S is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: Spoon

Sign Language: Letter

Song: Be my echo (6 syllables x 2) socks and swim, school and star

Flannel Board: 5 little snowmen
5 little snowmen fat
Each with a funny hat.
Out came the sun and melted one,
What a sad thing was that!

Continue counting down...

Book: Little Bear’s big sweater (BED)

Song: There’s a spider on the floor
(by Raffi; adapted by Tammy Henry)
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor
Who could ask for any more than a spider on the floor?
There's a spider on the floor on the floor.

There's a spider on my knee...Oh, how can it be?
There's a spider on my leg...Oh, it's really very big
There's a spider on my tummy...Oh, it really isn't funny
There's a spider on my arm...It doesn't mean any harm
There's a spider on my face...Oh, what a big disgrace!
There's a spider on my head...I wish I was in bed!
There's a spider on the floor...

Nursery Rhyme/short poem: Plant a little seed
I plant a little seed in the cold, cold ground
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round
Down come the raindrops soft and slow
Up comes the flower grow, grow, grow!

Book: Aarrgghh! Spider! (MON)

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: ABC dot-to-dot, sewing cards, spiders and bug counters, use stamps and ink pads

R is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: Raisins

Sign Language: Letter

Song: Be my echo rhino and rooster, rattle and ruler

Flannel Board: Rainbow colors

Six little markers all standing in a line.
They said, "Let's draw a picture and make it mighty fine!"
RED jumped for joy as he leaped across the sky.
ORANGE jumped up too, but not quite so high.
Next came YELLOW as bright as the sun.
GREEN was excited as he started to run.
BLUE followed boldly, then looked all around.
PURPLE came last, nearly touching the ground.
"Isn't this lovely?" the markers exclaimed.
"We've made a rainbow without any rain!!!!!!"

Book: Brave Little Raccoon

Song: Ring around the Rosy

Nursery Rhyme/short poem: Robbie the Rabbit

Robbie the rabbit is fat,fat,fat (Rub your belly)
His soft little paws go pat,pat,pat. (pat hands)
His soft little ears go flop,flop,flop (make floppy ears with arms)
And when Robbie runs he goes hop,hop,hop (hop)
And when Robbie runs he goes hop,hop,hop (hop)

Book: If I had a robot

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: Rainbow colors coloring sheet, rock box (with magnifying glasses), rainbow cereal necklace, ribbon sort

Q is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: Quilt

Sign Language: Letter

Song: Be my echo (6 syllables x 2) quickly and quiet, quarter and queen

Flannel Board: 1 Little Quail

1 little quail with feathers of blue;
In flew a green one and then there were two.
2 little quails singing in the tree;
A red one came to join them and then there were three.
3 little quails, wishing there were more;
Along came the purple one and then there were four.
4 little quails, happy to be alive;
Found a little yellow one, and then there were five.
Five little quails as happy as can be.
Singing beautiful songs - just for you and me!

Book: Quack, Daisy, Quack!

Song: 5 little ducks

Nursery Rhyme/short poem: Queen and the Quail

Once, a queen saw a little quail
Come hop, hop, hop
And so said the queen,
“Dear little Quail, please stop, stop, stop”.
She went to her castle window to say how do you do?
The quail, he bowed, shook his tail, then off he flew.

Book: The Quiet Book

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: Q page, puppets, paper quilt craft (from ABC Read to Me: Teaching Letter of the Week in the Library and Classroom by Toni Buzzeo.)

P is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: parrot stuffed animal

Song: Be my echo (6 syllables x 2) Pirate and pillow; pancake and popcorn

Sign Language: Letter

Flannel Board: 5 Little Pumpkins

5 little pumpkins sitting on the gate

The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"

The second one said, "There's a chill in the air!"

The third one said, "We don't care!"

The fourth one said, "I am ready for some fun!"

The fifth one said, "Let's run, run, run!"

The wooooo went the wind and out went the lights

And the 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Book: Piglet and Papa

Song: Parachute Song #1 "Bumpin' and Jumpin'"

I had such a large group on Wednesday we sang "If you're happy and you know it" instead

Nursery Rhyme/short poem: Pease Porridge

Book: Penguins

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: ABC dot-to-dot, pattern blocks, puzzles, play-dough with cookie cutters

O is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: Octopus puppet

Song: Be my echo (6 syllables x 2) ocean and order; Over and oatmeal

Sign Language: Letter

Flannel Board:Five Little Ocean Friends

Five little ocean friends
On the ocean floor;
The starfish walks away
Now there are four.

