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Image Courtesy of Silly Eagle Books

Enjoy this simple preschool lesson plan about the color pink. The activities below will introduce children to the color pink through fun facts, activities, books, songs, and a game. This lesson plan works well in conjunction with a daycare center unit theme about colors.

Pink Science Activity
In this simple science activity, children will pose the question “What happens when you mix the color white with the color red?”
Materials: Red paint, white paint, paper plate
Instructions: Put a paper plate in front of each child and add white paint to the paper plates. Next, add a little bit of red paint to each paper plate.  Encourage the children to use their index finger to mix in the red paint. Observe. Ask the children about the new color they see.

Pink Craft
Each student should bring in one pink item from home. As well, have some pink items on hand such as fabric scraps, yarn, buttons, tissue paper, cotton balls, confetti, glitter, wallpaper, wrapping paper. Have each child present their pink item and then glue the items to create a collage. The children can add pink embellishments of their choosing.

Pink Music and Movement
Sing the song “Pink”* by to the tune of “Jingle Bells”
“Cotton candy, fat pink pigs
girls with socks and bows
P-I-N-K P-I-N-K
That is how it goes
Bubble gum, valentines
these are all pink too
Pink icing and pink balloons
We can spell can you? YES!”

Pink Picnic or Pink Snack
Encourage each child to bring in a pink snack and have a pink snack party or picnic. Some food choices include: Pink grapefruit, strawberry soup, cupcakes or cookies with pink frosting, vanilla pudding mixed with a little bit of red food coloring, pink fruit leather, pink jello, pink grapefruit juice, and pink lemonade.

Preschool Books about the Color Pink
Here are some great books about the color pink to share with children:
Pink: Seeing Pink All Around Us (A+ Books: Colors) by Michael Dahl (Jan 2006)
Pink As a Piglet (Community of Color) by Molly Dingles (Jul 2004)
Pink (Colors Set 2) by Patricia M. Stockland and Julia Woolf (Jan 1, 2011)
Pink Takes a Bow (Know Your Colors) by Christianne C. Jones and Todd Ouren (Aug 2007)
Pink Foods (Colors We Eat) by Isabel Thomas (Sep 15, 2005)
Double Pink by Kate Feiffer and Bruce Ingman (Oct 25, 2005)
Pink! by Lynne Rickards (Jan 1, 2009)
Polly’s Pink Pajamas by Vivian French and Sue Heap (Apr 13, 2010)
Pinkalicious by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann (May 23, 2006)
Pink and Blue (Get Ready-Get Set-Read!) by Gina Erickson M.A., Kelli C. Foster Ph.D. and Gifford Russell (Aug 10, 1994)

*”Pink” taken from PreschoolEducation.com

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One concern among child care providers is potty training both a boy and girl in your daycare at the same time. We asked the OwnADaycare on Facebook members, how they feel about boys and girls in the bathroom at the same time. Our members who are also daycare owners responded to provide their opinions. Here are their thoughts. Is this an issue or a nonissue? Leave us a comment and let us know!

