Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 2: Friends and feelings
Pre-K 4, week 7: the letter i and the same number
This week your learner will hear the short i sound, as in fish and pig, and find groups that have the same number. They will also try three simple ways to feel calm. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 7 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
Free, with no limits. No daily caps, no card and no ads. Reading every page is open to everyone; a free adult account is needed only to download the PDFs. We never ask for your student's name or any student information.
5-minute parent prep
- Write a big I and a small i on a sheet of paper.
- Gather 10 blocks and a feather or a scrap of paper.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, 10 blocks, a feather or a scrap of paper. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Letter i | Letter i page, Itchy i card |
| Tuesday | Math | Same or not page, Two towers card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Calm body page, Flower and feather card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Slow wave trace page, Inchworm 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 i
Say: "I says i, like in and itch. Listen: fiiish, chiiick, giiift." Your learner traces the big I and the small i, then says each picture word slowly and listens for the i sound in the middle.
fish
chick
gift
fish
chick
gift
Same or not?
Say: "Count both boxes in a row. Do they have the same number?" Your learner counts both groups in each row. If they are the same, your learner colors both boxes.
Calm body
Say: "When big feelings come, we can help our body feel calm. Let's try." Your learner tries each idea with you: smell the flower, blow the feather and give a big bear hug. Then they color the pictures.
Slow wave trace
Say: "Trace the waves slowly, like slow breathing. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each wavy line slowly from left to right while breathing in on the way up and out on the way down.
Activity cards
Itchy i
- Say "i, i, itch" and scratch your arm together.
- Say a word. If it starts with i, your learner scratches like an itch.
- Try: itch, sun, in, mop, igloo, it.
Easier: Use only itch and sun.
Next step: Say a word with i in the middle, like pig or fish.
Say this: "In starts with i. Itch, itch."
No supplies: Needs nothing.
Literacy: phonological awareness
Two towers
- Build a tower of 3 blocks.
- Your learner builds a tower with the same number.
- Count both towers and say "same" or "not the same".
Easier: Use towers of 1 or 2.
Next step: Build 4 and 5. Ask "How can we make them the same?"
Say this: "Three and three. They are the same."
No supplies: Hold up the same number of fingers as you.
Math: comparing groups
Flower and feather
- Hold up a pretend flower and breathe in slowly through your nose.
- Put the feather on your palm and blow it gently off.
- Do it 3 times, then give yourselves a big hug.
Easier: Do only the flower breath.
Next step: Ask "When could we use flower breaths?"
Say this: "Smell the flower. Blow the feather. Calm body."
No supplies: Blow on your fingers like candles instead of a feather.
Social-emotional: emotional functioning
Inchworm crawl
- Put your hands on the floor and your feet behind you.
- Walk your hands forward a little, then walk your feet up to them.
- Inch across the room and say "i, i, inch".
Easier: Crawl on hands and knees.
Next step: Inch slowly, then quickly.
Say this: "Inch, inch, inchworm."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Itchy i
I, i, itch, I scratch my knee,
A fish, a chick, a gift for me.
Breathe in slow and breathe out too,
I, i, i, calm through and through.
Actions: Scratch gently on "itch", then breathe slowly on the last two lines. Try next: Sing it once loud, then once in a whisper.
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 short i sound
- Finds i on a page
- Tells if two groups are the same
- Tries a slow breath when asked
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
Very few picture words start with the short i sound, so this week your student listens for i in the middle of short words like fish, chick and gift. Stretch the sound when you say them: fiiish. The card game adds words that start with i, like itch and in.
Practice calm-down tools when your student is already calm, so they are easy to find later. Slow breathing, like smelling a flower and blowing a feather, a hug and a quiet spot all help. Name the feeling, stay close and keep your own voice slow and soft.
Make two small groups, count each one and ask "same or not the same?" Towers of blocks work well because your student can see the heights too. When groups are not the same, ask how to fix it: add one or take one away. Keep the numbers to 5 this week.
Paper, crayons, 10 blocks that are too big to fit in the mouth and a feather or a small scrap of paper. Every activity also has a no-supplies swap, such as matching fingers instead of building towers, so you can start with what you 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
$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.
See it in the storeSources
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.