Sample from a FireFlies® Curriculum Guide

®
Sample from a FireFlies
Curriculum Guide
Every day
begins with
group activities.
We provide
suggestions
for welcoming
children,
organizing
circle time, and
planning the day.
Activities are organized by day in an easy-to-use format. Materials in your kit and those you need to gather are listed
for each activity. Each day is organized into activities (left page) or learning centers (right page). You may use these
ideas in a large group or small group or review any or all activities on a one-to-one basis. We provide you with the
flexibility to meet the needs of children in your program.
Creative Arts
Me Puppet
Friday
September 4
Start Your Day
Objectives: art A1, A2, fine motor PD2-PD4, self-concept SE1
Materials from Kit: ivory paper, white paper bags, wiggle eyes, Wikki Stix
Suggested Materials: scissors, glue, crayons OR markers
Objectives: music A4, geometry M17, history and events SS1, observation S2
Materials from Kit: Calendar, Weather Display
Greeting: Recite “Circle Shape Song” (p. 18). Challenge children to make a circle
shape with their fingers. Place today’s Calendar Piece on the Calendar Grid and say
the month, day, and date. What color is today’s Calendar Piece? Are any of the other
Calendar Pieces on the grid the same color? What color pattern formed? Name the
pattern of pictures, as well. Talk about the weather. Move the arrow to the appropriate
spot on the Weather Display, and place the corresponding card above the day of the
week. Look at the weather pattern from the week. Were most days sunny or cloudy?
1
Cut the ivory papers in half and give each child one half. Divide the wiggle eyes and Wikki
Stix among the children. Offer scissors, glue, and crayons or markers. Invite the children
to draw an oval on one end of the paper. Have each child color the oval to look like his
face. Have the children cut out the oval face, reserving the remaining paper. Encourage
them to use the Wikki Stix and wiggle eyes to complete their faces.
2
Offer one paper bag to each child. Provide glue for the children to attach the face to the
bottom of the bag. The children may wish to color the remaining paper the color of their
hair. Invite them to cut or tear the remaining paper into small pieces. Have them glue the pieces of paper around the
puppet’s face to create hair. Invite them to color their bags to look like clothing. Encourage the children to use the
puppets while singing songs or to create a puppet show.
Objectives
are listed with
each activity
to promote
growth and
development of
various skills.
Theme 1 • I Am Special
Daily Basics
Materials are
listed with each
day’s activities
making it easier
for you to see at
a glance what
you need.
We include fun,
creative art
materials, saving
you money and
trips to the store.
The sun symbol
allows you to
see at a glance
the activities for
which we supply
materials.
Objectives: patterns M9, emergent reading L17, L18, people and the environment SS3, self-concept SE1, SE3
Materials from Kit: Red Color Display, Display Base
Suggested Materials: index cards, marker
• Number, Color, or Shape: Bring out the Red Color Display from your Teacher Pack. Place it
on the shaded color area of the Display Base. Introduce the Spanish word for red, rojo (ROHho). Invite children to hunt for red items around the room. Have them find one item to share with
the group.
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Objectives: listening L2, conversation L6-L10, vocabulary L11, self-concept SE1
Materials from Kit: Body Topic/Spanish Card
• Things to Talk About: Talk about physical characteristics and parts of the
body. Bring out the Body Topic/Spanish Card (in Teacher Pack), and show it to
the children. Invite children to point to each body part on the picture. Introduce
the Spanish word for body, cuerpo (KWER-poh). Most of us have the same body
parts, but we all still look different from each other.
©
FunShine Express 2015
September Fireflies® Topic/Spanish Card
• Things to Do: Have children compare their hands and feet with their friends. Are they exactly the same?
Does everyone have the same head shape? Line up children according to their height. Who is tallest? Who is
the same height?
Songs and Rhymes
Movers and Shakers
Objectives: music A4, self-care PD14
Objectives: gross motor PD7, movement and dance A7,
relationships SE10, SE12
Suggested Materials: music
Exercise
Sung to “Pop! Goes the Weasel.” This
song can be found on the FunShine
Express® 2015-2016 Music and
Movement CD (Track 1).
Physical Development
Math
015
body
Shake your (arms) and shake your
(legs),
Get up and exercise,
Turn around,
Jump off the ground
Hey, let’s stay healthy!
Transition ideas
are offered daily!
circle
red
©
• More Letter A: Address begins with letter A! Explain that an address includes numbers on the
outside of a home. Addresses help mail carriers know where to deliver mail. They also help people find homes
and businesses on a map. Gather each child’s address. Write the addresses on index cards, and spend time
helping children memorize them. Consider adding each child’s primary phone number to memorize3
as well. 2
This may be a year-long task.
