Preschool Syllabus: Winter

Our monthly theme this month is "winter" - standard but classic. We will be reading and talking a lot about winter weather and activities. We will also be learning a little about polar regions.

WRITING CENTER ADDITIONS - these items are added to the markers, crayons, and paper that is always available.

letter and winter-theme foam stickers, name stamping 
(pdf via 1+1+1=1), prewriting skill practice
(pdf via confessions of a homeschooler)
skills practiced: fine motor, printing name/letters, 
letter recognition, creativity, phonics

LEARNING "TRAYS" - I rotate these, setting out about four a day from which the boy's can choose.

story sequencing cards - big buddy puts the cards in the correct 
order and then explains the pictures/story to me.
skills practiced: sequencing, communicating thought, vocabulary

fishing for letters and numbers (tutorial and further description
found here) 
skills practiced: letter and numeral recognition, counting, fine motor,
knowledge of social activities

match rhyming snowflakes (pictures via prekinders)
skills practiced: comparing, phonics, rhyming 

sorting polar and non polar animals (cards via national 
geographic kids)
skills practiced: sorting, comparing, knowledge of animals

snowflake matching (pdf via confessions of a homeschooler)
skills practiced: comparing, sorting

snowman colors (activity via prek + k sharing)
skills practiced: colors, fine motor, sorting

winter size sort (pdf available here)
skills practiced: sizes, vocabulary, ordering

tonging pom pom's - the boys will also use this to practice
patterns
skills practiced: fine motor, patterns, working from left to right

polar region and winter puzzles
skills practiced: fine motor, spatial reasoning, problem solving,

winter-themed pattern puzzles (pdf via prekinders)
skills practiced: fine motor, geometry, spatial reasoning

snowball numbers (pdf via 1+1+1=1)
skills practiced: counting, fine motor, numeral recognition 

clothes-pinning numbers
skills practiced: counting, fine motor, numeral recognition

lacing mitten (mitten is card-stock glued onto a cereal box)
skills practiced: fine motor 

snow play-dough
skills practiced: fine motor, creativity

winter sensory bin (fake snow, tin lined with foil colored blue,
 shovel, and polar figures)
skills practiced: imagination, creativity, fine motor, knowledge of 
polar regions

don't break the ice
skills practiced: social, fine motor, cause and effect, logical reasoning

painting with polar animal stencils (stencils are from michaels)
skills practiced: creativity, fine motor, knowledge of polar animals 

So far we have been enjoying this unit. The boys especially love ice fishing and playing Don't Break the Ice.  Now if only the weather would cooperate, we could enjoy a few "real" winter activities.

P.S. To see our other winter unit please click here. You can visit our homeschool page for more theme units and educational ideas. 

Lots more great kid friendly ideas can also be found at these link parties: Link and Learn, Weekly Kid Co-op, Montessori Monday, Hip Homeschool Hop, Preschool Corner, For the Kids Fridays, and Show and Share Saturday.