• How old are they? If they are 3 or under, I wouldn’t make a big deal of it unless they are starting to be curious. Anything older than three, then yes they should be apart for privacy and curiosity reasons
• I don’t worry about it till they do or about 4. Or unless the parents have an issue. There is only one me, and I am outnumbered. Once they have an issue, I am very careful to respect that.
• I don’t think it’s an issue at all. We change all of our kiddos into bathing suits in the same room. It’s not a big deal to the kids until an adult makes it a big deal.
• Under the age of 4 (unless curious) that it shouldn’t be a big deal unless the parents express a concern! When children see other children using the potty they are more willing and easier to train!
• Only my 5 year old girl potties in private, the rest all take turns and are in there at the same time. I don’t worry about the girl/boy issues. I think my 2.5 year old learned to potty by watching the others, at the time, were only girls in my dc that were potty trained.
• When my daughter was in daycare, they potty trained 4 or 5 kids at the same time. They lined up and went in one at a time but they were all right there. I didn’t even think about it. They were kids and they loved that they all did it together. I don’t think it’s a big deal until they get a bit older.
• We have an open door bathroom rule here once they are 5 they can shut the door for privacy, but until then they all go together and I want the door open to supervise so there isn’t any potty parties going on in there and I don’t want any of them locking the door either, works best to just have the door open and they all go whenever they want to, gender doesn’t matter when they are that young.
• Sometimes it’s a “monkey see monkey do” thing, I got two kids potty trained in a week because of them learning together. Some will say yay others will say nay. Do it YOUR way.
• I potty trained two girls and a boy all at the same time. It was great, they liked the star system, when they went they got a star on a chart, the one who the most stars had got a prize at the end of the week. There is nothing like competition, and one of the girls was 18months and she did great.
• I used to take all the potty training children on line at the same time and they would wait their turn to sit on the potty. Most of the time the children waiting would peak in to see what was happening in the potty and that’s fine. I actually had a little girl wanted to stand while using the potty because the boys did. At such a young age I think it’s fine. If you feel there are concerns, then teach the children how to wait on line. Put footprints by the bathroom door so they learn to stand there.
• Check your state requirements just to make sure.

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Implementing activities that support clear learning objectives, preschool teachers and daycare providers can create fun lesson plans that help young children learn the letter U.

Learning Objectives

The students will identify the letter U.
The students make and recognize the short U sound.
The students will learn to trace and write upper and lower case Us.
The students will identify objects that begin with the letter U.
The students will learn the “Umbrellas Go Up and Down” finger play.
The students will listen to books that feature the short U sound.

Letter U Handwriting and Phonetics
In order to introduce the letter U, create a poster board which shows both the upper and lower case letter U. Glue a variety of pictures of objects cut from magazines that begin with the letter U. Discuss the poster board with the children, pointing out the items that begin with the letter U. Demonstrate the short U sound and ask the children to make (repeat) the short U sound. Ask the children to think of objects, names, and places that begin with the letter U.

On a white board or chalk board, draw both an upper and lower case U. Children can practice tracing the letter U in both upper and lower case using letter U worksheets. A letter U worksheet appropriate for preschoolers can be found on the KidZone website. In addition, teachers can direct children to practice making upper and lowercase Us using pencils or crayons on blank sheets of paper.

Cognitive Learning: Letter U Object Sorting

Object sorting is great cognitive learning activity which will help children identify objects that begin with the letter U. For this cognitive learning activity, place objects or pictures of objects which begin with the short U sound in a box, bag or other container. Along with these items, place objects beginning with U or containing the short U sound with other letters of the alphabet. As each object is revealed, children will sort those objects that begin with the letter U or have the short U sound from those that do not. Examples of objects that begin with or contain the short u sound: umbrella, umpire, bug, drum, unhappy, run, duck, under, underline, sun, and  bun.

Letter U  Finger Play

Teach the children the fingerplay “Umbrellas Go Up and Down”*.
Umbrellas Go Up and Down
Umbrellas go up,
Umbrellas go down, (Point up and down.)
When rain clouds are dark
All over the town.
One raindrop and two, (hold up one finger at a time)
Two raindrops and three,
My up and down umbrella
Is up over me.  (fingertips touching over head.)
Four raindrops and five, (hold up one finger at a time)
Six raindrops and seven,
Raindrops are tumbling (raise arms and let fingers fall slowly)
Down from the heaven.
Drip, drip, drip, drip!
I am dry as can be,
My up and down umbrella
Is up over me (fingertips touching over head.)

