Bible Center School

Curriculum Maps


Textbook Information
Name of Textbook: Focus on Fives K5
Publisher: BJU Press
Publication Year: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62856-201-9

Unit Standards Objectives Essential Questions Biblical Integration Instructional Strategies Assessments
Quarter 1

Unit 1: All Around the Town / Week 1: Welcome to Pine Hill

(updated 11/14/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 1

  • State the importance of learning
  • Apply rules and procedures for behavior
  • Explain that we all have responsibilities at home, at school, and in the community
  • State the importance of authority figures
  • Use good pencil hold
  • Sing an alphabet song
  • Identify the first letter in a name
  • Trace lines from left to right

Lesson 2

  • Recall why routines and order are important to learning
  • Predict what will happen when two colors are mixed
  • Identify the first letter of a name
  • State that names begin with an uppercase letter
  • Complete a creative-writing activity
  • Sing an alphabet song
  • Match pictures that are alike
  • Use correct pencil hold, and differentiate between left and right hands

Lesson 3

  • Tell how people in a community help each other accomplish a goal
  • Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions
  • Compare heavy and light objects
  • Identify the main character in a story
  • Use fine-motor skills to cut out pictures
  • Sing an alphabet song
  • Match letters and shapes
  • Review correct pencil hold
  • Trace left to right

Lesson 4

  • Describe the first family that God made
  • Explain the purpose of a family album
  • Make a family album
  • Identify rhyming words
  • Trace slanting lines from top to bottom
  • Use visual discrimination to match letters

Lesson 5

  • Identify the front cover, back cover, title page, and page numbers of a book
  • Identify the main characters in a story
  • Demonstrate the proper handling of a book
  • Retell a picture story
  • Tell how people in a community help each other accomplish a goal

Lessons

  • Lesson 1: Everyone Helping
  • Lesson 2: Favorite Colors
  • Lesson 3: Moving Day
  • Lesson 4: My Family
  • Lesson 5: New Friends

Learning Center - Matching Shapes

Snack of the Week - Alphabet Cupcakes

Heritage Studies

  • Biblical Worldview
  • Introduce the story
  • A Family Album
  • Composition: Family Album

Let's Read

  • Picture Reading

Language Arts

  • Alphabet Recognition
  • Alphabet Awareness
  • Alphabet Practice
  • Visual Discrimination - Shapes
  • Letter Match
  • Words that Rhyme
  • Handwriting
    •  Pencil Hold
    • Left to Right
    • Trace It
    • Packing List
    • Slanted

Story and Rhyme Time

  • Various books associated with theme (see teacher guide)
  • Read aloud to students for 10-15 minutes

Motor Skills

  • Grocery Store Obstacle Course
  • Left and Right
  • Tape Shapes
  • Cleaning the Mirror
  • Alphabet Matching
  • Family Walk
  • Color Directions

Sing a Song 

  • Hopscotch
  • This Is the Way We Clean the House
  • Color Song
  • My Family

Science

  • Colors
  • Mixing Colors with Flashlights
  • I Spy

Arts and Crafts

  • Paper-Plate Rainbow
  • Moving Van Family Member
  • Bell

Write Now!

  • Write Now! page 3
  • Write Now! page 4
  • Write Now! page 5
  • Write Now! pages 6-8

Show and Tell

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Use Scripture verses
    • Romans 3:23
    • Romans 5:8
    • Romans 10:9-10, 13-14a
  • Tell the story of Noah and the Flood from Genesis 8:15-9:17
  • Talk about the colors Noah saw in the first rainbow
  • Tell the story of Abram and Sarai (Genesis 11:27-12:20)
  • Sing phonics song as each new letter sound is introduced
  • Use colorful pictures to reinforce each letter and sound
  • Present letter formation with the name and sound to reinforce visual memory
  • Use games and motor activities to practice and review sounds and words
  • Utilize phonics stories to practice new skills and foster comprehension
  • Discuss comprehension questions after the Listening Story to help develop higher-order thinking skills
  • Provide phonic instruction in a logical format / use phonic characters
  • Use word families (both oral and written) to aid in mastery
  • Focus handwriting instruction on the process and the product
  • Use weekly writing activities that build on the unit theme
  • Allow for independent writing for students who are ready to venture into "attempted spelling"
  • Differentiate instruction
  • Utilize colorful word cards
  • Display alphabet song charts, both uppercase and lowercase

Unit 1: All Around the Town / Week 2: Firefighters at Work

(updated 11/14/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 6

  • Identify characters in a story
  • Identify places in a fire station
  • Explain how some of the places at a fire station help the firefighters
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Tt
  • Use letter-sound association for t
  • Write t

Lesson 7

  • Explain why firefighters wear protective gear when fighting a fire
  • Identify the tools that firefighters use to put out fires
  • State the importance of the role of authority figures like firefighters in a community
  • Complete a creative writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Tt
  • Use letter-sound association for t
  • State that names begin with uppercase letters
  • Write T

Lesson 8

  • Explain the importance of having a home fire escape plan
  • Demonstrate "Stop, Drop, and Roll"
  • Create a fire escape plan
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ii
  • Use letter-sound association for i
  • Read the word it
  • Blend two phonemes into a recognizable word
  • Demonstrate correct spacing when writing a word
  • Write i
  • Write a word

Lesson 9

  • Complete a creative-writing activity
  • Describe different kinds of fire trucks and how they are used to fight fires
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ii
  • Use letter-sound association for i
  • Read the word I
  • Write I

Lesson 10

  • Predict what the surprise might be
  • Identify the main characters in a story
  • Interpret supporting details in pictures
  • Use role-playing to interpret the story

 

Lessons

  • Lesson 6: The Fire Station
  • Lesson 7: Firefighter's Gear
  • Lesson 8: Fire Safety at Home
  • Lesson 9: Fire Trucks
  • Lesson 10: Surprise!

