Literature Based Kindergarten Curriculum, "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom"

Primary Literature:

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, I thought this was a great book to start out with since Mini Man and Little Lady are still mastering their letters. They know the ones that are 'important' to them, like the ones in their name or the beginning letters of their family/friends' names, but still struggle with a few of the rest. 

Complementary Literature:

• They memorized, ABC from The Real Mother Goose. 

"Great A, little a, 

Bouncing B

The cat's in the cupboard,

and can't see me."

• We read two of Bill Martin's other books: Chicka Chicka 123 and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
• On Market Street, is a cute alphabet book introducing all the merchants on market street. This is a Caldecott honor book and my children were completely mesmerized by the pictures...there may have been a little tussle over who was the first to look through the book when I was done reading it. 
• Bruno Munari's ABC, another fabulously illustrated book. Simple watercolor paintings and bold letters take you phonetically through the alphabet with a bit of fun and whimsy mixed in. 
• The Alphabet Tree, introduces another tree full of letters but this time they band together to fight off the wind by forming words and eventually a sentence.

Other Complementary Materials: 

• My kids loved this animated "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Song" on Youtube

Learning Activities/Games:

• Coconut Dough with letter cookie cutters: 1 cup cornstarch to 5T of coconut conditioner. Add conditioner one T at a time, mixing between each one. 

• Counting coconuts: The kids put the cards in the correct numerical order and then placed beads on as the coconuts.  I've made the cards available for print (free), here. 

• Letter stamping on a coconut tree. I found this free printable at First Grade a la Carte and then had kids stamp the 'mama's and papa's' to the corresponding letters.  The stamps are from Discount School Supply, currently on clearance for $19.99.

mini man, checking our letter border to make sure he was correct.

• Magnetic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree. I used laminated construction paper and magentic strips to make the coconut tree. The children then used the magnetic letters to act out the story. 

Art: 

• Hand and Arm Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Trees   

Supplies: construction paper, tempera paint, brushes, letter stickers

Step 1: Paint child's arm. Press arm down on paper

Step 2: Paint child's hand. Press hand (with fingers together) down on top of arm print. 

Repeat 5 - 6 times. 

Step 3: Once paint is dry have children add letter stickers. 

If you've done a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom post,  please leave a link in the comments below.

Check out our homeschool page for more ideas.