Tag: Add A Little Curriculum

Bugs – 3.9 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 9

Bugs

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more...

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Movement Moment

Stomp A Bug

Supplies:

Prep:

  • Cut out each bug (doesn’t have to be fancy cutting – can be left in loose ovals).
  • Decide which letters or numbers you want to work on with your child. (You can do the numbers of this unit, a few letters, the whole alphabet, or, if doing the activity with only one or two children, the letters of their name. If playing with a large group of children, consider having multiple bugs with each letter.)
  • Write one letter or number on each bug.
  • Clear an area for active play.

Time to Play:

  • Place the bugs on the floor. If they are slippery, consider taping them down.
  • Call out a letter, such as “A”. Have all the children run to find the bug with “A” on it. Continue the fun by calling another letter to run to.
  • Once your children have the hang of the game, consider adding actions as well. For example: “Hop to ‘E’.” Or “Tiptoe to ‘5’.”

Art Activity

Ladybug Painting

Supplies:

  • Red paper
  • Child safe scissors
  • Black paint
  • Small container/plate for putting black paint in
  • Q-tips or other cotton swabs
  • One marker
  • Optional: Googly eyes

Prep:

  • Boldly trace a circle onto the red paper. The circle can be around 4″ or 11cm in diameter.
  • Pour a small amount of black paint into the container (you don’t need much).
  • Create a sample for your child to reference by following the steps below.

Time to Create:

  • Give your child the red paper with the circle traced on it. Have them cut out the circle.
  • Next, using the Q-tip and black paint, help them paint a line for the head and a line to divide the two wings.
  • Let them cover the head with paint and add spots to the wings.
  • Optional: Add googly eyes to the head.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn Our Numbers

Numbers of the Unit

7 8 9

Number Activity

Supplies: 9 buttons per person (child and teacher)

Time to Learn:

  • Count out 7 buttons. Arrange them in the shape of number seven. Have your child copy with their buttons.
  • Next, count out 8 buttons. Arrange them in the shape of number eight. Have your child copy.
  • Repeat for number 9.                

  • For other letter/number teaching techniques, visit: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/teaching-the-abcs-at-circle-time/

Let’s Sing

Butterfly, Ladybug, Bumblebee

Let’s Read

The Very Busy Spider

Eric Carle

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

What A Mighty God We Serve

Let’s Read

BIBLE

Read the next story in the picture Bible you are working your way through. Need recommendations for a good Children’s picture Bible? Click Here

Bonus!

Check out to catchy upbeat song “Work Like the Ant” by Amy Essen

Plants – 3.8 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 8

Plants

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more...

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Movement Moment

Four Sides

Supplies:

  • Posters of four general types of plants – tree, bush, flower, grass (Or 4 papers and a marker to create your own simple posters)
  • Tape (or other temporary ways to attach the posters to your wall)

Prep:

  • Clear an area for active running.
  • Attach one poster to each of the four walls of the area.

Time to Play:

  • Invite your children to join you standing at one wall of the running area.
  • Point to the different walls and invite your children to name the posters: tree, bush, flower, grass.
  • Explain that you will be giving instructions about which poster to move to and how to move.
  • Start with a few simple instructions, such as: “Run to the tree.”
  • After a few simple rounds to help understand the game, try changing it up:
    • Stomp
    • Tip-toe
    • Fly
    • Skip
    • Crawl
    • Walk slowly
    • Walk on heals
    • Walk backwards (if a small group)
  • If you have a small number of children, consider letting them take turns giving the instructions.

Art Activity

Dandelion Cutting

Supplies:

  • Yellow paper
  • Regular paper
  • Child scissors
  • A pencil or pen
  • A glue stick
  • Green crayons or pencil crayons, and other colours for finishing the picture

Prep:

  • Draw a 4.5″ or 11 cm diameter circle on each yellow paper (you could trace a roll of masking tape).
  • In the center of that circle, draw a 2″ or 5 cm circle (you could trace a paper towel roll).
  • Follow the instructions below in “Time to Create” section to make an example of the craft to show your children.