Learning Center - Alphabet Ladders

Snack of the Week

  • Fire Trucks
  • Fire Cups
  • Fire Hydrants

Heritage Studies

  • Fire Safety
  • Home Fire Escape Plan
  • Fire Trucks

Story and Rhyme Time

  • Various books (see teacher guide)

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
    • Read a Word
    • Complete a Sentence
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Rhyming Words
  • Review Song Chart: t, i
  • Teach Song Chart: i
  • Hear the Sound: Initial t, Initial i, i, Medial i
  • Handwriting
    • Air-Tracing
    • Paper Hold and Posture
    • Spacing Within a Word
  • Phonics Fun
    • Hide and Seek
    • Match the House
    • Find the Matching Letter
    • Read the Words
  • Introduce Vowels
  • Alphabet Dominoes
  • Grammar: Proper Nouns
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Guided Reading
  • Dalmatian Letter Sort

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pages 9-13

Motor Skills

  • Shadow Tag
  • Outdoor Bucket Relay
  • Family Soccer Relay
  • Smoke Detector Lacing
  • Sit and Stand
  • Fire Drill

Sing a Song

  • Hopscotch
  • Community Helpers verse 3
  • Friends Around the Town
  • My House
  • I'm a Firefighter

Arts and Crafts

  • Shape Fire Truck
  • Fire Painting
  • 9-1-1
  • Put Out the Fire

Science

  • Fire Gear
  • Composition

Show and Tell

  • share experiences of holding a new puppy
  • Bring an item related to a surprise, home fire escape plan, firefighter, or a fire

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Tell story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
  • Discuss the miracle God did to protect the three friends from the fire
  • Miracles are acts only God can do
  • Tell the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal
  • Tell story of Moses and the burning bush from Exodus 3
  • Tell story of Elijah and the chariot of fire from 2 Kings 2
  • Utilize learning centers
  • Introduce sounds through the use of songs
  • Use listening lessons and the accompanying questions to evoke levels of developmental thinking
  • Use cards to create phonics stories to provide practice for new skills and to foster comprehension
  • Review previous materials
  • Use colorful pictures to reinforce each letter and sound
  • Have students sing a phonics song as they learn each new letter-sound association
  • Have students use games and motor activities to practice review sounds and words
  • Practice letter formation with the name and sound to reinforce visual memory
  • Use word family practice both oral and written
  • Adapt handwriting instruction to the needs of students
  • Assign writing activities and composition activities
  • Group for differentiated instruction
  • Set up Learning Centers within the classroom for hands-on-activities and for play
  • Assign student worktext and phonic practice pages
  • Display the Alphabet Song Chart (laminate)
  • Give students copies of High-Frequency Word Cards and Word-Family Cards
  • Mount the Handwriting Charts across the front of the classroom
  • Set up a pocket chart for use with the phonics characters, spelling cards, etc.
  • Display the families and friends visuals
  • Build silent and oral reading habits 
  • Utilize reading markers

Unit 1: All Around the Town / Week 3: Police Officers, Our Friends

(updated 11/14/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 11

  • State from the Bible why we should obey authorities such as police officers
  • Explain why it is important to obey laws like buckling seat belts
  • Use visual discrimination to match pictures
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ss
  • Use letter-sound association for s
  • Read the high-frequency word is
  • Read words with the phonogram _it
  • Write a word

Lesson 12

  • Identify the uniforms worn by community helpers
  • Complete a creative writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ss
  • Use letter-sound association for s
  • Read words with the phonogram _it
  • Write S

Lesson 13

  • State what the lights on a traffic signal mean to drivers
  • Organize pictures in story order
  • Add a period to the end of a sentence
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Nn
  • Use letter-sound association for n
  • Read words with the phonogram -in
  • Write N

Lesson 14

  • Observe fingerprints to understand that they are unique to each person
  • Infer that God made each person unique
  • Complete a creative writing activity
  • Use visual discrimination to match pictures
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Nn
  • Use letter-sound association for n
  • Read words with the phonograms _it and _in
  • Write N

Lesson 15

  • Interpret details in pictures
  • Identify a period
  • Read a simple sentence with the aid of a rebus

Lessons

  • Lesson 11: Buckle Up
  • Lesson 12: Uniforms
  • Lesson 13: Traffic Lights
  • Lesson 14: Policemen Protect Us
  • Lesson 15: Hopscotch

Learning Center - Parking Lot

Snack of the Week - Traffic Lights

Heritage Studies

  • Police Officers
  • Uniforms
  • Traffic Signals

Story and Rhyme Time (various)

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Read Word Families
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Grammar
    • Proper Nouns
  • Phonics Charts
    • Phonics Fun: Up the Stairs
    • Phonics Fun: Police Letter Sort
    • Phonics Fun: Traffic Light
    • Phonics Fun: Tic-Tac-Toe
  • Activities
    • Alphabet Book
    • Hat and Badge
    • Letter Relay
    • Book Sort

Sing a Song

  • Friends Around the Town
  • Community Helpers
  • Time to Write

Show and Tell

  • Bring an item or tell a story related to a police officer, car, or a car ride

Science

  • Fingerprints

Arts and Crafts

  • Police Officer's Badge
  • Police Vests
  • Traffic Light
  • Fingerprint Mouse

Motor Skills

  • Making S
  • Red Light, Green Light
  • Just Like Me

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pages 14-18

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Continue to integrate the themes of sharing the gospel
  • Discuss how God takes care of us and that rules and procedures are put in place to help protect us
  • Tell the story of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20 explaining that many of the laws we use today are based on the laws that God gave Moses
  • Tell the story of God protecting Elisha (2 Kings 6:8-23); point out that God sometimes uses people such as police officers to protect us, but our protection is truly from God
  • Utilize classroom stations
  • Present phonics instruction in a logical format (following same pattern)
  • Have students practice word families in both oral and written form
  • Adapt handwriting instruction to the needs of specific students
  • Focus on posture, pencil hold, and paper slant during handwriting and composition time
  • Post daily schedule
  • Evaluate student progress using the checkup stations and the Review for You pages
  • Invite students into the joy and benefits of reading by providing a large selection of specific books for them to choose from

Unit 1: All Around the Town / Week 4: Pine HIll Post Office

(updated 11/14/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 16

  • Use visual discrimination to compare postage stamps
  • Explain how parts of a mailing address help the mail carrier do his job
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Hh
  • Use letter-sound association for h
  • Recognize that an exclamation point is used to show excitement
  • Read words with the phonogram _it
  • Read high-frequency words: here, she
  • Write h

Lesson 17

  • Explain the history of the postal system
  • Match a written name to a name tag
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Hh
  • Use letter-sound association for h
  • Read words with final s
  • Write H

Lesson 18

  • Identify items needed for mailing a box for delivery
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ww
  • Use letter-sound association for w
  • Read words with final s
  • Read words with phonograms _in and _it
  • Write w
  • Write a word

Lesson 19

  • State how ZIP codes help when sorting mail
  • Write a class thank-you letter
  • List ways that personal letters encourage others
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ww
  • Use letter-sound association for w
  • Write W

Lesson 20

  • Interpret details in pictures
  • Read simple sentences
  • Predict the outcome of the story
  • Identify key details in a text
  • Use proper inflection when reading a sentence with an exclamation point

Lessons

  • Lesson 16:Getting Mail
  • Lesson 17: Delivering the Mail
  • Lesson 18: Mailing Packages
  • Lesson 19: Writing a Letter
  • Lesson 20: Hit It!

