The Grand Finale

1. The Grand Finale Weekly Plan template for theme-based area activities that support literacy development

2. The Theme • Outline the main theme for the week and any related themes (e.g., the Rainforest as a main theme, with climate and weather as related themes) • The Flower Garden • Flower, garden- families and colors, celebrations theme • Ask children what will happen • Ask how does the little girl feel and how do you know • Can you tell me words that we read about that rhyme • Hide F picture/word cards around room to find and identify

3. Goals • What are your literacy goals for the week? • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Vocabulary development • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle

4. Blocks Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Vocabulary development • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle • Add the book C is for City • Have boxes created into building (like in book) with the words of each store or apt box to create their own city with transportation and materials to make their own traffic signs

5. Dramatic Play Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Vocabulary development • Picture/word cards of flowers in book Flower Garden • In the Flower Shop with props like flowers, pots, gloves, aprons, ribbon, tissue paper and order forms to write up flower orders • Vocab word “soil”- another name for dirt/repetitive use of the word • Reading comprehension • Non-fiction books about flowers and plants • Alphabetic Principle

6. Toys and Games Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • ABC Lotto Game- put the letter for the sound (beginning) of picture • Vocabulary development • Flower cards (names of flowers) • Memory game ex: pansy/pansy tulip/tulip etc • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle • Letter Kite Match Game

7. Art Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Paint with colors of flowers, make beginning sound of paint color: “R” Red, “P” Purple, “Y” Yellow, “W” White • Vocabulary development • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle • Glue flower petals to letter Ff for “Flower”

8. Library Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Clap out syllables of words of week at circle time using picture/word cards • Vocabulary development • Words of week- water, seed, garden box, flower, soil- picture word/cards • Flower words for word wall- soil, pansies, etc • Family words for word wall- mother/father • Reading comprehension • Book Flower Garden with Flannel Board- pieces for retelling story and put into sequence • Alphabetic Principle • Alphabet stampers • Read books out loud • Read with rhythm • At circle- discuss the words that rhyme, then make the words that rhyme with the rhyming words

9. Discovery Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Rhyming basket • Vocabulary development • Label each stage of planting a seed for life cycle of plant using picture/word sequencing cards • Learn new flower name • Carnation dye experiment • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle • Older children sound out words to label stages • Soil (dirt), seed, water, sun, then flower

10. Sand and Water Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Hide objects in dirt table that begin with letter “F” like flower, frog, fish, farm, fruit, feather • Vocabulary development • Soil in the sand table- make mud pies, etc • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle • Go fishing for letters to create words

11. Music and Movement Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Rhythm clapping activities • Pan·syDaf·fo·dilDa·sies (1) (2) (1) (2) (3) (1) (2) • Vocabulary development • “Seed Song” with movements • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle • Children will circle letter teacher asks them to find in the written chart paper song “Seed Song”

12. Cooking Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Vocabulary development • Corn muffins • Corn is a plant • Flour- another use of flower: 2 meanings • Recipe chart for dirt pudding-labeling pictures • cake • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle

13. Computers Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Find the word that rhymes • Vocabulary development • Reading comprehension • Background knowledge about flowers or garden- create E-book about what they know • Alphabetic Principle

14. Outdoors Theme-based activities in this area to support • Phonological awareness and/or Fluency • Beginning sounds of flower plants, etc • Vocabulary development • Learn new name of other types of flowers, dandelion, etc • Reading comprehension • Alphabetic Principle

15. Family and Community Theme-based activities to help families support • Phonological awareness • Vocabulary development • Reading comprehension • Children go home and retell story of “The Flower Garden” to parents • Alphabetic Principle and Fluency