*Taken from Preschooleducation.com

Preschool Books about the Letter U

Umberto’s Summer Day: The Sound of Short U (Phonics Friends) by Cecilia Minden and Joanne Meier (Aug 2005)
Just Bugs: Learning the Short U Sound (Powerphonics) by Jeff Jones (Jan 2001)
Buddy’s Summer Day: The Sound of Short U (Sounds of Phonics) by Cecilia Minden, Joanne Meier and Bob Ostrom (Aug 2010)
My Short U Words (Targeted Phonics: My First Consonants and Vowels) by Sharon Coan (Jun 1, 2011)
Umbrella by Taro Yashima (Jun 30, 1987)
The Umbrella by Jan Brett (Sep 9, 2004)
Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs (Sharing Nature With Children Book) by Anthony D. Fredericks and Jennifer Dirubbio (Sep 1, 2001)

Alphabet recognition activities will greatly enhance preschoolers’ language learning. The key is to have fun with your daycare job with lesson planning and make each moment of learning fun and creative.

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Teach Children the Letter E

Preschool teachers and daycare providers can help children learn to recognize and write the letter E through fun activities that support clear learning objectives. Implementing activities that support clear learning objectives, preschool teachers can create brilliant lesson plans that help young children learn the letter E and the long E sound.

Learning Objectives
The students will identify the letter E.
The students make and recognize the long E sound.
The students will correctly trace and write upper and lower case Es.
The students will identify objects that begin with or include the long E sound.
The students will play a flashlight alphabet game.
The students will listen to books about things that start with or include the long E sound.
The students will learn the “Bees, Bees, Bees” song.

Handwriting and Phonetics Activities
Create a letter E poster board which shows both the upper and lower case E. Glue pictures of objects cut from magazines that begin with the letter E. Alternatively, you can draw or paint objects that begin with E. Introduce the children to the letter E along with simple objects that begin with the letter E.

Demonstrate the E sound and ask the children to make (repeat) the E sound. Ask students what items they can think of (objects, names, etc.) that begin with the letter E. Let children practice tracing the letter E in both upper and lower case using letter E worksheets. A good example of such a worksheet that focuses on the long E sound is available on the KidsLearningStation.com website. Additionally, children can practice tracing upper and lower case Es on blank sheets of paper using pencils or crayons.

Cognitive Learning: Object Sorting
For this cognitive learning activity, place toy or real objects which begin with a long E sound or contain the long E sound in a box or other container. Examples include:  eel, tree, Easter, bee, eleven, key, and sheep. Along with these items, place objects beginning with various other letters. As you pull each object out, students will sort (recognize) those that begin or contain the long E sound from those that do not.

Story Time: Letter E Books
Eve’s Green Garden: The Sound of Long E (Sounds of Phonics) by Cecilia Minden and Bob Ostrom (Aug 2010)

Meet Me on the Farm: Learning the Long E Sound (Phonics for the Real World) by Shelby Braidich (Jan 2009)

Bob Books Set 5- Long Vowels by Bobby Lynn Maslen and John R. Maslen (May 1, 2006)

The Hiding Eel (Stone Arch Readers) by Cari Meister and Steve Harpster (Aug 1, 2011)

Think of an Eel: Read and Wonder by Karen Wallace and Mike Bostock (Apr 1, 2001)

Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons (Apr 1, 2002)

Let’s Have a Tree Party! by David Martin and John Manders (Mar 13, 2012)

Life on a Sheep Farm (Life on a Farm) by Judy Wolfman and David Lorenz Winston (Oct 2003)

Flashlight Letters Game
Get a flashlight and turn off the lights in the room or close the blinds so the room is dark.  Using the flashlight, make giant letter Es on a wall.  Encourage each child to practice making upper and lower case E’s with the flashlight.

Preschool Long E Song
Bees, Bees, Bees*

Bees, Bees, Bees, Bees
Buzzing in bushes and buzzing in trees
Buzzing around, wherever they please
There’s nothing so sweet
As sweet as a honey bee.

Bees, Bees, Bees, Bees
Buzzing in bushes and buzzing in trees
Buzzing around, wherever they please
There’s nothing so sweet
As sweet as a honey bee.

*Taken from PreschoolEducation.com
Alphabet recognition activities will greatly enhance preschoolers’ language learning. The key is to have fun with your daycare job through lesson planning and make each moment of learning fun and creative.

