Level One Curriculum PDF

THE
PRESCHOOL
CURRICULUM
LEVEL 1
(3-4 YEARS)
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION — BELIZE
2006
Preschool Curriculum
This production is made possible through the Ministry of Education, Quality Assurance
and Development Services, Early Childhood Education Development Center, in collabora-
tion with UNESCO,
This publication was produced to support Teachers of Preschool Centers in Belize. This reformed
curriculum replaces the Preschool Curriculum that was previously in use, and is to be used in
collaboration with the following new publications:
1. Student Workbook
2. Teachers Guides and
3. Assessment Booklets
This is Level One (3-4 years) of the two levels of Preschool in Belize.
All documents, or portions thereof, may be reproduced for any educational purpose.
NO COPY RIGHTS NOR RESTRICTION OF USE
Printed : August 2006
The information contained in this document is based on information available at the time of publication
and is subject to change. Although every reasonable effort has been made to include accurate
information and the elimination of errors; however, it is possible that some remain. Your suggestions in
this regard would be greatly welcomed for future revision and printing.
Quality Assurance and Development Services
P.O. Box 369
West Landivar, Belize City, Belize Phone:
223-1389 Fax: 223-4532
Author: Alma Eiley, Early Childhood Specialist

Mrs. Alma Eiley is a retired educator who taught Early Childhood Education at the Belize Teachers’
College for many years. She has produced many Early Childhood materials including a training curriculum
for preschool teachers and has been involved consistently over the years, facilitating training for
preschool teachers countrywide. Her dedication in spearheading this initiative has now produced a very
comprehensive support package for guiding the preschool system. A special tank you for your brilliant
work.
Curriculum Reviewers: Nadine Tun, Coordinator Teacher Practicum, Faculty of Education, U. B.
Cecelia Smith, Manager Teacher Education & Development Unit, MoE
Reviewed and Piloted by the following Preschool Teachers:

Karen Lewis Barbara Bennett Therese Flores
Denese Pitzold Yvette Nicholas Gwendolyn Jones
Jacqueline Jones Encarnita Bennett Maria Smith
Beverly Pook Adela Requena Marisa Williams
Special Acknowledgments to the following Officers and support personnel of the Ministry of Education:
Margaret Williams—ECEDC Officer Jason Thompson—Printer
Delda Blades—ECEDC Officer Shalwah Berry— Collator
Shannon Gillett Solis—Curriculum Officer Corina Augustine—Collator
Ines Paquiul—Curriculum Officer Nelson Longsworth—QADS Director
4 Early Childhood Education & Development Center

Level 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
Rationale……………………………………………………………… ............ 7
Goals…………………………………………………………………… ............. 8
Methodology…………………………………………………………… ...... 8
The Process of Learning in Early Childhood……………… 9
Discipline …………….................................................................... 12
Sample Time Tables……… ....................................................... 15
Competencies for the Three to Four Year Old ………… . 16
Level One Curriculum Themes and Topics………………… 20
Unit 1 – MY PRESCHOOL CENTER……………………………… 24
Unit 2 – ALL ABOUT ME/MYSELF…………………… ............. 28
Unit 3 – STIMILATION………………………………… .................... 34
Unit 4 – MY FAMILY………………………………………… ............... 40
Unit 5 - OUR WORLD……………………………………………… ...... 44
Unit 6 – SHAPES…………………………………………… ................... 48
Unit 7- COLORS……………………………………………… ................. 52
Unit 8 – ANIMALS…………………………………………................... 58
Unit 9 – PEOPLE……………………………………………… ................ 62
Unit 10 – HOLIDAYS……………………………………………… ........ 66
Ministry of Education 5
CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight
If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.
If children live with encouragement, they learn to be confident.
If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with acceptance and friendship, they learn to
find love in the world.
A message from the Preschool Unit, Ministry of Education, Belize
Adapted from: Dorothy Law Holte
Acknowledgement
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Doreen Jones for her constant support and willing-
ness to give guidance, ideas and suggestions for improvement of this Curriculum Guide. We also ac-
knowledge her contribution, since a great part of this curriculum is adapted from the past Curriculum
that she designed with the help of some pre-school teachers. The knowledge, strategies, insights
and activities included in this document, are valuable contributions from many early childhood edu-
cators from a wide source.
Alma Eiley

Level 1
OVERVIEW
I. THE PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM
The preschool curriculum is not divorced from the overall Early Childhood Education programs, but
in fact builds levels higher than the curriculum for that of the day care programme and provide the
foundation skills, concepts and attitudes/values that the children take with them to the infant pri-
mary level. The preschool curriculum is built on the philosophy, goals, policies and guiding principles
of the National Comprehensive Primary Curriculum,
Curriculum and provides the pre-requisite skills that the chil-
dren need for life long learning. The experiences provided for the children during the pre-school
years deeply impact on their disposition for learning. Teachers and administrators of pre-schools are
provided a framework that which will assist them in developing, implementing, and evaluating daily
programs that guide and support children’s learning. The document should help teachers to reflect
on their own philosophy of education for young children, their beliefs and practices and to recog-
nize some key areas to be considered when making decisions to facilitate learning.
The existing preschool curriculum was developed by a group of preschool teachers under the guid-
ance of the Preschool Unit, Ministry of Education. The process of revising the curriculum was
guided by Mrs. Alma Eiley, a retired educator who taught Early Childhood Education at the Belize
Teachers’ College for many years, with support from the Preschool Unit and the Curriculum Develop-
ment Unit, in the Ministry of Education. Recognition must be given to Mrs. Doreen Jones, a retired
Education Officer of the Pre-school Unit. She was instrumental in helping to construct the founda-
tion for building Early Childhood Education, specifically in the Preschool section in Belize. She contin-
ues to support Early Childhood Education in many ways including development of materials for
teacher training and as an advisor and editor for this document. Reference was also made to recent
documentation of activities for three and four year old children, developed by Mrs. Nelma Mortis.
The Pre-school Curriculum is intended as a guide for teachers rather than a prescription. A wide
range of suggestions are included to help the children to develop through play and interaction, but
teachers are encouraged to use their initiative, experiences working with young children, and con-
sider the local setting and the cultural background of the children, their needs, their families and the
community when using the curriculum.
The approach is Thematic Developmental-based and should be regarded as conventional. There are
twenty themes to guide the content and process learning over the two years that most children
spend in the preschool. The first ten themes will be covered during the first year at level one. The
description of six (6) core areas provide consideration for the use of the themes to promote the total
development of the child and integration of key subject areas consistent with the National Infant Pri-
mary Curriculum. The core areas are: Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Creative Devel-
opment; Physical Development; Communication, Language and Literacy; Mathematical; Knowledge
and Understanding of the World.
It is hoped that administrators, teachers and parents will understand the importance of children’s
participation in experiences that will help them to develop early physical, spiritual, social/emotional,
numeracy, communication and literacy skills, concepts, values, attitudes and understanding of the world.
II. RATIONALE FOR THE PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

The preschool Curriculum provides opportunities and experiences for three and four year old chil-
dren to learn in a safe, secure, warm, caring, stimulating and multicultural environment, where they
are encouraged to play in order to communicate, develop, explore, discover, experiment, and inquire
about the world, thus learning how to learn and acquiring developmentally appropriate skills, con-
cepts, positive attitudes and values that will become the foundation for a smooth transition into the
primary school and life beyond.
III. GOALS:
Some broad goals of preschool education were established in the preparation of a draft policy for
preschools in Belize. In keeping with the philosophy and guiding principles, the following goals
were identified:
Educational: To advocate for and provide school readiness programmes to enhance a range of
learning potential, giving children an educational “head start”
Social: To enhance relationship building, communication and adaptation skills
Cultural: To promote the children’s cultural development
Spiritual: To promote the spiritual development of the children.
Emotional: To promote the development of confidence, positive self-esteem, positive attitudes and
empowerment
Mental: To promote healthy psychosocial development
Physical: To promote the development of gross and fine motor skills and development of coordi-
nation.
Intellectual: To enhance the child’s individual thinking, and thought processes.
Play: To promote the use of child –centered activities and child-focused programs to support
healthy child development
IV. OTHER GOALS:

To develop capabilities and healthy physical growth of each child through play experiences.
To help children to develop good social habits, as individuals and as members of society
To enrich the experiences of the children, develop their imagination, self-reliance and self- efficacy,
positive self-esteem and thinking power.
To help the children to learn to appreciate personal, cultural back-ground, traditions and customs
To assist the children in constructing their own knowledge through repeated experiences Involving
interaction with materials and people
To develop language and communication skills in the mother tongue and English as a second official
national language
To introduce children to the use of technology as a means of learning
V. METHODOLOGY:
Instruction in the preschool includes a variety of teacher –directed and child-directed activities with
play as the main method of learning. The teacher provides learning opportunities through Free Play,
Functional Play, Construction using materials, Guided Discovery, Enquiry, Didactic Play, Social Games
with Rules, contact with a wide variety of materials and individual and group experiences inside the
classroom/center, in the yard and/or the play ground, and in the wider community. Conversation
and Group Discussions and interaction are also effective means of learning as well as Observation,
Physical Activities, Worksheets, and use of The Media.
While most of the activities are planned, some may be spontaneous based on the needs of the chil-
dren. The daily schedule is often well balanced between self-chosen activities and guided activities.
A portion of the morning session and afternoon session is devoted to Circle Time, Story telling,
Games, singing and reciting.

Level 1
THE PROCESS OF LEARNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

The organization of the physical environment, ways of teaching, and guiding young children are all
geared to one common goal: Supporting the young child's learning..
Let's look more closely at some important aspects of learning in the early years.
DEFINITION OF LEARNING
'Learning' is a change in behaviour that occurs as a result of experience.
We need to be concerned with three words: 'change', 'behaviour', and 'experience’
'CHANGE’
'CHANGE should be towards competence, coping and adaptations. To describe change we must be
able to recount what the child can do at one point in time, then trace what he is able to do at a later
time.
'BEHAVIOUR
BEHAVIOUR’
BEHAVIOUR and learning are not the same. The child's behaviour may change as a result of fatigue,
hunger, illness, medication, fear, stress or level of motivation. Learning is abstract, it cannot be ob-
served. What we can observe is the behaviour or performance of the child as a result of learning.
'EXPERIENCE’ allows the child to demonstrate the behaviour he or she has learned. Experience also
helps the child to practice skills and take learning to another level.
DIFFERENCE IN PACE AND RATE OF LEARNING

At any age there are individual differences in the rates, pace and efficiency of learning. As a child ma-
tures, his/her learning proceeds with increased efficiency. EACH CHILD SETS HIS/HER OWN PACE
OF LEARNING. That pace may be slower or faster than the other children. That pace may be con-
stant for similar tasks but different in varied tasks. The effective teacher helps children to move at
their own pace challenging the pupils by supplying meaningful materials, activities and experiences
to support their interest and rate of learning.
It is important to help children to move from one step to another without missing any steps, this is
essential to ensure a firm foundation for future learning.
CONDITIONS THAT FACILITATE LEARNING
Learning is best carried out under relatively conflict-free conditions. The child should feel se-
cure, confident and able to cope with the problems presented. Children do not learn readily
when discouraged and see little hope for success when ridiculed by others.
The child must want to learn.

Teachers should motivate and encourage activities involving people, objects and events.
These activities must include both motor and mental aspects. Young children enjoy and
benefit from all kinds of movements, indoor and outdoor, fine and gross motor activities.
Children learn by being active. Exploring what they can do with their own bodies and discovering
what they can do with material and equipment.
Children enter the Preschool Centre knowing a great deal. They have had many experiences and un-
derstand the world on the basis of their experiences. Our teaching must be based on their
knowledge and a feeling for their understanding. It is important for them not to skip any
stage psychologically or intellectually in their development.
Some children need to learn trust.
Many children have missed opportunities and experiences that would allow them to function well in
the Preschool Centre. Some need to learn to trust adults and themselves before they are
ready to make choices and be responsible for their own learning.
Understand the child, guide his/her learning and ensure that conditions are favourable for intellec-
tual and social growth.
FOUNDATIONS FOR LEARNING

Children learn about the world through perceptions - looking, listening, feeling, tasting, smelling and
moving. It is important to repeat here that all children need:
0
Interaction with people
0
Action with objects and events
0
Observations to impact on their world
The 'special' child with handicap and/or disability and incomplete information may not trust his/her
own perception. Both teachers and peers should render assistance and fill the missing blanks for the
child.
LOOK!
Looking, watching and observing are the most constant and readily available source of learning for
most children. Teachers should allow children many opportunities to 'look* and expose them to
beauty in form, texture, colour and arrangement in the environment and be thoughtful about what
she/he models and how he/she does it.
LISTEN!
Sounds are important to children. Interest in sounds and the capacity to listen and to discriminate
sounds contribute to the development of language. Pleasure in sound is the basis for the enjoyment
of music.
Children discover many sounds on their own as they explore materials. The teacher can support and
extend these opportunities by his/her questions and comments and by providing numerous oppor-
tunities for listening and making sounds with their bodies and with objects.
The teacher is in a position to detect hearing impairment early.
TOUCH! FEEL!
Children are very responsive to the feel of things. They need help in naming the feeling of things that
they have identified by touch, for language can help facilitate and direct their thinking. The teacher
can encourage the children to experience the feeling of things, supporting and extending their ex-
periences by giving descriptive comments. Through touching and feeling and describing herself, the
teacher models a way of learning for the children to organize their world and learn from her exam-
ple.

