Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 9: Ready for kindergarten
Pre-K 4, week 35: the letter q and numbers 0 to 10
This week your learner will hear the kw sound of q, put the numbers 0 to 10 in order, and practice asking for help, a big school skill. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 35 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 Q and a small q on a sheet of paper.
- Write the numbers 0 to 10 on 11 scraps of paper.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, a jacket, a lunch box or bag. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Letter q | Letter q page, Quack for q card |
| Tuesday | Math | Numbers 0 to 10 page, Number cards 0 to 10 card |
| Wednesday | Explore | How do I feel? page, Ask for help card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Quiet waves page, Quick and quiet 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 q
Say: "Q and u say kw together, like quack, quiet and question." Your learner traces the big Q and the small q, then colors the question mark and asks you a question.
question
question
Numbers 0 to 10
Say: "Count each box. Then show me that many fingers." Your learner counts each group, says the number and shows it with fingers.
How do I feel?
Say: "On the first day of school, how might you feel? Point to the face." Your learner names each feeling, points to how they might feel, and colors the faces.
Quiet waves
Say: "Trace the waves very quietly. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces the wavy lines from left to right with a crayon.
Activity cards
Quack for q
- Say "kw, kw, quack" together.
- Say a word. If it starts with q, your learner quacks.
- Try: quack, sun, quiet, cat, queen, question.
Easier: Use only quack and sun.
Next step: Your learner asks you a question that starts with a q word.
Say this: "Queen starts with kw. Quack."
No supplies: Needs nothing.
Literacy: phonological awareness
Number cards 0 to 10
- Write the numbers 0 to 10 on the scraps.
- Mix them up. Your learner puts them in order.
- Point to a number; your learner claps that many times.
Easier: Use 0 to 5.
Next step: Your learner writes or traces one number.
Say this: "Put 7 after 6. Clap 7 times."
No supplies: Count fingers from 0 to 10.
Math: numbers 0 to 10
Ask for help
- Pretend you are the teacher.
- Your learner practices asking for help: "Can you help me open this, please?"
- Practice other times to ask: "I need the bathroom." "I feel sad."
Easier: Practice one sentence.
Next step: Take turns: you ask, your learner helps.
Say this: "Good asking. I can help you with that."
No supplies: Practice with a toy as the teacher.
Social-emotional: asking for help
Quick and quiet
- Walk quickly across the room.
- Tiptoe back very quietly.
- Say "quick" or "quiet" and your learner switches.
Easier: Do quick, then stop.
Next step: Add "slow" and "loud" too.
Say this: "Quick, quick. Now quiet, quiet."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Approaches to learning: self-regulation
Song of the week: Ask a question
When I don't know, I ask, I ask,
Help me, please, with this big task.
Quiet hands and quiet feet,
Q, q, q, and take a seat.
Actions: Raise a hand on "ask", then sit down at the end. Try next: Ask a real question after the song.
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 kw sound for q
- Finds q on a page
- Puts numbers 0 to 10 in order
- Asks an adult for help in words
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 almost every English word your student will meet, q is followed by u, and together they say kw, like quack and queen. Teaching them as a pair keeps it simple. Your student only needs to hear the sound and know the shape of q.
Practice the words at home with pretend play. You act as the teacher, and your student asks: "Can you help me, please?" Practice for a zipper, the bathroom and feeling sad. Knowing the words makes asking much easier on a busy school day.
Yes, for students and parents. Talk about feelings with the faces page, read stories about starting school, and visit the school if you can. Keep your words calm and positive. If worries are strong or lasting, talk with your pediatrician.
Paper, crayons, a jacket and a lunch box or bag. Every activity card also has a no-supplies swap, such as counting fingers from 0 to 10, 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
$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.
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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.
To print, create a free account at uponlylearning.com (no card needed), then download the printable PDF.