Preschool Curriculum Fourth Edition 36 Weeks of Reading Aloud and Activities for Preschoolers by Hewitt Staff 2103 Main Street Washougal, WA 98671 (360) 835-8708 FAX (360) 835-8697
Edited by Hewitt s staff Mailing address.......... P. O. Box 9, Washougal WA 98671-0009 For a free catalog......... (800) 348-1750 Internet address.......... www.hewitthomeschooling.com 2007, 2006, 2002, 1998 by Hewitt Research Foundation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication, other than the Appendix where permission is granted to photocopy pages needed for student s personal use, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of Hewitt Research Foundation Published June 1998. Second Edition June 2002. Fourth Edition August 2007 13 12 11 7 6 5 4 3 Printed in the United States of America ISBN 13: 978-1-57896-181-5
Welcome to Preschool Plus. This year you and your child will be reading many wonderful books together. You ll also be using Lauri s Alphabet Phonics Center to teach the alphabet, and doing activities together from Instant Curriculum covering language, social studies, math, science, and a variety of other subjects. READING Try to read at least 20 to 30 minutes per day. (Of course, if your child wants you to read to him or her longer or more often, oblige when you can.) Not all of these reading selections will take that long; you can always add other books your child likes or reread books already read for this class. Children love having their favorites reread. The following books are used in this course for the reading portion, in this order: Week 1 The Little Engine That Could by Walter Piper Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans This is Paris by Miroslav Sasek (optional) Madeline s Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans (You may substitute any other Madeline story.) Week 2 Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss Oh, the Places You ll Go! by Dr. Seuss (You may substitute any of the other longer Dr. Seuss books.) McElligot s Pool by Dr. Seuss (You may substitute any of the other longer Dr. Seuss books; recommended replacements for this book are If I Ran the Circus or If I Ran the Zoo.) Introduction Page 1
Week 3 Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel (Any Frog and Toad book can be substituted for any of these.) When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne Week 4 Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish Thank You, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish Good Work, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish Amelia Bedelia s Family Album by Peggy Parish (Try to get the first Amelia Bedelia; the others can be replaced with any other Amelia Bedelia book. If possible, get original editions illustrated by Fritz Siebel.) Week 5 The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff Babar the King by Jean de Brunhoff Babar and His Children by Jean de Brunhoff Babar and His Little Girl by Jean de Brunhoff (Other Babar books, either by Jean de Brunhoff or his son Laurent, can be substituted for the last three. It s recommended you start with The Story of Babar, but be aware that in it Babar s mother is shot and killed by a hunter. This is not dwelt upon it only takes a few sentences of the story but if you think your child will be upset by it, you can substitute another Babar book instead.) Week 6 The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (This and the next 11 books are the complete tales of Beatrix Potter, and may be found as a set. Try to get those with the original illustrations.) The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter Introduction Page 2
Week 7 The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse by Beatrix Potter The Tale of Mrs. Tiggly-Winkle by Beatrix Potter The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse by Beatrix Potter Week 8 The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter Week 9 Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban A Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hoban Week 10 Bonny s Big Day by James Herriot When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne (finish reading) Week 11 Mr. Popper s Penguins by Richard Atwater and Florence Atwater Weeks 12 14 Shadrach by Meindert de Jong Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne Week 15 Paddington Bear Treasury by Michael Bond Week 16 Paddington Bear Treasury by Michael Bond How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne (finish reading) Introduction Page 3
Week 17 Paddington Bear Treasury by Michael Bond The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats Week 18 The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams A Child s Garden of Verses by Robert L. Stevenson Week 19 Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne Week 20 The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne Week 21 My Father s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág Week 22 Curious George by Margret and H. A. Rey (Choose any two Currious George books for each day for a total of 8) Week 23 Aesop s Fables Weeks 24 26 Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren A Child s Garden of Verses by Robert L. Stevenson Week 27 Fairy Tales: Puss in Boots, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Musicians of Bremen, and The Ghree Billy Goats Gruff. Week 28 Paul Bunyan Swings His Axe by Dell J. McCormick Introduction Page 4