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If there are children in your daycare that love fantasy and fairy tales, here is a great resource for you. Here is a reading list of fairy tale compilation books. These are books that contain a selection of classic and contemporary fairy tales gathered in one book.  Compilation books save money because you don’t have to buy each story for your child care center separately. You will also find listed links to free fairy tale themed worksheets, coloring pages, and handwriting practice sheets.

Reading List

Fairy Tale Picture Books Age 3-8

The Golden Book of Fairy Tales (Golden Classics) by Adrienne Segur and Marie Ponsot (Oct 1, 1999)
The Random House Book of Fairy Tales by Amy Ehrlich and Diane Goode (Aug 12, 1985)
Illustrated Fairy Tales (Usborne Illustrated Stories) by Sarah Courtauld, Rosie Dickins and Nancy Leschnikoff (Jun 2007)
A Treasury of Children’s Literature by Armand Eisen (Oct 26, 1992)
A First Book of Fairy Tales by Mary Hoffman, Anne Millard and Julie Downing (Sep 1, 2001)
The Classic Treasury of Princess Fairy Tales by Margaret Clark (Oct 2, 2007)
The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies (A Golden Classic) by Jane Werner and Garth Williams (Sep 9, 2008)
Around the World in 80 Tales by Saviour Pirotta (Oct 15, 2007)
Fairy Tales and Fables by Eve Morel (Feb 5, 2008)
Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins (Aug 11, 2009)
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (Oct 1, 1992)
The 20th-Century Children’s Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud by Janet Schulman (Sep 14, 1998)
Fairy Tales by E. E. Cummings and Meilo So (Nov 17, 2004)
Disney Nursery Rhymes & Fairy Tales by Disney Book Group (Aug 5, 2008)
The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker (Oct 14, 2002)
Little Red Riding Hood (Flip-Up Fairy Tales) by Jessica Stockham (Jun 1, 2007)
Three Billy Goats Gruff (Flip-Up Fairy Tales) by Alison Edgson (Jun 1, 2007)
Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated) by Florence Parry Heide and Lane Smith (Sep 22, 2009)
My First Fairy Tales by Tomie dePaola (Sep 3, 2009)
Harold’s Fairy Tale (Further Adventures of with the Purple Crayon) by Crockett Johnson (Jan 20, 1994)
Fairly Fairy Tales by Esmé Raji Codell and Elisa Chavarri (Jan 4, 2011)
Fairy Tales (Combined Volume) (Usborne Book of…) by Heather Amery (Jan 2005)

Fairy Tale Books for Children 9-12

There are many fairy tale worksheets you can print out and use for your lesson plans and activities. Worksheets should include coloring pages, handwriting worksheets, and printable craft patterns. The following websites provide free printables with fairy tale theme:

ABCTeach: Fairy Tale themed printables and coloring pages
First-School: Fairy Tale coloring Pages
Enchanted Learning: Printable fairy tale mini books to print and color
Education.com: Free Fairy tale worksheets, printables and coloring pages.

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Preparing for kindergarten is an important topic for many parents, early childhood educators, and daycare providers.  In part 2 of our interview, we asked Kirstin Parsons from Get Set for School (a new curriculum focused on helping preschool children prepare for kindergarten), to describe the value of kindergarten readiness programs.

OwnADaycare: Are kindergarten readiness programs necessary or advisable?

Kirstin Parsons: Children are naturally curious, active, and eager to try new things, and they have their own learning styles and pace. To tap their unique learning abilities and the diverse learning style of each child, preschoolers should be engaged with a readiness curriculum that encourages “playful learning” and involves music, touch and movement.  By incorporating components such as music, drawing, playing, and building, learning is more natural and automatic.   Activities such as writing on blackboards, building letters with wood pieces, and mixing music with movement are integral components of multisensory learning.  Whether you choose to do this at home or enroll your child in a preschool program is up to you, as programs such as Get Set for School offer components for parents to use at home and teachers to use at school.

