Pre-K Brochure

CONNECTIONS OVERVIEW Connections is a comprehensive standards- based curriculum which implements research- based practices and processes proven successful in classical early childhood studies. The program uses age appropriate screening and progress monitoring assessments to quickly identify children’s’ needs and guide objective based instruction for individual students and the class. Lightly scripted lessons provide Professional Development every day. RESEARCH BASED INSTRUCTION Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) instruction introduces every lesson with hands on manipulatives to help children develop understanding of essential math concepts. CRA instruction is perfect for young minds as they physically explore and discover the essential math concepts and develop problem solving skills every day. CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Children’s stories are creatively woven into the curriculum to connect math to the real world and make it fun. Oral language skills are strengthened through small group activities while connections to Learning Centers for art, music, science, drama, ABCs, and games provide greater understanding and enrichment. Parents and families are also engaged with family letters, activities and games. Sample Lesson Plan Student Activity Page 64 © Math Teachers Press, Inc. Reproduction by any means is strictly prohibited. Crayon Crayon Crayon Cover with a pattern. Color the pattern. Name________________________________________________________________ 64 ©Math TeachersPress, Inc.Reproduction by anymeans is strictly prohibited. Crayon Crayon Crayon Cover with a pattern. Color the pattern. Name_________________________________________________________________ Objective: To sort objects by color. To make a repeatable pattern of objects of different colors. Materials: Teddy bear counters or cards, yarn, musical percussion instruments (optional) StoryTime: My Mom and Dad Make Me Laugh, Sharratt, Nick Reinforce: Oral Review PK-5 the number 0 Demonstrating a 2-Color Pattern Have students with red or blue shirts sit or stand in a row, in a red, blue, red, blue pattern. Can you describe this pattern? Who should come next in this pattern? (a red shirt) Place a pile of teddy bear counters in front of the students, and use 3 pieces of yarn to make a small loop, a medium loop, and a large loop. Ask students to take turns helping to find all the small bears and put them inside the smallest loop, find all the large bears and put them inside the largest loop, and find all the medium bears and put them inside the medium loop. After the bears are sorted into 3 sizes, use only the small bears to make a repeatable, 2-color pattern. Now we will take all the small yellow bears and all the small blue bears and place them outside the yarn ring. I am going to use the small bears to make a pattern that repeats itself. I will take the bears, one at a time, in my right hand. I will start the pattern on my left and continue the pattern from left to right. Use a hand motion to indicate “left to right.” Ask the students to hold up their right hand and move it from left to right on the floor to show the direction of the pattern. Use the small yellow and blue bears to make an alternating pattern (yellow, blue, yellow, blue, etc.) Raise your hand when you think you know which color should come next. Wait for all hands to raise. What pattern of color do you see? (yellow, blue, yellow, blue) Can you show me what bear should come next? Next? Repeat by having the students select all the small red and green bears. Make a pattern with the small green bears and the small red bears. Can you name the pattern? (green, red, green, red) What color comes next? Next? Can you think of a different way to name this pattern? (e.g., frog, apple, frog, apple, or go, stop, go, stop) Encourage children to think of different ways to name the patterns. This activity may be completed at a center with an adult. Look at the pictures of bears in the top row. Use small bears of 2 colors. Put the bears on the pictures in a pattern. Check the students’ work. Now color the same pattern on the bears on the page. You may ask children to place a dot of color inside each bear to show the pattern. Repeat for the other sets of bears using different colors. Auditory Patterns Remind children that sounds and music can make patterns. If available, use percussion instruments, such as drums, bells, or maracas to make a musical pattern such as drum, bell, drum, bell, etc. 64 Unit 4 Pre-K PK-4 LEARNING CENTERS Art Music Science Drama ABCs Games