Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst

Some days are just terrible, horrible, no good and very bad. Follow Alexander as he experiences one such day. It might make yours feel a little less terrible. This book is a good one to use to talk about feelings and safe behaviors for letting off steam.

Materials

globe or world map

yoga cards

Picture of Aboriginal art

several clean egg cartons

Qtips

small suitcase or small satchels

Emotion cards for game

Emotion cards for wall of library

Several Page protectors and dry erase marker

Several toothbrushes

Vocabulary

Australia (a country far away from the United States where people, kangaroos and koala bears live)

Lousy (a day when nothing goes the way you want it to)

Tense (muscles kept very stiff so cannot move)

Stiff (to keep your body strong and not moving)

Relaxed (Muscles are not stiff and so body falls over)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if they have ever had a day where nothing goes right and everything seems wrong? Explain that some people call this a lousy day or a rotten day. Give some examples of what having a rotten day might look like (When I was walking I stepped in dog-doo. When I was taking a bath I got soap in my eye). Ask the children if they have any examples of a rotten day they might like to share? After they have given any examples, tell them that fortunately, bad days come to an end and the next day will be better.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; progress in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and in discussions with peers and adults.

Reading the Story

After the first mention of Australia, stop and show the children where it is located on a globe or world map. Say that Australia is very far away.

Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; begins to express and understand concepts and language of geography in contexts of the classroom, home, and community.

Read the story with disappointment and frustration in your voice. As you read, point to Alexander’s face on different pages and mimic your own to express how he is feeling. Note mentally if any children respond to your facial expressions in any way.

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; progresses in responding sympathetically to peers who are in need, upset, hurt, or angry; and in expressing empathy or caring for others.

After reading the Story

Note to the children that even though Alexander was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, he NEVER lashed out at his friends or brothers. Even when his big brothers were teasing him after the dentists. Ask the children if they can think of things they can do if they are very, very frustrated and angry or are just having a rotten day? (Punch a pillow, throw a bean bag at a wall target, punch down play dough, scream outside, dig holes in the dirt on the playground, do some yoga).

Discovery

Remind the children that in the story Alexander had a cavity on his tooth and had to go to the dentist. Talk about how it is important to brush your teeth to keep them clean and cavity free. Draw a simple tooth shape and slide it into a page protector. Give the child a marker to make cavities all over the tooth. Then give them a toothbrush and have them scrub away the cavities and make the tooth clean again.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth, and toileting.

If your school brushes teeth after meals, look at the children’s toothbrushes and replace those that are narly and chewed up. Remind the children that they should scrub their teeth and try not to chew on their toothbrush.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth, and toileting.

Music and Movment

Do yoga poses with the children.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; progresses in physical growth, strength, stamina, and flexibility.

Sing If Your Happy and You Know It but include other emotions. Name an emotion and let the children help make an action to go along with.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Sing How Are You Feeling? to the tune of What are You Wearing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Z8euLE5Fw

How are you feeling, How are you feeling?

How are you feeling today, today?

How are you feeling, How are you feeling?

How are you feeling today?

If you’re feeling happy jump up and down

If you’re feeling sad bend over and cry

If your feeling scared scrunch down low

If your feeling angry shout out loud!

Make up verses to fit your classroom needs.

Creative Arts/Music; participates with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music activities, including listening, singing, finger plays, games, and performances.

Ask the children if they remember what Alexander bought when they went to the store (sneakers). Tell the children that you are going to play a shoe game. Have all the children take off one shoe and put it in the middle of the circle. Teacher takes one shoe and begins passing it around the circle to music. When the music stops, whoever is holding the shoe must find the correct person who’s shoe it is. Take another shoe and begin again until all the shoes have been collected. Can the children put their own shoe on? Can they tie, buckle, or velcro by themselves?

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and in personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth, and toileting.

Teach the children the chant, Brush Your Teeth. Act out as you chant.

Brush your teeth everyday, up and down it is the right way.

Back and forth and circles too, that’s just what you’ve got to do.

Brush your teeth everyday, up and down it is the right way.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Blocks

Add one inch squares to the center today. Challenge the children to build tall towers. Can they build to ten or more tall? Have them count their tower blocks.

Mathematics/Number & operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in eye-hand coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles reproducing shapes and patterns, string beads, and using scissors.

Art

Show the picture of the Aboriginal art and explain to the children that in Australia one popular kind of art is ‘dot art’ Pour a small amount of paint into every-other egg carton section. Give a child a picture outline of one of the Australian animals and show them how to put the Qtip into paint and use it to make dots upon the animal shape. Encourage them to continue making dots until they fill the entire shape in.

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in abilities to persist in and complete a variety of tasks, activites, projects, and experiences.

Library and Writing

Add books that show emotions or add the pictures from resources. As the children enjoy the center, talk to them about the different emotions and what makes them feel that way?

Sand and Water

Add soap bubbles to the water play today.