A strong kindergarten readiness approach should develop the following skills:

• Letter, shape, and color recognition
• Use of small writing tools while developing grip broken crayons, little chalk bits, golf-size pencils
• Body awareness
• Socialization
• Participation/cooperation
• Language development

Following are some examples of way to achieve education through playful learning:

• Singing – for imitation, rhythm and body awareness
• Playing – for social skills, like taking turns and following instructions
• Coloring – for proper crayon/pencil grip and symbol comprehension
• Building – for sequencing, including counting and letter/number formation

OwnADaycare: In your opinion, can a child who has never attended preschool or a daycare center be as successful in kindergarten as a child who has attended preschool?

Kirstin Parsons: School success depends on a child learning the fundamentals of learning, including social skills, handwriting readiness, and language proficiency, among others.

OwnADaycare: Do you have any additional comments or tips?

Kirstin Parsons: Here are some activities from the Get Set for School curriculum that parents can do to help encourage good school skills for preschoolers.

1. Read – Show your children the importance of communicating through words.
2. Draw – Children who draw often, write better. For young drawers, give them broken pieces of chalk or crayons to use. They will have no choice but to hold these small pieces correctly!
3. Cook -  Make cookie letters to familiarize children with letters and to teach the importance of following directions.
4. Sing – When you sing the alphabet song, show your children the letters as you sing. Sing songs that use their fingers, like the “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, and “The Crayon Song” on the Get Set for School Sing-Along CD.
5. Move – Teach spatial words, like “under, over, top, middle, and bottom” by using visual representations.  Put one hand under another; go to the top of the slide at the playground, etc.
6. Go “Top Left” – Get children in the habit of going from top to bottom and left to right. This will help with reading and writing
7. Give them little bites – Encourage children, even ones as young as 9 months, to pick up small objects, like tiny pieces of food, with their fingers.  It will help to develop writing muscles and good coordination
8. Live and Learn – Explain the concept of waiting in line when you are at the supermarket, re-iterate body parts as a child dresses or undresses; use bath time to count toys in the tub, draw letters on the wall of the tub in shaving cream and learn how to pour water from a pitcher.

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Preparing for kindergarten is an important topic for many parents, early childhood educators, and daycare providers.  We asked Kirstin Parsons from Get Set for School (a new curriculum focused on helping preschool children prepare for kindergarten), to describe signs of kindergarten readiness in the areas of concept development, physical, social, and emotional development, number concepts, language, and reading and writing.

OwnADaycare: What is kindergarten readiness?

Kirstin Parsons: These days, kindergarten is more work and less play. It has become the new first grade. Even preschool is more demanding as teachers and parents push children to read and write earlier. This means that by the time they start kindergarten, children must be able to focus on given tasks, follow directions, interact well with others, and even write in journals.

OwnADaycare: Is there a best age to start kindergarten?

Kirstin Parsons: The best age to start kindergarten varies, just as much as students, teachers, and districts vary.  Parents need to consider that students who start earlier or later than their peers will forever be older or younger, which may or may not have social and academic implications in higher grades.  Schools and school boards set fair and appropriate age ranges by grade.  Any potential exceptions should be handled on this level.

OwnADaycare: What are some signs of kindergarten readiness that daycare centers should look for with respect to the following areas of development?

Concept development
Physical development
Social and emotional development
Number concept
Language
Writing and reading

Kirstin Parsons: Each child has her own learning style and pace, and the following are broad guidelines of what a parent may want to help their child achieve prior to entering kindergarten.

Concept development – Reading with your child and helping them understand that letters have important meaning will help you child begin to think abstractly.  In the Get Set for School program, we introduce preschool children to the concept of symbols and convey the value of letters.

Physical development – Movement uses big muscles (gross motor) and small muscles (fine motor), which are important for children to be able to explore, participate and interact in the environment.  Learning to move their fingers, hands and arms to make movements that go along with songs, such as the Itsy Bitsy Spider, or stamping their feet to other songs will help young students develop the strength and stamina.  Being able to imitate a teacher’s actions is an important foundation for success.