Learning Center - Mail Sort

Snack of the Week - Delicious Letters

Show and Tell

  • Bring an item or tell a story about stamps, mail carriers, or a special letter or card

Heritage Studies

  • Getting Mail
  • Mail Delivery
  • Mail a Package / Pack a Box
  • A Thank-You Letter

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Add to a Word Family
  • Punctuation: Exclamation Point
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics 
    • Phonics Story
    • Phonics Fun: Mail Truck Letter Sort
    • Phonics Fun: Mailing Packages
    • Phonics Fun: Sort the Mail
  • Practice Time
  • Activities
    • Mail
    • Mystery Letter
    • Packing a Class Book
    • Thank-You Cards
    • Mail a Letter
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Grammar
    • Proper Nouns
    • Final s

Story and Rhyme Time

  • see teacher guide for suggested books

Write Now

  • Write Now! pages 19-23

Motor Skills

  • Mail Carrier and Letter
  • Pony Express
  • Letter Relay
  • The Mail Route
  • Letter, Letter, Friend

Arts and Crafts

  • Mail Carrier's Hat
  • Special Delivery
  • Make a Stamp

Sing a Song

  • A Tisket, a Tasket

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Explain that the Bible also contains letters and that these letters make up what we call books of the Bible
  • Tell the story of Nehemiah; explain how the letters from the king helped Nehemiah on his journey
  • Utilize stations
  • Differentiate reading
  • Use graphics and pictures
  • Set up specific daily classroom routines
  • Use reading comprehension cards
  • Present letter formation with the name and sound to reinforce visual memory
  • Have students sing a phonics song as they learn each new letter-sound association
  • Colorful pictures reinforce each letter sound
  • Utilize the theme of the lesson to reinforce and connect various objectives

Unit 1: All Around the Town / Week 5: Healthcare Workers

(updated 11/14/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 21

  • Explain the difference between primary and permanent teeth
  • Order events in a story
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ee
  • Use letter-sound association for e
  • Read words with the phonogram _en
  • Read the high-frequency words the and what
  • Write e

Lesson 22

  • State some ways to keep teeth healthy
  • Complete a shared writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ee
  • Use letter-sound association for e
  • Read words with the phonograms _es and _et
  • Recognize that a questions mark is used to show a question
  • Write E

Lesson 23

  • List ways to avoid spreading colds
  • Use letter-sound associations for e and i
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Use letter-sound association for s
  • Read words with the phonogram _is
  • Use correct spacing when writing a word

Lesson 24

  • Name some ways to stay healthy
  • List foods that are healthy to eat
  • Demonstrate the best way to wash one's hands
  • Complete a creative writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Review letter-sound associations
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Review all high-frequency words
  • Write a sentence

Lesson 25

  • Identify details in pictures
  • Read a simple story
  • Distinguish fantasy from realistic fiction

 

Lessons

  • Lesson 21: To the Dentist
  • Lesson 22: Healthy Teeth
  • Lesson 23: To the Doctor
  • Lesson 24: Keeping Healthy
  • Lesson 25: Wet!

Learning Center - Tooth Match

Snack of the Week - Smiling Snack

Show and Tell - Share a story about losing a tooth or a special dentist or doctor

Science

  • Teeth
  • Two Sets of Teeth
  • Teeth Model
  • Smile and Cheese Experiment
  • Take Care of Your Teeth
  • Veggie Taste
  • To the Doctor
  • Healthy Habits

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Word Families
  • High Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice - The Hen
    • Phonics Practice - Sit Here
    • Phonics Game: Sneezing Sounds
  • Grammar
    • Proper Nouns
    • Final s
  • Punctuation
    • Question Mark
  • Activities
    • Thumbs Up
    • Choose a Word

Story and Rhyme Time

  • See teacher guide for suggested books

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pages 24-28

Arts and Crafts

  • Smile
  • Tooth Paths
  • Catch a Sneeze
  • Tooth Puppet

Motor Skills

  • Catch a Cold
  • Shiny Tooth
  • The Wiggle Game
  • Exercises
  • Picking Up a Letter

Sing a Song

  • I Am Healthy
  • The Mulberry Bush (wash hands, brush teeth)

Heritage Studies

  • Community Helper Riddles

Let's Read

  • Phonics and Reading Focus

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Tell the story of how Jesus raised the little girl back to life (Matthew 9:23-26)
  • Explain that Jesus is the great Physician
  • Tell the students God's promises of what heaven will be like forever (Revelation 21:1-4)
  • Utilize stations within the classroom
  • Differentiate reading instruction
  • Assign practice work text pages
  • Daily Review
  • Use Rhymes and Songs to practice and help students remember
  • Use Rhyme Motions
  • Discuss the jobs of community helpers
  • Bring in community helpers to work with students
  • Set up Field trips to various places in the community

Unit 2: Bookshelf Friends / Week 6: The Bible and Hymns

(updated 11/15/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 26

  • Explain that the Bible is a special book
  • Identify parts of the Bible
  • List ways to reuse Bibles
  • Explain the importance of learning to read in order to read the Bible
  • identify uppercase and lowercase Bb
  • Use letter-sounds association for b
  • Read the high-frequency words love and my
  • Identify the correct use of the exclamation point
  • Write b

Lesson 27

  • Explain that the Bible was written by holy men of God
  • State that God breathed out the words of the Bible by His Holy Spirit
  • Dictate or write a word or phrase to complete a creative-writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Bb
  • Use letter-sound association for b
  • Read words with the phonograms _eb and _ib
  • Read high-frequency words
  • Write B

Lesson 28

  • State that the Bible tells one big story
  • Summarize the Bible with the words Creation, Fall, and Redemption
  • Explain the key aspects of Creation, the Fall, and Redemption
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Pp
  • Use letter-sound association for p
  • Read words with the phonogram _ip
  • Write p

Lesson 29

  • Identify the purposes for singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
  • List different types of songs sung in church
  • Identify an example of a songbook in the Bible
  • Compare and contrast a psalm with a hymn
  • Dictate a new verse to a familiar song
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Pp
  • Use letter-sound association for p
  • Write P

Lesson 30

  • Draw conclusions from picture interpretation and text
  • Read orally to communicate the author's mesage
  • Use proper inflection when reading an exclamatory sentence

Lessons

  • Lesson 26: What Is the Bible?
  • Lesson 27: Who Wrote the Bible?
  • Lesson 28: The Bible's Story
  • Lesson 29: Songs and Hymns
  • Lesson 30: My Pet

Learning Center - Bible Dictionary

Show and Tell - Encourage students to bring their Bibles in to share

Snack of the Week - Loaves and Fishes Snack Mix

Heritage Studies

  • Introduce the Bible
  • Writing the Bible
  • Composition
  • The Bible's Story
  • Creation, Fall, and Redemption
  • Psalms

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Read Word Families
  • Punctuation
    • Exclamation Point
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics Story
    • In the Bin
    • My Web
  • Phonics Game:
    • B is Best!
  • Phonics Fun
    • Collect the
    • Letter Buddies
  • Activities
    • Tic-Tac-Toe
    • I Spy
    • Sentence Roundup
    • Popcorn p
    • P is for Pancake
    • Around the World

Arts and Crafts

  • Bookmark
  • Word Rubbings
  • The Days of Creation
  • My Favorite Hymn
  • P is Purple; B is Blue

Write Now!

