Kindergarten and Preschool Farm

Connection to Literature

Predictable Chart Follow-up Activity

Barn Craft

Introduce this theme by reading the book Big Red Barn by Magaret Wise Brown.  A predictable chart would be made as a follow-up to reading the story. This would be used as a shared reading experience.  The pictures used from the shape book displayed on the left would be inserted beside the story line on the chart.  There are both black and white and color versions of the pictures to fit in the pocket chart. 

Emergent Reader - This can be used if not making the shape book.

We saw a pig.

We saw a duck.

We saw a rabbit.

We saw a goat.

We saw a rooster.

We saw a cow.

We saw a donkey.

We saw a puppy.

We saw some horses.

We saw some sheep.

The big read barn is their favorite place.

Reader Sample - Color

Reader Sample - Black and White

Lift the Flap Shape Book Follow-up  (Craft)

Children will have fun making their own version of the book.  This could be made into a lift the flap shape book as displayed in the photograph above.  The templates would be copied on card stock and the children could trace it on red construction paper and cut to assemble it.  For younger children, you may want to copy the book on colored paper instead and cut them yourself.  The children could cut the pictures that go behind the doors.  A page could be completed each day.

Connection to Science and Writing
In the theme unit or member's area you will find photographs of the animals mentioned in the book and emergent reader.  These are great to use for discussion purposes.  Each day an animal could be studied and on chart paper special features of these animals could be written accompanied with their photographs.  The writing process could be modeled to the children as the facts are written.

Sample Photograph

Farm Theme Craft

Instructions for the Craft

1.  Children color or paint and cut out the barn.

2. The barn can be pasted onto construction paper.

3.  The children can color or watercolor paint the barn animals and cut them on the dotted lines.

4.  The animals are glued to  to  barnyard scene (templates found in the members' area and theme book).

Farmer Craft

The children become little farmers when completing this craft.  They can complete either version.  The children would color the body and hat.  A head shot would be added (would require cropping).  The other version they draw the face instead.  The farmer would be assembled and cut as displayed in the photographs.

This is a great repetitive information reader.  The children are introduced to the names of the mother farm animals and their babies.  The children must match the babies to their mothers.

Sample Page from the Reader

Kindergarten and Preschool Farm

The children can make the a few of the baby animals mentioned in the reader.

Baby Colt (Horse) Craft

The horse template (member's area or Farm and Zoo theme) can be copied on card stock to trace on brown construction paper or painted.  The other features can be added as shown in the photograph.

 Baby Lamb Craft

The lamb template can be cut and cotton balls glued on as shown in the photograph.

Baby Chick Craft

Instructions

Children paint or color and cut the chick that is in the link below.  Cut the egg outline. Make jagged cuts in the middle and paste the chicken and egg to appear like in the photograph.

 Egg and Chick Outline

Piglet Template

Children can paint or color, cut, assemble and glue the pig together using the template found in the theme unit or member's area.

Calf Puppet Craft

1.  Paint or color the cow head

2.  Cut the head and glue it to the top of a paper bag and

3.  add the white spots and hooves (templates found in the members' area and theme book).                                 

 Another Literature Connection

Farm Theme Craft - Little Red Hen Activities

Many educators like to incorporate the fairy tale 'Little Red Hen' into their Farm Theme.  In the member's area and theme book you will find the templates to make paper bag puppets to act out the story.   Acting out a story is a great follow-up comprehension activity.

Note:  hands were traced and used to make the wings.  There is also templates of wings found in the members' area or theme book if you wish not to use hand drawings. 

Emergent Reader 

After reading the traditional version of "The Little Red Hen" the teacher will introduce the word "helpful" and initiate a discussion on what would have happened in the story if the Little Red Hen would have received help. The emergent reader and group reading "Everyone Helps Out" will be used to model the reading process and introduce children to the possible outcome if the Little Red Hen would have received help from her friends. The story could be made into a big book, written on sentence strips and displayed on a chart, overhead transparency or chart paper  The illustrations are done in a cartoon format and will delight the children.  The story line is predictable and follows as below:

"I am making bread," said Little Red Hen.

"We will, help" said her friends.

First, they planted the seeds.

Second, they cut the wheat.

Third, they ground it into flour.

Fourth, they made the dough.

Fifth, they put the dough into the oven.

Lastly, they shared warm and delicious bread.

Sample of the Emergent Reader

Large Sample Page Used for Making a Big Book

Hen, Duck and Cat  Paper Bag Puppets   

               Little Red Hen   

  Different versions of the story can be read and acted out with the puppets.

 Literacy Centers

 Animal Farm Rhyme Book emergent reader printable book - children are to  find, cut and paste the correct rhyming farm animal.  This is a great phonemic awareness activity. Sample shown to the right.   Example:

I rhyme with sleep.

I am a sheep.

You could read the book again "Big Red Barn" and discuss the rhymes within this book.  Focus on the "ig" word family words.

Preschool and Kindergarten Rhyming Activity - Phonemic Awareness "ig" Family

Rhyming Cards - Phonemic Awareness - "ig" Word Family Sorting

Research has indicated that the first stage of being successful in learning to read is having a good phonemic awareness background (ability to differentiate sounds).  Hearing and identifying rhyme is one of the first stages in this process.

In instructional or circle time the concept of rhyme would have already been introduced along with the rhyming cards ("ig" family) found in the theme unit or member's area.  The children can sort the cards according to if they rhyme or not.

Word Family Center Activity - Barn With a Moving Window

1.  Copy the barn using the color or black and white template.  Cardstock paper works the best.

2.  Cut out the window and slits on the top and bottom of the window.

3.  Print different letters on a long piece of construction paper.  Use the window opening for a sizing guide.

4.  Slide it through the slits.

5.  Trace the door shape on colored construction paper.  Print the focus word family on it.  Glue it to the barn.

6.  The children can slide the window to create a new word with the focus word family.

Alphabet Dot to Dot Duck - for Farm Theme Unit

Dot to Dot Duck

Math Centers

How Animals Help Us Sorting and Craft Activity 

In the members' area you will find pictures in both color and black and white.  Children sort the pictures accordingly.  They must sort according to how each animal helps us.  Example:  Cow gives us milk.

Sorting, Graphing and Patterning

Included in the theme unit and member's area are many farm animal pictures that can be used for sorting, graphing and patterning activities.

Preschool and Kindergarten Number Activities                                                

In the members' area you or theme book you will find cow picture  cards.  These can be used for instruction purposes or for a center activity.  The children are to color black spots on the cows accordingly to what number is shown on the card.  These can be laminated and used each year.  The activity is shown to the left.