Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 8: Water, sand and moving things
Pre-K 4, week 31: the letter x and counting to 20
This week your learner will hear the x sound in fox and box, count to 20, and race toys down a ramp. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 31 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 X and a small x on a sheet of paper.
- Gather a book, a cushion, a toy car, a ball and a block for the ramp race.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, a book, a cushion, a toy car, a ball, a block. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Letter x | Letter x page, X marks the spot card |
| Tuesday | Math | Count to 20 page, Count and jump to 20 card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Will it roll? page, Ramp race card |
| Thursday | Make and move | X marks the spot page, Cross-crawl 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 x
Say: "X says ks, at the end of fox and box. Fox, box, six." Your learner traces the big X and the small x, then colors the fox and says "fox, ks".
fox
fox
Count to 20
Say: "Let's count to 20. Color one box for each number." Your learner colors one box each time you say a number together, from 1 to 20. Count the full boxes at the end.
Will it roll?
Say: "Which ones roll down a ramp? Which ones slide or stay?" Your learner guesses for each picture, then colors the things they think will roll.
X marks the spot
Say: "Draw big X's in the frame, then draw a treasure under one of them." Your learner draws an X with two crossing lines, then more X's, then a treasure.
Activity cards
X marks the spot
- Your learner hides their eyes while you hide the toy.
- Put two paper strips in an X near the hiding place.
- Your learner finds the X, then the toy, and says "x, ks".
Easier: Hide it in plain sight beside the X.
Next step: Your learner makes the X and hides the toy for you.
Say this: "You found the X. X says ks, like fox."
No supplies: Make an X with your arms and point to where the toy is.
Literacy: print and alphabet knowledge
Count and jump to 20
- Jump and count together, one number for each jump.
- Rest at 10, then keep going to 20.
- Ask "What number comes after 15?"
Easier: Count to 10 with jumps, then clap to 20.
Next step: Count from 20 back to 15.
Say this: "Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty."
No supplies: Count claps or taps instead of jumps.
Math: counting and cardinality
Ramp race
- Lean the book on the cushion to make a ramp.
- Let the car, the ball and the block go from the top one at a time.
- Which ones rolled? Which ones slid or stopped?
Easier: Try the car and the block only.
Next step: Make the ramp steeper. What changes?
Say this: "The ball rolled down fast. The block slid." Use toys too big to fit in the mouth.
No supplies: Roll a ball down a slope outside, or along a hallway.
Science: push and pull
Cross-crawl
- Touch your right hand to your left knee.
- Touch your left hand to your right knee.
- Keep going slowly, like an X.
Easier: Touch hands to knees on the same side first.
Next step: Go faster, then march in place.
Say this: "Cross over, like an X."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Down the ramp
Up the ramp and down we go,
Roll it fast or roll it slow.
Fox and box end just the same,
X, x, ks, a ramp race game.
Actions: Roll your hands fast, then slow, and cross your arms in an X at the end. Try next: Count to 20 together after the last line.
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 ks sound at the end of fox and box
- Finds x on a page
- Counts to 20
- Tells which toys roll down a ramp
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
In most words your student knows, x comes at the end and says ks, like fox, box and six. A few words start with x, like xylophone, but that x sounds like z. So this week focuses on the ks sound at the end of short words.
Many students count to 10 by age 5, and counting to 20 is a goal for the end of Pre-K 4. If your student stops at 12 or skips a number, that is normal. Count together every day, and help with the teen numbers.
Lean a book on a cushion to make a slope. Your student lets a toy car, a ball and a block go from the top and watches which ones roll. Then make the ramp steeper and see what changes. It takes about 10 minutes.
Paper, crayons, two strips of paper, a book, a cushion, a toy car, a ball and a block. 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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