  • Write Now! page 29-33

Sing a Song

  • Familiar hymns, choruses, or songs about the Bible
  • Time to Write

Motor Skills

  • Words in Action
  • Hot Potato
  • Walk like an Animal
  • Play an Instrument

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Remind the students that the Bible teaches us how to live
  • Read several of the psalms that David wrote; explain to the students that David wrote the words that God guided him to write
  • Read the creation verses in Genesis 1, emphasizing that God spoke into being everything that He created
  • Tell the account of Jericho's walls tumbling down (Joshua 6), emphasizing the part the trumpets played in the account
  • Invite students into the excitement of learning by providing a variety of interesting activities
  • Use colorful pictures to reinforce each letter and sound
  • Have students sing a phonics song as they learn each new letter-sound association
  • Provide various learning centers
  • Utilize games and motor activities as they practice and review sounds and words
  • Theme activities and snacks to the objectives of the week
  • Post the 4 Biblical Integration Concepts around the room and refer to them daily
  • Organize classroom based upon a specific daily schedule
  • Post daily schedule
  • Teach daily routines, e.g., walking in line
  • Group for differentiated instruction
  • Set aside time and classroom areas for group instruction
  • Assign worktext and phonic card practice
  • Use Review for You and Checkup Stations to assess student progress
  • Build comprehension skills by having students ask and answer questions
  • Discuss questions during the silent reading time
  • Work daily on oral reading fluency
  • Utilize Visuals and Instructional Aids
  • Encourage partner reading

Unit 2: Bookshelf Friends / Week 7: The Library

(updated 11/16/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 31

  • State the purpose of a library
  • List types of books that can be found in a library
  • Distinguish fiction from nonfiction
  • Explain how to check out books at the library
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Uu
  • Use letter-sound association for u /u/
  • Read words with the phonograms _un and _up
  • Read high-frequency words pretty and says
  • Identify the correct use of quotation marks
  • Write

Lesson 32

  • Review the difference between left and right
  • State that Story Time is a function of the library
  • Participate in a Story Time session
  • Form an opinion about a story
  • Dictate or draw to compose an opinion piece about a story
  • Share a composition with a peer
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Uu
  • Use letter-sound association for u /u/
  • Read words with the phonograms _ub, _us, and _ut
  • Write U

Lesson 33

  • List things to do at the library
  • Identify the purpose of a computer
  • Describe the purpose of a browser
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Kk
  • Use letter-sound association for k /k/
  • Read words with initial k
  • Write k

Lesson 34

  • State that magazines for children and adults can be found at the library
  • Identify the main topic of a text
  • Complete a creative-writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Kk
  • Use letter-sound association for k /k/
  • Write K

Lesson 35

  • Make predictions based on illustrations
  • Recall the meaning of quotation marks
  • Distinguish fantasy from realistic fiction

Lessons 

  • Lesson 31: Books at the Library
  • Lesson 32: Story Time at the Library
  • Lesson 33: Things to Do at the Library
  • Lesson 34: Magazines at the Library
  • Lesson 35: The Bus

Learning Center - Tell Me a Story

Snack of the Week - Graham-Cracker Book Cover

Show and Tell - Encourage the students to bring their favorite book

Heritage Studies

  • To the Library

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing Songs
  • Word Families
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Story Time
  • Punctuation
    • Quotation Marks
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: The Sun
    • Phonics Practice: The Pup
    • Phonics Fun: Curtsy and Bow
    • Phonics Fun: Word Family Tic-Tac-Toe
  • Activities
    • Hopscotch Goes Left and Right
    • Tic-Tac-Toe
    • Bookmark Fun
  • Children's Magazines

Arts and Crafts

  • Paper-Plate Spider Web
  • Egg Painting
  • Koala
  • Bookmarks

Science

  • Classifying Spiders

Motor Skills

  • Spider Races
  • Paint-Bag Writing
  • Above and Under
  • Over and Under

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pp. 34-38

Sing a Song

  • Itsy Bitsy Spider
  • Left Hand, Right Hand

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Explain how Jesus used parables to teach things to people; it is good to use made-up stories if they can help teach important truths
  • Read 2 Timonthy 4:13 and point out that Paul really wanted the books that he had left behind; explain to the students that the more time they spend with books, the more important books will become to them
  • Set the stage for comprehension-centered reading by asking questions
  • Help students identify the higher-order thinking questions by a symbol of a gear beside them
  • Use the colored pictures to help foster comprehension
  • Use composition activities to promote the reading/writing connection
  • Help students develop left-to right eye progression during reading and handwriting
  • Group students for differentiated learning
  • Establish routines that create smooth transitions
  • Use colorful pictures, puppets, and charts
  • Use Review for You and Let's Check pages to assess phonics progress

Unit 2: Bookshelf Friends / Week 8: Nursery Rhymes

(updated 12/31/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 36

  • Remember details in nursery rhymes
  • Identify the difference between a nursery rhyme and a story
  • State a story character's responsibilities at home
  • Explain how doing chores is a way to serve one's family
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Cc
  • Use letter-sound association for /k/ 
  • Read words with initial c
  • Read the high-frequency words little and new
  • Identify rhyming words
  • Write Cc

Lesson 37

  • Sequence events in a nursery rhyme
  • Distinguish between different emotions
  • Dictate sentences for a shared writing activity
  • Use letter-sound association for ck /k/
  • Read words with the phonograms _eck, _ick, and _uck
  • Write words that end in ck

Lesson 38

  • Classify objects using the sense of touch
  • Recall details from a story
  • Distinguish fantasy from realistic fiction
  • Use letter-sound association for e /e/, i /i/, and u /u/
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Write a sentence with proper spacing

Lesson 39

  • Identify words that rhyme
  • Dictate text to create a counting rhyme and complete a creative-writing activity
  • Read words with the phonograms _ess, _iss, and _inn 
  • Write a phrase with proper spacing

Lesson 40

  • Read simple sentences
  • Interpret details in pictures
  • Draw conclusions from picture interpretations and text

Lessons

  • Lesson 36: Rhymes about Children
  • Lesson 37: Rhymes about Kings and Queens
  • Lesson 38
  • Lesson 39
  • Lesson 40: Tip

