Spiders Day One

Writing/ Phonics

Preparation:

Using glue write the word "Spider" on a strip of paper.  Make sure the glue is "puffy" enough when it is dry so child can do a rubbing of the word. You need to be careful when writing the letters that when formed the letters are correctly formed so the child can easily identify the letters.

Your strip should look like this:

For this I had to go over the glue after it had dried because the first time I wrote the word it bled out into the paper too much to make a good rubbing.

Materials

• "Spider" written in glue
• Paper large enough to cover "Spider"
• Crayon with paper torn off
• Tape (optional)

Teaching

1. Give child "Spider" word strip.
2. Have child trace the glue letters, one by one, identifying each letter as they trace with their finger.
3. Ask, "What do you think this word spells?"
4. Cover "Spider" word strip with a blank piece of paper (if you need to, tape strip on paper, then tape blank paper over it so it doesn't shift.
5. Using the side ONLY of the crayon, have child rub over word strip (see below)
6. When word is revealed, have child trace each letter while making the sound.  Have them hold the sound of one letter before transitioning to the next letter.
7. If child is having a hard time putting sounds together tell them, "The word is Spider."

Modifications:

If your child doesn't know letters tell them each letter as they trace it.

If your child doesn't know letter sounds, you sound out the word for them, pointing to each letter as you sound it out. 

Keep working on letter recognition and sounds using games in previous blogs.

Reading

Preparation:

If you have them, use BOB books , or create your own simple books using word families. I copy three pages out of my BOB book so we don't write in the book, but feel free to write in the book itself.

Materials

• BOB book, or book you've written
• Yellow, green, and red crayons

Teaching

1. Point to the letters on the page.  Say, "These are letters.  Letters make words.  When you read words they tell us stories, or teach us things."
2. Using Yellow crayon highlight the first letter.  Ask, "What letter is this? What sound does the letter make?"  Repeat this for each letter in first word. Then point to the space between the words and say, "This space means we stop and we have read a word (get excited!!)!" Underline the word in green crayon. Highlight the space in red crayon.  "This space means we've stopped reading that word and we are now going to read another word."  Repeat highlighting letter, words and spaces until you get to end of page/sentence.  Do this for 2-3 pages.

Math
Preparation:
Have 2-3 sets of 3 identical spiders.  These could be stickers, foam stickers, or spiders you've printed out on the computer
Materials
Spiders
Teaching
1. Ask your child to make a group of three spiders.  Watch how they create the group.  Do they count out the spiders one by one, or do they put out a group of three spiders?  Label their spiders saying "You have two black spiders and one white spider."
Modifications:
If your child is able to create a group of three without counting using two different colors of spider, move on to the number four.  This is a great idea I got from a workshop I took on Math Their Way.

Book
Preparation:
Plan a visit to your bookstore or Library (I prefer library) and get three books on spiders for the week.
You want to find books with no more than a dew sentences on each page, and large illustrations or photographs.

I like:
Spiders by Gail Gibbons
Spiders Biggest! Littlest! by Sandra Markle
Materials
Book
Paper
Pen
Teaching
1. Fold Paper into three sections labeling first section with a "K", second with a "W", third with an "L".
2.  Ask your child, "What do you know about spiders?"
3.  Write what they know under "K" section (K=Know)
4.  Ask your child what they want to know about spiders (W=Want to know)
5.  Write questions in column under "W". 
6.  Read Book, talking as you read about the things you are learning
7.  Write under "L" the things learned (L=Learned).
** Don't expect a long list in any of the categories, 2-3 things is good!
Art
Preparation:
Prepare materials (easy!)
Materials
White Paint
Black Paper cut to fit an 8x8 or 9x9 pan
8x8 or 9x9 pan
Marble
Spider sticker or printout of spider

Teaching
1. Place paper in pan.
2. Place a blob of paint in middle of paper and place marble on top of blob of paint.
3.  Let your child roll the marble around in the paint and on to the paper creating a "Sheet web."
4.  Have child place 1spider sticker or cutout on the web.