Free Pre-K 3 lesson plan · Unit 4: Home and helpers
Pre-K 3, week 14: the b sound, big and small
This week your learner will hear the b sound in ball and bus, compare big and small, and talk about people who help us. Each activity takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 14 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 a big B and a small b on a sheet of paper.
- Find a big ball and a small ball, or two other things in two sizes.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, a big ball and a small ball. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Talk and listen | The b sound page, B bounce card |
| Tuesday | Math | Big bear, small bear page, Size sort card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Places that help page, Thank you helpers card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Bouncing waves page, Bear walk 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
The b sound
Say: "B, b, ball. Bus and bear start with b too." Your learner traces the big B and small b with a finger, then colors the pictures.
ball
bus
bear
ball
bus
bear
Big bear, small bear
Say: "Which bear is big? Which is small?" Your learner colors the big bear and circles the small bear.
Places that help
Say: "Who helps us at the store? At school?" Your learner points to each place and you talk about who works there.
Bouncing waves
Say: "Bounce like a ball. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each wavy line from left to right.
Activity cards
B bounce
- Bounce the ball and say "b".
- Say b words: ball, bus, bear, bed.
- Bounce once for each word.
Easier: Just bounce and say "b".
Next step: Ask "Does bed start with b? Does cat?"
Say this: "Ball. B, b, ball."
No supplies: Pat your knees instead of bouncing.
Language: sounds in words
Size sort
- Put a big box and a small box out.
- Your learner puts big toys in the big box and small toys in the small box.
- Talk about each one.
Easier: Use 2 toys.
Next step: Find something bigger than your learner's shoe.
Say this: "Big goes here. Small goes there."
No supplies: Sort pillows and cushions.
Math: measurement
Thank you helpers
- Talk about a helper you know: a doctor, a teacher, a cashier.
- Your learner draws or scribbles a thank-you picture.
- Give it, or put it on the fridge.
Easier: Just talk about the helper.
Next step: Your learner tells you what the helper does.
Say this: "Thank you for helping us."
No supplies: Say thank you to a helper you see this week.
Social-emotional: gratitude
Bear walk
- Walk on hands and feet like a big bear.
- Walk tiny like a small bear.
- Your learner chooses big or small.
Easier: Walk on knees.
Next step: Walk big and slow, small and fast.
Say this: "Big bear steps. Small bear steps."
No supplies: Do it with your hands on a table.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: B is for ball
Bounce, bounce, b, b, b,
Ball and bus and bear and me.
Bounce it high and bounce it low,
B, b, b, and there we go.
Actions: Bounce a pretend ball. Try next: Make up a line about a bird or a bed.
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.
- Says "b" for b words
- Sorts big and small
- Names a helper
- Walks like a big and a small bear
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
Talk about helpers you see: the doctor, the bus driver, the person at the store. Say what each one does, play pretend and say thank you together. Picture books help too.
Bounce a ball and say "b", find b things around the house (ball, bed, book) and sing a b song. At 3, hearing the sound matters more than tracing the letter.
Not yet. At 3, the goal is to hear and enjoy sounds, recognize their own name and notice a few letters around them. Pre-K 3 shows one letter about once a month, by sound play only. Letter learning starts in Pre-K 4.
No. Three year olds build hand strength by squeezing playdough, tearing paper, scribbling and drawing circles. Tracing big lines with a crayon is enough. Writing some letters of their name is a goal for around age 5.
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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UpOnly Learning Pre-K is general education, not medical advice. If you have concerns about your learner's development, talk with your pediatrician. In an emergency, call 911.
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