Discuss/Do
Adaptation: Precut the ovals for younger children. Provide markers or crayons for them to scribble designs on their puppet.
Allow them to construct as much of the puppet on their own as possible.
Body Partners
Invite children to find partners. If you have an odd number of children, you will need to join in as well. Play some music and invite
children to dance freely to it. After awhile, stop the music and call
out a body part. Have the partners stand with that body part touching their partner’s. For example, have children stand hand to hand,
knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, etc.
5
Objectives: self-care PD9, PD10, patterns M9,
self-concept SE3
Suggested Materials: ingredients, bowl, spoon, child-safe
knives, paper plates
Objectives: reasoning M23, M24, persistence AL6-AL8
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1 Suggested Materials: photo of each child, clear contact
paper, zippered plastic bags
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15
Print a photo of each child. Laminate the photos with clear
contact paper for durability, if desired. Cut apart each child’s
photo to create puzzle pieces. (Choose the number of pieces
based on the skill levels of the children.) Place the pieces
in zippered plastic bags and offer them in the math area.
Challenge children to put their face puzzles back together.
Caution: Check for food allergies before serving. Eliminate
certain foods, if necessary.
Ingredients:
Sorting Similarities
Learning Center Material
Sunday
Objectives: self-concept SE1, SE2, relationships SE7, SE9
Materials from Kit: Sorting Similarities eye`color
LCM
hair`color
Suggested Materials: basket
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Bring out the Sorting Similarities LCM from
your Teacher Pack. Punch out the cards and
place them in a basket.
Use the cardseye`color
to help children
explore favorite`book
similar
hair`color
age
characteristics and preferences with the other
children. Invite one of the children to choose a
card from the basket. Have him show the card
to the group. Ask him about the card. For
height
example, if he
has the card
with eyes on
it, ask
favorite`book
favorite`color
favorite`song
him what color his eyes are. If he has a card
with the book on it, ask him to share the name
of his favorite book. Then, ask the rest of the
children if any of them have the same answer.
If not, ask them
to share their
answers. favorite`
height
favorite`fruit
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How tall
are you?
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Sunday
Monday
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Wednesday Thursday
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Friday
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favorite`fruit
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35
30
25
20
15
10
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2015-2016
Music and
Movement
Songs to complement
your curriculum!
1.800.340.8103
funshineexpress.com
funshineonline.com
Moving Right Along...
Say the Spanish word for body together. Challenge children to
move their bodies in a silly way as they move to the next activity.
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favorite`
Show
vegetable
Saturday
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children
the whipped topping and ask them what
favorite`pet
color it is. Spoon the topping into the fruit bowl and fold the
fruit mixture in. What happened to the color of the whipped
topping when you mixed the salad? Eat and enjoy!
5
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5
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September Fireflies® Learning Center Material Sorting Similarities
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
15
vegetable
eye`color
Adaptation: Consider dividing the children
into small groups. Encourage them to share
their similarities and differences with each
other.
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FunShine Express 2015
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5
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5 September
favorite`pet
hair`color
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favorite`book
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How tall
are you?
5
age
5
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5 Similarities
Fireflies® Learning Center
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201
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SINCE`1995
20
Friday
Offer child-safe knives, and invite children to help cut the
into small pieces. Place all
the fruit in a large bowl. Pour the cherry pie filling over the
fruit and stir together. Talk about the color of the fruit in the
bowl.
50
©
Wednesday Thursday
favorite`song
strawberriesfavorite`sport
and watermelon
40
©
Tuesday
favorite`color
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5
5
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birthday`Your Day!
End
month
Review your discussion about physical characteristics.
In what ways are the children physically all the same?
Physically different? Wish everyone a special Labor
Day weekend!
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55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
height
Some snack
recipes are
included each
month.
Saturday
favorite`color
birthday`
month
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5
Monday
Reinforce the color red! Wash and cut the plums, apples,
birthday`
raspberries,
and
grapes. Wash the strawberries and cut
age
month
the tops off them.
Slice the watermelon. Have children
wash their hands. Talk about the importance of handwashing before handling and eating food.
10
Repeat with: hands/feet,
elbows/knees, and
head/hips
red apples
red grapes
strawberries
raspberries
watermelon
red plums
cherry pie filling (11 oz. can)
whipped topping
Social/Emotional
How tall
are you?
Restart the music and invite children to dance until the music stops
again. Continue as long as interest lasts.
Rockin’ Red Salad
People Puzzles
1
e E x p re ss 2 0
Many activities
include
suggestions
for adapting
activities to meet
the needs of
younger children
or those with
special needs.
favorite`fruit
favorite`
favorite`pet
© FunShine Express
Learning
center-based
activities are
child-oriented
and fun.