Level 1
TASTE!
"It tastes bad." "It tastes good." There are more accurate terms to describe taste and the teacher can
introduce many other terms to the children. Children will bring objects and materials to their mouth
to explore their taste and feel. All materials used in the centre should be safe for mouthing.
Experience and describing taste not only increase the child's awareness, but also challenge his ability
to express his perception. Enjoying tastes and flavours increases enjoyment of eating.
SMELL!
There are many kinds of smell. Some smells are pleasant, some are not. Almost everything has an
odor which helps us to identify people, places, things and animals. Describing smells challenge chil-
dren's ability to express their perception in precise ways.
The teacher supports the child's discrimination and organization of odor by the questions she/he ask
and the opportunities she/he provides.
MOVE!
A child's kinesthetic perception is a result of using his body. The human body develops from the large
muscles to the fine muscles. Free movement is essential for the young child. There should be variety
in the child's activity programme. The teacher should ensure that there is plenty space indoors and
outdoors for the child to learn to use his/her body, and equipment to build strength and exercise
judgment.
Movement allows the child to learn the kinesthetic discrimination necessary to organize and control
his/her own body in and through space.
PLAY AS A WAY OF LEARNING

One way to understand play is to classify it on the basis of what the child may be learning from be-
ing involved in play. That is to view play as a mode of learning and to classify it in terms of what the
child is doing and what he may be learning. The appearance of pleasure often accompanies play,
but pleasure is an internal feeling that takes many forms and may not be observable. The child at
play usually is serious. Play is pleasurable even when there is no sign of laughter and the activity is
positively valued by the player.
Play is self-motivating, it is under the child's control and it continues overtime. Teachers must provide
for young children activities that are pleasurable and give them opportunities to learn through play
experiences.
DOREEN JONES (MRS) E.O. Pre-

Pre-School
A LOOK AT DISCIPLINE
What is Discpline?
Discipline is.....
• Helping a child learn to get along with his/her family and friends.
• Teaching a child to behave in an agreeable way.
Allowing the child the freedom to learn from his/her mistakes and experience the consequences of
his/her decisions.
Effective discipline is helping, teaching and learning
Discipline Is Not Punishment
Whereas punishment focuses on the child, discipline focuses on the act. When we punish a child we
are in effect saying to him, "You are loved (or not loved) because of the things you do." Punishment
teaches the child to be "good" as long as we are looking-but as soon as we turn our heads, watch
out!
To Discipline Effectively, Think About These Ideas:
1. Effective discipline is positive. It is helping, teaching and learning.

2. The purpose of discipline is to help children learn to do what is right because they want to, not
because they fear punishment.
3. Effective discipline is moderate, neither very permissive nor very strict.
4. Moderate discipline is most effective for the age we live in.
5. Discipline influences the kind of adult your child will be.
6. Understanding your own individual child is the basis for effective discipline.
7. Discipline needs to be in keeping with the child's age and abilities.
ALWAYS:
Make sure the child knows what you expect. Agree with your spouse on your expectations and be
consistent.
TRY NOT TO:

• Compare one child's behavior with another.
• Let one day go by with more punishment than reward.
• Say "You are bad”...say what you have done is bad, or better yet, "What you did makes me angry."
• Spank more than one swat.
• Use an object to spank.
• Threaten.
• Bribe.
• Nag.
• Criticize.
••• PROGRAMME YOUR CHILD FOR SUCCESS •••
Level 1
INTRODUCTION TO SELF CHOSEN ACTIVITIES
Self chosen activities are those activities set up in Learning Areas called Centres and are designed to
develop and reinforce skills in the various content areas. During this time children will be engaged in
activities of their own choice, using materials to further personal as well as academic developments.
The skills to be developed at these centres will include:
Psychomotor: that is gross motor development, sensory-motor, integration and perceptual motor
skills.
Cognitive skills to deal with recognition of knowledge and the development of intellectual abilities
and skills including critical thinking and language power.
Social skills such as human interactions and relationships.
Affective skills relative to the development of appreciation, adequate adjustments, changes in inter-
est, attitudes and values.
Some of the materials developed for these activities include:
Classification in three categories:
(a) Grouping which is relational on the basis of common function or association

(b) Grouping which is descriptive on the basis of common attributes such as size, shape, col-
our.
(c) Grouping which is generic on the basis of class or categories such as vehicles, furniture,
fruits, vegetables.
Seriation. That is ordering objects on the benefits of their relationships in size, quality, quantity. such
as: big, little, more, less, rough, smooth.
Spatial Relations - That is perceptions of body awareness and relationships in space.
Temporal Relations - That is time with regards to beginning and ending.
The teachers' role at this time is not to push but to nurture basic abilities as they are developing. At-
tention must therefore be given to:
(i) Involving children in experiences that will assist them in gathering, organizing and apply-
ing information.
(ii) Providing a variety of manipulative materials to facilitate active learning.
iii) Personalizing learning opportunities for maximum individual involvement.
(iv) Encouraging children to make decisions as they self-select an activity.
(v) Assessing individual children's ability to perform and complete tasks.
(vi) Interaction with individuals and small groups as they verbally express their feelings, ideas
and the processes of their activities.
PLANNING THE TIME TABLE
TIME FRAME ACTIVITY
SELF CHOSEN ACT

30 mins AM Purpose: Children observe, manipulate objects to be used in day’s lesson or review ideas
15 mins PM from previous day’s lesson
CIRCLE TIME
20 mins AM Asssembly / Devotions / Attendance/ Weather / Calendar / News: find their names,
20 mins PM songs, rhymes, jingles
LESSON PLANNED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
25 mins AM Based each day on theme. Plan for one specific objective each day
25 mins PM
PHYSICAL PLAY/ OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ETC.
15 mins AM
15 mins PM
SNACK AND QUIET TIME
30 mins AM
10 mins PM
LESSON ORIENTED (WORK) TIME
25 mins AM Set purpose
25 mins PM Work on activity area to apply concepts and skills
Share accomplishments and evaluate efforts
GROUP TIME
25 mins AM Story, Ryhmes, Jingles, Music/Songs
20 mins PM
CLEAN UP / DISMISSAL
10 mins AM & PM N.B. Activities developed during Work Time (Lesson Oriented Activity) should enable
the children to apply concepts, thought processes, content and skills initiated during the
time devoted to planned experiences.
THUS A CHILD LEARNS

THUS A CHILD LEARNS; by wiggling skills through his fingers and toes unto himself; by soaking
up habits and attitudes of those around him, by pushing and pulling his own world.
THUS A CHILD LEARNS; more through trial than error, more through pleasure than pain, through
experience than suggestion, more through suggestion than direction.
THUS A CHILD LEARNS; through affection, through love, through patience, through understanding,
through belonging, through doing, through being.
Day by day the child comes to know a little bit of what you know; to think a little bit of
what you think; to understand your understanding. That which you dream and believe and
are, in truth, becomes the child.
As you perceive dully or clearly, as you think fuzzily or sharply; as you believe foolishly or wisely;
as you dream drably or goldenly; as you bear false witness or tell the truth-THUS A CHILD
LEARNS.
Fredrick J. Moffitt

Level 1
SUGGESTED TIME TABLE
TIME Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8:30 – 9:00 Self-chosen activity at Learning Centers
9:00 – 9:20 Circle Time – Spiritual Emphasis
9:20 – 9:45 TEACH LESSON
9:45 – 10:00 Physical Play – Outdoor / Indoor Ring Games
10:00 – SNACK – CLEAN UP - REST

10:30
10:30 – Lesson Oriented Activity
10:55
10:55 – Group Time – Story / Rhymes / Songs
11:20
11:20 – CLEAN UP - DISMISSAL
11:30
****ALTERNATE TIME TABLE****
1:00- 1:15 Self-chosen activity at Learning Centers
1:15 – 1:35 Circle Time – Spiritual Emphasis
1:35 – 2:00 TEACH LESSON
2:00 – 2:15 Physical Play – Outdoor / Indoor Ring Games
2:15 – 2:35 SNACK – CLEAN UP - REST
2:35 – 3:00 Lesson Oriented Activity
3:00 – 3:20 Group Time – Story / Rhymes / Songs
3:20 – 3:30 CLEAN UP - DISMISSAL
WEEKLY THEMES
Each week a new Theme is introduced to the class. As far as possible enough lesson activities have
been planned to cover the theme for the entire week. It is expected that in preparing your daily plans
you will endeavour to implement what has been suggested and supplement these with your own
ideas.
Remember that children learn what we teach and that they do so by 'doing'. Thus all the lessons
should be activity based.
CIRCLE TIME ACTIVITIES (GENERAL)
1. Welcome - Greet each child by name. Have cards containing 'Full names' of children displayed
on a table. Select and pin/tape each child's name card to his/her shin. As children become familiar
with their names, have each child select his own name and place in pocket chart.
2. Calendar and Weather
3. Spiritual emphasis
4. Introduction of any activity leading up to the 'days'/week's theme.
5. Listening to music.
6. Sing songs.
7. News - Recording children's news with appropriate drawing of same.
COMPETENCIES FOR THE 3-

3-4 YEAR OLD:
PERSONAL/SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
In order to show the level of development in these areas, the children will demonstrate these compe-
tencies:
• Show self-confidence, self –worth, self-esteem, positive self-image, and self-efficacy
• Feel a sense of belonging
• Feel comfortable, accepted, and appreciated.
• Show positive attitudes
• Demonstrate some measure of self-control
• Able to wait turns and take turns
• Express feeling in acceptable ways
• Allow one-self to be comforted during stressful times
• Able to eat, rest and use the toilet without much help
• Handle changes and surprises with some measure of control
• Show anger and frustration by words rather than only by action
• Allow aggressive behaviours to be redirected
• Cooperate with adults and other children
• Participate freely in group activities without fussing
• Show interest and attention in activities
• Laugh, smile and show signs of happiness most of the time
• Able to show concern for others who are sad and/or hurt
• Listen attentively in order to follow directions
• Show excitement and enjoyment when playing games
• Can share things with others

Level 1
• Engage in solitary, parallel, imaginative and cooperative play.

• Can hold a simple conversation and interact with adults and other children.
• Know their first and last names, age, sex, address, name of parents, siblings and some close rela-
tives, name of preschool
• Identify themselves as a member of a specific family and the family language
• Identify that they are Belizeans
• Identify that people have different jobs, roles and responsibilities
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT:
• Scratch and scribble in sand, salt, and on paper
• Use their imagination to create and produce art
• Paint using a variety of materials
• Draw, trace and colour shapes, patterns, designs, stick figures and simple pictures
• Colour inside an outline or border
• Identify four colours used for decoration and those in nature
• Model from play dough and clay
• Identify creative things done at home and share ideas with the group.
• Identify and use man-made and natural materials used for art
• Produce simple craft from a variety of materials
• Produce loud and soft sounds and music from percussion instruments and other materials
• Sing songs and hum to music
• Beat time to simple rhythm
• Listen to, enjoy and appreciate a variety of different kinds of music
• Move their body in space and with rhythm to sounds and music
• Make and decorate simple musical instruments.
• Use their imagination when dancing and follow directions to produce different dances.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
• Button and zip their clothes, help to dress themselves, fasten and unfasten buckle of belt, and pull
down and pull up clothes.
• Scribble, draw, colour, paint, trace, knead, roll, model, cut, paste, push, pull, lift, carry, and string
large beads
• Stack blocks, construct simple structures, and organize blocks into patterns
• Assemble up to 5 large pieces of puzzle
• Stand on one foot, hop, jump forward, wave arms, clap, and climb, stoop and bend knees into
sitting position
• Bend the trunk of the body forward and sideways, slide down, crawl, roll forward, and swing
• Walk forward and backward, run short distances, walk on tip-toes, and move from one place to
the next with the body in different positions
• Throw overhand and underhand and catch a large ball and/or bean/sand bags
• Walk and balance on a wooden plank about 7-8 inches wide and 3-4 inches off the ground
• Ride a tricycle
• Climb up and down safely and confidently
• Swing with help from someone
• Crawl forward on the floor and ground.
• Show that they can follow simple rules and directions
• Explore space using the body
• Show strength and dexterity in use of fine and gross muscles in motor activities
• Demonstrate improvement in physical control
• Cultivate a sense of enjoyment and fun in physical activities
• Demonstrate a measure of self-confidence, self-reliance and self-efficacy
COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY:
• Use appropriate language and action in greeting others

• Use correct specific vocabulary in oral expression
• Observe, view, recognize, sound and read, match, trace, colour, at least 10 letters of the alphabet
• Identify and read simple words and sentences
• Sing the alphabet song organizing the letters in correct sequence
• Listen for specific information, sounds, stories, rhymes, songs and share orally in conversations
and discussions what they heard
• Sequence at least two main ideas
• Sequence
• Express their feelings, desires, needs, ideas, thoughts and imagination in words
• Dramatize and mime their feelings, imaginations, and ideas
• Ask and answer questions
• Follow simple one to two steps directions
• Turn pages in a book from right to left / back to front
• Can identify and name one-self, siblings, parents and other close relatives on a photo
• Can discriminate among concepts such as, big, little, large, small, tall, short, young, old, in, out,
top, bottom, high, low, in- front, behind, first, last, before and after, beside, hard, and soft
• Listen to and sing the first verse and chorus of the Belizean National Anthem
• Identify, name, discriminate, compare, contrast, and classify things according to at least 2 differ-
ences and similarities.
• Show, touch, name and give simple description of objects, pictures, and experiences.
• Use at least one adjective in giving oral descriptions
• Use their first language and English as a second language in oral expression
• Read pictures
• Associate words with pictures
• Use symbols to represent their ideas, and imagination
• Give a simple direction
• Ask for permission
• Can give a simple report of an incident
• Can call for attention in an appropriate way
• Talk and sing through a puppet, telephone and a microphone
• Can take and bring a simple oral message
• Return an answer to a question using an appropriate tone of voice
• Can focus and make eye contact when speaking with someone
• Recognize and apply connections of important information and ideas within and among learning
areas
• Contribute productively as an individual and as a member of a group
• Process ideas and communicate the result orally through actions, words, drawing, Drama, Art
• Enjoy books and handle them carefully
MATHMATICS:
• Identify, name, discriminate, sort, recall, match, trace, write and show the concept of numbers 1-5
• Count orally in sequence in ones up to 10
• Organize, trace, colour and outline numbers 1-5
• Classify objects according to shape, colour, size, texture and design
• Form one to one correspondence between objects
• Recognize and name 3 basic geometrical shapes

