Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 8: Water, sand and moving things
Pre-K 4, week 30: the letter w and making 5
This week your learner will hear the w sound, find different ways to make 5, and push and pull toys to see how things move. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 30 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 W and a small w on a sheet of paper.
- Gather 5 small toys too big to fit in the mouth, a bowl, a toy car and a book for a ramp.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, 5 toys, a bowl, a toy car, a book, a string, a cup of water. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Letter w | Letter w page, Water w card |
| Tuesday | Math | Make 5 page, 5 in a boat card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Push or pull page, Push and pull card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Roll the ball page, Wiggle and 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
Letter w
Say: "W says w, like when you blow out: w, w, water. Whale, window, wolf." Your learner traces the big W and the small w, then colors the pictures that start with w.
water
whale
window
water
whale
window
Make 5
Say: "Count each box. 3 apples and 2 apples. How many all together?" Your learner counts both boxes in each row and says how many make 5 all together.
Push or pull
Say: "Do we push it or pull it? Show me with your hands." Your learner says push or pull for each picture, acts it out, and colors it.
Roll the ball
Say: "Help the ball roll down to the end. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each path from left to right: straight, curved and pointed.
Activity cards
Water w
- Say "w, w, water" and round your lips.
- Say a word. If it starts with w, your learner takes a sip of water.
- Try: water, sun, wind, window, cat, wave.
Easier: Use only water and sun.
Next step: Your learner says a w word for you.
Say this: "Wave starts with w. Sip."
No supplies: Wave a hand instead of taking a sip.
Literacy: phonological awareness
5 in a boat
- Put 5 toys in the boat.
- Take some out and hide them behind your back.
- Your learner counts what is left and figures out how many are hiding.
Easier: Use 3 toys.
Next step: Tell a story: "4 ducks in the boat. 1 more jumps in. How many now?"
Say this: "3 in the boat. 2 hiding. That makes 5."
No supplies: Use fingers: show 5, fold some down, count what is left.
Math: making 5
Push and pull
- Push the car across the floor.
- Tie a string to the car and pull it back.
- Lean a book on a cushion to make a ramp and let the car roll down.
Easier: Push and pull the car on the floor only.
Next step: Make the ramp higher. Does the car go farther?
Say this: "You pushed it away. Now pull it back." Keep strings short, and put them away after play.
No supplies: Push a pillow across the floor, then pull it back.
Science: push and pull
Wiggle and walk
- Walk slowly, then wiggle.
- Walk fast, then wiggle.
- Say "w, w, w" each time you wiggle.
Easier: Walk and stop.
Next step: Walk on tiptoes, then wiggle.
Say this: "Walk, walk, wiggle, wiggle."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Push and pull
Push it, push it, far away,
Pull it, pull it, back to play.
Wheels go round and water flows,
W, w, off it goes.
Actions: Push your hands out on "push" and pull them in on "pull". Try next: Count to 5 on your fingers at the end.
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 w sound
- Finds w on a page
- Tells how many make 5
- Shows a push and a pull
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 5 small toys and a bowl. Hide some and ask how many are hiding. Say it out loud: 3 and 2 make 5. Fingers work too. These little stories are the start of adding and taking away, and your student only needs to try them, not master them.
Push a toy car across the floor, then tie on a short string and pull it back. Make a ramp with a book on a cushion and watch the car roll. Ask your student to tell you when they push and when they pull.
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, 5 toys too big to fit in the mouth, a bowl, a toy car, a book, a short string and a cup of water. 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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