Learning Center - The Mitten Line

Snack of the Week - Miss Muffet's Spider

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Rhyming Words
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: Ken
    • Phonics Fun: Rhyme Time Train
    • Phonics Fun: Old King Cole Calls
    • Phonics Fun: Tic-Tac-Toe
  • Activities
    • Corn Horn
    • Letter Search
    • Memory Game
    • Nursery Rhyme Quiz Show
    • Sentence Roundup
  • Composition
    • Dress-Up Activity
    • Write a Story

Show and Tell - Encourage the students to either dress like a character from a nursery rhyme or to bring an item that would go with a nursery rhyme

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pages 39-43

Arts and Crafts

  • Jack's Candle
  • Humpty Dumpty
  • Many Mittens
  • Nursery Rhyme Numbers
  • Nursery Rhyme Puppets

Motor Skills

  • Nursery Rhyme Actions
  • Jumping Jack
  • Pantomime
  • Bo Peep Leader
  • Three-Kitten Bend
  • Left and Right

Sing a Song

  • The King Is on His Throne
  • Sing animal nursery rhymes
  • Ten Little Kittens

Literature

  • Introduce Animal Rhymes
  • Introduce Counting Rhymes

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Tell the story of Saul's becoming king (1 Samuel 10)
  • Provide stories about Christian families
  • Have students predict the ending of the story to help create interest in the story
  • Discussion questions during the silent-reading time are important to implement
  • Teach vocabulary in both phonics-related practice and sight words
  • Use a Pre-Cursive font found at the beginning reading level
  • Help students develop silent and oral reading habits that further fluency
  • Encourage parent participation in the learning process
  • Encourage partner reading
  • Use the reading guides as ways to help foster parental involvement

Unit 2: Bookshelf Friends / Week 9: Picture Books

(updated 11/16/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 41

  • Explain the job of an author
  • Identify God as the author of Scripture
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Dd
  • Use letter-sound association for d
  • Read words with the phonograms _ed and _id
  • Read words with initial d
  • Read the high-frequency word come
  • Write d

Lesson 42

  • Explain the job of an illustrator
  • Identify tools used by illustrators
  • Identify God as the Creator
  • List some things that God created
  • Create an illustration
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Dd
  • Use letter-sound association for d
  • Read words with the phonogram _ud
  • Write D

Lesson 43

  • Explain what an author and illustrator do, using examples
  • State the importance of good writing and illustrations
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Aa
  • Use letter-sound association for a
  • Read words with the phonograms _ad, _as, and _at
  • Identify the vowel in a short-vowel word
  • Write a

Lesson 44

  • Use letter-sound association to make an alphabet book
  • Explain the stages of making a book
  • Use letter-sound association for a
  • Read words with the phonograms _ab, _an, and _ann
  • Read words with possessive s
  • Write A

Lesson 45

  • Determine which objects sink and which float
  • Distinguish fantasy from realistic fiction
  • Read animal names 
  • Interpret details in pictures

Lessons

  • Lesson 41: Authors
  • Lesson 42: Illustrators
  • Lesson 43: Peter Rabbit
  • Lesson 44: A Book for You
  • Lesson 45: In the Tub

Learning Center - Book Tent

Snack of the Week - Peter Rabbit Salad

Show and Tell - Encourage the students to bring a favorite picture book

Literature

  • Authors
  • Illustrators
  • An Author and an Illustrator

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Read Word Families
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: The Kid
    • Phonics Fun: Word Sort
    • Phonics Fun: I Spy
    • Phonics Fun: Sound Match
    • Phonics Fun: Twisty letters
  • Grammar
    • Final s
  • Activities
    • Parts of a Book
    • Carrot Dig
    • Mr. and Mrs. Short Puppets
  • Make a Book

Science

  • Peter Rabbit Taste Test

Write Now!

  • Write Now pages 45-48

Motor Skills

  • Book Relay
  • Painting
  • Bunny Hop
  • Match Books

Arts and Crafts

  • Zigzag Book
  • Collage
  • Bunny Ears

Sing a Song

  • Books for Me

 

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Discuss how God created our world and the beautiful things we enjoy
  • Explain that since God created everything, we could say that He was the artist or illustrator of the world
  • Use labels on pictures and diagrams
  • The use of instructional aid worksheets will help facilitate learning
  • Read aloud to students 15 minutes during the daily lesson
  • Help students to summarize the story
  • Review high-frequency words and grammar and punctuation skills daily
  • Before reading use the cover picture and title to invite discussion
  • Display the Families and Friends visuals and the Colors visual
  • Set up a pocket cart for use with the Phonics characters, spelling cards, etc.

Unit 2: Bookshelf Friends / Week 10: Favorite Tales

(updated 11/16/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 46

  • Explain how storytelling has changed over time
  • Identify character traits of the animals in a story
  • Infer the theme of a story
  • Evaluate the theme based on 2 Thessalonians 3:10
  • Read words with the phonograms _ack and _ap
  • Read the high-frequency words baby, father, and mother
  • Write a phrase with proper spacing

Lesson 47

  • Describe the effect water has on a cookie
  • Participate in creating a new ending to "The Gingerbread Man" story
  • Dictate sentences for a shared writing activity
  • Use letter-sound association for e, i, and u
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Read words with plural s
  • Write a, b, c, d, and e

Lesson 48

  • Distinguish fantasy from realistic fiction
  • Predict the outcome of a story
  • Complete a creative-writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Gg
  • Use letter-sound association for g
  • Identify plural nouns
  • Read words with the phonograms _ig and _ug
  • Write g

Lesson 49

  • Use puppets to act out a story
  • Sort objects by size
  • Complete a creative-writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Gg
  • Use letter-sound associations for g
  • Read words with the phonograms _ag, _eg, and _egg
  • Read sentences with short vowel words
  • Write G

Lesson 50

  • Distinguish fanciful characters from realistic characters
  • Relate one story plot to another
  • Determine story setting from pictures

Lessons

  • Lesson 46: The Little Red Hen
  • Lesson 47: The Gingerbread Man
  • Lesson 48: The Three Little Pigs
  • Lesson 49: The Three Bears
  • Lesson 50: The Cats

Learning Center - Listening Post

Snack of the Week - Gingerbread Cookies

Show and Tell - Encourage the students to bring a favorite teddy bear

Literature

  • The Little Red Hen
  • The Gingerbread Man
  • The Three Little Pigs
  • The Three Bears

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Read Word Families
  • Guided Reading
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
    • Phonics Charts
    • Stick Puppet: Dottie
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: Dan's Sack
    • Phonics Fun: Disappear
    • Phonics Fun: Alphabet Foods
    • Phonics Practice: Wigs
    • Phonics Fun: Reading Three
  • Activities
    • Lay an Egg
    • What Would You Do?
    • Animal Homes
    • The Three Bears Story
  • Sequence the Letters
  • Spelling
  • Grammar
    • Plural s
    • Plurals
  • Punctuation
    • Quotation Marks