Week 29 Mike Mulligan and More by Virginia Lee Burton Week 30 32 Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder Week 33 The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen The Hole in the Dike by Norma B. Green and Eric Carle King Midas and Stone Soup (retold by several authors) Week 34 35 Charlotte s Web by E. B. White Week 36 Choose Favorites! Book Acquisition The more books you get, the more smoothly this course will go for you. We have tried to tie activities into the readings as often as possible. But if you aren t able to get a certain book, substitutions can work well. To substitute, look for another, similar book by the same author. A librarian can be a great help in getting substitutions. Of course, you may acquire these books any way that works for you, but here are some recommendations. All of these are common children s books, and most will be available in most library systems. Even if some are not at your branch, you may be able to get them from other branches in your system. Check them out from your library first and then buy any books that your child especially likes. In fact, it is better to leave the last week of reading open for children to choose one or more books they want reread to them. If possible, buy those books for your child (if you haven t already) to celebrate the end of the year together. Introduction Page 5
Hewitt is a great believer in supporting one s local, independent book-sellers, so go to these first (new or used) when trying to purchase these books. Other possibilities for used books are: Powells.com Ebay.com Amazon.com (Amazon Marketplace) Other possibilities for new books are: Powells.com Amazon.com Borders Barnes and Nobles Questions for After Reading We have included questions to ask after each reading. You only need to ask them after the first reading, not after repeated readings. The questions address recalling factual details, inferring characters' motivations and emotions, guessing at plot development, understanding reality vs. fantasy, comparing and contrasting, identifying major theme and moral issues, using imagination to continue the story beyond the book, and eliciting the child's thoughts and emotions about the reading. (Not all of these types of questions are given for each book.) If additional questions occur to you, feel free to ask them as well. If you think a question we've listed would upset your child, feel free to skip it. At the end of each question list we ask you to have your child retell the story (or the part of the story read that day) in her own words. This will give you an idea of how well your child has understood the book. Feel free to ask additional questions after the child s retelling of the story. Phonemic Awareness Phonemic awareness is a precursor to reading. A student needs to be aware that words consists of sounds not just letters. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound within a spoken word. For example, the three phonemes in the word bat are /b/, /a/, and /t/. The word shock also has three phonemes, even though it has five letters: Introduction Page 6
/sh/, /o/ and/ck/. Sometimes a phoneme is spelled with more than one letter even though it is just one sound. There are many ways that a child can exercise and show his phonemic awareness. These go from easiest to hardest and spell the acronym RIBS ; in a sense they are the ribs that underlie the structure of reading readiness: 1. Recognizing words that begin with the same sound. You might say, Which of these words begin with the same sound: ball, bug, and mat? (ball and bug) Which begins with a different sound? (mat) 2. Identifying the first or last sound of a word. You could say, What sound do you hear at the beginning of table? (/t/) Can you think of another word that starts with the same sound? (top) Or What sound do you hear at the end of bird? (/d/ [this is difficult as /d/ is often confused with /t/]) 3. Blending phonemes to make a word: Here are two sounds, can you tell which word they make: /tr/ /ee/? (tree) 4. Separating a word into its phonemes: What sounds do you hear in the word hat? (/h/ /a/ /t/.) Diana Hanbury King in her book, One by One: Working with Dyslexia, states: "Beginning to train children in phonemic awareness BEFORE they enter first grade has proved to make a critical difference in learning to read." As you work through these books, take the time to question your student using the RIBS methods. This will help develop the awareness your child needs, and will help you gauge where your student is in her understanding of the sounds that make up words. Recognizing Identifying Blending Separating Phonemic awareness is NOT phonics. Phonics is based on a predictable awareness that certain graphemes (e.g., ow) will make a certain sound(s). Phonemes are the actual sounds that make up the words. This may be confusing, and you don t really need to understand all the intricacies that the experts talk about. You just need to be able to help your preschooler hear the sounds that make up words. This is the doorstep that will lead to independent reading. Introduction Page 7