Time to Create:

  • Show your children the example of the dandelion picture you made ahead of time.
  • Show your child the yellow paper. Instruct them to cut out the large circle (and not do anything with the small one).
  • After they have cut the large circle, show them how to cut from the out side towards the center of the flower stopping at the small circle. This creates the leaves of the dandelion.
  • After they have cut the dandelion, have them glue it onto a regular paper.
  • Offer them crayons to draw a stem and leaves for their dandelion.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn Our Numbers

Numbers of the Unit

4 5 6

Number Activity

Let’s Sing

The Farmer Plants A Seed

Let’s Read

Little Acorn

Igloo Books

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made

Let’s Read

BIBLE

Read the next story in the picture Bible you are working your way through. Need recommendations for a good Children’s picture Bible? Click Here

Outer Space – 3.5 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 5

Outer Space

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more...

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Movement Moment

Fly to the Moon

Supplies:

  • Optional: Hula hoops (1 per person)
  • Optional: Space helmets (1 per person)

Prep:

  • Clear a large area for active play.

Time to Play:

  • Gather your children and explain that you are going to play a pretend game. You are going to fly to the moon! (Be excited.)
  • If using hula hoops, explain that the hula hoops are your spaceships. Place one hula hoop per person on the ground with room around them. As you do so, assign each child to stand beside a hoop.
  • Say, “We’re going to fly to the moon, but first, we need to get ready.”
  • “Put your space suit on.” Pretend to step into a full-body suit and do up the zipper.
  • “Put your space boots on.” Pretend to put on heavy boots.
  • “Put your space helmet on.”
  • “Put your space gloves on.”
  • “Open the door to your spaceship and climb in.” If using hula hoops, step into the centre of the hoop.
  • “Buckle up your seat belt.”
  • “Now get ready to blast off.” Crouch low.
  • “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 … Blast off!”
  • Jump up and run around the room several times.
  • Point to a far corner of the room. “There’s the moon! Let’s go land on it.”
  • Run together to that corner and “land” your spaceships.
  • Unbuckle your seat belt, open the door, and climb out of your spaceship. Pretend to moon walk with slow-motion movements and exaggerated jumps.
  • Climb back into your spaceships, close the door, and buckle up. Blast off to fly back to Earth. Run around the room several times before landing on Earth.

Art Activity

Cardboard Tube Rockets

Supplies:

  • 1 cardboard tube per child (use an empty toilet paper roll or cut a paper towel roll shorter)
  • Coloured construction paper
  • 1 paper cone per child (either use a cone-shaped paper cup or roll one using coloured paper)
  • Markers (or crayons)
  • Glue stick (or tape)
  • Hot glue gun and glue (alternatively use tape, but this is more difficult)
  • Scissors
  • Optional: red, orange, and/or yellow tissue paper or streamers

Prep:

  • Ahead of time, use the hot glue gun to secure the cone on top of the cardboard tube. This forms the body of the rocket.
  • Cut out 2-4 triangle fins (per child) from the coloured paper.
  • Optional: Cut 1-inch wide strips of tissue paper that are about 6 inches long. Prepare around 3 strips per child.

Time to Create:

  • Invite your child to the table. Encourage them to take a moment to colour the tube and cone with markers. (Drawing gently on a curved surface is great fine motor practice.)
  • Allow your child to choose which colours of triangle fins to add to their rocket.
  • Fold the edge of each fin, then, using a glue stick, attach each fin around the base of the rocket.
  • Optional: If you have tissue paper, allow your child to choose 3 strips. Attach these strips inside the bottom of the rocket leaving them trailing out behind like fire.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn the ABCs

Letters of the Unit

  • QRS

Letter Activity:

  • Supplies: 1-2 strings per child

Time to Learn:

Let’s Sing

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Let’s Read

I Want to Go to the Moon
(Book + CD)

 

Author: Tom Saunders
Illustrator: Cynthia Nugent

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

For actions and additional verses, click here.

Let’s Read

BIBLE

Read the next story in the picture Bible you are working your way through. Need recommendations for a good Children’s picture Bible? Click Here

Parent / Teacher Guide – Add A Little Curriculum – 3 Year Old

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Intro

Parent / Teacher Guide

 

Intro

Why name a curriculum “Add A Little”? Because that’s exactly what this curriculum is designed to do – add a little enhancement to your child’s development by providing ideas and activities for you to do with them. This light curriculum was developed with the busy parent or caretaker in mind.

