August Week 1:

Theme: Welcome Back/Get to Know You

Books:

Monday: “The Night Before Preschool” by: Natasha Wing*

Tuesday: “I Like Myself” by: Karen Beaumont

Wednesday: “Our Class is a Family” by: Shannon Olsen

Thursday: “Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes” by: James Dean

Friday: “The Pigeon HAS to Go to School” by: Mo Willems

Writing/Early Reading: >>letter Aa<<

Monday: What Starts w/ Aa?? – discuss/worksheet; what did we do the night before the first day of school discussion.

Tuesday: All About Me posters; tracing letter Aa

Wednesday: interview a friend day – come up with questions to ask a friend > Our class is a family, so we’re all friends and it’s important to get to know each other.

Thursday: word hunt in Pete the Cat book – finding/writing or tracing words that begin w/ Aa

Friday: Review the letter Aa. What we like about school – make a sentence/draw a picture > The pigeon did not want to go to school. What would YOU tell him were reasons he should go to school?

Mathematics: >>numbers 1,2,3<<

Monday: Practice counting (i.e., counting song – Jack Hartmann); number identification: 1,2,3. TAKE-HOME: find an object you can bring in 1, 2, or 3 of for the class “Guess How Many” game

Tuesday: Guess How Many! Bring in 1, 2, or 3 of something to share w/ the class.

Wednesday: tracing #s 1, 2, 3

Thursday: simple addition: 1+1; 1+2; 1+3; etc.

Friday: Review: 1, 2, 3

Science: >>apples<<

Monday: Aa is for APPLE – where do apples come from? Video: Blippi Visits an Apple Factory

Tuesday: colors of an apple/apple taste test. Book: “The Biggest Apple Ever” by: Steven Kroll read-aloud on YouTube

Wednesday: experiment: What happens when you leave an apple out all day? – cut an apple in half in the morning & leave it on a windowsill or shelf all day… make observations about what changes we observe throughout the day.

Thursday: making applesauce.

Friday: applesauce tasting.

History: >>Johnny Appleseed<<

Monday: Who was Johnny Appleseed? – video about J. Appleseed

Tuesday: plant an apple seed > tie-in: where do apples come from

Wednesday: book about Johnny Appleseed > discussion: what can we learn from him? >>give generously & w/o discrimination, even if your gift is small<<

Thursday: giving back – Let’s be like Johnny Appleseed & find a way to give back to our school.

Friday: dress like Johnny Appleseed day!

Music: >>sing a good morning song each morning<<

Monday: Jack Hartmann “Back to School;” letter Aa song (Jack Hartmann, Bounce Patrol)

Tuesday: I like myself song; Sesame Street Usher’s ABC Song

Wednesday: letter Aa song (something different than Monday). Johnny Appleseed song

Thursday: “I Like Apples” -Gary Kazoo on YouTube

Friday: Kids’ Choice Dance Party! What’s your favorite song from this week?

Arts/Crafts:

Monday: draw a picture of/write a sentence about what we did the night before the first day of school.

Tuesday: apple stamping!

Wednesday: tracing a friend.

Thursday: design our own back to school shoes.

Friday: Kids Decide! Create your own masterpiece. Theme: Back to School/Apples/Johnny Appleseed.

I taught preschool for about a decade, spending most of that time working with 2–3-year-olds. While I no longer work as a preschool teacher, every now and then, a book will spark the teacher in me. The book, "I Like Myself" by Karen Beaumont is what inspired this back-to-school preschool lesson plan.