Character Trait CHARACTER TRAITS Each week has a character trait to impress upon your child. Again, we have tried to tie these to the readings whenever possible. Letter A NUMBERS AND LETTERS Over the course of the year students will be guided through recognizing alphabet letters, learning to write his name, counting to 10, and some other basic math. If your child already knows some of these things, and you feel review is not needed, skip these activities. In beginning lessons you will introduce a letter of the alphabet and a number; review work will be done subsequently. As you introduce a new letter to your children, also give them some kind of manipulative letter to feel Lauri crepe rubber, plastic, wooden, wooden blocks with letters carved in them. If you prefer sandpaper letters, you will need to cut an entire alphabet of upper- and lower-case letters out of sandpaper and a set of number 0 to 10 (to stabilize, glue each onto 3- by 5-inch cards cut in half so each is 3- by 2 1/2-inch in size). You can either do them all at once or as needed each week. Pictures from Magazines, Catalogs, etc. Collect old magazines, full of pictures, throughout the year. You will be looking through these together for pictures to build an alphabet book and pictures to build a counting book. Some other activities also require pictures from magazines. Good choices for magazines with pictures are National Geographic, Ranger Rick, Martha Stewart s Living, Wired, and House Beautiful. You can often find magazines very cheaply at library book stores and garage sales. Ask around to friends and family too you may find people who are throwing out several magazines each month. You can also find many pictures in catalogs, and if you re like me you get many of these free each month. Again, you can ask family and friends to save theirs for you as well. A last resort is newspapers, but as these pictures are usually black and white they aren t as interesting to children. Introduction Page 8
Alphabet and Counting Books You will be building these, together, throughout the year. In addition to gathering magazines and catalogs, as mentioned above, you will also need construction paper or other heavy paper to glue the pictures on. A NATURE WALKS Try hard to take a nature walk with your child at least once a week whenever the weather allows. (But don t be afraid of rain and snow.) Each week suggestions are given for where to take the nature walk and what to look for. Depending on where you live, you won t be able to follow all these suggestions, so simply go where you can. Use these as an opportunity to enjoy nature, to improve your child s observational skills (not just sight, but also hearing, touch, and smell), and to learn some science. WORD-A-DAY Each day we provide a vocabulary word that either begins with the letter of the week or is somehow related to the reading or both. Find opportunities to use these words throughout the day. Don't feel that your children must know all these words by the end of the year. This is just to begin introducing new, challenging words; some your children will retain and some they will not. ACTIVITIES Most activities are from The Instant Curriculum (marked as IC in the text). Those which are our own devising are clearly marked as P+. Activities fall into the following categories: language, math, science, art, music, social skills (which The Instant Curriculum calls social studies), physical development, critical thinking, cooking, and drama. Most of the language, math, science, art, music, physical development, and critical thinking activities are from the book. Most of the social skills, cooking, and drama activities are our own. We do recommend you read the drama activities in The Instant Curriculum IC P+ Word-a-Day The Instant Curriculum Hewitt Staff Introduction Page 9
though and, if possible, gather together things for a dress-up box for your child. (We don t use most of these activities because they re much better suited for classroom use, but dress up and pretend play are staples of childhood; if you have a lot of dress-up materials your children and their friends can make great use of them.) We have tried to tie the activities into the readings whenever possible. Even if you are forced to substitute a book, you should still do the activities. Most of them do not require having read the books first. You can skip the ones that do if you were unable to get the book. The activities each day are listed in the order they appear in The Instant Curriculum with activities of our own devising last. You can do the activities in any order you wish. At the beginning of each week is a list of materials (beyond simple things like paper, large pencil/crayons, and scissors) needed for these activities. You should still read ahead, preferably reading all the activities at the beginning of the week, but at least read them a day ahead. In some cases you will have to come up with ideas (for example, in week one you must