aletters

LETTERS: Uu, Vv, Ww Share your ideas too. E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystormie.com

Before school starts in the morning, hide paper umbrellas under things for the children to find and bring to you for a sticker.

Fine Motor: Children bend pipe cleaners or play-doh into Uu shapes

Read "The Ugly Duckling" by Marianna Mayer

Gross Motor: Include under/over and up/down positions in the obstacle course.

Pre-Math: Play with "Unifix Cubes" and introduce the name to the children

Take-Home U: Children glue a craft stick on a paper U cutout then choose a paper umbrella top from the ones you've pre-cut in various colors. Or, children could glue a little "party parasol" (mini umbrella) on their U.

Ask children to sit on the floor, legs stretched out in front of them. Can you form a V with your legs? With your fingers?

Gross Motor: Place a carpet remnant in a corner of the room and let children take turns throughout the morning vacuuming it with a lightweight non-electric vacuum cleaner.

Science: Show the children pictures of volcanoes or even a short video of an erupting one, then make a volcano with them: In a pan, mold some old leftover play-doh around a small paper cup (this is the mountain). Place a tablespoon of baking soda in the cup. Let children take turns adding tablespoons of vinegar to the cup and watch as the volcano "erupts." I don't know who likes this activity more--me or the children!

Read "Mountains and Volcanoes" by Eileen Curran; Illustrated by James Watling: This is such a cute little book for introducing what a volcano is and how mountains are formed.

Snack: Vegetables. Ask the children if they take vitamins at their house.

Have the children vote on something (example: vote for one of two stories to be read).

Craft: Vases of Violets: Show pictures of violets (the flowers) and discuss the color "violet." Allow children to create/cut out their own flower vases from wallpaper samples (or other textures). Glue the vases on a sheet of paper. Children can then glue a bouquet of violets in their vases (purple tissue paper scraps).

Make visors to wear outside.

Creative Drama: Have children bring their stuffed animals for play in a pretend veterinarian's office.

Take-Home Textured V: Children glue scraps of velvet on a paper V cutout.

As children go about their Free Choice play, instruct them to whisper alot throughout the morning in celebration of the letter Ww.

Creative Art:

1. Children do a waxed paper and wallpaper scraps collage. Science Extension: Let children explore the differences between waxed paper and wallpaper. What is each used for? Wallpaper goes on a wall, waxed paper is used to wrap foods--how convenient--more Ww words.

2. Put out watercolor paints.

3. Waves on the Water: Hang a long strip of butcher paper on the classroom wall. Show children how to make Ww's all along the bottom to represent waves of water (\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/) (pre-writing skill). Provide various sizes of pre-drawn squares and rectangles for them to cut out as sailboats. They can do an "ocean scene" mural (sailboats, clouds in the sky, birds, sun, people, fish, etc).

4. Wiggly Worms: Provide collage materials and let children create their own worms. If you're fortunate enough to have plenty of brads in your office supplies, allow them to create segmented worms. Hole punching holes for the brads is fine motor and manipulating the brads is a great eye-hand coordination activity.

Gross Motor Ideas:

1. Provide paper towels and water for children to wash a window of the classroom.

2. Obstacle course activities can include "walking, pulling a wagon, tossing paper in a wastebasket, and wiggling like worms."

Snack: Watermelon; Drink water

Let children fold a pile of washcloths.

Language: Have each child choose something from the classroom that is made of wood and bring it to Group Time and introduce it to everyone.

Read "The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog" by Ana Martin Larranaga: This is a story about a frog who tells everyone he has a "big WIDE mouth" until he meets someone in particular!

Take-Home Textured W: Children glue tiny lightweight wood chips on a white paper W cutout.

*From co-teachers Beth Robinson and Deb Sinclair:

For review/practice in cutting "strips," provide children with stiff paper that has stripes on it (like wallpaper samples). After cutting the strips, children can form "V's and W's" with them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note from Stormie: By the way, I offer "Wacky Animals ABC Cards" in the "Teaching Aids" section of "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers.

Also, remember: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards." Click here to check them out.

CONTINUE ON

OR

REVIEW APR CURRICULUM CURRICULUMS INDEX WEBSITE INDEX HOME

My website address: http://www.preschoolbystormie.com