Arts and Crafts

  • The Little Red Hen
  • Salt Dough Gingerbread Man
  • Sets of Three

Sing a Song

  • Little Red Hen
  • The Gingerbread Man
  • Straw, Sticks, Bricks
  • Goldilocks

Motor Skills

  • Helping Plant
  • Follow the Gingerbread Man
  • Like a Bear

Science

  • Grow Wheat

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pp. 49-53

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Relate the various nursery rhymes and fairy tale stories to Bible stories (true vs. false)
  • Encourage the students to share things that come in threes from the Bible (Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)
  • Use word cards and oral sentences to review story vocabulary
  • Use props to guide a discussion about each story (ie. taste of oatmeal)
  • Use the cover pictures and invite discussion

Unit 2: Bookshelf Friends / Week 11: Books that Teach

(updated 12/31/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 51

  • List different types of learning books
  • Explain how to use several types of learning books
  • Distinguish between fiction and nonfiction
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Oo
  • Use letter-sound association for o
  • Read words with the phonograms _ob, _ock, _od, _op, and _ot
  • Read the high-frequency word good
  • Write o

Lesson 52

  • Identify the purpose of how-to-books
  • List types of how-to books
  • Follow the directions of a recipe
  • Describe a food using the five senses
  • Dictate sentences for a shared writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Oo
  • Use letter-sound association for o
  • Read words with the phonograms _og, _on, and _oss
  • Write O

Lesson 53

  • Sing some songs
  • State that songbooks have songs in them
  • Follow directions to complete a singing game
  • Use letter-sound association for short vowels
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Write vowels

Lesson 54

  • Identify objects that are attracted to a magnet
  • Complete a creative-writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Review letter-sound associations
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Review all high-frequency words
  • Write a sentence

Lesson 55

  • Interpret action in pictures
  • Determine story settings from pictures
  • Interpret descriptive sentences
  • Explain how God protected Moses
  • Distinguish a Bible account from fiction
  • Read simple sentences

Lessons

  • Lesson 51: Learning Books
  • Lesson 52: How-to Books
  • Lesson 53: Songbooks
  • Lesson 54: Science Books
  • Lesson 55: The Bed

Learning Center - Follow the Notes

Snack of the Week - Dot-to-Dot Cookies

Show and Tell - Encourage the students to bring their favorite science book

Heritage Studies

  • Learning Books
  • Songbooks

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Word Families
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Guided Reading
  • Rhymes
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: Dot
    • Phonics Fun: Set the Table
    • Phonics Fun: Toss the Bag
    • Phonics Practice: Socks
    • Phonics Fun: Make Words
    • Phonics Fun: I Spy
  • Activity
    • Tic-Tac-Toe
    • High-Frequency Word Sentences
    • Sentence Roundup

Arts and Crafts

  • Dot
  • How-to Activity
  • Ring the Bells
  • Baby Moses

Write Now!

  • Write Now pp. 54-58

Sing a Song

  • Bookshelf Friends

Motor Skills

  • Q-Tip Painting
  • Corn Shakers
  • Cup Relay
  • Act it Out

Science

  • How-to Books
  • Popcorn Tasting
  • Musical Jars
  • Science Books
  • Ramps

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Read, discuss and act out the story of Baby Moses
  • Read the account of Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses in Exodus 2:5-9
  • Practice reading aloud slowly and work towards greater oral fluency
  • Use games and motor activities to reinforce and practice new sounds and words
  • Utilize colorful pictures to reinforce each letter and sound
  • Students should sing a phonics song as they learn each new letter-sound association
  • Set up classroom stations and give students time to explore each station
Quarter 2

Unit 3: Ants to Elephants / Week 12: Bible Animals

(updated 12/5/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 56

  • Identify a picture of a sheep
  • Describe what wool feels like
  • Name things that a shepherd does to care for his sheep
  • Compare the way a shepherd cares for his sheep to the way Jesus cares for His people
  • Identify upper and lowercase Ll
  • Use letter-sound association for l
  • Read words with initial l
  • Read the high-frequency words are and this
  • Write the letter l

Lesson 57

  • Describe textures using words such as rough, smooth, soft, and hard
  • State that learning to communicate by writing allows us to share God's truth
  • Draw a picture of an item and dictate or write a word to describe how it feels
  • Identify upper and lowercase Ll
  • Use letter-sound association for l
  • Read words with the phonograms _ell and _ill
  • Write the letter L

Lesson 58

  • List similarities and differences between a donkey and a sheep
  • State that God made all things for His glory
  • Explain how God kept His promise when He used a donkey on Palm Sunday
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Mm
  • Use letter-sound association for m
  • Read words with the phonograms _am and _im
  • Read words with initial m
  • Read compound words
  • Write the letter m

Lesson 59

  • Describe a lion's appearance, habitat, and actions
  • List some times lions appear in the Bible
  • Compare and contrast lions and house cats
  • Assemble a lion mask using a variety of materials
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Mm
  • Use letter-sound association for m
  • Read words with the phonograms _om and _um
  • Write the letter M

Lesson 60

  • Read an informational text
  • Contrast an informational text with a narrative
  • Use questioning to interpret pictures and text in an informational text
  • Locate facts in an informational text

 

Lessons

  • Lesson 56: Sheep
  • Lesson 57: Soft Wool
  • Lesson 58: Donkeys
  • Lesson 59: Lions
  • Lesson 60: Naps

Learning Center - Animal Sort

Snack of the Week - Sheep Cupcakes

Show and Tell - Encourage the students to bring a toy animal or a picture of an animal that lived during Bible times

Heritage Studies

  • Sheep
  • Animals in the Bible
  • Donkeys

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Read Word Families
  • High Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: "A Lap"
    • Phonics Fun: Hop to the Top
    • Phonics Fun: Mystery Picture
    • Phonics Practice: In the Mud
    • Phonics Fun: Donkey Sounds
    • Phonics Fun: Roaring Compound Words
  • Activity
    • God Made the Animals Booklet
    • Bingo
    • Word Family Review
  • Grammar
    • Compound Words

Science

  • Sheep Shearing
  • Wool
  • Lions

Sing a Song

  • God Made the Animals verse 1
  • God Made the Animals verse 2
  • God Made the Animals verse 3

Arts and Crafts

  • Lamb's Head
  • Uncle Short
  • Touch My Hand
  • Donkey Stick Puppet
  • Lion Paper Plate Craft

Write Now!

