could have captured responses and reactions as the students observed their substances grow and change!  

Creating Monsters:

 

Supplies:feathers, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, tooth picks, googly eyes, popsicle sticks and glue.

Instructions: Use your imagination to create a monster.

 I am grateful that FFCA is in a superb location!  There is a Library and a Playground a block away. We visit the Library twice a month and the playground twice a week. 

 

The students walking to the play ground with their Matter Monsters. 

 

 

 

 

Snack Time

Razvan shared Cheese Balls with the class.  He excitedly, pointed out that Cheese Balls look like circles!

 

Isaac noticed the granola bars are rectangular! (Thank you for the granola bars Luke!)

Show and Share

The students shared items that ressembled circles, squares and rectangles.  

After the students shared, they put their items in the giant shape, that matched the shape of their item.

Follow the instructions: 

 

Find and quietly count the rectangles on the page.  Raise your hand and use your fingers to show the number of rectangles you counted.

Paint the rectangles blue.

 

 

 

 

Find and quietly count the triangles on the page.  Raise your hand and use your fingers to show the number of triangles you counted.

Sprinkle the triangles with glitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find and quietly count the circles on the page.  Raise your hand and use your fingers to show the number of circles you counted.

Draw an X on the circles.

Find and quietly count the squares on the page.  Raise your hand and use your fingers to show the number of squares you counted.

 

Paint stripes on the squares.

 

The students searched the room for rectangles and circles to trace.  We grabbed markers, scissors and the large paper we painted with Legos and wheels, earlier in the week, and traced and cut out shapes.  

  Sophia loved, loved, loved this activity!

Play Ground Fun!!

 

Practicing to throw and catch balls.