This is a classic silly Dr. Suess book that children enjoy.  It introduces opposites as well as rhyming words in the traditional Dr. Seuss style.  Enjoy, the children will.

Materials

Directions for drawing fish

Vocabulary

Before reading the Story

            As you introduce the book, show the children the cover.  Point to the word fish on the cover and tell them that this says fish.  Ask them if they can read the cover of the book.  Point to the one fish and say, One ____.  Point to the 2 fish and see if  they can figure out what it says.  Point to the red fish and sound out the word r-e-d _____.  Now point to the blue fish and begin to sound out until children figure out.  Repeat this on the cover page of the book.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; associates sounds with written words, such as awareness that different words begin with the same sound.

Reading the Story

            As you read the story, point to the objects so the children can try to guess/read along and say the rhyming words. 

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.

On page 12 it talks about the number of feet the animals have.  Ask the children how many feet they/people have?  On page 17 the man has 11 fingers.  Ask the children how many fingers people have?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

After Reading the Story

            Write ‘ish’ on the top of a large piece of paper.  Tell the children that this says ish.  Can they think of any words that rhyme with ish?  If they can not, write d ish.  Make the /D/ sound + ish.  Dish!  It rhymes.  Try another.  Allow the children to use made-up words such as bish, lish, etc.. the idea is to encourage the children to think up words that rhyme. When you have run out of ish words do at words or og.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems

Discovery

Introduce the opposites of Rough and Smooth. Use two pieces of paper and at the top of one write Rough and draw a picture of a bumpy line. On the top of the other piece of paper, write Smooth and draw a straight line. Collect a basket of objects from your room that are either rough or smooth and let the children sort accordingly. As the work, encourage them to feel the surface. Can they think of any other objects that are rough or smooth? (plastic food, a block, a crayon, a piece of sandpaper, fabrics from your collage materials, types of papers such as waxed or foil that is both flat and has ben crumpled and then smoothed, lego, etc).

Science/Scientific Methods & Skills; develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Music and Movement

            Sing Rhyming Words Sound the same, to the chorus of the Mexican Hat Dance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK4QWrecm8g

Rhyming words sound the same (clap, clap)

Rhyming words sound the same (clap, clap)

Rhyming words sound the same (clap, clap)

Rhyming words sound the same.

Name a word from the book and see if children can make a rhyme

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems

For something different, you could play One Fish, Two Fish in rap for the children to dance to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evQhWcZ-gbU

Teach the children the song 1,2,3,4,5 I Caught a Fish Alive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evQhWcZ-gbU.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; develops increasing ability to count to 10 in sequence and beyond.

Blocks

Encourage the children to make patterns with their blocks today. (Red block, blue block, red block, blue block. Square block, rectangle block). For older childre children you could try encouraging an ABB pattern or an ABC pattern. For children who are new to patterns, try drawing it on paper for the children to follow using the blocks.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Art

Put out simple drawing directions for making fish. Hang the children’s fish on the wall titled, “Here to There, Funny Fish are Everywhere”.

Literacy/Print Awareness & Concepts; develops a growing understanding of different functions of forms of print such as signs, letters, newspapers, lists, messages, and menus.

Library and Writing

            Tell the children that fish begins with the letter /F/.  Make a list of /F/ words.  The children could then illustrate the words and put them on the word wall.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; associates sounds with written words, such as awareness that different words begin with the same sound.

Sand and water

            Water in the table today.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully.

With older preschoolers I have put live goldfish into the water table for the day. I use the day to clean the aquarium and it gives the children the opportunity to examine the fish from above and to gently touch the fish. We had a goldfish one year that truly seemed to enjoy being ‘pet’. This is an activity that you will have to carefully monitor and also discuss ahead of time. It is also one that the children really enjoyed.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully. AND Science/Science Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Dramatic Play

Bring several chairs into the center to make a pretend ‘boat’. The children can pretend to fish using rods made from dowel rods, rulers, or paper towel tubes. To extend, make fish and color different colors or add letters to their bodies. Put a paperclip on each fish and a magnet attached to the rod by a piece of yarn about 12-18 inches long.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Math and Manipulatives

            Use the fish pattern and make a page of red, yellow, blue, and green fish.  Cut them out and use with the children to make patterns.  Can you make a pattern just like this?  Kerry made a pattern, let’s all see if we can copy hers.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Outdoor play

            The story talks about creatures from here to there.  Think of silly ways to move across the playground from here to there and there to here.  Silly children everywhere!

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; shows increasing levels of proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping.

Transitions

            Using the book, turn to a page and give the child a word from the story and see to if he/she can make a rhyming word to go with it.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.