November Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences

Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences
Month: November Theme: Harvest
English Language Arts
Participate actively in discussions, listen to ideas of others, and ask and answer questions. ~How does corn grow? Listen to and use formal and informal language. Listen to a wide variety of age appropriate literature read aloud. Create and re-read class books. Relate themes to personal experiences. Compare events in books to personal experiences ~apple picking, pumpkin picking. Use their own words to describe experiences, tell imaginative stories, or communicate information about a topic of interest. ~Create stories from a starting point of “Once Upon a Time…”
Mathematics
Use positional language and ordinal numbers (first, second, third) in everyday activities. ~Arrange pumpkins and leaves from smallest to largest. Explore and describe a wide variety of concrete objects by their attributes. ~Describe the shape, color or texture of leaves, corn, pumpkins. Listen to and use comparative words to describe the relationships of objects to one another. ~Compare the size of harvest items. Organize and draw conclusions from facts they have collected (nature walks.)
Science/Technology Engineering
Make predictions about changes in materials or objects based on past experiences. Compare and contrast natural materials such as water, rocks, soil, and living organisms using descriptive language. Observe and identify the characteristics of living things ~Turkeys, trees, leaves, gourds, pumpkins. ~Follow a consistent route for nature walks and discuss how the environment has changed over the seasons. Explore and describe a wide variety of natural and man-made materials through sensory experiences.
History and Social Science
Discuss and identify the order of daily routines. ~Picture schedule time line. Observe and discuss the various kinds of work people do outside and inside their homes. ~Plant gardens to harvest for food. Observe national holidays and discuss why we celebrate them. ~Thanksgiving. Discuss classroom responsibilities in daily activities. ~Feed the fish or watering the plants.
Health Education
Build awareness of directionality and position in space. ~“Farmer says…” game, harvest obstacle course. Strengthen hand grasp and flexibility. ~Table games and manipulative. Discuss nutritious meals and why snacks and the difference between junk food and healthy food. ~ Talk about fall harvest on the farm and various vegetable snacks. Practice personal hygiene and safety measures. ~proper hand washing to prevent germs. Practice independence and self help skills. Talk and listen to stories about safe, unsafe and inappropriate touch and ways to protect themselves. ~Second Step.
Arts
Express themselves freely through movement, move to music at their own pace and style. Sing a variety of songs with children’s vocal range, independently and with others. ~Heritage Assisted Living field trips. Listen to story tellers and watch puppet shows. Explore various types of lines in artwork and in nature. ~Veins in leaves, pumpkin lines, rows of corn on the cob. Choose artwork for display in classrooms or in the community. (VNA building)