MiXed Pumpkin Cookies for the X sound

This is a fun cooking project to go with the X sound.

MiXed Pumpkin Cookies

1. MiX:

• ½ cup oil or butter
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  1 egg
  1 tsp. vanilla
  1 cup pumpkin

2. MiX:

• 2 ½ cups flour
  1 tsp. baking powder
  1 tsp. baking soda
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  ½ tsp. nutmeg
  ½ tsp. salt

3. MiX:     ½ bag of Chocolate Chips

4. Drop on greased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Cool!

6. Frost with Frosting or eat plain. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)
Mix or beat 8 oz. cream cheese – softened, 1 stick of butter- softened, 2 T. milk, 1 t. vanilla and
About 3 cups of powdered sugar until it is thick and smooth.

Pancakes

 1.    Mix with a whisk:

•  2 cups flour (whole grain is best)
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon baking powder

 2.   Heat frying pan on medium heat.

 3.    Mix in with a whisk:

•  about 2 cups of water or milk
•  2 eggs
•  1/2 cup oil or applesauce
•  2 Tablespoons honey

 4.    The pan is ready for pancakes when you sprinkle a little water with your fingers in the pan and the water dances. Cook pancakes.

 5.    Eat with syrup, applesauce, honey/butter or cinnamon sugar.  It is fun to try new toppings for pancakes.

 6.    Enjoy!

Math Lesson Ideas for the Number 2 (two)

Objective:  Help children recognize the number 2 and the word “two”, numbers are used for counting, count 2 objects, learn to write “2” and “two”.

Preparations:

• Find an art print or picture from a calendar or magazine with good examples of “TWO”.
• Optional:  Have connecting blocks or die-cut paper apples in two colors.
• Have stickers.
• Write the number “2” and the word “two” on a word card.  Use the “1 one “ word card from the “ONE” lesson.
• Decide on a simple book, poem or nursery rhyme that has good examples of two.  Possibly use, “One, Two, Buckle my Shoe”.  (Included at the end.)
• Have colored paper and pencil for each child.

Lesson Ideas:

• Display the word card with “2 two”.  Discuss the difference between the number “2” and the word “two”.  Compare to the number “1 one” card.
• Read a simple book or poem.  Discuss the examples of two. Discuss different body parts to see how many they have.  Do you have two legs?  two eyes? Etc.
• Show the picture and have each child pick out two things in the picture.
• Show how to make the number 2.  Have them make them in the air with their finger.  Have them close their eyes and write the number 2 in the air.
• Give each child a paper and pencil.  Have or help them write their name.  Show the word card again for “2 two”.  Have them write a number “2” several times, and the word “two”.  (If a child has a hard time writing their letters, write the word “two” with a yellow pencil and have them trace it.)  Put out stickers and have them select 2 for their paper.  (They could also draw two things.)

Extension ideas:  Possibly include some comparison or patterning activities with connecting blocks or die-cut apples.  (small, medium, large, same, different, AABB pattern, etc.)

Nursery Rhyme:
One, two, Buckle my shoe;
Three, four, Shut the door;
Five, six, Pick up sticks;
Seven, eight, Lay them straight;

For more educational products and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

Lesson plan for Money–Penny

Money—Penny  

Objective:  Learn about pennies and how they are alike and different to other coins.

Preparations:

•     Find pictures and/or books about Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln Memorial.
•     Trace 4 to 5 in. circles on brown paper.
•     Have pencils and scissors.
•     Have coins and some paper money.  (pennies, nickels, quarters, dimes)
•     Have word cards for these words: Money, penny, nickel, quarter, dime, and dollar.

Lesson:

• Put the word card “Money” on the table.  
• Put all the money by the word “Money”.  Read and put out the other words cards.
•  Divide the money between paper money and coins.
•  Discuss the difference and put the paper money with the “Dollar” word card. 
• Divide the coins while discussing how they are the same and different and put them with the right word card. 
• Take everything off the table except the pennies.

Use pictures or a book about pennies to discuss Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln Memorial.  Show how there is a statue of Abraham in the Memorial and on the penny there is a small statue in the Memorial.  Show other pennies without the Memorial on the back.

Activity:

• Give each child a brown circle to cut out. 
• Then trade the scissors for a pencil to draw on the penny. 
• First draw Abraham Lincoln.  Show how to draw it in small segments.  (Draw the back and the head, then the face, then the neck and front, then the one eye, one ear and the hair.)  Accept anything they draw and encourage their efforts. 
• Next write LIBERTY along the left side, then write the year on the right side.  
• Turn it over draw the Lincoln Memorial.  (Draw a skinny rectangle at the bottom, a skinny rectangle at the top, then connect with lines or pillars, and a circle with two lines for the statue in the middle.) 
• Write USA at the top.
• ONE CENT at the bottom.

Shapes

Shapes (It is fun to teach shapes in December.)

Objective:
Help children recognize the shapes “square, triangle, rhombus” and give them exposure to the written shape words.

Preparation:

• Make a square and a triangle with Kabob sticks and duct tape.
  