Social and emotional development – Preschoolers should be taught about sharing, taking turns, following simple instructions, waiting in line and participating in a group activity.  They should be taught a sense of belonging and an eagerness to participate and learn.  The ability to understand and respond to their classmates and teachers is critical to success.

Number concept – It’s good for preschoolers to begin to understand that written numerals represent the number of objects, particularly numbers 1 – 10, and the corresponding number of objects.

Language –  Among other words, children especially need to know the words they will need to follow directions; these words include top/middle/bottom, directional words such as over and under, size and color descriptions, as well as instructional words such as start/stop and my turn/your turn.

Writing and reading – Many students between the ages of three and five are not ready to pick up a pencil and start writing. They simply lack the skills to start writing. However, they should be taught to hold a crayon and to identify numbers and letters.  They should also understand the “tricks” of handwriting such as the fact that all capitals are formed by starting at the top of the letter, and know how each letter is formed using Handwriting Without Tears Wood Pieces or some other manipulatives.  Studies show that children who handwrite better are more confident and do better overall in school, so teaching the fundamentals of handwriting is critical.

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January 16, 2012 is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day. This federal holiday commemorates the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of the civil rights movement, and is celebrated every year on the third Monday of January.

While young children in a childcare center may or may not be able to grasp the concepts of civil rights, slavery, and racism, preschool teachers and daycare providers can share worksheets and books that teach peace and unity.

Consider the following reading lists and resources for free Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worksheets, coloring pages, and handwriting practice sheets:

Reading List

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Picture Books Age 4-8

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier (Dec 18, 2007)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Ready-to-Read. Level 1) by Margaret McNamara and Mike Gordon (Dec 26, 2007)
My Dream of Martin Luther King (Dragonfly Books) by Faith Ringgold (Dec 7, 1998)
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Real People) by Pam Walker (Aug 2000)
My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marion Dane Bauer (Dec 1, 2009)
I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan 1, 2007)
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr. (Scholastic Bookshelf) by Jean Marzollo and J. Pinkney (Jan 1, 2006)
Martin Luther King (Mulberry books) by Rosemary L. Bray and Malcah Zeldis (Jan 20, 1997)
A Lesson for Martin Luther King Jr. (Ready-to-Read. Level 2) by Denise Lewis Patrick and Rodney S. Pate (Dec 2, 2003)
Celebrate Martin Luther King, JR. Day with Mrs. Park’s Class (Stories to Celebrate) by Alma Flor Ada & F. Isabel Campoy (Sep 1, 2006)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (On My Own Holidays (Live Oak Media)) by Linda Lowery (Oct 30, 1987)
Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Dreaming of Change (Learn to Read Read to Learn Holiday Series) by Joel Kupperstein and Fred Willingham (Mar 1999)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Holidays and Festivals (Heinemann Paperback)) by Rebecca Rissman (Sep 1, 2010)
Martin Luther King JR. Day (Our Country’s Holidays) by Sheri Dean (Aug 2010)
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life of Fairness (Blastoff! Readers: People of Character) by Tonya Leslie (Sep 1, 2007)
Martin Luther King Jr. (Lives and Times) by Peter Roop and Connie Roop (Apr 2001)
I’ve Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Walter Dean Myers and Leonard Jenkins (Dec 23, 2003)
Young Martin Luther King Jr.  (Troll First-Start Biography) by Joanne Mattern (Oct 29, 1998)
Let’s Get Ready for Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Welcome Books: Celebrations) by Lloyd G. Douglas (Mar 2003)
Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David A. Adler and Robert Casilla (Jun 1991)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Books for Children 9-12

