Silly Sally, by Audrey Wood

Children seem to like this silly story about a girl named Sally who went to town walking backwards upside down.

Materials

A carnation flower or Queen Anne’s Lace. If no flower, a celery stalk
Food coloring
Pictures of Silly Sally characters

Vocabulary

Backwards (to not face the front but the back)
Upside down (where the upper part is where the lower part should be)
Silly (to be goofy or foolish)

Before Reading the Story

Bring to the rug a variety of classroom objects with sets of two that begin with the same letter sound (car and crayon, pencil and purple piece of paper, block and bear counter). Put out the set plus one other item (car, crayon, pencil). Name the objects and ask the children which one has a different beginning sound. Do this several times until the children get the hang of the game. Then ask the children if they can think of two words that begin with the same letter sound. Write the children’s responses on a piece of paper.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows growing awareness of beginning and ending sounds in words.

Reading the Story

On a second reading, have the children act out the actions. They can walk backwards with their heads hung low instead of on their hands.

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

After Reading the Story

Ask the children to answer questions about the story. Silly Sally went to town, walking which way upside down? Silly Sally danced a jig with this very silly___? Silly Sally played leap frog with this very silly ___? Silly Sally sang a tune, with this very silly ___? Silly Sally fell asleep with this very silly ___? Along came Ned Buttercup walking ____?

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and predict what will happen next in a story. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, songs, stories, and poems.

Discovery

There are lots of flowers in the story. Put a carnation or Queen Anne’s lace into a vase of water. Add a few drops of food coloring and predict what the children think will happen. Observe it for a day or two and see if their predictions come true. You can talk about how all living things need water. People drink water through their mouths. Plants are also alive and need water. They drink theirs through their roots and stems.

Science/Scientific SKills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations. AND Science/Scientific Knowledge; shows increased awareness and beginning understanding of changes in materials and cause-effect relationships.

Music and Movement

Teach the children a tongue twister; Silly Sally snake slithered slowly down the slippery slope on a sunny summer’s day.

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

Sing Down By the Bay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CSxGHve60E

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

Do the following finger-hand play. Follow the movements accordingly.

Up and Down, round and round

I put my fingers on the ground

Over, under, in between

Now my fingers can’t be seen!

Hands in front, hands behind

Now my hands you can not find!

Here’s my left hand, here’s my right

My hands and fingers are back in sight.

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.

Blocks

In the story there is a bridge that goes into town. Encourage the children to make a bridge and line up the people or animals across it. Can they make a long bridge? A tall bridge? A bridge using only one size block? How many people fit onto their bridge? Can they make oine that will fit more?

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; begins to make comparisons between several objects based on a single attribute.

Art

Tape pieces of drawing paper to the underside of the art table. Put the markers or crayons in a basket under the table. The children can lie on their backs under the table and draw upside down.

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation. AND Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in a increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Sand and Water

Put magnet letters into the sand today. Give the children spoons or tongs to search for the letters. As they pull a letter out, can they name it? Can they name another letter that rhymes with it?

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, and poems.

Library and Writing

Bring out letters to trace or stamp. Ask the children to find the first letter of their name and trace it/stamp it. Ask them if they can think of a word that begins with that letter sound. Write their name and the word beside one another. As they trace more letters, ask them to think of two words that begin with that letter sound.

Dramatic Play

Add some silly hats and bow ties to the center. Encourage the children to dress up silly. Put the coat on backwards and two different shoes, add a bow tie and a silly hat.

Math and Manipulatives

Make a game using the Silly Sally pictures. Give each child a picture. Start by saying, “Everybody upside down”. The children turn their card so the figure is upside down to them. Continue playing by calling upside down or right side up. The children must move their picture accordingly. Try to trick them by calling upside down twice in a row, etc..

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

Outdoor Play

Help the children to feel what it is like to walk on their hands, upside down. Have them bend over, the teacher holds their ankles up in the air and they can try to walk on their hands several feet.

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

Send children off to the next activity with instructions to do a silly movement to get there. As they go say, “Silly Serry went to town, walking on her knees. Silly Soger went to town, jumping like a frog,” etc

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

Resources

Put Me in the Zoo, by Robert Lopshire

This is a fun rhyming book that incorporates color and size. It is a Dr. Suess Beginner Book and children all delight in this funny animal’s spot adventure.

