The Color Red

 For the next 7 weeks or so until June, I plan to focus on colors. I plan to start with red, yellow, and blue and then move on to the other colors as we master those colors. Our first color, we started this week: red!

As they arrive in the morning, and while the others eat breakfast, I broke the manips to only red toys for the tots to play with.  They could choose to play with red legos, red mega blocs, red uno stacko blocks, or red magformer magnets.  I also brought out Elmo and an Elmo chair along with red Step 2 chairs to sit on while watching learning shows such as Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse.

 Using pictures off Google images, I made up Sesame Street flashcards.  I realized how easily the tots learned the names of these characters and decided they could learn the colors of each character just as easily.  Thankfully my son has almost every character so that I can use them as props as we learn each color. Thanks Sesame Street all the learning your items provide! Your shows and toys are amazing!

Before heading downstairs to our day care room, we went outside to ride our 'bikes' and 'cars' each day it was not raining.  I made sure to point out the red ones.  And of course that made them all want to ride only the red ones!

While playing one morning, I gave each of them a chance to match pictures for me.  I found each picture on Google images, and then printed each one out twice.  I laminated them both and taped the first one inside a red folder.  The second one of each is inside the pockets.  They pick one out at a time and match it to the matching red picture.  They loved doing this and some even wanted to do it more than once.  My little guy would have done it the entire time we were outside if I would have let him.  

After teaching pre-k for so many years, I decided to teach them their colors based off a method called Daily Five.  Our first group is Listening to Reading. (These groups may not be taught in the same order each day.  It just depended on the activity, so we are not getting up and down out of our chairs several times.) During this group, I read to them the following two Elmo books.  The first one was to get them interested and ready to learn. It was a fun interactive story.  I try to make sure I introduce each story with the Title, Author and Illustrator. I then pause on a couple pages throughout the stories to allow time for the tots to tell me what they think is going to happen or just to tell me about the pictures.  I feel these help them learn the basics of learning how to read.

 

Below are the stories I read for day 2.  Again I focused on the title and asked questions throughout the stories. They did really well
telling me what each picture was in the Colors book; however, the colors for them were still a little tricky. They really enjoyed making dog and cat sounds. I think we will go over this book every day to review the colors as a whole instead of individually.  The I Love You story was a just for fun book because it was red on the outside.







Day 3, we read Big Red Kite. This story was definitely one of their favorites for the week. We read it several times...so much that most of them can point out parts of the story before I read that part.


The book to the below is the book we read on Friday (Day 5) for Listening to Reading.

 
(For the book we read on Thursday see Working on Writing.)



 After the reading and bikes, we sat at our learning table and did Working with Words/Letters.  I used these placemats to introduce the color red again with Elmo in the center! I tried to start out with going over all the colors each day using these mats.

Day 1, we listened to the Red Song and watched it on Youtube.   The song is very catchy and easy to follow along with.  The tots enjoyed it so much, they kept saying "again, again!"  We listened to it several times while pointing out the letters r.e.d. as well as pointing to the words as they sang them.  During this time, we also worked on our names.  Each tot has their own song that teaches them to spell their names.  We took turns singing each tot's name as I pointed to the letter on the paper on the board.
Day 2 we focused again on the color word "red" and practiced their names again.  However, this time I showed them their names on a name card and asked who's name was who's.  I only had one who figured them all out.  The rest were very interested and usually could figure it out by the time I started singing each individual name songs.  (I use the tunes to BINGO and Mary Had a Little Lamb for each name.)
Day 3: We reviewed our alphabet chart. sung a couple of alphabet songs, and reviewed the color R.e.d. song and our names again.
Day 4: We repeated what we did days 1-4.  Tots can never have too much practice.  The more they hear it, the better chance they have at remembering it.  As long as we make it fun each day, they seem to enjoy it singing and learning our words and letters.

(Also during this group, we tried to work on our counting and number chart.  I don't want to forget the importance of math.)
 Day 5: We for a walk outside and tried to find as much red items as possible.  As we would find a red item, we would sing our R.e.d. song.

Our next group was Working on Writing.  During this group, I used the pages that I wrote their names on as well as the color red on and allowed them to color with red marker (I let them choose marker, crayon, or colored pencil.  They all wanted marker; however, if they do not use it right and color on table, on themselves or try eating it, I take it away after a couple warnings.) Most do well with this; however, there is usually at least one that wants to test me.





Day 2 and 4, I decided to start doing journals with the tots.  I feel it is never to early to start teaching them about journaling.  I am not using a notebook though because I feel it is too easy for them to turn the page rather than stay on the page we are working on.  Instead I am giving each of them a piece of lined paper (because I have so much of it lying around the house already). Each day we do journals, I write the date and their names on the paper.  Then today I drew an apple because some apples are red and wrote the word red.  They each colored their apple red. After they were finished I put their pages in an individual folder.  I plan to keep these folders for a year before sending them home and starting new ones. Since I started these towards the end of the school year, I plan to continue them throughout the summer and the following year and hoping to send them home the following May.  The first two are from my youngest two and the two on the right are my older two. (My oldest was not here on this day.)  I like to be able to compare what a few months does for a toddler!

On day 3, we painted a red apple with  q-tips! I cut out the center of a paper plate and they painted that.  Then I glued to construction paper and added a stem and leaf. 

On day 4, we read an easy reader about Cookie and Elmo eating colored food for our Listening to Reading time.  Then, for Working on Writing, I asked each of them individually what food, they like to eat and what color it is.  Most needed help coming up with the color of food, but they all were able to name a favorite food!

 A couple days (when we couldn't get outside) we took a break before lunch to enjoy some ball pit and library room, their favorite hangout!  I also put puzzles in this room so I can work one on one with them if they feel up to it.  Above he is working on the color fish puzzle.  I love this one because it teaches matching colors as well as has the color word written on it.
On day 2, our active play was going on a red scavenger hunt inside our classroom.  

As I prepare lunch each day, we sing our worship songs and read, tell or watch our Bible story.  On day 1 we watched a video on Parting the Red Sea from the Bible as I explained a little more to them as they watched.  I also took this time to explain the Red Sea wasn't really red. It is just a name for it.  They may not understand yet, but at least they are getting exposed to the word red and how it can be used for a name and a color.  We also took this time to pray not only for our lunch but also for always protecting us.
Day 2 and 3:
To the right is our story bus.  Inside we used Noah as Moses and his wife as the people.  We used the Skylanders' guy as our army because he looks like a military man from the past with the helmet and suit.  Then, I used a magic stick to wave over the water as it splits.

 We do not officially do Reading with a Buddy or Reading Alone; however, we have a reading nook area that I allow them to go to after lunch to look at books.  I encourage them to share as they look as well as hold the book correctly.  I feel just getting them looking at books and reading the pictures as well as learning to repeat their favorite books such as Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed is teaching them to read.  I also let them free explore with my flashcards, their name cards, and any stories we read throughout the week.  They love pretending to be teachers, and they're learning at the same time!

 

There are a several activities I did not mention that we do on a daily basis, but this is based on the color red, and I mainly wanted to show how we learned that color throughout the week.  Even the week after, we are continuing singing our red song and point out things that are red.  I don't want them to forget everything we have done; therefore, I am constantly repeating days, weeks and months after we learn something.  I also introduced ketchup and tomatoes to them at lunch time as an extra!