Level 1
• Use positional terms such as, inside, outside, before, after, above, below, more, less
• Use the terms first and last in correct context.
• Demonstrate simple addition and subtraction orally
• Recognize the concept of fractions by dividing and sharing things into two parts.
• Recognize that a calendar shows months of the year and days of the week.
• Recognize that a clock and a watch show the hour and time that activities are done.
• Compare sizes such as heavy, light, wide, narrow, short, long, tall
• Demonstrate understanding of capacity through water and sand play.
• Recognize the Belizean coins of one cent (penny), five cents (nickel) and ten cents (dime)
• Identify and use patterns
• Recite short number rhymes, finger play, sing number songs, listen to number stories and make
association to number concepts 1-5
• Measure dry grains by spoons and cups
• Can reason probable outcome
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD:

• Name the preschool they attend
• Identify adults that work at the preschool by names.
• Tell at least two differences between home and school.
• Tell the street on which the preschool and home are located
• Identify at least two activities at home that are different from those at the preschool
• Recognize that some families do things differently from other families and speak different lan-
guages.
• Discuss and converse about how families celebrate events.
• Identify at least two family rules.
• Identify the map of Belize by its shape
• Can tell why people call themselves Belizean
• Locate and name their main body parts.
• Tell the importance of eating healthy foods
• Recognize the Belizean flag by sight
• Identify the Belize National Anthem by words and music
• Show respect for the raising of the flag and the singing of the National Anthem at formal events
• Can tell when is Belize’s birthday
• Identify, name, classify, collect and discuss natural and man-made things in the environment
• Explore, recognize and name a few living and non-living things
• Describe at least two characteristics of living things
• Use their five senses to interact with the environment
• Recognize, name, demonstrate, discover, and explain what two things take the shape of a con-
tainer
• Discriminate among things that float and sink and name and classify them.
• Name the two main types of weather experienced in Belize
• Explore and describe the concept of hot and cold
• Recognize at least two animals in Belize that are used as pet and how to care for them
• Recognize plants growing in the environment.
• Plant seeds, observe them grow and care for the plant.
• Experiment with blowing bubbles through a plastic straw
• Explain the dangers and safe use of electricity, equipment and the road when walking and rid-
ing.
REFERENCES:
1. Early Childhood Readiness Programme, Level 1, Preschool Unit, Ministry of Education, Belize
2. A Collection of Activities for Pre school Children, Mortis, Nelma 2003
3. A Comprehensive Framework For Curricula In Israeli Preschools, Ages 3-6, Jerusalem 1995, Minis-
try of Education, Culture and Sport Pedagogical Administration
4. Preschool Assessment Booklet
5. Skills Progression- Preschool Unit, Belize
6. Early Childhood Approaches- Thematic, http://www.circleofinclusion.org/english/approaches/
thematic.html
7. Early childhood Education, Preschool, English Language Arts Curriculum http://www.psi.kiev.ua/
doc/preschool.htmPrekindergartn Guidelines, http://www.tea.state.us/curriculum/early/
prekguide.html
8. Curriculum- Preschool, http://www.isbearn.com/classes1.htm
9. Early Childhood: Where Learning Begins – Mathematics, http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EarlyMath/
10. National Education Standards, http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html#teaching
11. Science Made Simple – http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/index.html
12. Nursery Curriculum (three year olds), http://stutzfamily.com/Susan/nurserycurriculum.html

Level 1
CURRICULUM THEMES AND TOPICS

LEVEL 1 (3 YEAR OLD)
UNIT 1
THEME: MY PRE-
PRE-SCHOOL CENTER
TOPIC: WELCOME TO PRESCHOOL
UNIT 2
THEME: ALL ABOUT ME AND MYSELF
TOPIC: IAM SPECIAL
UNIT 3
THEME: STIMULATION
TOPIC: THE SENSES – SEE, TOUCH, SMELL, HEAR, TASTE
UNIT 4
THEME: MY FAMILY
TOPIC: MY FAMILY AND ME
UNIT 5
THEME: OUR WORLD
TOPIC: BELIZE OUR COUNTRY
UNIT 6
THEME: SHAPES
TOPIC: BASIC GEOMETRIC SHAPES – CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, SQUARE
UNIT 7
THEME; COLOURS
TOPIC: THINGS THAT ARE BLACK, WHITE, RED, GREEN
UNIT 8
THEME: ANIMALS
TOPIC: PETS
UNIT 9
THEME: PEOPLE
TOPIC: PEOPLE I LOVE
UNIT 10
THEME: HOLIDAYS
TOPIC: MARCH 9TH.- BARON BLISS DAY, GOOD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH – GARIFUNA SET-
TLEMENT DAY, CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR’S
LEVEL 2 (4 YEAR OLD)
UNIT 11
THEME: MYSELF
TOPIC:PERSONAL HYGIENE-
HYGIENE-KEEPING THE BODY CLEAN
UNIT 12
THEME MY FAMILY
TOPIC:PEOPLE I KNOW AND LOVE
UNIT 13
THEME: STIMULATION:
TOPIC:OUR SENSES – HEAR, SEE, TOUCH, SMELL, TASTE,
UNIT 14
THEME: SHAPES
TOPIC:BASIC GEOMETRIC SHAPES – TRIANGLE, RECTANGLE, DIAMOND
UNIT 15
THEME: COLORS
TOPIC:BLUE, PURPLE, ORANGE, BROWN
UNIT 16
THEME: OUR WORLD
TOPIC:BELIZE OUR COUNTRY - COMMUNITY HELPERS
UNIT 17
THEME: WEATHER AND CLOTHING
TOPICS: TYPES OF WEATHER AND CLOTHING
UNIT 18
THEME: HOLIDAYS:
TOPICS: BARON BLISS DAY, GOOD FRIDAY, INDEPENDENCE
DAY
UNIT 19:
THEME: TRANSPORTATION
TOPIC:GETTING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER
UNIT 20
THEME: CELEBRATION EVENTS
TOPICS: BIRTHDAYS AND SUCCESSES

Level 1
THE PRESCHOOL
CURRICULUM
LEVEL 1 (3-4 YEARS)
UNIT 1
MY PRE-
PRE-SCHOOL CENTER
EXPECTATIONS:
The children will adjust to the preschool, explore and become
familiar with the whole environment, and experience a feeling
of belonging to a family other than the one at home.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Identify and name the preschool and the teacher
• Identify others that work at the pre-school.
• Identify the differences between the preschool and
home
• Name the street on which the preschool is located
• Adjust to new situations in the center and demonstrate
a positive attitude towards coming to school and enjoy-
ing the program
• Recognize, name, locate and discriminate among the
various materials, equipment, signs, symbols and spaces
in the center.
• Identify the letter/sound “P” as in the word “Preschool”
• Listen to and follow simple directions
• Express their feelings, ideas, creativity and needs appro-
priately
• Build a relationship with others in the center
• Show that they can care for and value the things and
people in the preschool
• Recognize that there are routines and rules to follow at
the center and these may be different from those at
home
• Observe, recognize, read labels, match, locate and dis-
criminate among things that are alike/similar and/or dif-
ferent, and things and people that are tall and short.
• Engage in solitary, parallel and/or cooperative play
situations peacefully
• Investigate, inquire and discover the use and properties
of materials and equipment in a safe and appropriate
manner

Level 1
A. PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS
• The name of my preschool is ____________
• I belong to the ______Preschool family
• My teacher’s name is ___________ F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
• My teacher is my friend and cares about OF THE WORLD
me. • My preschool center is different from my
• All the people in the preschool are my home.
friends • My preschool center is on
• I like coming to the center every day _____________Street
• I feel loved and appreciated at the center • My home is at # ___, ___________ Street
• At the center I play, work, listen, I express
myself in many ways,
B. CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT • and learn many new things.
• I can express my creativity by scribbling,
modeling, painting, selecting materials, ar- G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES
ranging and using them to produce visual
Identify, match, observe, recognize, name, list,
and plastic art and crafts
locate, compare, listen, view, converse, scribble,
color, paint, model, read, memorize, differenti-
C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ate, categorize, organize, sort, measure, draw,
• When I scribble, draw lines, color, paint, sing, recite, analyze and synthesize, mime,
model, push, pull and carry things around I dramatize, socialize, build, construct, cooperate,
am strengthening my muscles appreciate, attend, discover, inquire, explore,
reply, respond, experiment, create
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE &LITERACY
• We greet others with a handshake, hug or H. FOCUS SKILLS
by saying “good morning /good afternoon”
• Name self, teacher, preschool, street that the
• Vocabulary words to use are: teacher,
school/center is on
friend/s, door, window, chair, table, bath-
• Adjust to the preschool program by show-
room, toilet, basin, in, out, snack, activity
ing joy in coming to school
center, blocks, crayons, play dough, sand
• Identify, locate, list, match, compare, sort,
tray, water trough, big, little, alike, similar,
differentiate and categorize things and peo-
different etc.
ple
• It is important to observe, view, listen, read
• Make associations with names on labels and
and tell others how I feel, what I think, and
specific things in the center/school
to ask many questions
• Repeat, memorize, recall and retell informa-
• Letter Pp is at the beginning of the word
tion
“preschool” and at the beginning of some
• Sing, recite, ask questions, respond to ques-
people’s name. Pp is written with a stick
tions, participate in games, listen to stories,
starting at the top going down to the bot-
and interact with others
tom and back up. It makes a small curve to
• Show appreciation for school/center prop-
the right at the top
erty.
• Converse about activities in the center
E. MATHEMATICAL • Investigate, experiment, discover, read labels
• Some people and things are big and others and pictures
are little • Paint, color, model with play dough, scrib-
• Some people and things are alike /similar and ble, draw using lines, and arrange materials
others are different for collage
MY PRESCHOOL CENTER Cont.

I. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
• Greet the children and the adult that bring them to the center and welcome the children to the center.
• Introduce your self and give each child a name-tag to wear.
• Provide enough toys for the children to play with freely
• Introduce yourself and the other adults that work at the center
• Sing greeting songs and let the children learn to greet each other with a handshake or a hug and call
each other by the first name
• Talk about the name of the center, the location, and some of the outdoor and indoor activities and how
to play safely
• Ask parent/s to reinforce the teaching of the school address
• Take the children on a tour of the center and the play-ground.
• Introduce them to the Activity Areas/ Learning Centers and help them to identify and read the labels in
the room and memorize the names.
• Play matching games using the labels in the room
• Tell short interesting stories about the preschool infusing other concepts and skills, using puppets, cinema
box, and large colorful pictures
• Read stories about “tall/short, similar/different”
• Use a variety of large colorful pictures with one item on each and concrete objects that the children can
manipulate
• Converse with the children about their feelings related to the preschool ethos
• Play indoor and outdoor games, ring games, sing songs with lots of actions, recite nursery rhymes and
finger plays, mime, dramatize to teach the concepts of big and little, alike/similar and different
• Let them sort, organize, match, locate, name and compare objects to learn the concepts
• Implement activities in which they will use their bodies in space to music and sounds in order to develop
fine and gross muscles and demonstrate their acquisition of concepts and skills
• Let them listen to and learn to appreciate different types of soft soothing music while they are engaged in
quiet activities
• Introduce them to the use of blocks for building/ constructing and imaginative play
• Make puzzles of buildings representing the preschool, and home. Limit the puzzles to 4-5 large pieces
and let them experiment and discover how to assemble the pieces- synthesize, to form a whole
• Make play dough and give them to model, let them color with jumbo size crayons, paint, scribble with felt
tip pens.
• Cut enough squares or rectangles from colored construction paper for the children to do a collage. Let
the children select the colors they desire to glue in the pieces into a shape that represents the preschool
collages
K. SUGGESTED RHYMES, SONGS, SONGS

FINGER PLAYS, STORIES, NURSERY • Greeting songs – Good Morning Boys and Girls, Buenos
RHYMES dias ninos y ninas (tune to Are You Sleeping?)
• Look who come to school today
• Two little black birds sat on a tree
• I have a big school with lots of children (tune to I have a
(finger play)
big farm)
• Two little monkeys jumping on a bed
• I’m walking on my way to my school
(action rhyme)
• This Is My preschool
• Little Bear or Big Bear turn around
• One of these things is not like the others
• This is the school that Jack built
• Are You Sleeping, Brother John?
(nursery rhyme)
• Good Morning to You (tune to Happy Birthday song)
• Ready for school (finger play)
• Mary had a Little lamb
• Polly pick the pencil up (tune to Polly put the kettle on)
Level 1
Level 1 Preschool Curriculum (3-