 

Activities for 3 Year Olds

3 year olds are entering a brand new stage of development. They are curious and ready to learn, but still have a lot of wiggles to get out. Imaginative play is taking off, and they want a sense of confident control. With this in mind, the Add A Little curriculum for 3 year olds is designed with three main components to help meet your preschooler right where they’re at. Keep reading to learn more about each component.

  • Movement Moment
  • Art Activity
  • Five-Minute Focus

Don’t forget to read the Tips for Success below.

 

Table of Contents

Each Unit Includes:

  • Movement Moment
  • Art Activity
    • Supplies
  • Five-Minute Focus
    • Let’s Learn the ABCs
      • Letters of the unit
      • Letter Activity
    • Let’s Sing
    • Let’s Read
    • Let’s Sing a Christian Song
    • Let’s Read the Bible

Units

Tips for Success When Using Add A Little Curriculum

Disclaimer

Helpful Links

Each Unit Includes:

Fun Theme

Every unit has an engaging theme selected specifically with a 3 year old’s development in mind.

 

Movement Moment

This is the get up and move activity. Studies have shown that physical exercise boosts overall brain development and good health. That’s why every unit includes a Movement Moment.

 

Art Activity

One of the big focuses of the preschool years is the development of pre-writing skills. This includes strengthening fine motor muscles and so much more. Each Art Activity is designed to enhance fine motor development and provide a creative outlet, all while being a relatively simple, low-prep activity.

– Supplies

While additional supplies may be required, here are some general art supplies that may be used in the lessons:

  • Basic white paper (printer paper)
  • Coloured paper
  • Thick paper (cardstock)
  • Washable paint
  • Crayons or washable markers
  • Tape that can be used on walls and removed (consider masking tape or painter’s tape)
  • Scissors
  • Recyclables such as cardboard boxes and various washed plastic yogurt or margarine containers, etc.

 

 

Five-Minute Focus

In preschool teacher lingo, this is circle time. It is a time when the child(ren) and parent/teacher sit down for an intentional time of learning. It doesn’t have to be long.

For greatest success, build a routine around your Five-Minute Focus.

  • Make it regular – choose a consistent time in your daily schedule. In a classroom, it could be just before going to outside time. At home, it could be just after putting the baby down for their morning nap, or immediately following supper.
  • Make it different – sit on “Five-Minute Focus cushions” or have a “Five-Minute Focus box”. Something to visually signal to your children that this is a sit down and focus time.
  • Make it custom – your Five-Minute Focus should be adapted to the needs of your children. Do you have advanced 3 year olds, or have your children only just barely turned 3? Your focus time will need to be tweaked to suit your children.

– Let’s Learn the ABCs
3 year olds still have two years until kindergarten. This part of the unit is intended to help them gain familiarity with the letters, but they are not expected to memorize all the letters until they are older. Keep it fun, engaging, and short (think 1-2 minutes).

If you don’t already have one, consider printing, purchasing, or creating an alphabet poster that shows all the letters of the alphabet. If possible, put it on the wall near where you will be doing your Five-Minute Focus.

  • Letters of the Unit
    Every unit is assigned 3 letters. These have intentionally not been closely linked with the unit itself to provide you with flexibility. The goal is to introduce your children to every letter of the alphabet. Many preschools do this by having a “letter of the week”. If your children already have a letter of the week, feel free to use the AAL Letter Activity to reinforce the letter they are already learning rather than the ones listed with the unit.
  • Letter Activity
    A fun, low-pressure activity to help familiarize your child with the letters.

 

Let’s Sing
3 year olds love songs they can sing and engage with. These songs often teach useful concepts. Each unit includes a song suggestion. Many of these songs are demonstrated using a video sourced from Youtube. The video is intended to teach the parent or teacher the song so that they can then sing it with their children.

Want more songs or don’t like a suggested song? Check out this list of Simple Preschool Songs: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/big-list-of-simple-preschool-songs/

 

Let’s Read
The value of reading good books to your 3 year old is tremendous. Not only is it widening their vocabulary and feeding their imagination, they absorb pre-reading skills and a greater appreciation for the world around them. Every unit includes a book recommendation. The book can be read during the Five-Minute Focus, or can be included in the schedule at another point in the day. Regardless of when, be sure to include book reading in your regular routine. Your children will benefit from it.

