September: Week 1

Month: September	Week 1
Gentlemen Training:
Make a tree with apple cut-outs. Each time one of the kids demonstrates one of the good manners we’ve talked about, they can put up an apple on the tree. Helping Read The Little Red Hen by Diane Muldrow, Margot Zemach, or Paul Galdone and Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle. Here’s some resources to add to the stories: http://dbsenk.wordpress.com/category/themes/farm-themes/ http://preschoolalphabet.blogspot.com/2011/05/red.html http://www.iheartcraftythings.com/2011/08/story-time-little-blue-truck-with-craft.html http://www.playathomemomllc.com/2012/06/the-little-blue-truck-playing-with-literature/ Talk about how helping other people makes us feel good and the other person feel good. We can help with chores (picking up our toys, etc.), we can help with baby, we can help open doors for people, and we can ask people, “Can I help?”. Sing songs: When We’re Helping We’re Happy and Fun to Do. 1. When we're helping, we're happy, And we sing as we go; And we like to help mother*, For we all love her so. 2. Tra la la la la la la, Tra la la la la la, Tra la la la la la la, Tra la la la la la. Words: Wallace F. Bennett, 1898-1993 Music: German folk song https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/when-were-helping?lang=eng Helping a friend is fun to do, Fun to do, to do, to do! Helping a friend is fun to do, To do, to do, to do! https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/fun-to-do?lang=eng The kids can act different ways to help someone (picking up toys, opening a door, cuddling a baby, etc.) while they sing Fun to Do. Maybe we will make bread together (depending on how ambitious we’re feeling!)
Day One
Literacy: Start with Alphabet Song. Letter A: I have three boys at different ages and different needs. My 2 year old will focus on just beginning to see the letters and hear the sounds. My 3 year old will focus on letter recognition and pronouncing the sounds. My 4 year old will focus on writing the letter and saying the sound. Color pictures (pictures are from: http://www.honkingdonkey.com/activity-pages/alphabet/farm-ABC-pages/ABC-coloring-008.htm ) Let a child pick a book for the day and read it. The books that they can choose from are: Open the Barn Door—Chris Santoro Barnyard Dance—Sandra Boynton Click, Clack Moo Cows that Type—Doreen Cronin Pete the Cat: Old MacDonald had a Farm—James Dean Moo—Matthew Van Fleet Cock-a-Doodle Doo! Barnyard Hullabaloo—Giles Andreae Peek-a-Moo!—Marie Torres Cimarusti Barnyard Banter—Denise Fleming Old MacDonald had a Farm—Carol Jones or Mandy Foot The Cow that Went Oink—Bernard Most Inside a Barn in the Country—Alyssa Satin Capucilli Here are some great ideas for helping kids develop strong literacy skills: Ask questions during or after the story (such as: What do you think will happen next?), have kids act out the story or re-tell the story afterward, draw pictures from the story, or talk about your favorite part of the story. Sing Old MacDonald Had a Farm and The Animals on the Farm with various animals, focusing on animal sounds. The Animals on the Farm (Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus") The cow on the farm says, "Moo, moo, moo! Moo, moo, moo! Moo, moo, moo!" The cow on the farm says, "Moo, moo, moo!" All day long. Mooooooooooo! Additional verses: Pig ~ "Oink, oink, oink!" Sheep ~ "Baa, baa, baa!" Horse ~ "Neigh, neigh, neigh! http://librarystorytimeabcs.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-05-25T11:29:00-04:00&max-results=7 http://cochlearimplantonline.com/site/therapy-thursday-pop-up-barn/
Math: Counting 1-10. We will be doing the counting activity ‘Animals in the Barnyard’ counting mat from: http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/free-instant-download-farm-printable-pack/
Snack
Science/Social Science: Time of day and daily routines Read: The Best Time of Day by Eileen Spinelli. We might talk just briefly about how the Earth spins in circles and that’s why the sun goes up and down each day. But our main focus will be on time of day: morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Using pictures, we’ll make a chart of our daily routines that we can refer to every day. http://homemakerschallenge.com/how-to-make-use-childrens-routine-chore-chart/ http://biblicalhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/07/free-printable-chore-cards-tutorial.html http://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2012/06/kids-routine-chart-and-printables.html
Art: Shapes Make animals out of shapes, such as circles, rectangles, squares, triangles, etc. Rooster idea from: http://mrskarensclass.blogspot.com/2012/03/old-mrs-karen-had-farm.html
Movement: OLD McDonald ANIMAL HUNT Before your “Farm party" hide several farm animal toys or cards around the event area, yard etc. Paint or decorate a box to look like a barn or use a BASKET. Before you start, explain to the children that old McDonald's animals got out of the barn. The children are to search and collect the toys/cards and RETURN THEM TO THE BARN. Give each child an appropriate treat or prize for hunting... From: http://www.kidactivities.net/category/theme-farm-harvest.aspx
Day Two
Literacy: Sing the Alphabet Song. Letter a: Color pictures. Read a book that they choose. Farm rhymes and songs: Take Me Out to the Barnyard (tune:  Take Me Out to the Ballgame) by Judy Hall Take me out to the barnyard. Take me out there right now. Show me the cows, pigs and horses, too. I hear an oink and a neigh and a moo. There are chickens laying their eggs. If they don't lay it's a shame. Oh, it's one, two, three eggs today, And I'm glad I came. (Child's name) has lost her/his sheep And doesn't know where to find them. Just leave them alone And they will come home, Dragging their tails behind them.   (Child's name) had a little lamb, Little lamb, Little lamb, (Child's name) had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow.   Round and round the haystack Went (Child's name) the mouse. One step, Two steps, In his/her little house. From: http://www.kinderkorner.com/farm.html
Math: Counting activity—Roll and Graph activity from: http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/free-instant-download-farm-printable-pack/
Snack
Science/Social Studies: Review daily routines. Look at daily routines in the book:
Art: Trace shapes. Use worksheets from: : http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/free-instant-download-farm-printable-pack/
Movement: DUCK WALK RACE 1.  Have children line up at the Start Line, squat down and grasp their ankles with each hand from behind. 2.  On GO, they waddle to a designated Finish Line. 3.  They can't let go of their ankles or they’re disqualified. 4.  The first child over the Finish Line is the winner... (This would be fun to play with "waddle music" :-) From: http://www.kidactivities.net/category/theme-farm-harvest.aspx

 **I will try to add pictures after we do these activities.