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

Dramatic Play

Add suitcase or small satchels to the center so the children can pretend that they are going on a trip, perhaps to Australia. They can pack their bags and then turn the center into a car, boat, or airplane.

Creative Arts/Dramatic PLay; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Math and Manipulatives

Make several sets of the emotion cards and cut out. The children can then take turns matching and naming the emotion. Or turn them over and use as Memory cards.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take interactions; to take turns in games or using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.

Outdoor Play

Play Tense and Relaxed. Have the children stand in front of you so that they are not touching. Ask them to show you what happens to a ice cream cone in the sun (melt your body). Now be a glass of water that gets put in the freezer (stiffen your body) Tell them that you are going to clap your hands three times and their body will get more and more relaxed. Now clap three times and their body will get tense and stiff. Ask them to tighten all at once with one clap and then take three claps to relax. Demonstrate if necessary.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions.

Transitions

Put the emotion cards in a pile up-side down. A child picks one and names the emotion and something that might make you feel that way.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary

Resources

Enlarge and use animal outlines for dot art

Enlarge these art works and hang in library for children to talk about.

Little Quack’s Bedtime, by Lauren Thompson

It’s time for 5 little ducklings to go to bed but what are all those frightening sights and sounds? Mamma Duck helps her family get settled for the night, it’s time for bed.

Materials

Star stickers
Tape recording of quiet but familiar household sounds that children might hear at night (clock ticking, ceiling fan motor, faucet dripping, cat meow, someone snoring)
On a piece of large dark paper, trace around familiar classroom objects. Put the objects you traced around into a basket and use for the discovery center today.
Star design (to watercolor)
Quilt pattern
26 index cards with a letter of the alphabet printed and a direction on each.

Vocabulary

Flashing (when something blinks on and off, on and off)
Sway (to swing back and forth)

Before Reading the Story

Open the book so the children can see both the front and back covers. Can you tell what this book is about by looking at the illustrations?

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and past experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; grows in recognizing and solving problems through active exploration, including trial and error, and interactions and discussions with peers and adults.

While Reading the Story

As you read the parts where the ducklings are questioning what is out in the night, add a touch of fear to your voice.

After Reading the Story

Lead a discussion about how things look and sound different in the night. Play the night time recording and ask the children if they can guess the sounds that they are hearing. If you cannot make a listening game, there are some general ones on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1m4h79JZso

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity;approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness.

Discovery

Set out the paper you traced objects around and the basket of objects. See if the children can match the objects to their shape. For older children make it more challenging by tracing around similar objects (2 duplos, one slightly larger, a spoon and a fork from dramatic play. counting bears in two sizes, etc.)

Mathematics/Geometry & SPatial Sense; begins to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size and shape.

Music and Movement;

Sing 5 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1_dxT7efcs

Mathematics/Number & Operations;begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and written numerals in meaningful ways.

Sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star . Then change the verses to include great big star, teeny tiny star, medium sized star. Hold up hands to indicate what size star you are singing about.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and area of an object.

Blocks

Can you use the blocks to make beds for the people? I have 5 people, can you make 5 beds? Which shape blocks are you using to make the bed? Can you make a bed big enough for yourself?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take apart shapes.

Art

Use a piece of sentence strip paper as a template to make a crown out of dark paper. Let the children use sticker stars to decorate, or cut out many stars to glue on.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer.

Water color on star design

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.

Sand and Water

Library and Writing

Talk to the children about their bedtime rituals. Make a list of ways they prepare for bed (I brush my teeth, My Mom tucks me in the blanket, My Dad reads me two stories)

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play. AND Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people such as genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures.

Dramatic Play

Encourage night time rituals play. Bring in blankets, pillows, books.

Math and Manipulatives

Cut out many one inch squares and give each child a copy of the Quilt picture. Make a pattern on your quilt using the squares and ask the children if they can copy it. Let the children make their own patterns and glue them to their quilt paper

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

Outdoor Play

Sit quietly and listen for outside sounds. Can the children name the sounds that they are hearing?

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity;approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness.

Bring out your index cards with letters and directions. Mix them up. A child picks one and must name the letter and it’s sound and then the teacher gives the direction for all the children to do. A=answer a question, B= bend down and touch your toes, C= clap your hands loudly, D= dance a silly dance, E= exhale loudly, F= fly like a bird, G= gallop once around the playground, H= hop on one foot for five hops, I=imitate what the teacher does, J= jump in place, K= pretend to kick a ball, L= go limp, M= march with high knees for ten steps, N= nod your head up and down, O= prent to open a present, P= Pound your fist on your thigh, Q= quietly say you name, R=Roar really loudly, S= squat down low, T= twirl around, U= uncover a part of your body, V= pretend to vacuum, W= wave to a friend, Y=yodel old lady o, Z= make a zig-zag line in the air.

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; associates sounds with written words, such as different words begin with the same sound.

Transitions

Use the same letter cards as outside but this time ask the child to name the letter and then give a word that starts with that letter.