(3-4 years)
J. SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
• Play a game “What I Know” in which the teacher or a child asks “what do you know?”, and one child will
read and repeat the phrase “I know ________” then add on a fact like “I know that my preschool is on ____
Street or I know the name of my preschool is ________, I know the name of my teacher is________”
• In “Circle Time” the children will tell why they like /not like coming to school
• Play a “Name and Touch” game in which the teacher or a child will name some things in
the room and the other children will locate and touch them. The same idea may be used for matching
and labeling games.
• Play a finding game in which they will find things that are big and little and similar/alike and different, and
explain/ and or answer questions about them
• Sing a song like, “One of these things is not like the others” and call on a child to point out which one is
not like the others before you finish the song. The child must tell one difference.
• On a sheet of paper, draw big objects on the left and little objects on the right or vice versa, and ask them
to draw a line from left to right to match the big with the little. Always write the words, even when you
will not focus on the printed words and reading aspect. This is how the children will eventually learn to
read.
• Let them color the pictures and check for signs of weak fine muscles.
• Observe how well they are adjusting to the program, their attitude towards activities, materials and peo-
ple, wait turn to speak, and how they build relationships. Look out for those who isolate themselves and
monitor over a few weeks. Document your observations.
• Give them play dough to make things that are big and little, use lines to draw things that are big and little.
Let them identify and talk about them.
• Cut big and little shapes from colored construction paper. Let the children sort for the matching shape
and show which is big and which is little.
• Give a hand-out with three rows and three shapes in each row. One of the shapes must be different from
the other two. Ask the children to point to one that is different and color it.
• Use large wooden beads, shells, buttons, rocks, blocks, shapes from sturdy poster paper and observe who
can classify into groups of big and little, alike and different, follow directions, and can identify the new
concepts in real life situations.
• Let them arrange things in order of big/little, and similar /different patterns.
• Listen for the use of new vocabulary in conversations, and in asking and answering questions. Record
findings
• Use simple riddles to check for correct concepts and word meanings
• Give directions in an activity where they will use up space moving to sounds and/or music e.g. march to
the door, turn and face the window, rap on a wall, make yourself as big as you can and as little as you can
etc.
GAMES L. SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Oh Mama May I ______ • Large colorful pictures, flash cards, jumbo crayons, paint and
brushes, wet and dry chalk for coloring, play dough
• Big and little objects
STORIES • Pictures and objects that are alike/similar and different, matching
cards, puzzles, flip chart, activity sheets
• The dog that went to school • Cinema box, storybooks, audio tapes, flip chart
• Teacher’s pet • Wooden and/or plastic blocks, egg crates for sorting objects,
matching games, story books, picture books, puppets, puzzles,
matching games
UNIT 2: MYSELF
TOPIC: I AM SPECIAL
EXPECTATIONS:
The children will develop an awareness of themselves as unique and spe-
cial individuals
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Identify and respond to one’s first names
• Recognize their real names vs. nicknames or other
names
• Identify and name their sex
• Identify main body parts
• List things that they can do with body parts
• Describe self and others
• Identify that each person is unique, special and different
• Push and pull things
• Use appropriate vocabulary in describing oneself
• Recognize and name the letter/sound “m” in words
“me/myself”
• Compare and talk about the similarities and differences
among boys, girls and adults
• Rote count up to 10
• Identify the numeral 1 and the concept of one
• Move body in space while responding to sounds and
music
• Identify oneself on a photo
• Produce prints in a creative way

Level 1

DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS
• My first name is ________ and my surname/ last
name is _______
• I am a boy/girl E. MATHEMATICAL
• I am __years old
• My birthday is _________ • I have one head, one nose, one mouth, and one
• I am special and there is no other me tongue
• I am similar to others in some ways • There is only one of each person
• I can identify things that belong to me- “This is • I have one mother and one father
my________” • One boy has the same number value as one girl
• I can talk about my feelings- I feel sad/ angry/ • Some people, animals and trees are tall and some
afraid/ happy, lonely, hungry, thirsty are short.
• My mother and father are tall but I am short
• My teacher is tall but my friend is short
B. CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT • I can rote count up to 10
• When I move my body in space to sounds and
music, I express my creativity F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF
• Parts of my body can be represented through THE WORLD
painting, tracing, etching, patterns and designs
• Some parts of my body are: hands, feet, head, eyes,
ears, nose, mouth, tongue, shoulders, knees, toes,
C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT neck, fingers
• I must take care of my body by eating healthy foods,
• I can help to dress myself- button and zip my bathing daily, brushing teeth after each meal, rest-
clothes, lace my shoes/tennis ing, washing hands after using the toilet, before eat-
• When I push, pull, lift and carry things I ing and after using “messy” materials.
strengthen my muscles • Some things will not move unless I push, pull lift or
• I can roll play dough, paste, hold, stack blocks, carry them
color and draw to help me to strengthen my
muscles G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE &LITERACY • Name, list, identify, use read, listen, represent, ar-
range, dramatize, locate show, label, paste, model,
• I can express my needs in statements - “I need demonstrate, sort, classify, match, push, pull, lift,
to go to the bathroom” “May I have some wa- carry, converse, tell, answer, ask, reply, follow, touch,
ter, please” memorize, express, recall, apply, roll, paste, grasp,
• I can use “please and thank you” appropriately- button, zip, hold, trace, paint, color, lace, draw, ap-
“Pass me the crayon, please” preciate, observe, value, compare, interact
• Some vocabulary I can use are: boy, girl,
teacher, friend, special, children, bathroom, wa-
ter, hands, feet, knees, neck, fingers, toes, eyes, H. FOCUS SKILLS
nose, ears, mouth, tongue, head, shoulders,
• Explore using the environment, manipulate materi-
shoe, dress, shirt, blouse, sock, school-bag, cup,
als
chair, apron, towel, mat, book
• Construct ideas and materials, think critically, read
• Some one step directions I can follow are: go to words, phrases, commands, names, color pictures,
the door, please bring the book, get the crayon, pour sand, water and other substances, count,
bring your chair, line up, stand up, sit down draw, paint, speak
• The correct way for me to turn the pages of a • Represent their feelings, name, identify, match, view,
book is from front to back. explain, ask and answer questions, retell, memorize
• I can identify a photo of myself and give a sim- • Function independently, get along with others
ple oral description. – “I am____, I have_______” • Play cooperatively, show self- confidence
• I can ask and answer simple questions- “What is • Express their ideas, creativity and feelings, follow
this?” “This is a _________” simple directions, associate, examine, Sort things,
categorize, classify, compare ideas, things and peo-
ple
I AM SPECIAL Cont.
• Set up a large mirror in the room for children to look at themselves
• Place several small ones in one of the Activity Centers for them to use freely
• Make a birthday chart and ask parents to send a photo. In an activity let the children tape the photo in
the space for the month of their birthday. Give them the date cut from a calendar, and a card with their
first name to paste under it.
• Ask parents in advance to help the child to memorize their first and last names, age, home address, and
sex.
• Arrange ideas in sequence on flash cards and let the children read and follow when describing one self
orally. For example, My name is _______, I am ___years old, I am a ______, I live at _____________, This is
my _______.
• Let the children pretend that they are attending an interview at a radio station and let them use a micro-
phone and tape their voices and play it back for them to listen and identify their own voices. Ask them
personal information as suggested in the activity above. Let them introduce a friend by name. They will
say, “this is my friend ____” (child’s name). They will ask questions as if interviewing the person. Only al-
low those children who volunteer to participate in this activity to do so, and do not force but give encour-
agement to those who are shy.
• Play the “Simon Says” game and let the children identify body parts.
• Play the “Hookey-Pookey” game
• Group them in threes and let them decide who will lie down on a large sheet of paper for the other two
to trace the body. Let them add eyes, nose, mouth, and ears to the shape.
• Engage them in saying number rhymes in which they will learn to rote count up to 5
• Read and tell stories related to the theme and use hand puppets and pictures, videos and audio tapes and
let them retell their favourite part and do a lot of repetitions as a group and individually
• Organize miming, role-play and dramatization
• Sing songs, play ring games, table games, tell riddles, and listen to music
• Let them trace their hands and feet on paper and color, paint and/or use designs and patterns to deco-
rate them.
• Draw freely and talk about their picture
• Paint hands and make hand prints in a “Big Book” of hands
• Help them to make stories about their drawings and write a short story about it on the flip chart, and read
it to them.
• Read aloud to the children every day. Read a short story, a part of a story and continue daily until the
story ends, read poems with a simple theme, Bible stories, read stories about history and culture, far away
places and people, adventure, fables, humorous and nonsense stories, fairy tales that are related to the
theme of the unit.
• Use growth chart for them to measure themselves and compare to determine who is shorter and taller.
• Take them on a walk and let them identify and tell about things that are tall and short, and collect one
thing to take back to the center and compare it to what others collected.
• Play an “I Can” game in which they will say “I can ___ with my hand, I can ___with my feet, ___with my
ears, ___ with my fingers etc.
• Play a “Tell and Show” game in which they will tell some things they can do with their hand, e.g. pull and
push, lift and carry, color, roll, paint, write, eat, lace, button, zip etc.
• Organize an activity in which they will practice buttoning and zipping clothes, pushing and pulling things.
• Prepare cards the shapes of shoes with holes punched in them for the children to practice lacing and ty-
ing
• Ask parents to give the child a toothbrush to keep at school so they can brush teeth after snack
• Place posters in the bathroom to show and remind them when to wash hands and how to wash and dry
hands.

Level 1

(3-4 years)
I. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES Cont.
• Set up a Dress-up Center with clothes for them to role-play and demonstrate understanding of concepts,
use vocabulary and practice skills.
• Use egg crates for them to classify things into similar and different, and sets of one and match one object
to one section of the crate.
• Ask the children to jump, hop, skip, etc. one time and then up to 5 times as they count
• Give them arrows cut from Bristol board and/or short pieces of yarn or string to match one to one corre-
spondence.
• Let them measure one cup of salt, sand, water, saw dust, flour for making play dough
• Let them bring one thing from home for “Show and Tell”
• Let them trace the number one in a box of salt and the sand tray.
• Let them trace the number one in the air with their fore finger and then write it with the same finger on
the table and on the chair and on the wall, saying the number as they do so.
• On a large sheet of paper, let them write with a jumbo size crayon the number one
• Draw circles on the floor and let them pretend that they are crossing a river jumping from one rock to the
other. Reinforce the concept of one.
• Represent the “one to one correspondence” concept on paper with pictures for them to draw lines to
match
• Let them imagine that the Dress-up Center is a boutique where they will go to buy, sell and use the terms
“please and thank you” appropriately.
• Listen to hear if they use “Please and Thank You” in other play situations. Record the responses.
• Set up a small shop for them to play in to reinforce and practice the concept and skills that are being
taught . Teacher must observe, ask questions and record responses.
• Introduce some healthy foods for snacks and converse with them about it and reinforce the concept of
one, and parts of the body, e.g. pick up with fingers, hold in my hand, put in my mouth, taste with my
tongue etc.
• Use the “feeling bag” for them to feel without seeing and tell if two objects are alike or different, e.g. a
square and a triangular shape block, two similar spoons etc.
• Around snack time, set up a stall from which they will pretend to buy a piece of fruit or other food served
for snack. Let them ask for one, use ‘please and thank you” taste with the tongue and talk about the taste.
• Bring dolls in for them to bathe and show how they wash their body parts
• Play games in which they will have to follow directions and use directions in music/sounds and move-
ment activities.
• During outdoor activities, take a few minutes to talk about the importance of playing outdoors, exercising
and resting
• Play music with different beats and rhythm and give simple directions to follow
I AM SPECIAL Cont.
• Observe and record behaviors when children are at play- look for ability to
• Call them by first and last names and let them come to you to receive an item. Check if they can find some-
one in the group, or name someone who is a boy, girl, taller than or shorter than oneself.
• Talk with them as a group and individually to get them to express their feelings, ideas and creativity orally.
• Play games with them, hold conversations, ask many recall and critical thinking questions at their level
and identify the extent to which they show self-confidence and acquisition of skills and concepts
• Allow each one to tell names, age, birth date, give two descriptions about self, identify and name two per-
sonal things, two ways in which people are alike, one way in which he/she is different and special.
• Let them identify, locate and read their individual name written on a label on a chair and ask them to
carry the chair and put it in another place.
• Play audio tape of sounds of rain, thunder, fierce wind, things falling, animal sounds, some one singing a
lullaby, screaming, screeching etc and let children talk about their feelings
• Use real life scenarios involving them and others to check how much they can associate what they are
learning in the center to real life.
• Ask them to retell parts of stories they like. Listen for sequencing of at least 1-2 main ideas.
• Let them sing number and action songs, recite action and nursery rhymes, tell simple riddles, do finger
play, listen to short stories and say number rhymes all related to the theme.
• Ask each child to identify and locate one object and write the number one in the air and on a sheet of pa-
per, a flip chart with a large crayon or to use paint and paint brush to show the number one.
• Cut out the numbers one and two, and many different shapes from coloured construction paper and ask
them to select the number one and one shape and find one object from a box and glue it on a sheet of
paper.
• Listen for the use of new vocabulary in conversation and during play.
• Do an activity in which they will work in pairs taking turns to dress each other in a shirt that they have to
button and a pants that they have to zip.
• Ask them to find one thing in the classroom that belongs to them and use the appropriate statement in
English and their own language.
• Play games, do puzzles and matching games, play with picture and word dice and dominoes and let them
identify and name body parts.
• Let them identify, list, name, sort, classify, push, pull and carry things that cannot move by themselves.
• Pretend to speak to someone on toy telephone and identify self by name, age, sex.
• Let them find and show boys, girls, things and people that are tall and short in magazines and books
• Observe how they use initiative, listen, follow and use creativity in music and movement activities.
• Do visual scanning of the whole group and identify opportunities for intervention
K. SUGGESTED RHYMES, SONGS, FINGER GAMES

PLAYS, STORIES, NURSERY RHYMES
• I’m going to Kentucky/Orange Walk (ring game)
• 12345, once I caught a fish alive (number rhyme) • As I was walking down the street (ring game to
• Raise your hands up high (action rhyme) teach the concept of one)
• I can stand (action rhyme) • Hookey Pookey (ring game)
• Brown girl in a ring (ring game)
• Partner game
STORIES
• Snow White and Rose Red (alike but different)
• The Ugly Duckling

