Theme: All About Me

Age of Children: Three years

Book Title: Quick as a Cricket

Author: Audrey Wood

1. INFORMAL ACTIVITY

Age: 3

Type of Activity: Art

Primary Literacy Skill: Word Awareness

State Standard: 2.PK.3 Reading Strategies: Identify pictures to aid in comprehension

Objectives: At the end of this experience the child will have an increased ability

to...

1. Demonstrate emotions and derive meaning in pictures and illustrations

2. Identify familiar objects in pictures

3. Define emotions conveyed in illustrations and pictures

Materials:

• Copies of feelings pages from book

• Feelings posters

• A variety of mirrors (standing, handheld, magnifying, etc.)

• Construction paper (variety of colors)

• Variety of writing and drawing tools (crayons, pencils, markers)

Activity: Art Center (red table) (Space for four students at a time)

• At the beginning of Plan-Do-Review, teacher will explain the activity.

o Look at pictures from the book and feeling poster pictures on the table.

What feelings do you think they show? (sad, happy, nice, mean, brave,

shy)

o Look at your own face in the mirrors. Can you show the feelings from the

pictures on your face?

 o Draw a picture (or pictures) of yourself showing the feelings you see.

o Do your best to write your name or ask for help. Write (or tell the teacher)

what feeling you drew of yourself.

Scaffolding: Be able to hold and manipulate writing and drawing materials. Be able to

identify basic anatomy. Be able to use skills in eye-hand coordination (copy facial

expression patterns). Be able to ask for help from an adult.

2. INFORMAL ACTIVITY

Age: 3

Type of Activity: Literacy

Primary Literacy Skill: Emergent Writing

State Standard: 5.PK.4c Effective Writing: Attempt, with a model, to write the first letter

of first name using the capital letter.

Objectives: At the end of this experience the child will have an increased ability

to...

1. Identify first letter in name

2. Demonstrate sound of first letter in name

3. Demonstrate the muscle strength, dexterity, and control needed to manipulate

chain links

Materials:

• Large construction paper (11x18, all the same color)

• Large upper-case letter of each student’s first name thickly written

• Chain link manipulatives

Activity: Literacy Center (blue table) (Space for four students at a time)

1. Provide letter outline to each child at center.

2. Provide individual bowl of chain link manipulatives for each station at table.

3. Allow them to use chain link manipulatives to trace the first letter of their

name.

4. Take a pic of child doing activity

5. When finished, take apart chain link and place back in bowl.
Scaffolding: Previous experience with chain link manipulatives. Previous practice in

putting materials away when finished.

3. FORMAL ACTIVITY

Age: 3

Type of Activity: Small Group

Primary Literacy Skill: Vocabulary

State Standard: 3.PK.1 Retell a story with the aid of pictures, props, or a book

Objectives: At the end of this experience the child will have an increased ability

to...

1. Identify action words from story

2. Invent a story using dramatic play

3. Distinguish between persons, animals, and objects by identifying characteristics

Materials:

• Copies of action pages from book. Number each page on the back.

• Numbered sticks that match the corresponding numbers on the back of the

copied pictures.

Activity: Small Group (large carpet) (Three to four students)

• Sit in a semi-circle with students at the carpet. Use copies of action word pictures

from book (quick as a cricket, slow as a snail, weak as a kitten, strong as an ox,

loud as a lion, quiet as a clam, gentle as a bunny, tame as a poodle, tough as a

rhino, wild as a monkey, lazy as a lizard, busy as a bee)

• What makes a cricket quick? What makes a snail slow? Etc. Also, Why and How

questions are good here, too, depending on the children’s interests and

experiences. Why is a kitten weak? Why is a poodle tame in this picture?)

 • Turn pictures over, showing numbers. Explain that each child will now choose a

stick with a matching number on it. Each child will have a turn to choose a

number and turn the matching picture over. Then they will act out the animal and

action. If they need help, encourage children to ask the group for ideas. If you

want to be a different animal, you may during outside play.

• Use sticks with corresponding numbers

• Each child chooses a stick and turns the picture over with a matching number

• Child acts out pictured animal and action word.

• Take video of each child to share with family.

Scaffolding: Be able engage in dramatic play and role play. Be able to take turns with

teacher support.