think of some alliterative phrases). We suggest you mark (highlight or check) in this syllabus any activities you do that your child particularly likes. Feel free to repeat these activities throughout the year, either as additions to the one listed or, occasionally, as replacements if you are unable to acquire materials for one. (We repeat some activities during the year to reinforce new concepts learned.) Optional Extras Some weeks have optional additional readings and activities. A few of these optional activities require the use of a globe or world map. It s a good home-schooling practice to have a globe (which is preferable because of the distortion of all maps) or a world map up on a wall, but you can use a fold-out map on a table or even a world atlas as well. Complete these readings and activities if your student needs more challenge, is particularly excited by some book or concept, or you find some especially interesting. Introduction Page 10
CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Preschool is a time for creating a learning environment, establishing patterns which promote eagerness for learning, and beginning to develop character traits that foster excellence in every way. You re already aware that your children learn most and best through play and activity. The play children create and carry out is the parents guide to what they can do, their level of skills and development. They should do much more of that than what is planned. Observe your children as they explore and observe their world. With that in mind, we encourage you to think of preschool activities you present as being very informal and unstruc tured. However, they need not be unplanned or pointless. Some activities will naturally spring up out of your reading, activities that will belong to you and your student. Because children develop so uniquely, a standard syllabus which requires that each child conform to a set of regulations is unthinkable. This syllabus does not intend to do that. Rather, it offers a suggested guideline for accommodating each child s own pace and style of achievement. Always keep in mind that children should be allowed to develop in their own way and at their own pace; there is no fixed point or age at which they must master specific skills or concepts. In general, the suggestions will fit the 3- to 4-year-old child s developmental level. Take a look at the modality characteristics in the checklist in the Appendix. See what most closely fits your child, and then make good use of the activities which rely on her strongest modality or combination. In time the weaker avenues of learning will become stronger, but at this stage in his/her life use the means by which he/she learns best. This guide provides plenty of activities and read-aloud experiences. Knowing your child better than anyone else, you ll be able to recognize when an adjustment or adaptation must be made in order to accommodate your Introduction Page 11
child s needs. Keep in mind that these areas of development are usually presented as introductory, not for mastery. Any activity which seems excessively challenging to your child should be put away for a later time. By looking to the week ahead, you can be aware of the goals you d like to reach, and then be ready to offer guidance and activities in a natural, timely way. You ll also be able to prepare any items ahead of time which will be needed for that week. GOALS AND ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS Science/Nature Learn about the sun, moon, stars Observe plants and animals Capture and observe bugs Health/Hygiene Brush teeth Brush hair Eat healthful foods Get enough rest Avoid habits such as nose picking, hands in mouth. Cover mouth when sneezing Wash hands carefully Safety Learn safety rules around water Learn safety rules about electricity Know routes for a home fire drill Learn safety rules about crossing streets, use of trikes/bikes Understand about poisons Know parents names, address, telephone number Music Recognize classical pieces (perhaps one or two composers) Sing folk and play songs and nursery rhymes Play a rhythm instrument Move in time to music Introduction Page 12
Art Draw and color Make craft items using a variety of mediums Learn about one or two artists Oral Language Express thoughts and emotions Tell a story Learn new vocabulary Begin to learn a foreign language Hear/identify words which sound alike (rhyme) Speak in complete sentences Listen to stories and re-tell Listen to and follow one instruction at a time Memorization Reading Recognize and name alphabet letters Recognize beginning letters in familiar words (especially their names) Recognize both upper- and lower-case letters Relate some letters to the specific sounds they represent Listen to new books regularly Read pictures Begin to understand the difference between real/make-believe Math Recognize numerals 1 to 10 Point to while counting 1 to 10 objects Know the words for numbers 1 to 10 Distinguish between whole/parts Share (a form of division) Begin to recognize coins (by name only) Explore measuring Recognize clock is for telling time Begin developing calendar skills Understand/use words such as same, different, more than, less than, and one more when comparing groups of objects. Introduction Page 13