• Collect pictures of squares, rhombus, and triangles.
  
• Make word cards for these words. (Shapes, square, rhombus, triangle)
  
• Cut a set of 3 green paper squares for each child. (5 inches, 4 inches, 3 inches)
  
• Draw a straight line from one corner to the other making 2 triangles.
  
• Paper to glue the green paper to.
  
• White school glue.
  
• Brushes for glue.
  
• Scissors.
  
• Glitter glue.
  
• Brushes for glitter glue.
  
• Small brightly colored tissue paper.
  

Lesson:

• Explain the differences between the 3 shapes by using the stick shapes. Square—Four lines of the same length connected at the corners with 4 right angles. Rhombus—Four lines of the same length connected at the corners. (Push 2 corners of the Kabob stick square to make a rhombus.)  They are sometimes called diamonds. Triangles—Three lines of any length connected with 3 corners.
  

• Put the words cards on a table, Pocket Chart, magnet board or poster. Sort the pictures into the right shape.
  

Activity:
Make pine tree pictures with green squares.

This will take 2 days to finish.

1. Have the children cut on the line on the 3 different size green squares to make 6 triangles.
   
2. Have them brush on the glue and glue the green triangles on the red paper, starting with the 2 largest ones, then the middle size ones and the smallest on the top.  It can be finished like this or do the next step on a following day.
   
3. When they dry, glue on the tissue paper with glitter glue. Cover the tree with glitter glue.
   
4. When the tree dries, cut out the tree.

Check out our website: http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Measuring

Measuring  (Good math lesson to teach the week the short I is taught.)

Objective: Introduce children to measuring, inches and the tools and words used in measuring.

Preparation:

• Make a word card for Measuring.
• Have measuring tools like cups, measuring spoons, tape measure, ruler, etc.
• Have small objects to measure with a ruler.  (books, blocks, crayons, pencils, tools, toys, etc.)
• Have a wall measuring poster to measure each child.  Plan to leave this on the wall and measure again in the spring.
• Print and make a small book (4 pages) for each child.  inches book
• Get stickers 1 inch square, 3 in. square sticky note pad, yarn cut in 4 in. pieces.
• Have a ruler for each child.
• Suggested book:   ME and the Measure of Things , by Joan Sweeney

Lesson:

• Put up the word card “Measuring”.  Talk about some of the sounds in the word.  (Mm, _s_)
• Read the book and show some measuring tools and discuss how they are used.
• Measure the height of each child on the measuring poster on the wall.
• Have each child select one of the objects to measure or have them pick an object from the room.  Measure each object with a ruler.
•  (You may also want to use a balance scale, ounce scale or postal scale to weigh the small objects.)

Activity:

Give each child the book, Inches.   Help them read the questions? Help them measure and glue items to the page.  Have them write the number of inches on the line.  On the last page have them draw a picture of themselves and write how many inches tall each child is.

Read the book together.

More ideas for teaching young children. http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Math Lesson Ideas for the Number 5

Number 5 (five)

Objective: Help children recognize the number 5 and the word “five”, use numbers for counting, count 5 objects, learn to write “5” and “five”.

Preparations:

• Find an art print or picture from a calendar or magazine with good examples of “five”.
• For counting, take metal hangers and cut them off with wire cutters to use only the straight part.  Thread 10 wooden beads on the hangers, then bend the ends so they won’t come off.  (If you can find the beads used for seat covers at a second-hand store, those are just the right size and cheap.)
• Have some stickers.
• Write the number “5” and the word “five” on a word card.  Use the “1 one”, the “2 two”, the “3 three” and the “4 four” word cards from previous lessons.
• Decide on a simple book, poem or song that has good examples of five.  Possibly use, “Five Little Monkeys jumping on the Bed” or “Five Little Ducks”.  (This website has the words to “Five Little Ducks”. http://www.zelo.com/family/nursery/fiveducks.asp )
• Print and make the Bed book.  There will be 6 pages in the book.  The book starts with 5 then ends with them on the bed.    Have smiley face stickers for the book  book 5 on the bed
• Have paper and pencil for each child.  (It is fun to use a colored paper or colored pencils.)

Lesson:

• Display the word card with “5 five”.  Discuss the difference between the number “5” and the word “five”.  Compare to the “1 one”, “2 two”,  “3 three”, and “4 four” cards.
• Read a book or sing a song like “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”.
• Show the picture and have each child pick out 5 things in the picture.
• Show how to make the number 5.  Have them make them in the air with their finger.  Have them close their eyes and write the number 5 in the air.

Activities:

• Give each child a “5 on the Bed” book.  Read together each page and have the children put that many smiley face stickers on each page.  On the last page they draw themselves.
• Give each child a paper and pencil.  Have or help them write their name.  Show the word card again for “5 five”.  Have them write a number “5” several times, and the word “five”.  (If a child has a hard time writing their letters, write the word with a yellow pencil and have them trace it.)  Put out stickers and have them select 5 for their paper.  (They could also draw five things.)
• Use the beads to practice counting by moving one bead at a time.

Visit our website for more great learning products. http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/