Vocabulary

Spots (little daubs of color)
Zoo (a wildlife park where you can find many kinds of wild animals)

Materials Needed

Cardboard or poster board
Music cd
Non-fiction animal book
Bag of M&M’s or colored marking chips
Bar Graph
Picture of animal without spots

Introducing the story

Begin a conversation about the clothes that the children are wearing. Is anyone wearing red? green? blue? Is anyone wearing stripes? spots? a pattern? Show the children the cover of the book and ask them if they can guess what the story might be about. Can you guess which shape our story is about? (circle). Can you tell me anything else? (It’s about an animal, it has colors).

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Reading the Story

Slow down at the end of each page to see if the children can guess the rhyming word by listening to the clue.

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

After Reading the Story

Talk about spots. What animals can they think of that have spots? Do people have spots (freckles, birthmarks)? What else can you think of that has spots? Make a list of all the things they think of and attach it to the wall.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; Develops increased ability to observe and discuss common properties, differences, and comparisons among objects and materials.

Music & Movement

Use any color or shape songs that you have taught the children. Three Primary Colors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu44JRTIxSQ Shapes Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6eTDfkvPmo

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 to make a large group circle and then do group circle songs such as Looby Loo or Hokey Pokey. Can they form a circle with only verbal cues?

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

Discovery

Bring in non-fiction books about animals. Challenge the children to look at the various animals for comparisons. (Can you find two animals with stripes? Can you find two animals with bumpy skin? Can you find some with spots?).

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; Develops increased ability to observe and discuss common properties, differences, and comparisons among objects and materials.

Blocks

Make a sign that says ZOO on an index card. Show it to the children and tell them that you are going to put it in the block corner for the day. Encourage the children to make a zoo by sorting like animals together and making enclosures around them.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as shape or size. AND Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; shows growing capacity to maintain concentration over time on a task, question, or set of directions or interactions despite distractions and interruptions.

Art

Ask the children to draw a picture of where they would put their spots if they could put them anywhere. After they have drawn their picture, use a stamp pad to make finger print dots on top. Dictate their responses. (I would put spots on my baby brother. I would put spots on the car).

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.

Sand & Water

Cut out a variety of circle sizes from cardboard. Put these in the sand table. Ask the children to sift through the sand to find all the circles. Have them sort them by size. With younger children you could cut out various color poster board and have them sort by color.

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

Library and Writing

Cut out several 2 inch circles from cardboard. Show the children how to hold it on a piece of paper and trace around it. Encourage them to name the shape.

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

Before the children begin cutting out circles, remind them about how to carry and use scissors correctly.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; builds awareness and ability to follow basic health and safety rules such as fire safety, traffic and pedestrian safety, and responding appropriately to potentially harmful objects, substances, and activities.

Ask the children to write one letter from their name on each circle as they cut them out (Kerry would need to cut out 5 circles).

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools, including pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology.

Math and Manipulatives

Bring in a large bag of M&M’s, or a variety of colored chips. Give each child 10 and a bar graph. Ask the children to sort the M&M’s onto a graph. Ask them which color has the most? How many greens do you have? How many altogether? Who in the group has the most brown’s? Which is your favorite color? When you are finished you can have them eat and count.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color or size. AND Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as more, less, greater than, fewer, and equal to.

Outdoor Play

On the playground lay hoola hoops on the ground. Encourage the children to jump from hoop to hoop. Play in the hoop, out of the hoop.

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

Transitions

Dismiss the children to the next activity by color. If you’re wearing yellow go wash your hands, line-up, or choose your center.

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

Resources

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed, by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

Ella Sarah needs to get dressed but no one in her family agrees upon what she wants to wear.

Materials

15 index cards cut in half the long way. On 20 of the halves, make a small circle of color using a crayon or marker. On the remainder 10, make a bean shape with arms and legs (jumping beans)
Paint swatches from local paint store. You will need two to three of each color swatch you choose.
Clothing pattern, enlarge for children to color individual items.
An assortment of larger buttons, about 20-25 in all.
A parachute or large flat sheet. Colored scarves.

Vocabulary

Naming articles of clothing (short sleeves, t-shirt, blouse, long sleeves, sandals, sneakers, slippers, etc.)