Level 1

(3-4 years)
SONGS
• Head, shoulders, knees and toes (song)
• Look who come to school today (tune to Mary had a little lamb)
• Oh Mama May I (action song)
• Do your ears hang low (action song)
• Did you ever see a little boy/little girl go this way and that way (action song)
• This is the way I wash my hands, brush my teeth (action song)
• Clap your tiny hands (action song)
• Skip to my Lou my darling (action song)
• One Little Finger (number song)
• Ha, ha, ha, happy are we
• If you’re happy and you know it (action song)
L. SUGGESTED RESOURCES
• A variety of objects for naming, sorting, matching, grouping
• An oblong baking pan with salt, a sand box or tray, a water trough or tub, a box of sawdust, flour
• Cut –out shapes from colored construction paper and/or poster paper
• Paint, paint brushes, crayons, tape recorder, video and audio tapes, VCR and TV, large and medium size
food containers, cups, scoops, plastic buckets, plastic funnels, story books, magazines with appropriate
content, flip chart, puppets, paper, glue, plastic aprons, blocks, matching games, puzzles, picture and word
dominoes, flash cards, and name cards,
• Posters, toy telephones and/or discarded real telephones, clothes to button and zip, wagon, wheel bar-
row, toy vehicles, wooden and/or sturdy cardboard boxes, empty boxes and cans with labels
• Dolls, shoes, costume jewelry, bags and purse, hats, wigs, mirrors, play money, scissors, stencils
M REFERENCES
• National Preschool Curriculum Document
• Teachers’ Resource Manual for the New Curriculum
• National Infant Primary Curriculum
• A Collection of Activities For Preschool Children by Nelma Mortis- World Organization of scout Movement
and Interamerican Scout Committee
• Educational Objectives of the Scout Movement
• Handbook for Cub Scout Leaders
• The Need for Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment- (www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/stw/
_esys/5erly_ch.htm)
• A Comprehensive Framework for Curricula In Israeli Preschools Ages 3-6
• Nursery Curriculum, http://stutzfamily.com/Susan/nurserycurriculum.html
• International School of Bearn, http://www.isbearn.com/classes1.htm
• Early Childhood Education , Preschool, English Language Arts Curriculum, http://www.psi.kiev.ua/doc/
preschool.htm
• Teaching Strategies: How Children Learn In Preschool, http://www.teachingstrategies.com/pages/
page.cfm?pageID=176
UNIT 3: STIMULATION
TOPIC: THE SENSES
EXPECTATIONS:
Children will be able to identify that they have senses and can associate
and discriminate things in the environment by using their senses
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Identify, name and locate the parts of the body that are related
to the senses
• Recognize the importance of the senses
• Associate things with smell, taste, touch, sound, and sight.
• Identify and name things by using the senses.
• Describe the properties of things using appropriate adjectives
associated with the senses
• Arrange things that they see, smell, taste, hear and touch into
patterns.
• Differentiate things that appeal to the senses and those that
don’t.
• Identify and name things that are harmful and unsafe for the
senses.
• Listen to oral instructions in order to categorize things associ-
ated with the senses
• Identify body language and facial expressions associated to the
responses of the senses and the reactions of a person.
• Identify feelings and emotions that are associated with the
senses.
• Identify, name, and discriminate among numbers, shapes, pat-
terns and letters
A. PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Some parts of my body that are associated with my senses are eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and fin-
gers
• I see with my eyes, smell with my nose, listen with my ears, taste with my tongue, and touch with
my fingers
• I can interact with my environment by using my senses
• I can express my feelings related to my senses in acceptable ways
• It is important for me to use my senses to learn about other people, places and things
• I like the taste, smell, sound, feel and sight of only some things like: fruits, vegetables, food, per-
fumes, hand lotion, shampoo, food seasoning, soap, food flavours/essences – vanilla, lemon,
strawberry, pineapple, fabric softener, soft sounds, loud sounds, pictures and videos, etc.
• I feel afraid when I see and touch/feel some things.
• I must listen to a variety of music and sounds, taste a variety of food, fruits and vegetable, touch
and smell things that are safe and harmless, and look at and pay attention to things that will help
me to learn.

Level 1
B. CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
• When I touch different textures I can associate and
identify them as smooth, rough, soft and hard
CONCEPTS
• Rubbings can be made of different textures in the
environment. Some materials that have smooth E. MATHEMATICAL
and soft textures are: play dough, clay, silk, nylon,
rayon, and velvet fabric, cotton, ribbons, etc. • Things that I see, touch, smell, taste and hear can be clas-
sified, counted, matched and arranged into patterns and
• Some things that are hard and smooth are: glass,
sets.
plastic, pencil, pen, eraser, eating utensils, some
varnished and painted furniture, an apple, some • Most things that I can taste can be shared or divided into
books, some ceramic tiles etc. two or more parts
• Some things that have rough textures are: cement • Many things that I smell, taste, touch and see can be
wall, some wooden walls and objects, some floor measured
tiles, a screen, lace material, burlap, netting, bob- F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF
bynet, sandpaper, car and bicycle tires, etc. THE WORLD
• Rubbings from different textures can be used to
create a collage • Some man-made things that we can smell are: cooked
food, roasted nuts, smells from the bakery, smoke, fuel,
garbage, perfumes.
C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT • Some natural things that we can see, touch, and smell
are: citrus and some other leaves, some flowers and blos-
• I can hear and listen with my ears, but listening for soms, the sea, some animals, mud, fish, fruits and vegeta-
instructions and directions is more important than bles
just hearing. • We must dispose of garbage properly by putting them in
• When I play games and do activities to build and plastic bags and place them in a covered container for
strengthen my body muscles I must use my senses the truck to collect them. The environment will look and
of touch, sight, and listening. smell good when this is done.
• I can move my body through space and respond • The sound and smell of some cars, trucks, busses and
to my feelings when I hear, touch/feel, or see some other vehicles, and very loud music are annoying to peo-
things that make me happy, sad, afraid, angry, up- ple in the community.
set, and cheerful.
• Soft music is associated to walking on tip-toes, glid-
ing, and walking slowly while loud music to run- G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES
ning and jumping, Name, identify, differentiate, locate, recognize, converse, dis-
cuss, conclude, predict, explore, describe, discover, experi-
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE ment, explain, compare, recite, demonstrate, count, sing,
measure, reason, associate, recall, divide, share, organize,
&LITERACY read, view, listen, observe, represent, apply, appreciate, imag-
• Some vocabulary words are: senses, sound, see, ine, connect, report, dramatize, match, cultivate, walk, run,
sight, taste, smell, hear, listen, mouth, nose, ear, move, decorate, collect, respond.
tongue, rough, smooth, soft, hard, strange, differ-
ent, sweet, sour, bitter, salt, cold, hot, loud, lumpy,
liquid, solid, firm, whistling, screeching, roaring,
H. FOCUS SKILLS
crashing. • Touch, smell and taste a variety of man-made and natural
• When I use my senses, I am able to give a better things, listen to different sounds in the environment and
description of things in my environment on audio- tape, look at and view a wide variety of things,
• I can identify name, associate, discriminate, match draw conclusions, make connections and association of
and classify some things in the environment only things with the taste, smell, feel, looks, and sound, iden-
by sight, or only by smell, taste, touch, sound. tify, name and locate parts of the body associated with
• Listening when others speak is very important and the senses and facial expressions and body language
helps me to learn and show respect for others. that show responses to the senses, describe the proper-
• When I look at and view pictures, words, sen- ties of things by the smell, taste, looks, sounds and the
tences, and other things, I learn to arrange ideas, way they feel, differentiate among things that are harm-
read pictures and use new words, converse, report, ful, unsafe, that appeal and do not appeal to the senses,
draw conclusions, see similarities and differences, recognize their own feelings and emotions and that of
make connections and predict outcomes. others as they relate to the senses, classify, organize, ar-
• The letter “S” is the beginning letter/sound of the range things that relate to the senses of touch, smell,
words: “senses, smell, sound” taste, sight, sound, discuss the effects of garbage in the
environment, explain and react to the smell and looks of
garbage in the community.
THE SENSES Cont.

• Play a touching game in which the children will touch their nose, eyes, ears, tongue and fingers and
name them. Give them a stem of a sentence to say, e.g.“I can ...”, see with my eyes, smell with my nose,
touch with my fingers, taste with my tongue, hear with ears.
• Discuss with the children about: things they like to smell, taste, touch, see, hear, and things they do not
like.
• Let them select a partner and take turns in asking to show, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, fingers, and then ask-
ing, “what do you do with your…?”, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, fingers.
• Bring in cooked food, vegetables, fruits, juices, things that are sweet, sour, bitter, hot, cold, solid, liquid, for
them to see, touch, smell, and taste.
• Collect film containers and put cotton in them. Add different fragrances and keep them covered. Play a
game in which the children close their eyes and smell the fragrance and try to name it. Place the contain-
ers in a shoebox in an Activity Area for the children to explore, discover and converse about as they play.
• Collect things that can make sounds and play a game in which a child will go behind a curtain and use an
object to make a sound and the others will identify and name what is making the sound.
• Play audio-tapes with different sounds from nature and man-made items. Let them listen and tell what
sound it is and what made the sound. Observe their responses while they listen. Encourage them to talk
about their feelings when they hear the sounds of thunder, a screeching tire, a crashing tree, the howling
wind, the heavy rain, a croaking frog, a hooting-owl, a dog barking, a snake hissing etc.
• Place a tape recorder in the Language Activity Area and the tapes. Encourage them to use headphones
to listen to the sounds during play.
• Let them repeat the sounds of some animals like: cat, cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, bird, rooster, hen, duck
etc. Ask a child to make a sound of an animal and the others must tell which animal made the sound.
• Ask 3 children to go behind a curtain and take turns to say,“ Hello children”, and the others will identify
which of the children said it.
• Make blinders from construction paper and attach rubber bands for the children to hook it on their ears.
Pass a tray around for the children to take a piece of vegetable, fruit, cookie, soda cracker, etc. and smell it
and taste it, then tell what it is.
• For snack, let them taste jello, ice-cream, oats, custard, rice-pudding, lime juice, steamed carrots and
squash with no salt, and cream potato, and tell which they like best and why.
• Put things with different textures in a “Feely Bag” and let them put their hand in without seeing and tell
what they think the item is. Let them show to the others for correct identification, and return it to the
bag.
• Bring in plastic frogs, lizards, spiders, snakes, beetles, bugs, crocodiles, turtles, and butterflies, and pass
them around for the children to touch. Observe how they react to them and their body language and
facial expressions. Discuss how they feel at the sight of the objects and what is safe to touch and what is
not. Place them in an ‘Inquiry Area” and check their responses during play.
• Arrange letters, numbers and things in patterns like an object to smell, one to taste and one to listen to.
Place two of the same patterns along with one that is different and let them identify and locate the ones
that are alike and tell why the other is different.
• Play a game “One of these things is not like the others”, in which you place two things that can be eaten
along with one thing that can be heard. Sing the song and point to a child to come forward to identify
the one that is different. Ask why it is different. Encourage the child to explain why and give praise.
• Spread mats on the floor and let them lie quietly and listen to sounds in the environment. Ask them to
report one sound that they heard.
• Play soft music and ask them to move to the softness and then play loud music and let them move. Dis-
cuss which type of music they liked better and why. Talk about how soft and loud music makes them feel.
•

Level 1

(3-4 years)
• Give each child a plastic spoon to measure 5 spoons of dry sand and place it in a cup. Let them touch the
sand and describe the texture. Let them compare dry sand to wet sand that is also measured. Let them
tell which was easier to measure and why. Let them compare the amount of dry sand in one cup to the
amount of wet sand in the other. Encourage them to draw conclusions about the result.
• Provide water for them to measure. Ask them to pour two cups of water in a plastic soda bottle. Let them
compare and tell why some bottles have more or less than others. Ask them to describe the difference
and properties of sand and water. As questions like, “can sand pour like water?, Is sand a liquid like wa-
ter?, How does sand feel?, How does water feel? etc.
• Read books and tell stories that contain sounds, tastes, smells, things with different textures to touch and
see.
• Let the children sing songs and recite nursery rhymes related to the senses.
• Place pictures of body parts associated with the senses and flash cards with new vocabulary on the wall,
on the pocket chart, flip chart or cinema box.
• Take the children out door when the garbage truck is collecting the garbage and watch their reaction
and talk about keeping the environment clean.
• Divide the children into groups of threes and give each group a plastic cup with 12 beans for them to
share equally. Observe how they divided the beans. Ask them to describe a bean and questions about
the bean, e.g, how does it feel, can it be eaten the way it is, how does it feel when it is cooked? Check to
see if the beans were divided evenly. Review one to one correspondence to reinforce how to divide
evenly.
• Bring in materials with different textures for the children to do rubbings with crayons
• Make a quilt using texture rubbings on small squares. Give each child 2 small squares and let them choose
two different colour crayons to rub leaves, screen, sandpaper, lace material, a cement block or wall, a ta-
ble top, a tile, a book cover, etc. Let them apply glue and paste them on 4 sheets of newsprint to form a
quilt pattern.
• Give the children different large shapes to do texture colouring on a piece of “bobbynet” inside the bor-
ders.
• Take them outdoor to play a game in which they will have to listen carefully, e.g divide the large group
into two teams and they go to opposite sides- “home” of the play ground. One team will be called ‘crabs’
and the other ‘crows’. The two teams stand facing each other in the middle of the area. When you say
‘crabs’ catch ‘crows’ or ‘crows’ catch ‘crabs’, one team will try to catch children from the other team while
they run away to their home area. All those who are caught before they reach their area must go over to
the next team and the game continues.
• Play loud music for the children to jump and run around and soft music to walk on tip-toes
THE SENSES Cont.