Four little ocean friends
Living in the sea;
The crab slides away
Now there are three.

Three little ocean friends
Looking for a clue;
“Glub, glup,” said the lobster.
Now there are two.

Two little ocean friends
Not having much fun;
Off swam the sea horse
Now there is one.

One little octopus
Sad and all alone,
He swam away
Then there was only foam.

Book: Whoo goes there?

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Nursery Rhyme/short poem: “Out goes”
Out goes the rat
Out goes the cat
Out goes the lady with a big orange hat!

Book: No trouble at all

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: Make an Octopus (from http://www.first-school.ws/t/octopus3d.htm), O dot-to-dot, play with our ocean puppets

N is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: Nuts (variety in shell)

Sign Language: Letter

Song: Be my echo (6 syllables x 2) Necklace and noodle, Napkin and nurse

Flannel Board: 5 Nocturnal Animals
Five nocturnal animals, sitting by the door.
The firefly flashed away, and then there were four.

Four nocturnal animals, sitting by the tree.
The beaver started gnawing, then there were three.

Three nocturnal animals, sat on tractor new.
Bat hung upside down, then there were two.

Two nocturnal animals, looking for some fun.
Hungry owl caught a mouse, then there was one.

One nocturnal animal, watching for the sun.
Raccoon went home to bed, then there was none.
From Nature Boxes for Early Childhood Educators, Debbi Williams, Story County Conservation Board

Book (on Wednesday) : Eleanor, Ellatony, Ellencake, and me
Even though most of the kids stayed engaged with this story, I thought it was too long for storytime.

Book (on Thursday): What's that awful smell?

Song: Boom, Bang!
(use rhythm sticks for actions)

Boom, bang, boom, bang! (hammer sticks)
Rumpety, lumpety, bump! (drum on floor)
Zoom, zam, zoom, zam! (scrap sticks)
Clippety, clappety, clump! (hit sticks together)
Rustles and bustles (roll sticks)
And swishes and zings (hit ends on floor)
What wonderful noises a rhythm stick brings!

Movement: Head shoulder knees and toes (NOSE at the end!)

Nursery Rhyme/short poem: Chubby Little Snowman
A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot nose. (point to nose)
Along came a bunny (hold up two fingers on right hand to make bunny)
And what do you suppose?

That hungry little bunny
Looking for his lunch

Ate that little snowman's nose

Nibble, nibble, crunch.

Book (on Wednesday): Nighty, Night

Book (on Thursday): The Napping House
Because I read "What's that awful smell" I didn't want to do another "farm" story. For some reason I have been hesitant to read "The Napping House"...but it went over really well!

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: Nine Noodles (use Elmer’s glue to glue pieces of noodle onto a 9 on a sheet of paper), Wooden block & string (necklace), N dot-to-dot, use magnifying glasses to examine nuts in the shell (and other objects--sponge, feather, yarn, noodles)

M is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: mouse finger puppet

Sign Language: Letter
Song: Be my echo (6 syllables x 2) monster and music, morning and mud
Sign Language: Milk

Flannel Board: Little Mice
1 little mouse, with a nibble and a chew,

Called for a friend…SQUEAK!
And then there were 2.

2 little mice, quick as quick can be,

Called for a friend…SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
And then there were 3.

3 little mice as the scampered ‘round the floor,

Called for a friend…SQUEAK! SQUEAK, SQUEAK
And then there were 4.

4 little mice, with another to arrive,

Called for a friend…SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK!
And then there were five.

Book: Martha in the Middle

Song: 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed
We also sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" for some movement.

Nursery Rhyme: Little Miss Muffet

Book: Me and My Mom

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: ABC dot-to-dot, mitten match (from Oriental Trading), M&M sort and count.

M&M sort and count is one of my favorite early literacy activities! On a half sheet of paper I made 6 squares and typed in the color words. After I printed them I used the marker to underline the color word with its color. I use the "fun size" packages (which have about 15 candies in them). I give the kids 3 rules when I do this activity:

1. Sort the M&Ms by color

2. Count the number of M&Ms in each square

3. Ask the person who brought you today if you may eat them

To get parents involved instruct them to talk to their child about most, least, etc.