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

Resources

show children how to move from point 1 to point 5 w/o raising the pencil. This will make a star.

Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell

When the baby owls wake up in the middle of the night, their mother is gone! The babies are scared, where could she be?

Materials

A good picture of an owl that shows detail (calendar, internet, natural magazine)
Bag of colored feathers
Owl head pattern for paper bag puppet
Paper lunch sack, one per child
Cut out a large tree with several branches. Cut out three leaves per child.
Grocery list or flyers
Snapping clothes pins, several
Box of large paper clips
Several hoola hoops or string circles

Vocabulary

Beak (the mouth of a bird)
Brave (to show courage even when you are afraid or nervous)
Owlet (a baby owl)
Talons (the hooked claws found on the owls feet)

Before Reading the Story

Show the children the cover of the book. Does anyone know the name of this kind of bird? Ask them if they can tell what time of day it is. Look at the baby owl’s eyes. How do you think they feel? They look scared. What do you think made them afraid?

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Reading the Story

Read adding inflection so the children can hear a bit of fear in your voice. Encourage the children to say Bill’s line with him, “I want my Mommy!”

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; shows growing interest in reading related activities, such as asking to have a favorite book read;choosing to look at books; drawing pictures based on stories; asking to take books home; going to the library; and engaging in pretend reading with other children.

After Reading the Book

Lead a discussion into ‘being afraid’. Have you ever been afraid? What did you do? Do you know what it means to be brave? Think of a time when you were brave (I got a shot and didn’t cry, My Dad took the wheels off my bicycle and told me to ride on only two, The dog came in my yard and I was outside).

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; uses an increasingly complex and varied spoken vocabulary.

Discovery

Find a detailed picture of an owl. Talk with the children about the picture. Look at the owl’s eyes, why do you think they are so big (to be able to see at night), Did you know owls cannot move their eyes, they have to turn their heads. Look at the owls’ beak, why do you think it is so sharp? (To eat meat) What do we use to eat meat? Look at the owl’s feet, why do you think their nails are so sharp? Their feet are called talons. Continue to look at the owl and see if the children can compare owls to people and how they are alike and different.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare, and contrast objects, events, and experiences.

Music and Movement

Put several hoola hoops on the floor. Each hoop should be able to hold several children. Have the children practice flying and swooping from one hoop to the next. Make sure you practice woo, wooing also.

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Teach the poem, Wide-Eyed Owl

Wide-Eyed Owl

Here’s a wide-eyed owl

With a pointed beak

And claws upon his toes.

He lives up high in the tree.

He turns his head to look at me.

He flaps his wings

And says whoo,whoo,whoo.

(Act out accordingly)

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Blocks

The owl family lived in a tree in the forest. Encourage the children to recreate the forest by standing many varied blocks up on end. Can they stack one upon the other, can they stack three?

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

Use the owl head and glue it to a paper lunch sack. Put out many colored feathers and let the children glue them on to the bag to make an owl puppet. For a less structured art project, just put out the feathers and let the children make a feather collage.

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.

Sand and Water

With sand in table, add many small animal counters or small items. Show the children how to open the clothespins and grab an animal. Put a small basket beside the table and the children can move the animals they “catch with their owl beak” and put them in the basket.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors,l paper punch, stapler, and hammer.

Library and Writing

Ask the child to take a leaf and write their name on it. Then add a piece of tape and give the child a positional direction of where to tape it to the tree. (Put your leaf under a branch, at the top of the tree, next to Kerry’s leaf, on the left side of the tree).

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their own name. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, behind.

Dramatic Play

Put grocery lists and grocery fliers into the center and encourage the children to pretend that they are getting ready to go to the grocery store. Will the baby dolls go with to the store or will they stay at home? Who will they stay home with? Ask the children if their parents have ever left home without them. Did someone come to stay with you? Who? What did you do?

Math and Manipulatives

Have the children count out 8 paperclips. Tell them that these are the talons for their owl puppet. Have them slip them onto the bottom of the paper bag and count as they put them on.

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

Outdoor Play

Tell the children that they are going to be owl families. Pick several children to be the owlets. They must stay together while their parents go to gather food for them. Have the parent owls’ swoop around the playground picking up sticks (mice and snakes) to bring back to their babies to eat. The babies can hoot while they wait for their parents.

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Transitions

Give each child a colored feather. Have them use the feather to find something else in the room that is the same color. They can fly around the room looking for objects. After a short amount of time they can gather back at the carpet. As they go off to the next activity they can tell you the color name of their objects, the names of the objects themselves, and how many objects they were able to find.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops an increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in a series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size.

Dear Parent-

Today we talked about owls. Go for a walk with your child and look for other kinds of birds that are in your neighborhood. Teach your child the names of one or two of these bird species and how to identify them (That’s a cardinal, he is red all over. That’s a Robin Red Breast because his belly and breast area are the color red).