DK Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr.by Amy Pastan and Primo Levi (Aug 23, 2004)
Meet Martin Luther King, Jr (Landmark Books) by James T. De Kay (Jan 2, 2001)
Marching to the Mountaintop: How Poverty, Labor Fights and Civil Rights Set the Stage for Martin Luther King Jr’s Final Hoursby Ann Bausum (Jan 10, 2012)
Martin Luther King, Jrby Ruchir Shah (May 1, 2007)
Martin Luther King Jr.: The Story of Our Nation from Coast to Coast, from 1948 to 1976(America in the Time Of…) by Sally Senzell Isaacs (Nov 20, 1999)
Martin Luther King Level 4: Houghton Mifflin Soar to Success by Carol Greene (1999)
The Day Martin Luther King Jr. Was Shotby Jim Haskins (Jan 1, 1992)
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Picture Story(Picture-Story Biographies (Paperback)) by Margaret Boone-Jones (Apr 1986)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day(American Holidays) by Connor Dayton (Jan 15, 2012)
Sterling Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Dream of Hope by Alice Mulcahey Fleming (Feb 5, 2008)
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Dreams for a Nation(Great Lives Series) by Louise Quayle (Jan 3, 1990)
Learning about Dignity from the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Modern-Day Heroes) by Jeanne M. Strazzabosco and J. Strazzabosco (Jan 2003)
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?by Bonnie Bader, Nancy Harrison and Elizabeth Wolf (Apr 11, 2008)
If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther Kingby Ellen Levine (Jan 1994)
Martin Luther King Jr.: The Life of a Civil Rights Leader(Graphic Biographies) by Gary Jeffrey and Christopher Forsey (Sep 30, 2006)

Free Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Worksheets and Coloring Pages
There are many worksheets featuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. you can print out and use for your lesson plans and activities. Worksheets should include coloring pages, handwriting worksheets, and printable craft patterns.

The following websites provide free printables with a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. theme:
Apples4theteacher.com: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. coloring pages for preschoolers
ABCTeach: Dr. Martin Luther King themed printables and coloring pages
School Family: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worksheets, coloring pages, crafts, games and puzzles
Enchanted Learning: Dr. Martin Luther King themed printable worksheets

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Preschool teachers and daycare providers can help children learn to recognize and write the letter I through fun activities that support clear learning objectives. Implementing activities that support clear learning objectives, preschool teachers can create brilliant lesson plans that help young children learn the letter A.

Learning Objectives
The students will identify the letter A.
The students make and recognize the long A sound.
The students will correctly trace and write upper and lower case As.
The students will identify objects that begin with the long A sound or have the long A sound in them.
The students will help make a footprint angel.
The students will listen to books about items that start with or contain thes long A sound.

Handwriting and Phonetics Activities
Using sturdy poster board, create a letter A poster which shows both the upper and lower case A. Glue pictures of objects cut from magazines that begin with the long A sound. Explain to the students that this is the letter A. Next, demonstrate the long A sound and ask the children to make (repeat) the long A sound. Ask students what things they can think of (objects, names, etc.) that begin with the long A sound.

Have children practice tracing the letter A in both upper and lower case using letter A worksheets. A good example of such a letter A worksheet is available on Education.com website. With either pencils or crayon, let students practice making the letter A in both upper and lower case on blank sheets of paper.

Letter A Craft
Hand and Footprint Angel
Create the angel’s wings by tracing the child’s hands on yellow construction paper and then cutting them out. Ask the child stand on a piece of poster board with feet together and trace all around to create the body or robe of the angel. Encourage the children decorate the robe and the wings. Take a photograph of the child’s face and cut out just outline of the child’s face. Glue the wings and face to the angel’s body. Using ribbon or a pipe cleaner, create a halo and glue it above the angel.

Cognitive Learning: Object Sorting
For this cognitive learning activity, place toy or real objects or concepts which begin with a long A sound or have the long A sound in them in a box or other container. Examples include: Angel, ape, acorn, alien, apricot, ace, skate, grapes, tape, bait, and lace. Along with these items, place objects beginning with various other letters. As you pull each object out, students will sort (recognize) those that begin with or contain the long A sound from those that do not.

