Wind and Water Unit Jan. 20-23

**No School Monday- Martin Luther King Holiday**

Wind and Water Theme

This theme allows children explore wind and water using observations, experiments,

 and books to learn more about topics such as evaporation, weather, temperature, insulation, rain, and snow

Books this week

-The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
 -A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
- Rabbits and Raindrops by Jim Arnosky

Small Groups this week

-Writing- We will create books about the animals from our unit book Rabbits and Raindrops.  We will reinforce pre-writing and phonemic awareness during this activity
-Alphabet Go Fish
-Snowman Letter Books- We will look at pictures on a snowman and place the hat that has the same beginning sound on the snowman.  (K hat on the kite)
-Science- We will experiment with how water creates a variety of sounds using a variety of materials to make sounds(ie. eye dropper, cotton ball, block) We will try to come to the conclusion that heavier objects can make a louder sound. 

Center Activities

Art: Painting epsom salt to recreate the snowy day like Peter

Multi-step independent activity table- Sequencing building a snowman, Penguins that only eat /P/ sound foods
Writing: blank books with crayons and markers
Sand and Water: Ice discovery
Library: Exploring books
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Matching uppercase alphabet arch letters
Dramatic Play: LL bean store 
Blocks: building with blocks

Let's Talk About It
-Winter Equipment
-Home activity of how air moves
-Drying wet mittens
-Self Regulation

Songs, Word Play, Letters
Songs:  Bingo using Windy and Repel words, Magic C rap song
Poems:  My Big Balloon; Mix a Pancake; Five Little Owls in an Old Elm Tree
Literacy Skills: Naming sound game and rhyming word game

Try this at home: Observe signs of weather with your child.

When you are outside ask them to look at the sky about talk about clouds, rain, wind, and storms.

Handwriting
-We will be working on our "Magic C" letters for the Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum within our workbooks as well as other hands on activities.
-Literacy Groups will begin.  Our handwriting small groups in the morning will be grouped into RTI groups so children can get the support for what skills each child is working on.  Some of our classmates will stay in our room and others will be going into kinderstars classroom.  Each group will be working on different skills but working toward the common goal of literacy(letter, sounds, writing letters)

Preschool Life Skills
We are continuing to review our previous skills 1-4.
1-When a teacher calls your name, stop, look and say, "Yes".
2-When a teacher tells you to do something, do it "Right Away".
3-When a teacher tells you to do 2 things, do it "Right Away".
4-When something is too hard, first try then say,"Can you help me please?"
5. "When you want something from a teacher or friend and they are doing something, say, "Excuse me" to get them to look at you."
New Skill with this week: (continues)
6- "When someone is in your way or has something that you want, say"Excuse me"to get their attention, and say, "May I____" to get what you want.