  • Write Now pp. 59-63

Motor Skills

  • Who Has My Sheep?
  • Donkeys Sing
  • Animal Sounds

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Discuss different animals in the Bible
  • The Lamb and the Shepherd
  • Read the account of David killing a lion and a bear to protect his sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-36)
  • Summarize the story of Balaam, when God caused a donkey to talk (Numbers 22:28-33)
  • Set up classroom stations, and allow students time to participate in various learning centers
  • Set up a literacy center with suggested book list found in teacher guide; rotate books depending upon the theme of the week
  • Utilize songs to reinforce the learning theme and to help students internalize letter and word sounds
  • Sign songs daily and together
  • Utilize the stick puppets
  • Have students practice daily with Word Family Cards and High-Frequency Word Cards
  • Focus on posture and process of handwriting
  • Make a special effort to celebrate the various special days of the year
  • Utilize charts and graphs especially when asking students to compare and contrast
  • Arrange field trips specific to the theme of the week

Unit 3: Ants to Elephants / Week 13: Insects

(updated 12/31/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 61

  • Describe an ant
  • Compare the way ants work to the way people should work
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ff
  • Use letter-sound association for f
  • Read a word with the phonogram _if
  • Read words with initial f
  • Read the high-frequency words for and her
  • Write the letter f

Lesson 62

  • Describe an ant colony
  • Describe some ants' jobs
  • Role-play to show a community working together
  • Dictate sentences for a shared writing experience
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Ff
  • Use letter-sound association for f
  • Read words with the phonograms _off and _uff
  • Write the letter F

Lesson 63

  • List the characteristics of a ladybug
  • Distinguish fantasy from realistic fiction
  • Identify a period at the end of a sentence
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Vv
  • Use letter-sound association for v
  • Read words with initial v
  • Write the letters Vv

Lesson 64

  • Sequence the life cycle of the butterfly
  • Dictate a word or phrase to complete a creative-writing activity
  • Recognize the five vowels
  • Read words with short vowel sounds
  • Use correct slant when writing a letter
  • Write a compound word

Lesson 65

  • Draw conclusions from picture interpretation and text
  • Read orally to communicate the author's message
  • Use proper inflection when reading sentences with periods or exclamation points

Lessons

  • Lesson 61: Ants
  • Lesson 62: Working Together
  • Lesson 63: Ladybugs
  • Lesson 64: Insect Life
  • Lesson 65: Bell

Learning Center - Going on a Picnic

Snack of the Week - Ants

Show and Tell - Encourage the students to bring real or toy insects

Science

  • The Strong Ant
  • The Butterfly
  • Hopping Bugs
  • Observe an Insect

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice - Fin
    • Phonics Fun: Marching Home
    • Phonics Fun: Mystery Words
    • Phonics Practice - The Vet
    • Phonics Fun: Ladybug
    • Phonics Fun: Beuatiful Butterfly
  • Activities
    • God Made the Animals Booklet
    • Sentence Roundup
  • Recognizing Phonograms
  • Guided Reading
  • Grammar
    • Possessive s

Motor Skills

  • Marching Ants
  • Growing Up

Arts and Crafts

  • Ant Picnic
  • Ladybugs
  • Ladybug Puppet
  • Make an Insect

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pages 65-69

Sing a Song

  • Ant Homes
  • I'm Glad That He Made You
  • God Made the Animals

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word; and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Read aloud Proverbs 6:6 and Proverbs 30:25; explain that God gives us the example of ants to show us that we need to work and not be lazy
  • Share the account of the plagues (Exodus 7-11) emphasizing the part that insects played in the plagues
  • Daily review of vocabulary, phonics, grammar

Unit 3: Ants to Elephants / Week 14: Wild Animals

(updated 12/5/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 66

  • Describe characteristics of a zoo
  • Contrast wild animals and pets
  • Locate places on a zoo map
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Rr
  • Use letter-sound association for r
  • Read words with initial r
  • Read the high-frequency words of and put
  • Write the letter r

Lesson 67

  • Create an impression of an animal paw prints
  • Match pictures of animal feet and paws to their tracks
  • Complete a creative-writing activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Rr
  • Use letter-sound association for r
  • Read words with initial r
  • Write the letter R

Lesson 68

  • State the characteristics of an elephant
  • Use fine motor skills to complete a craft
  • Describe the purpose of an elephant's trunk
  • Participate in a memory game
  • Identify the elephant's habitat
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Jj
  • Use letter-sound association for j
  • Read words with initial j
  • Write the letter j

Lesson 69

  • Describe how camouflage helps protect animals
  • Dictate a sentence that describes a picture
  • State that God gave animals abilities to defend themselves
  • Choose the best color for several animals to use as camouflage
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Jj
  • Use letter-sound association for j
  • Read words with initial j
  • Write the letter J

Lesson 70

  • Gain factual information from photos
  • Gain facts from informational text
  • Draw conclusions from informational text

 

Lessons

  • Lesson 66: The Zoo
  • Lesson 67: Animal Tracks
  • Lesson 68: Elephant Country
  • Lesson 69: Animals Hide
  • Lesson 70: The Jet

Learning Center - Wild Animal Sort

Snack of the Week - Animal Crackers

Show and Tell - Encourage each student to bring a picture of himself along with a piece of cloth that can provide a camouflage background for the picture

Heritage Studies

  • Wild Animals

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Review Word Families
  • High Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Fun: Alphabet Rooster
    • Phonics Practice: Tag
    • Phonics Fun: Name That Letter
    • Phonics Practice: Sun Fun
    • Phonics Fun: Word Family Scramble
    • Phonics Fun: Hidden Families
  • Punctuation
    • Period
    • Exclamation Point
    • Question Mark
  • Vocabulary
  • Activities
    • Sentence Roundup
    • God Made the Animals Booklet
    • Tic-Tac-Toe
  • Guided Reading

Arts and Crafts

  • Zoo
  • Fingerprint Animals
  • Find the Animal
  • Class Zoo

Motor Skills

  • Walk Like the Animals
  • Low or High
  • What Elephants Do
  • Hide and Seek
  • Feed the Elephant

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pp. 69-73

Sing a Song

  • The Zoo

Science

  • Make Tracks
  • Elephants Remember
  • Animals Blend In
  • Camouflage
  • Field Trip - Zoo

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Tell the students the story of Noah (Genesis 7-8)
  • Integrate Christian worldview into daily lesson planning
  • Use colorful pictures to reinforce each letter and sound
  • Use games and motor activities to involve the students as they practice and review sounds and words
  • Utilize Unit 7 activities that are relevant
  • Read to students daily
  • Assign and discuss using the comprehension questions after the Listening Story
  • Use phonics stories to provide practice for new skills and foster comprehension
  • Make sure to provide phonics instruction in a logical, colorful format
  • Have students practice word families both oral and written
  • Use composition activites to promote the reading/writing connection

Unit 3: Ants to Elephants / Week 15: By the Pond

(updated 12/5/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 71

  • List characteristics of a frog
  • State the habitat of a frog
  • Compare a fictional frog to a real frog
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Xx
  • Use letter-sound association for x
  • Read words with the phonograms _ax, _ix and _ox
  • Read the high-frequency words said and you
  • Write the letters Xx

