November: Thanksgiving!

This month’s thematic theme for preschoolers is THANKSGIVING! 

Wondering how this works? Use the compiled list below as a starting point for your own homeschooling or use simply as a list of "fun" activities with your little ones. I will post monthly thematic units as the year continues. Next month's theme is CHRISTMAS.

Enjoy! Genevieve 

Math, & Reading, & Writing...oh MY!

Below are links to high quality (& free!) printables from 1plus1plus1equals1 and 2teachingmommies for both math and writing/reading. Honoring the original creators' requests, you have to go directly to the sites and then click on the links. But TOTALLY worth it! Click on the image to get to each website. 

Reading, Vocabulary, & Literature

• Read a minimum of 20 minutes per day to your child
• Go to your local library and look-up/checkout both fiction and nonfiction books on thanksgiving. Let your child help you select the books. Have her read the pictures or retell the story to you.
• Vocabulary Words: turkey, pilgrims, native americans, thanksgiving, Mayflower
• 10 Steps to Teaching Your Child to Read

Letter Awareness

• Turkey dot-to-dot printable
• Feather Letters
• Flashlight Show & Tell

Art & Fine Motor

• Marshmallow Turkeys
• Native American Attire
• Mayflower Boat

Content (Science & Social Studies)

• Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (video)
• This is America, Charlie Brown (video)

Cooking

• Teepee Cupcakes

• Happy Thanksgiving Goody Packs

• Pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Music

• Mr. Turkey (video)
• Thanksgiving Songs (video)
• Mr. Turkey's Feathers (video)
• We Eat Turkey (video)
• If Your Thankful and You Know It (video)
• Did You Ever See a Turkey (video)

Outings, Sensory, & Large Motor 

• "Thankful" Feather Toss
• Thanksgiving Dances

Faith & Love

• Thanksgiving Countdown
• Turkey Thank You Cards

Online Educational Fun

• Starfall
• ABCya
• Dance Mat keyboarding (do not focus on hand position at this age)
• IXL Math Skills

Thanksgiving Greeting Photo licensed for reuse under Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintagehalloweencollector/2051078698/

Home Preschooling in September: Apples!

This month’s thematic theme for preschoolers is APPLES! I’ve also included some beginning autumn activities here and there. 

Wondering how this works? Use the compiled list below as a starting point for your own homeschooling or use for supplemental activities. I will post monthly thematic units as the year continues. 

Enjoy! Genevieve 

Reading, Vocabulary, & Literature

• Read a minimum of 20 minutes per day to your child
• Go to your local library and look-up/checkout both fiction and nonfiction books on apples and autumn. Let your child help you select the books. Have her read the pictures or retell the story to you.
• Ten Apples Up On Top (also a Art/Fine motor activity)
• Vocabulary Words: apple, red, green, yellow, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, seed, tree, picking, orchard, pollinate, apple, cider, apple sauce, core, apple pie, Johnny Appleseed (source: Busy Teachers Cafe)
• Flannel Story: Five Little Apples

Letters & Writing 

• Appleseed “A” 
• Printable Letter “A” #1 with Apple theme
• Printable Letter “A” #2 with Apple theme
• Printable Letter “A” #3 with Apple theme
• “L” is for Leaf
• Alphabet Apple Tree

Math

• Apple patterning
• Apple graphing
• Apple dot-to-dot (1-10)
• 100 Apples
• Edible Math Apples
• Apple Fraction Faces
• Create estimation jars using acorns

Science 

• Create a diagram of the parts of an apple
• Apple Facts (pick and share one fact a day with your child)
• Johnny Appleseed Book Video (Scholastic) 
• Johnny Appleseed Song (Disney)

Cooking

• Bake an apple pie
• Stir up some traditional apple sauce
• Make my favorite…apple crisp!
• Dare to make Red Hot apple sauce

Art & Fine Motor

• Apple Star Stamping
• Apple Turkey (might want to save this for November too!)
• Family Hand Print Tree
• Apple Pie Play Dough

Music

• Apple Seed (tune: Twinkle, Twinkle)
• Apples, Apples (tune: Twinkle, Twinkle)
• More Apple Poems & Songs
• The Apple Song

Outings, Sensory, & Large Motor 

• Visit an apple orchard and pick apples!
• Apple Sensory Tub
• Apple Toss (use rolled up socks if need be!)
• Autumn Tree
• Apple & Acorns Sensory Tub
• Have kids roll down the hill or on the grass like apples
• Bob for apples

Faith & Love

• Apple Garland 

Online Educational Fun

• Starfall
• ABCya
• Dance Mat keyboarding (do not focus on hand position at this age)
• Phonics Song #1
• Phonics Song #2

Apple Stacking photo© Copyright Hugh Chevallier and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence