Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 8: Water, sand and moving things
Pre-K 4, week 29: the letter v and counting to 20
This week your learner will hear the v sound, count past 10 all the way to 20, and test what sinks and what floats. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 29 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 V and a small v on a sheet of paper.
- Gather a tub of water, a towel and 5 things to test, all too big to fit in the mouth.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, a tub or bowl, water, a towel, a plastic cup, a metal spoon, a sponge, an apple, a large rock. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Letter v | Letter v page, Vroom, vvv card |
| Tuesday | Math | Count to 20 page, Count to 20 steps card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Sink or float page, Sink or float tub card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Water waves page, Wave arms 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 v
Say: "V says vvv. Bite your lip gently and hum: vvv, like a van, a vest and vegetables." Your learner traces the big V and the small v, then draws a v in the air like a valley.
Count to 20
Say: "Count the dots with me. Touch each one." Your learner touches each dot and counts out loud. Then they color one empty box for each number after that, all the way to 20.
Sink or float
Say: "Will it sink to the bottom or float on top? What do you think?" Your learner guesses for each picture and colors the things they think will float.
Water waves
Say: "Make the waves roll. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces the wavy lines from left to right with a crayon.
Activity cards
Vroom, vvv
- Say "vvv" like a car engine together.
- Say a word. If it starts with v, your learner drives the car and says "vroom".
- Try: van, cat, vest, sun, vet.
Easier: Use only van and cat.
Next step: Ask "Does vase start with v?"
Say this: "Van starts with vvv. Vroom."
No supplies: Drive a pretend car with your hands.
Literacy: phonological awareness
Count to 20 steps
- Walk from one room to another and count each step.
- Keep going to 20, or start again at 1 if you run out of room.
- Ask "Which number comes after 10?"
Easier: Count to 10, then try 15.
Next step: Start at a number like 8 and count up to 20.
Say this: "Eleven, twelve, thirteen. Keep going."
No supplies: Count claps or jumps instead of steps.
Math: counting and cardinality
Sink or float tub
- Hold up one thing and ask "Sink or float?"
- Your learner guesses, then drops it in.
- Sort the things into a float pile and a sink pile.
Easier: Try 3 things.
Next step: Ask "Why do you think it floated?"
Say this: "The apple floats. The spoon sinks." Stay right beside your learner the whole time, and empty the tub when you finish.
No supplies: Guess with pictures in a book, or watch what floats in the bath.
Science: sink or float
Wave arms
- Wave your arms slowly like small waves.
- Wave them fast like big waves.
- Crouch low, then rise up like a giant wave.
Easier: Wave one arm at a time.
Next step: Add a sound: "shh" for small waves, "whoosh" for big ones.
Say this: "Small waves, big waves, whoosh."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Sink or float
Drop it in and watch it go,
Will it float or sink below?
Vvv, vvv, the boat goes by,
Floating, floating, way up high.
Actions: Drop your hands down on "sink" and float them up on "float". Try next: Name one thing that sinks and one that floats after each verse.
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 v sound
- Finds v on a page
- Counts out loud past 10
- Guesses sink or float, then checks
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
Fill a tub or bowl with water and gather five things too big to fit in the mouth, like a plastic cup, a metal spoon, a sponge and an apple. Your student guesses, drops each one in and sorts them. Stay right beside your student the whole time.
Count things you can touch or do, like steps, claps and jumps. The numbers after 10 are tricky, so say them clearly: eleven, twelve, thirteen. Count to 20 every day this week, and let your student start at a number other than 1 too.
Show your student how to rest the top teeth gently on the bottom lip and hum: vvv. Then play with v words in talk, like van, vest, vet and vegetables. A toy car that goes "vvv" makes it fun. Trace the big V and small v to practice the shape.
Paper, crayons, a tub or bowl, water, a towel and five things to test, such as a plastic cup, a metal spoon, a sponge, an apple and a large rock. Every activity card also has a no-supplies swap, so you can start with what you already have at home.
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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