Thursday, April 1, 2010

Unit 5 books we will be reading

The following is a list of books we will be reading while learning about shadows and refelctions;

Play with Me by, Marie Hall Ets

The Puddle Pail by, Elisa Kleven

Kitten for a Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Raccoon on His Own by Jim Arnosky

Clap Your Hands by Lucinda B. Cauley

Night Shift Daddy by, Eileen Spinelli

Fun With Shadows by Sharon and Jeff Siamon and Cynthia Benjamin

Dreams by Ezra Jack Keats

Unit 5 home ideas

For unit 5 we will be reading books and talking about shadows and reflections. We hope you'll take some time to notice shadows and reflections and talk about them at home, too.

The following activities are things you can do to help your child learn. Please try to complete some of the activities. The activities can be done in any order that works for your family.

Thought for the month:
Children learn about language through conversations. How much are your talking with your child?

Sit still together and observe birds or other animals. Talk about what you see.

On a sunny day, play with a small mirror indoors. Show how it can reflect light.

Observe an ant or other insects closely. Talk about what it looks like and what it's doing.

Play Simon Says. Use animal movements. Hop like a grasshopper and swim like a fish.

On a sunny day, place a plant or other interesting shapes on the windowsill. Use paper and a crayon to trace the shadow shape it casts.

Turn off the lights and play flashlight tag. Use two flashlights, name an object and see who can hit it first with a flashlight beam.

Look at clouds together and talk about the shapes you see.

Have your child hunt for shinny things in your home. Talk about how well you can see your reflection in them.

Look in a mirror together and ske your child to describe what he or she see. Talk about shapes, colors, and how many.