June preschool curriculum
June in the free preschool curriculum: 4 theme weeks (transportation, ocean, summer, beach and sand), each on one sheet with its parts, the skills they work on, box-free materials and open-ended ways in.
- Week 37: Transportation, the full plan
- Week 38: Ocean, the full plan
- Week 39: Summer, the full plan
- Week 40: Beach and sand, the full plan
A things-that-go week for twos to fours: buses, trucks, boats and trains, on the road, on water and in the air.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | How did you get here today? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | The Red Bus; Stop, Bus!; The Big Truck; Go, Snail, Go! | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Box car: Color the box. Tape on four plate wheels (a grown-up helps). Drive it along a tape road on the floor. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Row, Row, Row Your Boat | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Banana Sushi | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | T is for truck | Early literacy |
| Outside | Red light, green light: Cars drive on green, stop on red and go slowly on yellow. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: a shoebox, paper plates (wheels), crayons, tape.
Snack: flour tortillas, peanut butter, bananas.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
bus · truck · boat · train
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out a shoebox, paper plates (wheels), crayons and tape with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own transportation picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (bus, truck, boat, train) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “How did you get here today?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about how they got to school today. Ask about what their box car looks like.
An ocean week for twos to fours: crabs, fish, shells and whales, sinking and floating, and the waves.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What lives in the ocean? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Chip and the Shell; Kip and the Crab; Fish in a Dish; Under the Sea | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Paper-plate fish: Color the plate as a fish. Glue the tail on one side. Add the eye and give your fish a name. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Rub-a-Dub-Dub | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Kiwi Turtles | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | O is for ocean | Early literacy |
| Outside | Waves and crabs: Children are crabs walking sideways; when the grown-up shouts "Wave!" everyone runs to the fence. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper plate, paint or crayons, a paper triangle tail, glue stick, a sticker eye.
Snack: kiwi, green grapes.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
ocean · fish · crab · shell
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper plate, paint or crayons, a paper triangle tail and glue stick with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own ocean picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (ocean, fish, crab, shell) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What lives in the ocean?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what lives in the ocean. Ask about the name of their fish.
A summer week for twos to fours: long sunny days, shade and water, hats and bare feet in the grass.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | How do we stay cool when it is hot? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Kip and the Crab; Fish in a Dish; The Sun Is a Star; Tom and the Big Fish | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Paper-plate sun: Color the plate yellow. Glue strips all round as the rays. Draw a face on your sun. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Row, Row, Row Your Boat | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Ice Cream in a Bag | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | S is for sun | Early literacy |
| Outside | Shade or sun: Call "Sun!" and everyone runs into the sunny part; call "Shade!" and everyone runs to the shade. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper plate, yellow paint or crayon, yellow and orange paper strips, glue stick.
Snack: half-and-half (or whole milk), sugar, vanilla, ice, coarse salt (rock salt or kosher salt).
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
sun · hot · shade · hat
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper plate, yellow paint or crayon, yellow and orange paper strips and glue stick with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own summer picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (sun, hot, shade, hat) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “How do we stay cool when it is hot?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about how we stay cool in summer. Ask about what shape the sun's rays were.
A beach week for twos to fours: sand and shells, crabs and waves, and building in the sandbox.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What would you find at the beach? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Kip and the Crab; Chip and the Shell; Fish in a Dish; Under the Sea | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Sand picture: Rub glue where the beach goes. Sprinkle sand on and tip off the extra. Glue a shell on your beach. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Rub-a-Dub-Dub | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Crab Croissant | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | S is for sand | Early literacy |
| Outside | Sandcastle team: In the sandbox, build one big castle together with cups and spoons. Count the towers. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: card, glue stick, a little play sand in a tray, a paper shell.
Snack: croissants, thin pretzel sticks, little pretzels, candy eyes.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
sand · shell · wave · crab
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out card, glue stick, a little play sand in a tray and a paper shell with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own beach and sand picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (sand, shell, wave, crab) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What would you find at the beach?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what they built in the sand. Ask about what a crab lives in.