• Play the “Simon Says” game in which You will ask them to touch the ears, eyes, nose,
put out your tongue, wiggle your fingers etc. Observe those who have some difficulty
locating body parts and take note.
• Make five activity sheets, one related to each sense. Ask the children to discriminate
among the items and colour the things that they can taste, smell, hear, see and touch.
• Ask them to search the classroom and find something that is smooth, rough, hard, soft.
• Ask them to name one thing they like to smell, taste, hear, touch, and see.
• Give them an activity sheet with faces showing different emotions and expressions.
Ask them to locate the one that is afraid, happy, sad, and cheerful.
• Ask the children to select a book and find the letter/sound “s” in a word.
• Observe the children ability to listen when others are speaking and to listen in order to
follow directions and/or instructions and to show cooperation, appreciation and re-
spect.
K. SUGGESTED RHYMES, SONGS, FINGER PLAYS, STORIES, NURSERY RHYMES

• Hokey Pokey ( ring game and action song)
• Simon Says (action game)
• Crabs and Crows (listening and catching game)
• Touch your ears (action rhyme)
• In the river, on the bank (listening game)
• Raise your hands and wiggle your fingers ( action Rhyme)
• Do your ears hang low (song)
• This little finger (number song)
• Ten little fingers standing up tall (number & action rhyme)
• The Ginger bread boy (story)
• Old Mc Donald has a farm (song)
• Johnny plays the big drum ( song)
• The Musicians of Bremen (story)
• Jack in the box, Jack out the box (listening game)
• One of these things is not like the others (song)
• Where is thumbkin (finger play/song)
• Pitter patter hear the falling rain (song)

Level 1

(3-4 years)
• Cooked food, fruits, vegetables, juices, cookies, dried beans, water, plastic cups and spoons, dry and wet
sand, fragrances, musical instruments and percussion instruments, audio-tapes, silk , velvet and lace mate-
rials, 35 mm film containers, cotton, construction paper, rubber bands, tray, boxes, water trough, sand
boxes, flash cards, flip chart, cinema box, pocket chart, things that are solid, liquid, bitter, salt, sweet, hot
and cold, tape recorder, headphones, feely -bag, plastic and/or rubber insects, turtle, frogs, snakes, bugs,
beetles, butterflies, lizards, and crocodiles, materials for rubbings and patterns, white paper squares, cray-
ons, and newsprint.
M REFERENCES
• http://www.firstschool.ws/theme/artapp.htm
• http://www.firstschool.ws/theme/alphaletter/s.htm
• http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk
• http://www.primaryresources.co.uk
• http://www.pulaskiacademy.org/k8couseguide/3yrold.htm
• http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/earlychildhood.html
• http://www.abcteach.com
• http://www.wecanaeyc.org/4yrcareprogs.asp_for_early_childhood.htm
• http://www.teach-nology.com/index.html
UNIT 4: MY FAMILY
TOPIC: I AM PART OF MY FAMILY
EXPECTATIONS:
The children will develop an awareness of the value of
the family and their relationships and responsibilities as part of
the family .
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Recognize their family name
• Tell where the family lives and how many members make up the family.
• Identify and tell if they are living in a one or two parent family and tell the first
name of mother and father.
• Identify brothers/sisters in the family, tell their first name and some similarities and
differences among them.
• Identify oneself as a brother/sister and a member of a family
• Tell names of others that live in the family and the relationship to the child
• Identify the main roles and responsibilities of the parents/others in the family and
compare to their own roles and responsibilities.
• Explore different identities and how individuals relate to each other and show
respect and love in the family.
• Use appropriate and relevant vocabulary to talk about and explain the culture
and activities of the family and their feelings towards those in the family.
• Recognize the beginning letter/sound “f” in the word “family”
• Express ideas and feelings about the family in a creative way.
• Listen to and respond appropriately.
• Enjoy books with stories and information on the family and handle them carefully
• Draw the home and the people in the family and tell a simple story about the pic-
ture.
• Rote count numbers up to 10
• Listen to, associate, discriminate and move to music they hear in the family
• Discriminate between older and younger, more and less and use the terms in
conversing about the family.
• Compare families according to the number of people, and the language they
mostly speak.
• Identify and talk about the importance of sharing with others, taking turns and
cooperating.
• Decorate a picture frame to hold the family picture that they created
E. MATHEMATICAL C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Numbers follow each other in se-
quence when counting. • Some people in my family play sports
• I can rote count by saying numbers and outdoor games
in counting order up to10 • I can hop, jump, run, and bend, like oth-
• Some families have more people and ers in my family
some have less
Level 1
A. PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMO-
•
TIONAL DEVELOPMENT
My family is a group of people who live in
CONCEPTS
the same house with me.
• My family-name is ________ F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE
• I am a member of my family and we live at
____________ (address)
WORLD
• There are ___people in my family • In many families people must share ideas, take turns to listen
• I must love and respect everyone in my and speak,
family • Cooperate with each other, identify and follow rules in the
• I should trust people in my family but tell home.
my mother or grandmother when I get • Each family is different from other families and each one in the
bad touch from others family is unique.
• I am to share, wait for my turn and give • Every one in the family, including children have roles and re-
turns, and cooperate with my family mem- sponsibilities
bers. • Some family members look different from others.
• I am special to my family and they are spe- • Some families belong to special groups of people in a commu-
cial to me nity, e.g. Creole, Garifuna, Maya, Mestizo, East Indian, Oriental,
• I should share my feelings with my family Mennonite, other
and do not get angry if others do things • Some families are identified and grouped according to the lan-
differently. guage that the members mostly speak
• I learn from my mother/father and sisters/ • Most families engage in activities together, e.g. eat meals,
brothers/others to do many things watch television, go on trips, celebrate special occasions, visit
• I should eat healthy food and snacks that relatives and friends
my family prepares
G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES

Identify, converse, use, apply, investigate, participate, share, listen
• I can dance and move in rhythm to the demonstrate, examine, relate, associate, compare, show, develop
music, songs and sounds my family like contribute, categorize, group, recognize, create, construct, locate,
and appreciate. indicate
• My family and I express our creativity, use connect, handle, sing, recite, play, respond, distinguish, express,
materials and innovative ideas in many engage
ways that may be different from the way discover, inquire, answer, ask, appreciate, represent
other families do dramatize, memorize, count, cooperate, draw, manipulate, match,
read, view, organize, explore, jump, hop, run, color, trace, coordi-
nate, balance, estimate, predict, sequence, arrange, name, describe,
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE explain, generalize
&LITERACY
• The names of my sisters/ brothers are … H. FOCUS SKILLS
• My mother’s/father’s name is …
• I am older/younger than … • Converse with others
• My family is different in some ways and • Listen, view, read, draw, construct, match, discover, explore,
similar in other ways from other families inquire, make decisions, work and play in pairs
• Vocabulary words are: mother, father, • Small groups and large group, share materials, feelings and
brother, sister, younger, older, home, ideas with others
house, hop, run, jump, bend, music, sports, • Recognize, name, list, make association, think critically, general-
games, front, back, top, bottom, family, ize, identify, recreate, respond, show care, appreciation, empa-
thy, respect for, interact with materials, equipment and people
baby, name, special, respect, love, share,
take turns, give turns, wait turns, more • Build awareness of similarities, differences, uniqueness and cul-
ture
than, less than, community, group, son,
daughter, boy, girl, man, woman, lady • Collect, report, explain, describe, memorize, apply, practice and
enjoy new skills
• When using books turn the pages from
• Manipulate, coordinate, express ideas and creativity
front to back and scan each page from top
• Show self-confidence, independence, tolerance and control of
to bottom and handle all books with clean
feelings
hands and with care
• Make requests, wait and take turns.
MY FAMILY Cont.
• Inform parents in advance when the unit on “ The Family” will begin, so that they can support the child and help to
build the child’s self-confidence and interest in investigating about the family.
• Ask many questions and encourage the children to answer and express their ideas and feelings freely.
• Collect pictures from magazines of different types of families and activities in which families are engaged, and let the
children view and talk about them using their experiences in the family.
• Ask parents to send a family photo. Ask the children to select a child as a partner and talk freely about the photo.
Bring them into a whole group and encourage them to tell about the family.
• Use a pocket chart to display family photos
• Ask them to identify and name their family members and tell their roles and responsibilities, and the address of the
family
• Give them a card with the family name on it and let them hang it on a real tree branch in a corner of the room.
Name it the “Family Tree”. Ask them occasionally to identify, locate, remove, read and listen for the beginning sound
of the name
• Role-play family experiences using scenarios showing behaviours and relationships.
• Set up a Home Activity Area and observe them at play. Seek opportunities for intervention and to converse with
them about specific behaviours and language.
• Encourage them to talk about their feelings towards members of the family using stick and sock puppets and rein-
force the need for family members to love, respect, tolerate, share and care for each other.
• Encourage role-play and use related vocabulary by asking questions and getting responses as they play in the Home
Area, Dress-up Area, the Shop, and other Activity Areas.
• Tell and read stories about family situations and experiences, sing songs, say rhymes, do finger play, give riddles and
simple jokes, watch videos and listen to short conversations on audiotapes
• Ask the children to show the top/bottom of the photos and talk about how we can determine where is top and bot-
tom, front/back of an object.
• Play a game in which they will have to hide to the back of and stand in front of a large object.
• Have them match pictures of families and identify which member is younger, older, which family has more and less
people, who is the mother, father, the baby, and what feelings they can recognize on the faces of the people.
• Organize activities in which they will match large pictures of family members and label them using flash cards
• Play audiotapes of children speaking in different languages and let them identify the group to which the person be-
longs
• Let the children take the lead in telling you a story about a family and you write it on a flip chart. Read it back to
them and let them read it after you. Encourage them to draw their own stories and read books with stories about
families.
• Give play dough for them to model people in their family, including themselves.
• Let them compare, distinguish and classify pictures of families according to number of people, those with one parent
and two parents, with no babies, with different color skin, with only daughters and only sons
• Use dolls for children to identify when a touch is good and when it is bad.
• Let the children do research and investigate to discover with which group their family identifies. Let them bring
back information and record it on a graph.
• Use a map of Belize for the children to identify the district in which they live.
• Organize a visit to a family in the community and arrange for someone to tell a story, teach a song, game, art idea,
play an instrument, do a dance, display an ethnic dress or share some sort of food and/or traditional family utensil
with the children.
• Encourage the children to draw pictures of their family and make a picture frame from recycled materials and let
them frame the picture they drew of their family.
• Play different types of ethnic music and other locally produced music for them to listen to and identify as a family
favourite.
• Encourage them to express themselves through body movements to the rhythm and beat.
• Play outdoor games and activities and games in which they will hop, jump, and run
• Reinforce reading and vocabulary development by writing simple commands and show it when you say it.
• Use the activity on “Family Series, Emotional Awareness, Missing Lids and All About Our Day”
• Plan a family day on a Saturday morning and organize activities.
• Encourage them to take turns, wait turns and give turns in daily activities.
Level 1

(3-4 years)
• During “Circle Time”, role-play a police officer finds a child who is lost and asks for information. Let each child tell his/
her first name and family name, address, the name of the parent/s, how many people are in the family, and how
many brothers and sisters and their names.
• Use large cut out shapes of a man, woman, two boys and two girls of different heights and let the children pretend
that they are family members and count and name them as though they are real family members.
• Ask them to identify clothes from the Dress-up Area, that their mother, father, brother, sister wear
• Have them mime one activity that mother, father, brother, sister and oneself does in the family
• Identify and name one person that is older than and one that is younger than oneself in the family.
• Rote count up to 10 and count the number of people in the family.
• Gather and report information on the ethnic group to which the family belongs and one activity that the whole fam-
ily does together.
• Demonstrate and explain how to turn the pages of a book and how to view a page in a book, and how to care for a
book.
• Draw a picture of the family and talk about it, expressing how each one feels about her/his family
• Use vocabulary in conversations, descriptions, explanations and reports
• Re-tell favourite parts of stories told about families.
• Demonstrate ability to make two hops on one foot, run about 10 yards or more with hands in correct running posi-
tion without stumbling or falling, jump forward on two feet three times
• Sing along with the whole group or with a partner at least one song, and recite one action rhyme, one finger play
and one number rhyme about the family
• Let them make requests and express feelings using the family language and ESL
• Can identify, distinguish and select one’s family photo from among all the others.
• Let them stand in line to wash hands and observe those who show impatience and those who demonstrate ability
to wait their turn.
• Provide different size boxes, cans, tape, paper, glue, bottle caps, cardboard tubes and other materials and ask them
to form groups of fours. Give them some basic instructions and give each group a set of materials to create the
shape of a person. Observe group dynamics and application of skills, use of language, attitudes and values.
• During conversation, pair and group activities, and story reading and telling, take note of how they treat others,
show consideration and respect, and wait their turn to speak.
• Play music and observe how they respond to the different types of music
• During indoor and outdoor play activities observe how they treat each other and record significant behaviors.
STORIES L. SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• The Three Little Pigs • Photos of families, pictures different kinds of families cut from magazines
• The wolf and the Seven Kids • Large, small and medium size cut-out shapes of people, flash cards
• Beauty and the Beast • Information and story books, posters, flip chart
• Red Riding Hood • A real tree branch and a bucket of sand to put it in, pocket chart, video tapes of
• Jack and the Beanstalk family activities, audiotapes with conversation of children in a family
• Brer Anancy and the three • Hand and stick puppets, flannel board for story telling using pictures
plantain (folk tale) • Art materials-crayons, paint, brushes, pieces of sponge, glitters, colored paper,
• Cinderella materials for picture frame, large small and medium size boxes and cans, card-
board tubes, tape, glue, bottle caps, buttons, match boxes, scissors etc.
SONGS K. SUGGESTED RHYMES, SONGS, GAMES

FINGER PLAYS, STORIES, NURSERY
• I love You, You Love Me (Barney song) RHYMES • Mother may I
• Moms are like flowers in the garden of (game)
life • Hearts like doors will open with ease (poem) • There is a
• Mother Dear if I May (action song) • 5 little woolly lambs (number rhyme) Mother In a
• Fly Home Little Birdie (song) • 5 little puppies sleeping on the ground Ring (ring game
• Oh Mama May I (action song) (number rhyme) adapted from
• With Mother in the Family, What a • Little Sister Red, Come Butter Your Bread Brown Girl in a
Happy Home (nursery rhyme) ring)
UNIT 5: OUR WORLD

TOPIC: BELIZE OUR COUNTRY
EXPECTATIONS:
The children will understand that they live in the country
of Belize that is their home land and a place in the world that
they should love and take care of. .
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Identify personal strengths, weaknesses and limitations.
• Identify Belize as the country in which they live, as their home- land and a place in
the world.
• Identify themselves and others that live in Belize as Belizeans
• Identify the map of Belize by shape
• Recognize the Belize flag
• Distinguish between in and out, inside and outside, soft and loud, first and last
and demonstrate understanding of these in daily situations.
• Identify the National Anthem when it is sung or played
• Associate Belize’s birthday with Independence Day
• Talk about Belize using new vocabulary, phrases and short sentences in their own
language and ESL.
• Sequence ideas, listen for sounds and specific information, view and respond to
verbal and non-verbal communication and written language.
• Identify the letter/sound. “B” in the name Belize
• Investigate and report how and why they should take care of Belize and show
appreciation for all Belizeans regardless of ethnicity.
• Demonstrate creative ways of showing love for Belize.
• Identify and talk about ways in which they can live healthy life styles as Belizeans.
• Count, identify, name, classify and order objects, shapes, the color red and tex-
tures.
• Identify and demonstrate creative ways to produce music, song, art and craft
E. MATHEMATICAL
• Rote count up to 25 by ones is saying numbers in sequence without manipulating ob-
jects
• Some things can be classified by texture and design. Some textures are smooth and oth-
ers are rough.
• When ordering things or positioning things, the one at the beginning of the line is first
and the one at the end of the line is last.
• Some objects can be sorted/ placed in sets according to texture, shape and design
• There is only one national animal, bird, flower, tree, and flag.