Understand/use location words: in back of, beside, next to, between. Recognize, name, and draw different shapes, and combine some shapes to make new or bigger shapes. Make comparisons between objects: taller than, smaller than. Arrange objects in sequence by size from largest to smallest. Copy patterns and predict what will come next. Match objects that are alike. Physical Skills Ride a tricycle/bicycle/scooter Throw/catch a ball Swim Use playground equipment for climbing, swinging, etc. Hop/skip Practical Skills Set the table Make the bed Put away toys in an orderly fashion Fold laundry Give pet care Help with yard and car care Button and zipper clothes Use fork and spoon correctly Social Skills Show courtesy to elders Respect family members and possessions of others Respect nation, flag, civil servants Learn telephone courtesy Use table etiquette Interact peacefully with playmates Take turns Apologize when needed Use common courtesies (e.g., please, thank-you, excuse me please) Settle disagreements Introduction Page 14
These are just examples of goals you may want to set; the most important thing is the warm, loving relationship you and your children are developing. Make sure that they know that they are loved, unconditionally. Good eye contact, verbal and physical expression of love, and consistent discipline will go a long way toward your children developing a healthy attitude towards themselves and others. Relax and enjoy this year of learning together. DEVELOPMENTAL CONCEPTS Intelligence and readiness for school are two entirely different things. A child may be bright, but not necessarily ready for school. Readiness is development in all areas. Some educators hesitate to make available to parents a developmental concepts chart such as the one in the Appendix, because it may become a taskmaster rather than a guide. It is important to keep in mind that children develop individually, in very different styles. Consideration should also be given to the fact that boys generally mature later than girls. Comparing child to child is not wise. This developmental chart can enable parents to develop specific skill objectives for each child and to track progress. Gross motor skills are those skills in which a child uses the large muscles. Most children develop these spontaneously during everyday activities. Physically-challenged, neurologically-atypical children may need extra stimulation. Writing with a pencil is dependent on sufficient gross motor skills development. Children can become familiar with the strokes in letters by making them with two fingers in the air, in sand, or with a large piece of chalk or water and large paint brush on cement walkway or driveway. They can also practice lines, circles, curves, dots as part of art. When the child is ready to write on paper, use unlined paper and a large crayon or marker. Keep these guidelines and your student s development in mind any place where we say the student is to print or write. Introduction Page 15
Receptive and expressive language abilities will be developed by a child who has been loved, cuddled, smiled at, played with, and talked to. Should a child be developmentally delayed or neurologically impaired, he or she may need extra stimulation. The receptive skills are developed earlier by the child than are the expressive. Pre-academic skills include auditory, visual, and perceptual motor skills, which later enable a child to begin writing, reading, and doing math. Remember that even children who develop the ability to read as early as four or five years of age, may not be ready for school due to a lack of development in other areas. Children learn these pre-academic skills best by engaging in everyday living activities in the family. If they are encouraged to set the table and place the silverware in the right sequence on the correct side of the plate, they will, in effect, be carrying on sequencing, matching, and learning concepts of size, shape, left and right, all in the same activity. These are the activities which are important in developing more detailed and complex activities in the future. Children who are developmentally delayed may not achieve the goals on this chart until they are between eight and ten years of age, yet they may be perfectly capable of learning to read, write and do math only later than is usually expected. It is important that a child not be labeled as a slow learner, learning disabled, a late bloomer, gifted, or extra bright. This is unfair to the child. Some children may be slow to learn certain concepts at one age, but due to a learning spurt develop the abilities later in life which will enable them to equal or surpass their contemporaries. Living skills are important for school readiness, since they enable a child to function appropriately in all social situations. Neurologically impaired children may be unable to read, write, and do math as well as other children; but most of them can develop ageappropriate living skills which allow them to develop some degree of independence. Introduction Page 16