Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 7: Sky and weather
Pre-K 4, week 27: the letter j, between, day and night
This week your learner will hear the j sound, use the word between, and find out why we have day and night. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 27 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
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5-minute parent prep
- Write a big J and a small j on a sheet of paper.
- Gather a lamp, a ball and a sticker or a small piece of tape.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, 3 toys, a lamp, a ball, a sticker or tape. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Letter j | Letter j page, Jump for j card |
| Tuesday | Math | In between page, Who is between? card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Day and night page, Lamp and ball card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Night sky page, Jumping fun 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
Letter j
Say: "J says j, like jump. Jar, juice, jacket." Your learner traces the big J and the small j, then colors the pictures that start with j.
jar
juice
jacket
jar
juice
jacket
In between
Say: "The house is between the two trees. Between means in the middle." Your learner points to the house in the middle, says "between", and colors the pictures.
Day and night
Say: "The sun shines in the day. The moon is out at night. When do we sleep?" Your learner names each picture and tells if it happens in the day or at night, then colors it.
Night sky
Say: "Draw the night sky. Will you draw the moon, or stars?" Your learner draws the night sky in the frame. Count the stars together.
Activity cards
Jump for j
- Say "j, j, jump" together.
- Say a word. If it starts with j, your learner jumps.
- Try: jump, jar, sun, juice, ball, jacket.
Easier: Use only jump and sun.
Next step: Your learner says a j word for you to jump to.
Say this: "Juice starts with j. Jump."
No supplies: Clap instead of jumping.
Literacy: phonological awareness
Who is between?
- Line up 3 toys in a row.
- Ask "Which toy is between the others?"
- Your learner moves a toy so it is between two others.
Easier: Use your learner: sit them between you and a teddy.
Next step: Mix it up: above, below, beside, between.
Say this: "The car is between the bear and the ball."
No supplies: Use people: stand between two family members.
Math: spatial sense
Lamp and ball
- Make the room dim. An adult turns on the lamp.
- Put a sticker on the ball for your home. Slowly turn the ball in front of the lamp.
- When the sticker faces the lamp, it is day. When it faces away, it is night.
Easier: Just show day and night with the sticker.
Next step: Ask "What do you do in the day? At night?"
Say this: "The Earth turns. Now our home has night." An adult handles the lamp, and the bulb can get hot.
No supplies: Use a window in the day and a dark room to talk about day and night.
Science: sun, clouds, rain, day and night
Jumping fun
- Jump on two feet 5 times.
- Jump forward like a kangaroo.
- Jump and land softly, bending your knees.
Easier: Jump in place.
Next step: Jump over a line on the floor, forward and back.
Say this: "Jump, jump, land soft."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Day and night
In the day the sun is bright,
We jump and play with all our might.
At night the moon is up so high,
We close our eyes and say goodnight.
Actions: Jump on "jump", then rest your head on your hands at the end. Try next: Whisper the last two lines like it's bedtime.
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 the j sound
- Finds j on a page
- Puts a toy between two others
- Sorts things into day and night
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
Use a lamp and a ball. Put a sticker on the ball for your home and turn it slowly in front of the lamp. When the sticker faces the light, it is day. When it turns away, it is night. Keep it short and let your student turn the ball.
Many students this age use in, on, under and next to, and are learning above, below, beside and between. Practice them in play, like tidying up toys: "Put the bear between the books." Every student learns at their own pace.
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 toys, a lamp, a ball and a sticker or a small piece of tape. Every activity card also has a no-supplies swap, so you can start with what you already have at home. Print in black and white to save ink.
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
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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.
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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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