Kindergaren and Preschool Lesson Plans

A sample of a full-day lesson could follow a schedule as outlined below. This follows a lesson from the Community Helpers theme unit. All the materials are found within the unit.

8:40 - 9:00 Attendance and Circle Time

Attendance and calendar
Together, read the morning message from the board or chart paper. It will be short message about what is happening in the class that day. It might look like this: Today we are learning about helping workers.
Model read the message and discuss what helping workers might be. Allow the children to make predictions.
Introduce the emergent reader Workers Who Help Us found in the file - Emergent Readers - Weeks 1 and 2 on pages 16-25. This should be reproduced on to chart paper, an overhead transparency or made into a big book so all the children can see the printed text. If you are working with only one or two children, using the reader is sufficient.
Read the title pointing to the words.
Do a picture walk of the book having the children discuss the characters.
Discuss who the helping workers are and why they might be called this?
Look at the colored photos of the helping workers (in the members' area on you left-hand sidebar in the link Community Helpers).
Together make a chart about what they already know and would like to know about community helpers.
Sing Helping Workers Song on page 9.
Introduce the centers

9:00 - 9:50 Developmental Centers

Outlined in the theme unit.

10:15 - 10:30 Recess

10:30 - 11:00 Interactive Writing/Journals/Guided Reading

Writing Time - This is the time when the writing process is modeled. Think aloud ideas for a story. Model how to use sight words displayed in the room, how to stretch out word sounds to determine spelling, use of capitals and periods. An example of a story is shown below:

I would like to be an astronaut. It would be fun discovering outer space. I would like to learn what the surface of the moon is like or how it feels to be in a space shuttle.

Predictable Chart

A predictable phrase or pattern is chosen and students dictate the pattern using their own finished version. The teacher writes what the child says on chart paper and the student reads it back.

Example: I want to be a teacher. (John)

I want to be a doctor. (Pat)

I want to be a police officer. (Betty)

Sentence Builders

Print the words on large paper or small dry-eraser boards and assign six children to build the sentence like on the predictable chart (ensure that the child who dictated the sentence holds the last word that he or she dicated). Each child must come forward in the correct order to complete the sentence. After the sentence is in the correct order, stand behind each child and the class reads the word as you point to the child holding it.

Journals - Children draw a picture and write about it. At first, this will likely be scribbling. This can be read to an adult. The adult can print and model what the child dictates to them.

11:00 - 11:30 Physical Education/Library/Computers

11:30 - 12:00 Circle/Theme Time (learn more about the theme)

Read a book related to one of the community helpers, invite a speaker to visit the classroom or show a film.

12:00 - 12:55 Lunch

1:15 - 1:40 Math Centers

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Math Centers 1

Math Centers 2

1:40 1:55 Cleanup and get ready for recess

1:55 - 2:10 Recess

2:10 - 3:00 Literacy Centers

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Literacy Center 1

Literacy Center 2

3:00 Get ready for dismissal