Free Pre-K 3 lesson plan · Unit 1: Me and my family
Pre-K 3, week 1: my name and counting to 3
This week your learner will hear and see their own name, count up to 3 things and name parts of the body. Each activity takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 1 of 36 · See the Pre-K 3 year map · Not sure of the level? Take the 3-question Pre-K 3 or Pre-K 4 picker
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5-minute parent prep
- Write your learner's first name in large letters on a strip of paper (capital first letter, then lowercase).
- Gather 3 large spoons, 3 socks and a few crayons.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, 3 large spoons, 3 socks, a mirror if you have one. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Talk and listen | My name page, Name song hunt card |
| Tuesday | Math | Count to 3 page, Spoon count card |
| Wednesday | Explore | My body page, Mirror body game card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Trace the path page, Move like me card |
| Friday | Story and review | Song of the week, Parent notes page |
| Every day | Read, sing, play | Read a picture book together, sing the song of the week, play outside and check in on feelings with the free feelings cards. |
Printable pages
My name
Say: "This is your name. Let's find the first letter." Your learner colors the box with the first letter of their name and traces the dotted lines with a finger or a crayon.
Count to 3
Say: "Touch each one and count with me." Your learner touches each picture as you count together, then colors one dot for each picture.
My body
Say: "Point to your eyes. Now point to the eyes in the picture." Your learner points to each body part you name and colors the picture.
Trace the path
Say: "Help the ball roll to the box. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each line from left to right with a finger first, then with a crayon.
Activity cards
Name song hunt
- Show the name strip and read it together.
- Hide it somewhere easy to find in the room.
- When your learner finds it, say the name together and clap.
Easier: Hide it in plain sight.
Next step: Ask "Whose name is this?" and point to the first letter.
Say this: "You found it. That says your name."
No supplies: Say your learner's name in a whisper, a big voice and a silly voice.
Language: my name
Spoon count
- Put the spoons on the table.
- Your learner drops one spoon at a time into the cup.
- Count together, one number for each spoon: 1, 2, 3.
Easier: Use 2 spoons.
Next step: Take them out again and count backward: 3, 2, 1.
Say this: "How many spoons are in the cup? Three."
No supplies: Count claps, jumps or toes instead.
Math: counting and cardinality
Mirror body game
- Stand in front of the mirror together.
- Name a body part: eyes, ears, nose, hands, feet.
- Your learner touches it and says the word.
Easier: Name 3 body parts.
Next step: Ask "What do we do with our ears?"
Say this: "We see with our eyes. We hear with our ears."
No supplies: No mirror? Touch each other's shoulders and knees.
Science: my body and senses
Move like me
- You do a move: clap, stomp or reach up high.
- Your learner copies it.
- Swap and let your learner lead.
Easier: Do one move at a time.
Next step: Do two moves in a row: clap, then stomp.
Say this: "Your turn to lead. I will copy you."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Hello, my name
Hello, hello, what is your name?
Say it loud and say it plain.
Clap it once and clap it twice,
What a name, it sounds so nice.
Actions: Clap once for each part of your learner's name. Try next: Sing it with the names of family members.
Parent notes for Friday
Not a test. Notice what your learner does this week, and practice the rest later. Nothing here is sent to UpOnly Learning.
- Turns to look when you say their name
- Counts 3 objects with you, touching each one
- Points to 3 body parts when you name them
- Copies a simple move
Want the bigger picture? See developmental milestones by age and the child development guide for ages 3 to 5.
Safety for this week
- Use objects too big to fit in your learner's mouth, and stay close during any counting or sorting with real objects.
- Water play only with an adult within arm's reach the whole time, even in a small tub.
- An adult handles anything hot or sharp, knives, and rocks or heavy objects.
- Dry beans and seeds only with an adult watching closely, and not with a learner who still puts things in their mouth.
- No scissors needed: tear paper instead. If you do use scissors, use child safety scissors with an adult right there.
- Choose crayons, markers and paint labeled for young learners (look for the AP seal).
Questions parents ask
Start with hearing it and seeing it: say it in a song, show it on a strip of paper and point to the first letter. Recognizing their own name and the first letter is plenty for a 3 year old. Writing it comes much later.
Count real things your learner can touch, a few at a time: 3 spoons, 3 socks, 3 steps. Touch each one as you say a number. Counting objects to 3 correctly matters more than saying numbers to 10.
About 5 to 10 minutes each, with 10 to 15 minutes of table time a day in two or three short blocks. Stop while your learner is still having fun. Play, a read-aloud, the song and time outside fill the rest of the day.
Yes. Every week page, printable, activity card and song is free, with no daily caps, no card and no ads. A free adult account is needed only to download the PDFs, and we never ask for your student's name.
Related pages
Recommended for your student
Pre-K 3 Full Year
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The whole Pre-K 3 year in one print-ready book: 36 weeks of parent plans, printable pages, activity cards and songs for ages 3 to 4, with a clickable table of contents, page numbers and parent answer notes. 309 pages.
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