Level 1
A. PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMO-
•
TIONAL DEVELOPMENT
I live in the country of Belize and Belize is
CONCEPTS
special because it is my home-land.
• I am a Belizean and I love Belize.
• I must help other Belizeans to take care of F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE
Belize by keeping it clean and taking care WORLD
of the land and water.
• I must care for/like and appreciate other • Belize is a place/country in the world
Belizeans regardless of their differences • The map of Belize has a special shape. The map shows all
the land and
• water that belong to Belize
B. CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT • Belizeans are the people that are born in Belize or given per-
mission to live in Belize
• Many natural and man- made materials
and textures are used to create art and • The Belize flag is a special national symbol and must be han-
craft and to construct, model and fashion dled with care.
figures of people, animals and other • The Belize flag flies high every day in many parts of Belize
shapes found in Belize. • The National Anthem is a special song about Belize and all
• Many different sounds can be heard in the Belizeans should pay attention when it is sung or played on
environment. Some are loud and some are special occasions
soft. Living and non-living things make • Every year we celebrate Belize’s birthday on Independence
sounds. We can imitate some of them and Day, September 21st.
make music from some of them.
• Red is a color that is on the Belizean flag G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES
and many decorations during the national
celebrations in September. . Classify, draw, speak, listen, represent, demonstrate, view, iden-
tify, explain, recognize, sort, organize, classify, read, construct,
predict, create, generalize, use, solve,
C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT play, share, socialize, imitate, repeat, count, associate, compare,
appreciate, value,
• My body can move but it is only strong
enough to do some activities.
• I must eat healthy food, especially those H. FOCUS SKILLS
grown in Belize, exercise and rest so that I • Represent, choose, classify, develop acceptable habits
can grow to be a healthy Belizean • Show appreciation for Belize and things and people that are
Belizean
• Accept figures of authority, identify limitations, strengths
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE and weaknesses, recognize things and people that are Beliz-
&LITERACY ean, rote count
• The story of Belize’s Independence is sim- • Organize and sequence ideas, patterns, shapes, and tex-
ple, exciting and interesting. tures, listen, speak, sing, read, view, pay attention, focus and
• The first verse and chorus of the Belize Na- concentrate, examine, investigate
tional Anthem tell about Belize • Associate map, the flag and National Anthem with Belize,
• The National Anthem may be sung in dif- manipulate, create, explain
ferent languages and not only in English • Demonstrate understanding of concepts, compare and ac-
• There are rhyming words/ words that have cept others that are different, Identify at least two main
similar ending sounds in the National An- ideas from given information, repeat information, nursery
them rhymes and actions
• Some vocabulary words are: Independ- • Show understanding of relationships, think critically, follow
ence, National Anthem, Belizean, map, directions, use specific vocabulary appropriately in self ex-
land, water, rough, smooth, flag, symbol, pression
shape, first, last. • Converse about their feelings, ideas and opinions, imitate
language, converse about their experiences and ideas
• Participate in group discussions and show respect for the
opinions and ideas of others, and show level of acquisition
of skills and attitudes
OUR WORLD Cont.

• Pass out Belizean flags and talk about the name, identify it as a Belizean symbol, give a description of the flag
and compare it to the Mexican and/or Guatemalan flags.
• Play Belizean music and “march” and wave flags and repeat, “I am proud to be a Belizean”.
• Color and/or paint the Belizean flag
• Assemble parts of the flag to make a whole
• Raise the Belizean flag on the flag- pole in the yard or take them to a flag raising ceremony at another school.
Play the National Anthem, then talk about showing respect for the flag and when the National Anthem is sung
at official ceremonies.
• Show them to stand attentively and quietly while the National is played or sung.
• Give “cut-out” of the map of Belize and talk about it.
• Show the location of Belize on a map of the world or of the region then let them identify Belize and its location.
• Present vocabulary related to the theme on flash cards and use them in conversation daily.
• Tell a story about Belize’s Independence and associate it with Belize’s birthday.
• Encourage them to retell stories in their own words using their first language when necessary.
• Organize a field trip so that the children can identify materials that cause pollution and for them to listen for
sounds that are loud and soft, identify materials that have different textures, shapes and designs, and the color
green.
• Let them sit in small groups and talk about their experiences on the trip and then hold a large group discussion
asking many simple questions and giving them moments to share orally.
• Allow them to scribble with large red jumbo crayons. Teach them how to hold the crayons between middle
finger, forefinger and thumb.
• Help the children to identify the first and last person in a line and play games that will teach the concepts of
first and last, e.g. draw four different color lines on the floor and distribute colored tags. The children stand on
the line that matches the color of the tag. Ask them to identify who is first and last in the lines and reinforce
that only one is last and one is first.
• Collect pictures of people of different ethic groups and discuss differences. Talk about how to show apprecia-
tion for others that are different, especially senior citizens and those with special needs.
• Collect natural and man-made materials to be used for art, craft, and for creating music.
• Serve snacks that are made from locally grown fruits and vegetables.
• Play Belizean music, songs and poems for them to listen to, dance, move, clap, and sing along.
• Mount pictures of celebration activities, Belizean fruits, vegetables, landscape, buildings, animals and people,
and let the children use them for conversations in pairs, triads and whole group discussions. Emphasize begin-
ning sounds of the vocabulary words and let them play with rhyming words and nonsense words.
• Display the printed words and simple sentences but do not force them to repeat and memorize the words.
• Label items and give directions and commands orally and at times written as well.
• Introduce and let them identify and name other Belizean symbols e.g. toucan, tapir, black orchid, mahogany
tree.
• Play lots of matching games, assemble puzzles, and compose simple songs and nursery rhymes with concepts
related to the theme.
• Tell lots of short stories using large colorful pictures so that they can follow the story line, maintain interest and
learn concepts and to sequence ideas.
• Ask the children to collect things that are red to bring to class and tell about them. Have them identify things
that are red around the classroom/center.
• Arrange simple patterns with shapes and colors and ask them to identify, repeat, name and organize or con-
struct the pattern.
• Let them stack blocks made from shoe-boxes stuffed with old news paper and covered with red paper or
painted red.
• Organize outdoor games and activities in which the children will count as they jump, clap, run, wave hands,
stand and sit, bend forward and side-way, walk like different animals, fly like birds etc. as they count up to 10
• Set up a rich Language, Art and craft and Science Activity Center to get them to investigate, discover, experi-
ment, and inquire about the concepts and skills they are learning in this unit.

Level 1

(3-4 years)
• Play games and organize activities in which the children’s acquisition of specific skills
and concepts will be observed and recorded. STORIES
• Observe and record notes of their level of frustration and /or confidence and limita-
• Red Riding Hood
tions in completing specific individual tasks indoors and outdoors.
• Snow White and Rose
• Play games and do activities in which the children will demonstrate their under-
Red
standing of the concepts, inside, outside, red, rough, smooth, loud, soft, first and last
• Sly Fox and Little Red
• Ask questions related to: The name of their country, their nationality, Belize’s birth-
Hen
day, how they could show that they love Belize.
• Play two Belizean songs along with the national Anthem and ask them to stand up
when the National Anthem is played. SONGS
• Place a flag of Belize among three other flags and ask them to select the Belize flag.
Do a similar activity with the map of Belize. • The national Anthem
• Ask them to tell two sequential ideas in short sentences based on a story they were (sing along and for lis-
told, a nursery rhyme, or an experience they had at home. tening)
• Let them respond to written words and simple commands on flash cards and verbal • We are Marching Today
language, e.g. go, come, go outside, come inside, go inside, come outside, clap, clap • It Was the Tenth Day of
softly, clap loudly etc. Observe for appropriate responses and record. September
• Observe the types of nutritious snacks served daily and take note of those who re- • Mary wore a Red Dress
frain from tasting and eating them. Plan strategies to encourage tasting and even- • This lang taim gyal/bwai
tually eating of fruits and vegetables. ah neva si yuh
• Listen for the correct use of specific vocabulary words in the children’s individual • Little Robin Red breast
expressions. came to visit me
• Provide activities and games so that the children show their understanding of the • One in a bed and the
concept one and that they can recognize the numeral one. little one said…(number
• Listen to them rote count up to 25 while they do actions like clap, jump, wave song)
hands etc. • Friends are like flowers
• Identify and name the national symbols. in the Garden of life
• Color the Belizean flag, select and use local materials for Art and Craft (song)
• I love you, You love me
(Barney song)
L. SUGGESTED RESOURCES • Happy birthday to Belize
(Tune of the traditional
• Belize National flags
happy birthday song)
• National flags from at least four other countries, pictures of the national symbols of
Belize
• Belizean songs and the Belizean national Anthem on CD/tapes/DVD, tape recorder,
TV, VCR, DVD player GAMES
• Large map of Belize, small cut-out maps of Belize
• Flash cards with vocabulary and simple relevant commands • Do you know my friend
_____ (Denton, Cath-
• Flannel board, story frieze, flip chart, puppets, materials that have rough and
erine), who lives down
smooth textures, for example, velvet cloth, sand paper, tree bark, stones, leaves,
Gabourel Lane (Tune to
screen, upholstery materials, pieces of wood
the song The Muffin
• Dolls dressed to depict the 4 main ethnic groups of Belize, display of ethnic dresses Man)
• Fruits and vegetables grown in Belize • Red bird, red bird, in
• A variety of appropriate size and colorful things to count and out the window
• A sand or salt tray to trace the numeral one, jumbo crayons, red paint, matching (tune and words to Blue
games, puzzles, a variety of red objects, a large box painted red for them to climb in bird)
and out, shoe boxes etc. • Brown Girl in a ring
• As I was walking down
K. SUGGESTED RHYMES, SONGS, FINGER PLAYS, STORIES, NURSERY the street, a Mestizo girl,
RHYMES Garifuna boy, Creole
girl, Mayan boy, other
• One brown bun in the baker’s shop (number rhyme) ethnic group, I chance
• Round and round the garden like a teddy bear. (finger play) to meet. (Ring game)
• Go in and out the windows (ring game)
UNIT 6: SHAPES
TOPIC: BASIC GEOMETRIC SHAPES-
SHAPES-
CIRCLE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE
EXPECTATIONS:
Children will be able to identify and name three basic
geometric shapes .
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Follow directions and wait and take turns
• Cooperate with adults and other children.
• Sit and stand in circle formation.
• Recognize, visually discriminate, name, trace, color, paint model,
and draw shapes of circles, squares and triangles.
• Identify the three geometric shapes within other objects inside
and outside the classroom/center.
• Create simple pictures using circles, squares and triangles.
• Use vocabulary related to shapes.
• Read the names of the shapes and associate and match them
with objects and pictures that have similar shape.
• Recognize the sound “sh” at the beginning of the word “shape”
• Identify and name the letters that produce the one sound
• Show the concept of one to one correspondence using like
shapes.
• Rote count up to 25
• Classify and discriminate among the three shapes.
• Observe, discover and report that sand and water take the
shape of the container.
• Arrange shapes in patterns and in left to right sequence.
• Identify and name body parts that can form circles and triangles.
• Recognize the value of forming circles for activities and games.
• Recognize materials that are produced in various shapes and
create art and craft from them.
• Develop eye-hand coordination and fine and gross muscles.
• Use a pair of scissors to cut along straight lines of a square and a
triangle

Level 1
•
DEVELOPMENT
I need to listen attentively when others are speak-
CONCEPTS
ing.
• When I listen attentively it is easier to follow direc-
tion. E. MATHEMATICAL
• When I cooperate I can have fun and enjoy play-
ing games and doing activities. • One circle may be matched to one circle with a
• When I hold hands with my friends it makes it eas- line drawn from left to right.
ier to form a circle for a game or activity. • One triangle can be matched to one triangle and
one square to one square and the quantity does
B. CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT not change.
• Shapes can be arranged in patterns from left to
• Geometric shapes are used to form patterns and right
designs and pictures. • Numbers are repeated in sequence of ones dur-
• Materials that have set shapes are used to create ing rote count up to 25.
pictures. When I classify pictures and objects according to their
• Crayons and paints are used to give colors to de- shapes, I place all the circles together, the squares to-
signs, patterns and pictures. gether and the triangles together.
• Play dough is used to create shapes
F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF

