For this lesson you will need:
Quarter
25 Pennies
Piggy bank or jar
Counting item/Counting jar
Yarn
Grass
Dandelion
Egg
Bowl
Yogurt
Newspaper or tissue paper
Bag
Paper 12 pieces (with names of months on them) See intro to topic.
Tape
Music (anything goes)
Items that correspond with each month (See ‘Game’ below)
Cookie sheet
Ingredients for yogurt cupcakes or other snack (recipe below)
Birthday Candles
Construction paper (yellow and green)
Egg carton
Scissors
Yellow paint optional (see craft)
Books: Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak
Four Seasons Make a Year by Anne Rockwell and Megan Halsey
Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):
Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)
Question of the Day: Do you remember your last birthday? How old did you turn and what did you like best about that special day?
Number of the Day ‘25’: Display the number 25 on a piece of paper. Hold up a quarter and ask children if they can tell you the name of the coin. Explain that a quarter is worth 25 cents, which means that it is the same as 25 pennies.
Put 25 pennies on the ground and ask them to help you count the number of pennies needed to make up 1 quarter. Have children take turns picking up one penny at a time and placing it in a piggy bank or jar while counting aloud together to 25. Compliment their great counting skills and ask what they think you could by with 25 whole cents!
Have children count 25 of another designated item (for more practice) and place the items in the counting jar. Remind children of the reward they will receive once the jar has been filled.
Letter of the Day ‘Y’: Before Preschool, wrap up a few Y items in tissue/newspaper and place them in a paper bag: Yarn, Yard (grass and a rock), Yellow dandelion, Egg (which you’ll break open in front of them to show the yolk), and a container of Yogurt.
Have child choose a wrapped item and pass it to each of the other children to feel. Give hints about the item to help them guess what it is. For example: “Cats like to play with this, and it’s used to make hats and sweaters” (yarn) or “We play in this during the summer when it’s warm outside. It is where we find flowers and bugs! (yard)”
When they’ve guessed it (or given up), have them unwrap the item and see the Y object inside. When all items have been unwrapped, say the names of each item and emphasize the Y sound at the beginning. Ask what is the same about each of these items. (all begin with Y!!!)
Demonstrate how the letter Yy is written and allow children to practice in their writing notebooks. If they are well practiced in letter writing, have them write 3 words that begin with the letter Y. Teach the ASL sign for the letter Y as well as the signs for Yes and Year.
Introduction to topic: Before class, write the names of each month on 12 separate pieces of paper. Make them colorful and add pictures that go along with each month. For example:
January: Draw party hats, confetti, and a snowman (for New Years Day, and snow!)
February: Hearts
March: Green clover
April: Rain and Easter eggs
May: Flowers and a picture of a mom (for Mother’s Day)
June: Sunshine and picture of a father (for Father’s Day)
July: Flag
August: Sandals/Beach
September: School Bus
October: Pumpkins and brown leaves
November: Turkey
December: Christmas Tree
Pick a room that is not normally used as the preschool room, and hide the months all around it. Tell children they need to work together to find the 12 pieces of paper with writing and pictures on them, and bring them back to the circle.
When they’re back in the circle, say “Today we’re going to talk about different things that happen in a YEAR. Can anyone tell me what a year is? A year is a long amount of time."
You may want to break it down like this:
“This is Monday. Monday is one day. We can get a lot of things done in a day can’t we?
“A month is made up of lots of days like this one! Can anyone guess how many days are in one month? (Around 30)
“A year is made up of lots of months, can anyone guess how many months are in a year? (12!) There are twelve months in a year. A year sounds like a long time doesn’t it?
We’re going to learn about the 12 months that make up a year and what makes each one of them special.”
Hold up each month, one at a time. Introduce it by name and discuss the important events that occur in that month. Talk about seasons, holidays and anything else that might help them remember each one. After each month has been presented have them repeat all 12 of the months after you in the correct order. Stick tape on the back of each one and place them in a big circle on the ground for a game of musical months!
Game: ‘Musical Months.’ Before preschool gather at least 12 items that are each associated with a different month, and place them on a cookie sheet. For example:
Balloons and/or ice cube (January)
Something shaped like a heart (February)
Clovers/Gold pieces/Something Green (March)
Easter candy (April)
Flowers (May)
Neck Tie (June)
Flag/something patriotic (July)
Sandals (August)
School supplies (September)
Dead leaves/pumpkin/Halloween costume (October)
Indian corn/pictures of pilgrims/turkey (November)
Christmas Ornaments/Nativity (December)
Have children walk around the circle as you play some music. When the music stops, have them stand on the month closest to them. Shout out the name of one of the months. Whoever is standing on that month will pick the item from the cookie sheet that best fits that month. Once they’ve picked the correct item to go along with their month, remove that month from the circle, and begin the music again.
Do this for all 12 months.
Stories: Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak
Four Seasons Make a Year by Anne Rockwell and Megan Halsey
Craft: Since now is the time of year for SPRING, click here to view instructions for a fun spring flower craft. Thanks to DLTK.
Snack: Yogurt (B-day) CupCakes Explain that one of the best things that happens every year is your birthday! Ask each child if they know which month their birthday is in. Tell them to close their eyes and think of their birthday wishes, while you go get their surprise snack. Place one candle in each ‘cupcake’ and light them. Have children join you in singing the birthday song then have them blow out their candles.
Over cupcakes, talk about some of the fun things you’ve done this year. Also discuss the things you’d like to do before the year is over!
YOGURT CUPCAKES
2 c. Bisquick
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c. coconut
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp. salad oil
Mix until moist and bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Service: Remind the children that the letter of the day is Y, and that you are going to make someone so happy by giving them a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers. Let them roam free in the grass to pick all the yellow dandelions they can. Arrange them into a bouquet, tie it together with a ribbon, and deliver it to a neighbor or friend.
Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”
If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter Y), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)