Introducing the Story

Wear something that is one or more of your favorite articles of clothing to school today. Introduce the story by saying’ “I wore my favorite (socks) to school today because (they have cats all over them and cats are my favorite animal). If you know of a child who has a favorite article of clothing, mention it (I see Roger is wearing his baseball shirt, he told me once that he loves baseball. Roger is it one of your favorite shirts?). Let the children share their favorites if they choose to.

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

Reading the Story

As you read the story, use your voice to show Ella Sarah’s displeasure at being told not to wear her favorite outfit. Note to the children after these pages that you think Ella Sarah really wants to wear her pink polka-dot pants, her dress with orange and green flowers, her purple and blue striped socks, her yellow shoes, and her red hat! On the page where Ella Sarah looks in the mirror and feels her outfit is just right, ask the children to look at her face and tell you what they think she might be feeling.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; shows growing interest and involvement in listening to and discussing a variety of fiction and non-fiction books, and poetry. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

After Reading the Story

Tell the children that Ella Sarah really had on a variety of colors. Ask them if they can remember some of the colors that she was wearing. Then say, “Let’s play a color game”. Get out your jumping bean cards directions on how to make is under materials. Hold the cards face down so the children cannot see the marks/colors on the opposite side. Let the children take turns picking a card and naming the color. If they get a jumping bean card they shout ‘Jumping Bean!” and everyone jumps up and down. Continue playing until all the children have had a turn or they lose interest.

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.

Music and Movement

Sing What Are You Wearing Today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vmhPxdR_do

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

Discovery

Put out the paint color swatches on the table and encourage the children to find the matching cards. For older children you can get several hues in the same color family. For younger children, use swatches that are more defined. When they have matched the color swatches, ask the child if he/she can name the colors.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in a series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size.

Blocks

Put out colored blocks today. Encourage them to sort the blocks by colors or to match the blocks to colors that they are wearing. As they build ask them to name some of the colors they are using or if they have a favorite color.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in a series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size.

Art

Ask each child if they have a favorite article of clothing at home. Challenge them to draw their favorite outfit or give the child a clothing pattern to match their choice and markers or crayons to color them. As they work encourage them to talk about the article with detail., just like Ella Sarah and her family did in the story today.

Creative Arts/Art; progresses in abilities to create drawings, paintings, models, and other art creations that are more detailed, creative, or realistic.

Sand and Water

Bring the baby doll clothes over to the center today and fill the water table with soapy water. Let the children wash the clothes. As they wash, talk about the articles of clothing. Can they name them? Do they wear these at home? When do you wear the article of clothing? (I have pajamas at my house for nighttime. I have a fancy dress to wear when I go to parties. My baby has one of these.)

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other purposes.

Library and Writing

Put the book in the center today. With one or two children at a time take a picture walk through the book. As you go through the pages ask the children what happened first, next, and last. Can they remember what Ella Sarah’s favorite outfit was?

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play and to predict what will happen next in a story.

Dramatic Play

Get out all the dress up clothes today. Add jewelry and scarves if you have them. Suggest to the children to dress for a party. Comment on how lovely they look (Alison I love your blue striped skirt and green lace blouse, you look marvelous for the party!).

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex. Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills

Math and Manipulaties

Call several children over to the table to play a counting game with you. Give each child a copy of the large shirt pattern and put a bowl of buttons in the middle. The children take turns rolling a dice and adding that many buttons to their shirt pattern. After their turn they put the buttons back into the bowl for the next player’s turn. Continue rolling the dice and counting out buttons until each child has had several turns or loses interest.

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

Outdoor Play

Bring your parachute and colored scarves out onto the playground. Spread the parachute out flat and have the children stand all around the edges. Give each child a colored scarf. Have them name the color/s of their scarf and toss it onto the parachute. Once all the scarves are on the parachute, the children pick up the chute by the edges or handles and make the scarves dance by shaking their arms up and down. Repeat giving each child a different color scarf.

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; demonstrates increasing abilities to coordinate movements in throwing, catching, kicking, bouncing balls, and using the slide and the swing.

Transitions

Call the children to the next activity or to line up by what they are wearing. (If you are wearing a shirt with buttons, shoes with laces, pants with a zipper, etc.)

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Dear Parents, Today we read a story about a little girl who wanted to choose what she was going to wear, even if it did not match well. Encourage your child to help pick out their clothes for school. As they do, mention the colors or the patterns on the clothing. Give your child a few extra minutes to practice dressing themselves in the morning. This is good not only for their self-esteem but is a wonderful way for your child to develop large and small muscles.