Story Time: Letter A Books
Amy’s Big Race: The Sound of Long A (Phonics Friends) by Cecilia Minden and Joanne Meier (Aug 2005)
What a Baker Makes: Learning the Long a Sound (Power Phonics/Phonics for the Real World) by Sharon McConnell (Jun 2001)
Ape by Martin Jenkins and Vicky White (Sep 14, 2010)
Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman and Ben Hatke (Oct 2004)
Ape Cape (Rhyming Riddles) by Pam Scheunemann and Monica Marx (2003)

Alphabet recognition activities will greatly enhance preschoolers’ language learning. The key is to have fun with your daycare job through lesson planning and make each moment of learning fun and creative.

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The New Year is a great time for daycare providers to enhance their lesson plans with story time books and fun New Year’s Day activities. It is also a good time to discuss how the New Year is celebrated in other cultures. Consider the following reading lists and resources for free New Year worksheets, coloring pages, and handwriting practice sheets for your child care center:

Reading List

New Year’s Picture Books Age 4-8

The Night Before New Year’s (Reading Railroad) by Natasha Wing and Amy Wummer (Nov 25, 2009)

Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller and Kathi Ember (Sep 1, 2010)

ShantĂ© Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport and Marion Eldridge (Jan 1, 2007)

P. Bear’s New Year’s Party: A Counting Book by Owen Paul Lewis and Paul Owen Lewis (Jan 1, 1999)

Bringing in the New Year (Read to a Child!: Level 2) by Grace Lin (Dec 14, 2010)

Lanterns and Firecrackers: A Chinese New Year Story (Festival Time) by Jonny Zucker and Jan Barger Cohen (Dec 2, 2003)

Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith and Lawrence Migdale (Aug 1999)

Chinese New Year (Rookie Read-About Holidays) by David F. Marx (Mar 2002)

Happy, Happy Chinese New Year! by Demi (Nov 11, 2003)

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year (Reading Rainbow Books) by Kate Waters and Martha Cooper (Jan 1, 1991)

This Next New Year by Janet S. Wong and Yangsook Choi (Sep 18, 2000)

New Year’s Day (Celebrations in My World) by Lynn Peppas (Jan 15, 2010)

New Year’s Books for Children 9-12

New Year’s Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays) by David F. Marx (Sep 2000)

A to Z Mysteries Super Edition #5: The New Year Dragon Dilemma (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) by Ron Roy and John Steven Gurney (Nov 22, 2011)

Happy New Year, Mallory! (Mallory (Quality)) by Laurie Friedman and Jennifer Kalis (Sep 2010)

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Chinese New Year: With Fireworks, Dragons, and Lanterns by Carolyn Otto (Jan 13, 2009)

Happy New Year, Julie (American Girl) by Megan Mcdonald and Robert Hunt (Sep 1, 2007)

Just In Time For New Year’s!: A Harry & Emily Adventure (Holiday House Reader) by Karen Gray Ruelle (Sep 30, 2004)

Sliding Into the New Year (YaYa & YoYo, Book 1) by Dori Weinstein (Mar 1, 2011)

New Years’ Day (True Books: Holidays) by Dana Meachen Rau (Sep 2000)

A Happy New Year’s Day by Roch Carrier and Gilles Pelletier (Sep 1, 1991)

Happy New Year! by Emery Bernhard (Sep 1, 1996)

Emily Arrow Promises to Do Better This Year (The Kids of the Polk Street School) by Patricia Reilly Giff (Oct 1, 1990)
Free New Year’s Worksheets and Coloring Pages
There are many worksheets pertaining to the New Year that you can print out and use for your lesson plans and activities. Worksheets should include coloring pages, handwriting worksheets, and printable craft patterns.
The following websites provide free printables with New Year’s theme:

Apples4theteacher.com: New Year’s coloring pages for preschoolers
ABCTeach: New Year’s Day themed printables, coloring pages, and patterns
DLTK’s Crafts for Kids: New Year’s Day worksheets, coloring pages, crafts, games and puzzles
Enchanted Learning: New Year’s Day printable worksheets

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