FRIENDS

In this topic students learn vocabulary that support cooperation, kindness, and friendship. We may learn the song “This is the Way (we share our toys)”, work together to add magnetic photographs to a conversation board, and take turns helping to build a tower with giant foam blocks as we act out a Mo Willems book. Some books we may read include:

—Fluffy and Baron

—Can I Play Too?

—A Splendid Friend Indeed

—We are (NOT) Friends!

AUTUMN

Students will learn vocabulary to help them describe what they see all around them during this season. We will take turns pulling objects out of a “mystery box” as we learn each new word/sign. We may sing & sign “Autumn Leaves are Falling Down” or “Way up High in the Apple Tree”. We will definitely sing "“Where Oh Where?” when we have an apple hunt, in which everyone tries to find the apples hidden around the room (can we find a specific color?). This activity is always a favorite and helps us learn our colors too! Some books we may read include:

—Apples and Pumpkins

—Under the Apple Tree

—Who Said Red?

—The Apple Pie Tree

OCEAN ANIMALS

Typically a warmer weather theme, students love learning about the incredible variety of living creatures we find in the OCEAN. While focusing on this theme we will work together to add magnetic images to our conversation board while learning new signs. e may also sing & sign “Slippery Fish” and “Somebody’s Swimming in the Sea”, eventually acting out the movements of the animal in these songs. We may practice our cooperation signs from our FRIENDS unit as we take turns adding items to a sensory bottle for the group to keep and share. We also may create individual “fish bowls art,” adding sea creature stickers to the paper as we sign them to Miss Tracie. Some books e may read include:

—Here Comes Ocean

—My Ocean is Blue

—Don’t Worry Little Crab

MOVEMENT

I often use this theme in January, when opportunities to get outside and burn off steam are fewer. This is when we learn vocabulary for actions and movement. We will take turns choosing a magnetic picture card to place on the conversation board as we learn the signs. We may use some of these signs as we help Miss Tracie read some books involving these movement vocabulary words. We will learn songs that involve movement, such as “Walking Walking,” “See the Little Bunnies Sleeping,” and “Five Little Monkeys.” Some books we may read include:

—Silly Sally

—The Very Busy Spider

—Jump!

—Fluff and Billy

OPPOSITES

This topic really engages the students! Our mystery box will be filled with objects that demonstrate the concept of “opposites”, such as things that are hard/soft, big/small, quiet/loud, heavy light, clean/dirty, and even wet/dry and hot/cold! We will probably use our “Where, oh Where” song from our Autumn unit as we hunt for only “loud” (or “quiet”) shaker eggs or only “hard” or “soft” blocks hidden around the classroom. The fingerplay “Two Little Blackbirds” has TEN verses that fit into this topic nicely and tend to make the children giggle. Some book options may include:

— The Foot Book

— Mouse is Small

— Dear Zoo

— Tails

WEATHER

We may get out the parachute for this topic! First we will become engaged with the topic through a magnet board activity and our “mystery box” filled with magnetized photos of different kinds of weather. We may sing some old favorites with our new ASL vocabulary (“Itsy Bitsy Spider” or “Rain Rain Go Away”) and some new ones as well. We may do a chant with movement in which we create a thunderstorm with our bodies. We may finish up our theme with a parachute activity in which we make the wind, clouds, raindrops, and snowflakes dance all around us in the air! We also enjoy creating a rainbow (in the classroom) of our very own. Our stories may include:

— Rain

— Rain Drop Plop

— Little Cloud

— A Rainbow of My Own

FEELINGS

Often presented in February, the month of love and valentines, the FEELINGS topic will include a mystery box filled with many laminated photos of children’s faces to represent many of our feelings. We’ll discuss them, learn the signs for them in ASL and sort them into groups. We will sing a WONDERFUL version of “If You’re Happy and You Know it” that includes singing, signing, movement, drama, and some very silly faces as well! Of course, we will also include a song or fingerplay about “Valentines Day” if this unit does take place during the month of February! Depending on the number of classes provided for this topic, we may also do a little dancing to Laurie Berkner’s “Monster Boogie” song, or do some additional activities with a Valentine’s Day focus. Our stories this month may include:

— Glad Monster, Sad Monster

— In My Heart

— Leonardo the Terrible Monster

— Boy

FAMILY

Often presented in May, this topic focuses on the signs for our family members. We talk about ways we celebrate and thank our Mommies (and our Daddies, as Father’s Day is right around the corner), and learn a special song in sign language that we can easily adjust to suit any special family member we love who cares for us! Our mystery box with be filled with finger puppets for family members this month, and during some classes we may role play different family members while we sing a silly Laurie Berkner song. We will definitely sing “The Wheels on the Bus,” since this song is a favorite for most children and already includes verses about moms, dads, babies, and children. We’ll even add a couple extra verses so we can include Grandma and Grandpa in the fun! A few of the books we may highlight will include:

— What Mommies Do Best

— What Daddies Do Best

— Little Critter’s The New Baby

— I’m a Big Brother

— Big Sister, Little Sister

— The Relatives Came

GARDENS

Description coming soon…

COLORS

Description coming soon…

and more…