Lesson 72

  • Imitate the sounds that frogs make
  • Sequence the life cycle of a frog
  • Draw a labeled picture of a new kind of frog
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Zz
  • Use letter-sound association for Z
  • Read words with the phonograms _iz and _uzz
  • Write the letters Zz

Lesson 73

  • List the characteristics of a turtle
  • Describe how to care for a pet
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Yy
  • Use letter-sound association for y
  • Read words with initial y
  • Write the letter y

Lesson 74

  • Compare and contrast ways animals protect themselves
  • Draw a new animal with special protection and explain how the animal will protect itself
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Yy
  • Use letter-sound association for y
  • Read words with initial y
  • Write the letter Y

Lesson 75

  • Read orally with expression
  • Use illustrations to describe story setting
  • Make predictions
  • Evaluate whether the prediction was correct
  • Evaluate whether the main character's response is obedient

Lessons

  • Lesson 71: Frog Pond
  • Lesson 72: Frogs
  • Lesson 73: Turtles
  • Lesson 74: Animals Protect Themselves
  • Lesson 75: The Big Mess

Learning Center - Lily Pad Hop

Snack of the Week - Chocolate Turtles

Show and Tell - Encourage each student to bring a toy animal that could live by a pond

Science

  • Frogs
  • Life Cycle of the Frog
  • Tadpoles to Frogs
  • Turtles
  • Animals Protect Themselves
  • Student Terrarium

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English skills
  • Letter Recognition
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Read Word Families
  • Grammar
    • Plurals
    • Syllables
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: Fix the Mix
    • Phonics Fun: Make an X
    • Phonics Fun: Lily Pad Fun
    • Phonics Practice: Zack's Pet
    • Phonics Fun: Tortoise Talk
    • Phonics Fun: Animal Protection
  • Punctuation
  • Guided Reading
  • Activities
    • Sentence Roundup
    • God Made the Animals Book

Write Now!

  • Write Now! pp. 74-78

Language Arts

  • God Made the Animals Booklet - Frogs
  • Sentence Roundup

Arts and Crafts

  • Lily Pads
  • Frog Puppet
  • Turtle
  • Dragonfly
  • Snail

Sing a Song

  • Five Little Speckled Frogs
  • Over in the Meadow
  • God Made the Animals

Motor Skills

  • Leap Frog
  • Leap Like a Frog
  • Turtle Race
  • Walk Like an Animal

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Go through Colossians 1:8 that discusses how believers need to be filled with the knowledge of God's will and in all wisdom and understanding
  • Explain that God has given most wild animals natural defenses
  • Share the story of Paul and the poisonous snake from Acts 28:1-6; point out that God made some snakes poisonous so that they can defend themselves
  • Assign daily writing practice
  • Carefully observe students and help to develop left-to-right eye progression
  • Have students write new endings to familiar stories, make lists, and add labels to pictures to develop a love of writing
  • Emphasize the weekly topics to help students learn to focus on a topic
  • Posture, pencil hold, and paper slant should dominate the early handwriting lessons
  • Emphasize letter formation, consistent strokes, readable spacing, and neatness

Unit 3: Ants to Elephants / Week 16: Farm Animals

(updated 12/31/23)

Student Objectives

Lesson 76

  • Compare cows and calves
  • Describe some of the jobs of a farmer
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Qq
  • Use letter-sound association for qu
  • Read the high-frequency word to
  • Read words with initial qu
  • Write the letter q

Lesson 77

  • Compare and contrast a small family farm and a commercial farm
  • State products that come from a dairy farm
  • Participate in a butter-making activity
  • Contribute in a shared-writing activity about a butter-making activity
  • Identify uppercase and lowercase Qq
  • Use letter-sound association for qu
  • Read words with initial qu
  • Write the letter Q

Lesson 78

  • Describe how to make and use a pinata
  • Describe the characteristics of a pig
  • Sequence events in a story
  • Identify the five vowels
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Write short vowel words

Lesson 79

  • Describe the habitat of a pig
  • Dictate a sentence using descriptive words
  • Read words with short vowels
  • Identify lowercase letters
  • Identify the five vowels
  • Review letter-sound associations
  • Write a sentence
  • Review all High-Frequency Words

Lesson 80

  • Determine story settings from pictures
  • Read expressions on the faces of characters
  • Read orally with excitement
  • Use Ephesians 4:32 to evaluate the behavior of the characters

Lessons

  • Lesson 76: Grandpa's Farm
  • Lesson 77: The Dairy Farm
  • Lesson 78: Rosa's Pig
  • Lesson 79: Muddy Pig
  • Lesson 80: Zack the Duck

Learning Center - Barnyard Puzzles

Snack of the Week - Purple Cows

Show and Tell - Encourage each student to bring a toy farm animal

Heritage Studies

  • Cows and Calves
  • At the Dairy
  • Pig Fun

Language Arts

  • Phonics and English Skills
  • Letter Recognition - vowels
  • Sing the Sounds
  • Read Word Families
  • Guided Reading
  • High-Frequency Words
  • Handwriting
  • Spelling
  • Phonics
    • Phonics Practice: Mothers
    • Phonics Fun: Gathering Eggs
    • Phonics Fun: Nibbling Cheese
    • Phonics Practice: Ruff
    • Phonics Fun: Break the Pinata
    • Phonics Fun: Fun in the Mud
  • Activities
    • God Made the Animals Booklet
    • Sentence Roundup
  • Grammar
    • Compound Words
    • Plural Nouns

Write Now!

  • Write Now pp. 79-83

Motor Skills

  • Balance the Animal
  • Farm animal Tag
  • Animal Sounds
  • Find the Pig
  • Fill the Barn

Science

  • Classifying Animals
  • Loud and Quiet
  • Pigs and Mud
  • Animal Guess

Arts and Crafts

  • Quilt
  • Pig Pinata
  • Muddy Boots
  • God Made the Animals Booklet - Pig
  • A Model Farm

Sing a Song

  • Old MacDonald
  • Making Butter
  • M-U-D

 

 

Biblical Integration Concepts

  • God is great, and God is good
  • God created me and all things
  • The Bible is God's Word, and it is true
  • I learn in order to serve God and others

Biblical Integration Strategies

  • Tell the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24); emphasize how he worked as he fed the pigs on a farm
  • Use the biblical worldview themes visual to reinforce the themes throughout the year
  • Group students for differentiated reading instruction
  • Establish routine behaviors in the reading groups as well as in the entire class
  • Set up purposeful and specific learning centers
  • Teach students the daily schedule and how to switch effortlessly between learning centers

Unit 4: Mountains High to Oceans Deep / Week 17: Mountains

(updated 12/11/23)