Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 1: Me and my family
Pre-K 4, week 1: my name and counting to 3
This week your learner will find the letters of their own name, count up to 3 things and name parts of the body. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 1 of 36 · See the Pre-K 4 year map · Not sure of the level? Take the 3-question Pre-K 3 or Pre-K 4 picker
Free, with no limits. No daily caps, no card and no ads. Reading every page is open to everyone; a free adult account is needed only to download the PDFs. We never ask for your student's name or any student information.
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 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 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 | My name | Name page, Name hunt card |
| Tuesday | Math | Count to 3 page, Spoon count card |
| Wednesday | Explore | My body card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Trace the path page, Move 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 traces the dotted lines, then colors the box with the first letter of their name.
Count to 3
Say: "Touch each one and count with me." Your learner touches each picture, counts out loud and colors the matching dots.
My body
Say: "Point to your eyes. Now point to the eyes in the picture." Your learner points to each body part 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 crayon, holding it with fingers and thumb.
Activity cards
Name hunt
- Show the name strip and say each letter.
- Look for the first letter of the name in books or on boxes.
- Each time your learner finds it, they point and say the letter.
Easier: Look only for the first letter.
Next step: Look for a second letter of the name.
Say this: "You found it. That letter is in your name."
No supplies: Use any print in the house: a cereal box, a shirt, a sign.
Literacy: print and alphabet knowledge
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: Use 5 spoons.
Say this: "How many spoons are in the cup? Three."
No supplies: Count claps, jumps or toes instead.
Math: counting and cardinality
My body
- 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 eyes?"
Say this: "We see with our eyes. We hear with our ears."
No supplies: No mirror? Take turns touching 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.
- Take turns being the leader.
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: My name song
I have a name, a name, a name,
I have a name, and it is mine.
Clap it out and say it slow,
Now you know my name, hello.
Actions: Clap once for each part of your learner's name. Try next: Clap the names of family members too.
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.
- Points to the first letter of their name
- Counts 3 objects, touching each one
- Names 3 body parts
- Holds a crayon with fingers and thumb
Want the bigger picture? Use the free kindergarten readiness checklist.
Safety for this week
- Use objects too big to fit in your learner's mouth, and stay close during any counting with real objects.
- Child-size scissors only, with an adult watching. Hand scissors over handle first.
- Choose crayons, markers and paint labeled for young learners (look for the AP seal).
- Adults handle anything hot or sharp.
Questions parents ask
Keep each activity to about 10 minutes, with 15 to 20 minutes of table time a day in two or three short blocks. Stop while your student is still having fun. Play, a read-aloud, the song and time outside fill the rest of the day.
No. Each week comes as a color PDF and a black-and-white PDF made from the same pages. The black-and-white version uses outline pictures, so it is low ink and doubles as a coloring page. You can also do every activity with no printer at all.
Paper, crayons, 3 spoons, 3 socks and a mirror if you have one. Every activity card also has a no-supplies swap, such as counting claps instead of spoons, so you can start today with what you have at home.
That is expected at the start of Pre-K 4. This week your student only needs to find the first letter of their name and trace lines. You can write the name in highlighter for tracing. Writing some letters of their name is a goal for later in the year.
Related pages
- Free Pre-K curriculum for 4 year olds, week by week
- Child development guide: preschoolers, 3 to 5
- Free kindergarten reading practice and kindergarten math practice for when your learner is ready for more
Recommended for your student
Pre-K 4 Full Year
$19.99. One-time purchase, no subscription.
The whole Pre-K 4 year in one print-ready book: 36 weeks of parent plans, printable pages, activity cards and songs for ages 4 to 5, with a clickable table of contents, page numbers and parent answer notes. 309 pages.
See it in the storeSources
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.
To print, create a free account at uponlylearning.com (no card needed), then download the printable PDF.