Reading

Objective: Expand vocabulary and develop reading comprehension while increasing attention span

Instructions:

1. Before reading the story, explain how books or stories have a title which is the name of the book/story.
2. Read the title and say it is the title of the book/story. Ask your child what the story could be based on the title.
3. Some books have a list of vocabulary your child will learn in the book/story on the first page.  Please go over each word/phrase with your child by asking what they think it means and either explain the correct meaning or add on to their description.
4. Read the story to your child and stop when your child has questions or makes a connection with the story to his/her past experiences.
5. Continue your discussion with your child by asking the questions at the end of the story(if it has) or ask the questions below.

Monday

Materials: Exploring the Beach

Tuesday 

Materials: Sand Everywhere

Questions: 

1. Where do you find sand?
2. What other things can you do with sand?

Thursday

Materials: Sandy Feet! Whose Feet?

Questions:

1. What are the things you can do with your feet?
2. How many feet do you have?
3. If you were to pick how many feet you can have, how many would you like? Why?

Friday

Materials: When I Go to the Beach

Questions:

1. What other things can you collect from the beach?
2. Do you have a collection? What is it?

 

S.T.E.A.M.

Objective: Encourage creative and logical processes through science, technology, engineering, arts and math

Instructions:

1. The book of the day on Reading is the introduction for the S.T.E.A.M. activities.
2. There will be additional instructions for each day.

Monday

Materials: SENSORY SAND (sand, shaving cream, bucket, shovel or mixing spoon)

Instructions: 

1. Help your child make their own sensory sand using the materials above. 
2. Fill a bucket, bowl or bin with sand.
3. Add a generous amount of shaving cream to the sand.
4. Mix together until light and fluffy and whipped like foam.
5. Ask your child before adding the shaving cream to the sand. How does it feel? 
6. After adding the shaving and sand. Compare the end product. 

 

Tuesday

Materials: sand from the beach, magnifying glass or magnifying glass app, black paper, vinegar

Instructions:

1. Please have your child spread some sand on the black paper.  Spread it thin enough to see individual grains of sand.
2. Look at the sand through the magnifying glass or the magnifying glass app on an iphone.  At first glance, sand may look like it is all one color.  Notice the different colors, shapes, and sizes of the sand under the magnifying glass.
3. Place a small pile of sand on the black paper.  Drop a few drops of vinegar onto the sand and observe what happens.
4. Draw what happened between the sand and vinegar. 

Wednesday

Materials: paper and pencil

1. Draw your favorite activity.
2. Ask your child why it is his/her favorite.

 Thursday 

Exploring measurement with feet

Materials: paper, markers

Instructions:

1. Trace each of your family’s foot, including yours on paper and cut them out.
2. Use the cut up feet to arrange by size. Emphasize the words: small, medium, large; smaller/bigger.
3. Challenge: Measure cut up feet using non-standard unit like paper clip or any small objects.

Friday

Classification (sorting)

Materials: any collection your child has (stickers, dolls, action figures, etc.)

Instructions:

1. Ask your child ways on how to group and sort their collection (size, color, shape, action figures’ powers, etc.)
2. Challenge: sort by two attributes (size and color or color and shape, etc.)

Theme for the Month: Ocean

1. Students will explore and observe the different forms of water.
2. Students will investigate the effects of salt on density.
3. Students will explore drawing with other parts of the body.
4. Students will create the layers of the ocean.
5. Students will design their own tin boat.

Reading

Objective: Expand vocabulary and develop reading comprehension while increasing attention span

Instructions:

1. Before reading the story, explain how books or stories have a title which is the name of the book/story.
2. Read the title and say it is the title of the book/story. Ask your child what the story could be based on the title.
3. Some books have a list of vocabulary your child will learn in the book/story on the first page.  Please go over each word/phrase with your child by asking what they think it means and either explain the correct meaning or add on to their description.
4. Read the story to your child and stop when your child has questions or makes a connection with the story to his/her past experiences.
5. Continue your discussion with your child by asking the questions at the end of the story(if it has) or ask the questions below.

Monday

Materials: Hey, Water!

Questions:

1. Water is everywhere! Find water in every room in your house.
2. What do you like best, cold or warm water? Why?

Tuesday

Materials: What is an Ocean?

Questions:

1. Would you rather live near an icy ocean or warm ocean? Why?
2. Why do you think the ocean has salty water?

Wednesday

Materials: How Deep is the Ocean?

Sunlight cannot reach the bottom of the ocean. How would you brighten the deepest part of the ocean?

Thursday

Materials: How Deep in the Ocean? Ocean Animal Habitats

Questions:

1. Which ocean layer is your favorite? Why?
2. Would you like to swim in all the layers? Or certain ones only? Why or why not?

Friday

Materials: Boats will Float

Questions:

1. What is your favorite kind of boat? Why?
2. Would you live in a boat house? Why or why not?

Forms of water

Monday

Materials: water, ice tray, stove and pot

Instructions:

1. Ask your child to describe water in liquid form.
2. Help your child place water on an ice tray and in the freezer. Ask your child what he/she thinks will happen to the water in the freezer.
3. Remove the ice tray when water is frozen. Help your child discuss how the water became solid and its characteristics.
4. Place the ice on a pot to be heated on a stove. Show the ice being melted to your child.
5. Help your child discuss how the water became gas (steam) and its characteristics.

Tuesday

Sink or float and water density

Materials: two cups, water, salt, any two small objects (pebble or paper clip)

Instructions:

1. Help your child fill the cups with water.
2. Have your child drop one small object to one cup. Help your child describe what happened.
3. Have your child place one teaspoon of salt at a time to the other cup and until the small object floats.
4. Discuss how salt makes the water denser (water has more mass) and making objects float easier.

Wednesday

Depth Perception through art

Materials: drawing materials, paper, tape

Instructions:

1. Tape paper onto the wall to serve as an easel.
2. Provide drawing materials for your child to draw but using their feet and/or mouth.
3. Discuss by comparing and contrasting their experience versus using their hands.

Thursday

Layers of the Ocean

Materials: Glass container (30 oz), vegetable oil, corn syrup, water, food coloring

Instructions:

1. Please follow the ocean layer science activity: https://science4superheroes.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/simplified-ocean-zones-in-a-bottle-3-zones/
2. Discuss how each layer is not mixing with the others and why.

Friday

Design a tin boat

Materials: foil, tub of water or sink with water

Instructions:

1. Cut a piece of foil (5×6 inches) for your child to test if it floats in water.
2. Ask your child to fold the foil in different ways and check if it floats.
3. Challenge: add one penny at a time on your foil design to see if it still floats.
4. Discuss with your child which way does the foil float and why.