Also, check out my board, “Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers”: https://www.pinterest.ca/sjlittleauthor/books-for-preschoolers-and-toddlers/

 

Let’s Sing a Christian Song
For those using AAL who are Christian, a Christian song suggestion has been included in every unit. It’s a great way to begin Bible memorization or simply to remind ourselves of who God is.

Want more Christian songs? Visit: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/7-simple-christian-songs-for-preschoolers/

 

Let’s Read the Bible
3 year olds are ready for regular children’s Bible reading. There will not be specific Bible stories suggested with each unit. Instead, pick up “The Beginner’s Bible” and make a habit of reading one story per day, or one story per week, and read your way through the whole Bible.

For more information visit: https://www.thebeginnersbible.com/products/

Units

Every month, one new unit is released. Here is a list of units that have already been released:

3.1 – Transportation

3.2 – Farm

3.3 – Giraffes

3.4 – Zoo Animals

3.5 – Outer Space

3.6 – Dinosaurs

3.7 – Construction Site

3.8 – Plants

3.C – Christmas Stars

3.E – Easter / Spring Animals

 

Tips for Success When Using Add A Little Curriculum

  • Join In
    3 year olds engage better in new activities if someone else is doing it with them, so join in and have fun.
  • Be Flexible
    Every child is different. You know your circumstances and your children’s abilities and interests. Take a moment to consider the suggested activity, then adapt it to your own situation.
  • Remove Distractions
    Did you know that young children play better with less toys at a time? Try putting away most of their toys before attempting to engage them in a new activity. Putting most of their toys away also allows you to do toy rotation. If you haven’t tried toy rotation, read this article https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/toy-rotation/. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes to your child’s play.

Want More?

Do you want to receive notification of each new unit of the Add A Little 3 Year Old Curriculum when it is released? Join S. J. Little’s preschool email list today.

 

 

Disclaimer

All activities require adult supervision and discretion.

Every aspect of the Add A Little Curriculum is suggested with the expectation that it will be done under adult supervision. Some activities include potential hazards. You and your child(ren) participate at your own discretion.

Every child, family, setting, and circumstance is different. Recommended tips and/or activities in this curriculum may work well for some children but not for others. Adult discretion is required. In some cases, you will need to adapt the curriculum to fit you and your child(ren)’s specific needs.

 

Helpful Links

Smoother Transitions: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/smoother-transitions/

Choosing Excellent Books: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/choosing-excellent-books-for-preschoolers/

Big List of Simple Preschool Songs: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/big-list-of-simple-preschool-songs/

Toy Rotation: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/toy-rotation/

Jump – 2.10 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 2 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 10

Jump

Developmental Focus: Gross motor muscle development and hand-eye coordination

Want to learn more? Check out the Add A Little 2Y Parent / Teacher Guide

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more…

Muscle Moving

Obstacle Jump

Supplies:

  • Paper – coloured is more fun
  • Tape

Prep:

  • Fold the paper at the 1/3 line and at the 2/3 creating a triangle. Tape it together forming an obstacle.
  • Make three obstacles (or more if you have a large group of children).
  • Place the obstacles in the floor in a line about 1 yard or 1 meter apart.

Time to Play:

  • Show your children how to run to the first obstacle and jump over it, then run to the next one and jump over it, all the way down the line.
  • Encourage your children to try jumping over the obstacles. Cheer for them and have fun!
  • For more advanced children, get creative by making other obstacles. Consider using rolled-up blankets or pillows.

Brain Boosting

Jumping Containers

Supplies:

  • A matching set of 2-10 small sturdy cups. Plastic recyclable applesauce cups work well, or paper or plastic drinking cups.
  • Rubber bands
  • Optional: tape and scissors

Jumping Containers Preschool Activity - S J Little

Prep:

  • Wrap two rubber bands around one cup making an “x” over the top opening.
  • Turn that cup upside down. Turn another cup upside down as well.
  • Press the cup with rubber bands on top of the cup without. Let go. It should jump away.

Time to Play:

  • Show your child how to make the cup jump.
  • Invite your children to try making the cups jump by themselves.
  • Have fun and be excited.

Let’s Sing

Walking Walking


Let’s Read

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
By: Eileen Christelow

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

Peter, James, and John in a Sailboat

This song retells the story in Luke 5:1–11
(A similar event but a different time from John 21)

Let’s Read

Bible Story

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish
John 21:1-14

Beginner’s Bible Chapter:
A Net Full of Fish
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