C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT THE WORLD
• Crayoning, painting, modeling, cutting and past- • There are many shapes in our environment and I am
ing help to develop eye-hand coordination and able to observe, inquire, identify, and talk about cir-
strengthen fine muscles. cles, triangles and squares when I am sharing my
• Grasping and throwing sand or bean- bags helps experiences.
to develop fine and gross muscles. • Some fruits are round like a circle, the world is round
• Using the thumb and middle finger in the loops of like a circle.
the scissors and resting the blades on the fore- fin- • The sun is round like a circle.
ger makes it easier to guide the scissors while cut- • When the moon is full it is round like a circle.
ting. • Some buildings are square, some boxes, tables, parks
and yards are square.
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE &LITERACY • The ears of some animals are sometimes look like
the shape of triangles.
• Some materials take the shape of the container, e.g.
• A circle is round. sand and water
• A square has four equal sides and has a shape
similar to a box.
• A triangle has 3 sides. G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES
• Some vocabulary words are: round, sides, equal,
Describe, listen, report, read, repeat, memorize, observe,
triangle, circle, shape, similar.
investigate, discuss, share, draw, count, view, paint, cut,
• The shape circle is associated with the word circle
paste, color, model, assemble, organize, arrange, se-
and objects such as plate, saucer, wheel, the face
quence, identify, cooperate, match, associate, partici-
of a clock, the rim of a cup, glass, dish, vase etc.
pate, demonstrate, recognize, sort, discriminate, catego-
• The shape square is associated with the word
rize, compare, imitate, generalize, reproduce, name, pre-
square and objects such as box, book, purse, TV
dict.
screen, picture frame, floor tile, etc.
• The shape triangle is associated to the word trian-
gle and objects such as a diagonal half of a floor H. FOCUS SKILLS
tile, a page from a book, etc
• Recognize, describe, name, trace, color, draw,
model, match, arrange, classify associate, locate and
reproduce three basic geometric shapes.
• Explore and discover, and discuss shapes in the envi-
ronment, collect items with different shapes, con-
struct and build using blocks of different shapes
SHAPES Cont.
• Introduce circle, square then triangle, by using objects that are familiar to the children, e.g. ball and a “hoola-
hoop”, a square picture frame and a box, a cut a square piece of construction paper diagonally in half.
• Draw the shape on a flip chart or chalk board and let them trace it in the air, on the table, in the salt or sand
tray, roll a piece of play dough and let them use a plastic knife and cut the shape and then with a crayon on a
sheet of paper.
• Let them use glue to follow the border of the shapes and then use sand on the outline and leave it to dry. Let
them use it when it is dry and close their eyes and trace around it.
• Present each child with a shape and the name and a sentence that says” This is a circle, This is a square, This is a
triangle.” Let them read it.
• Since they know the color red, ask them to draw the shape and color it red.
• You can provide the shape and let them use a piece of sponge to paint it.
• Cut shapes and let them assemble them to form a picture of a person, vehicle, animal or building or something
from their own imagination.
• Provide toilet paper rolls and let them dip them in paint and create designs and patters.
• Play games that will require them to follow directions, listen for specific information, organize themselves into
circles and then praise them for their cooperation in getting it done quickly.
• Play treasure hunt in the room or outdoor if the yard is safe, and let them find things that have the shape.
• Take them on a walk in the community and let them observe and discover things that have the shape.
• Let them stack blocks of different shapes and build with them.
• Place something small that has the shape of a circle, some thing square and something triangular in shape in a
feely box. Make a hole in the top large enough for the children to put one hand in to feel the objects and tell
what shape, before taking it out to show the others.
• Tell stories about the shapes and draw animals and people figures as story characters.
• Set up sand tray and/or a salt tray for the children to trace the shapes.
• Let them experiment with the sand, water and salt or any other dry safe ingredients to discover how materials
take the shape of the container.
• Take them on a trip to the market or a fruit and vegetable vendor to find those that are round.
• Encourage them to talk about their experience and you can record some of their conversations in the form of
an interview and play it back for them to listen to it.
• Use “cut-out” shapes from colored construction paper and present a pattern on the flip chart or chalk board
and let then reproduce it moving from left to right. Give each child a set of shapes.
• Provide opportunity for them to sort shapes according to likeness.
• Let them set up shapes made from construction paper and use yarn to match one to one. Ensure that they
move from left to right.
• Provide a worksheet with shapes for them to match one to one
• Take them outdoors to provide freedom to throw and catch sand/ bean bags to enhance fine and gross mus-
cle development and eye-hand coordination.
• Provide a pair of scissors for each child and teach them how to hold it and how to cut with it. Let them prac-
tice cutting along the straight lines of the triangle and square before attempting the curve edges of the circle.
• Play follow the leader game in which the children will follow you to learn how to put lines together to form
shapes, using a jumbo crayon. Let other children take turns to trace a shape in the air and see if the others can
identify it, then ask someone to draw it on the flip chart.
• Prepare a booklet from shop paper and let then find shapes of circle, squares and triangles in magazines and
cut them out and paste them in the booklet. Check to see if they can identify and name the shapes.
• Set up sand and water areas, a Block and a Math area for free play so that the children can experiment and dis-
cover their own understanding of shapes.
• Sing songs and recite nursery rhymes related to the theme.
• Make up your own stories about shapes and tell them on tapes and let the children listen
• Use pictures and puppets to tell stories.
• Let the children dramatize and use their own imaginations to tell their own stories about shapes.

Level 1

(3-4 years)
• Observe and record those that are not able to cooperate, wait their turn and take turns. Continue to give en-
couragement and reinforce the positive attitudes and values. Use praise for acceptable behaviors.
• Observe their abilities to form a circle without your help.
• Play games and do activities in which the children will demonstrate their abilities to discriminate among the
shapes and name them.
• Listen for the use of vocabulary in daily conversations.
• Provide a worksheet and let the children draw lines from left to right and match like shapes one to one.
• Listen to them count up to 12 as a group and individually as they do actions.
• Ask them to explain how water can become round and square.
• Ask them to arrange two lines of shapes into different patterns and name the shapes.
• Let them identify things in the classroom the have the shape of circle, square and triangle.
• Observe their abilities to hold a pair of scissors correctly and skills of cutting on a straight line with a pair of scis-
sors. Re-teach if necessary and give more practice.
• Ask them to give simple oral reports and explanations.
• Ask them to classify shapes according to likeness.
• Prepare a chart and divide it into 6 sections. Paste one shape cut from colored construction paper in each sec-
tion. Place it on the floor and allow the children to take turns to throw a bean- bag and to name the shape on
which the bag landed. Do several and let them play in small groups
• One Round Bun in the Baker’s Shop (number rhyme)

• One little Finger (number song) as they learn the other numbers add them to the song.
• One elephant went out to play (number song)
• The wheels on the bus (action song)
• The Square That Lost One Side. (story)
• The Ginger Bread that Rolled Away (story)
• Egg crate for sorting, organizing and classifying.
• Shapes matching game.
• Shape Bingo
• Crayons, sponge, paint, construction paper, scissors, flip chart, microphone, tape recorder, bean and/or sand
bags of three different shapes, worksheets, ball, “hoola hoop”,
• Salt and sand tray, feely box, play dough, plastic knives, glue, sand, sentence strips, flash cards, pictures of the
sun, moon, buildings and other things in the environment that have the related shapes.
M REFERENCES
• Present L1 preschool Curriculum Guise
• A Collection of Activities by Ms. Nelma Mortis
• Prekinder Guidelines, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts, http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
curriculum/early/prekguide.html
• Early childhood Education, http://www.psi.kiev.ua/doc/preschool.html
• The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, http://www.teachingstrategies.com/pages/pagecfm?pageid=34
• http://www.isbearn.com/classes1.htmEarly Childhood: Where Learning Begins- Mathematics, Activities
for families of children, two to five years focusing on Math and Science, http://www.ed.gov/pubs/
EarlyMath/
• Nursery Curriculum, (three year olds), http://stuzfamily.com/Susan/nurserycurriculum.html
UNIT 7: COLOURS
TOPIC: THINGS THAT ARE BLACK,
WHITE, GREEN, RED
EXPECTATIONS:
Children will identify that some objects and natural things are
associated with specific colors and be able to identify and name the
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Identify things that have specific colors.
• Discriminate among the colors.
• Identify things that change color and those that don’t.
• Tell why some things do not change color
• Classify, arrange and pattern things according to color
• Mix different color paints to discover the result
• Use their imagination when coloring and painting pictures, and creating patterns and designs
• Make different color play-dough and experiment with colors in water.
• Color large pictures
• Locate, cut and paste, name, classify pictures with specific colors from magazines.
• Wait turns and take turns when using materials
• Listen attentively in order to follow directions and follow simple class rules.
• Talk confidently about their Art-work and “show and tell” activities in group settings
• Use different color props as they move their bodies to a variety of sounds and music
• Discover, recognize, name, collect objects, discuss, associate, classify, specific colors in the outdoor and
indoor environment
• Use specific vocabulary in oral expression
• Identify color words, the letter/sound C, pictures and short sentences
• Sing, recite, do finger play, and listen to stories with color themes
• Use the Art Activity Area to explore, discover, create, associate, apply, produce, and have fun
• Identify, name, trace, color, organize sets, match, show the value/concept of two
• Count orally in sequence in ones up to 25
• Recognize the concept of more and less in a set of one and two elements
• Identify and name the one-cent Belize coin and use coins to show the value of two cents.
• Recognize, name, associate, taste, smell, arrange and classify picture cards, match, at least two things
that they can smell and taste
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE H. FOCUS SKILLS

&LITERACY • Identify, name, classify, talk about, taste, smell
• Some vocabulary words that I can use orally are: • Discriminate, mix, arrange, match, color, paint, create,
colors, red, green, black, white, man-made, natu- experiment, cut, paste
ral, nature, change, remain, same, pull up, pull • Listen attentively, follow directions, wait turns, show con-
down, zip, button, buckle, soft, loud, shades, fidence and positive self-image, Locate, paste, organize,
darker, lighter, border, more, less, two, set/s, converse confidently, show and tell, move body to sound
coin/s, one cent, money, metal, smell, taste, and music
senses • Discuss, use specific vocabulary orally, read words, pic-
• I can express myself confidently when speaking tures and short sentences, use color words descriptively,
sing, recite engage in finger play, produce, create, apply,
• I can represent my ideas through drawing,
explore, discover, predict, show excitement and enjoy-
drama, puppetry, and other play activities. ment, trace, draw, count, recognize the concept of more
• Words that name colors also describe an object, and less, loud and soft, and the value of two
shape, or picture
Level 1
•
DEVELOPMENT
I must wait my turn when others are using materials
CONCEPTS
that I need.
• I must wait in order to take my turn when working on a E. MATHEMATICAL
group activity.
• In tracing the number two, I start at the left and go
• I must listen attentively in order to hear what I must do. around, down and across to the right
• I must listen when others are speaking, then raise my • The number two comes after one when counting in
hand to show that I want to speak ones
• It makes me feel good when others show appreciation • The number two is made up of two ones.
for my work and contribution and when I show appre-
• The number two has the value of two things
ciation for theirs
• A set of one thing (element) has less than a set of
• I can express my feelings when I paint, model, draw
two things (elements)
and color
• A set of two things has more than a set of one thing
• I can identify, recall, associate and reinforce the num-
B. CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT ber two and its value, when I sing number songs,
• I use colors to express my imaginations and creativity recite number rhymes and listen to number stories
• Colors are associated with specific natural and man- • Counting numbers in ones follow in sequence from
made things, but I can use colors to express my feelings 1-25
and imaginations. • Money comes in coins and paper bills
• When I mix black paint with red, white or green paint, I • A coin is metal
will get different darker shades of the same color. • A one-cent coin can also be called a penny
• When I mix white paint with red, green and black • A one -cent coin is different from other coins
paint, I will lighter shades of the same color • Two one-cent coins make two-cents
• Different shades and colors of paint and crayons can • We buy with coins
be used to paint and color objects, pictures, shapes,
make designs, and patters
F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
• I must color and paint within the borders of a large pic-
ture or shape OF THE WORLD
• I can use and explore a variety of materials to paint • Some things that are green are: leaves on some
with and to create art and have fun plants, some fruits and vegetables
• Some buildings, vehicles and toys are painted green,
C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT white, black, and red
• Some clothes have green, red and black dye and oth-
• When helping to dress myself, I must pull up, pull
ers are white
down, button, fasten and unfasten buckle of belt, and
zip my clothes • Car tires are black, electrical wires on the light poles
on the streets are black, the letters in most books are
• My fingers, wrist and arms get stronger when I zip, but-
black,
ton, pull, push, paint, color, model, cut and paste and
move things around • Some plants that are green will remain green.
• Colors can be associated with loudness and softness of • Some fruits and vegetables that are green may
sounds and music change their color when they are ripe
• Rhythm and movement can also be associated with • Some things that are man-made can change their
colors color
• The colors red and black can be associated with loud • Some things that are black, red and white that will
music and sounds not change are: the feathers on birds, the hair on
animals, and the color of plants
• The colors white and green can be associated with soft
sounds and music • Plants, fruits and vegetables are natural and made by
God, while clothes, toys, buildings, and vehicles are
• It can be fun and enjoyment moving my body in space
made by man
to sound, music and colors
• Taste and smell are senses that all of us have
G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES • We can identify some things by their taste and smell
without seeing them
Recognize, name, associate, show, tell, discuss, apply, dis- • There are many things in the environment that we
cover, taste, smell, select, organize, arrange, match, sort, can taste and smell.
identify, experiment, paint, create, differentiate, locate, • There are some things that we taste and smell that
read, trace, draw, color, sing, recite, collect, listen, converse, we like, and some that we do not like
explain, share, cooperate, sequence, produce, pull, observe, • We must taste all nutritious food and learn to eat
use, imagine, repeat, pour, model, and describe them
COLOURS Cont.
• Bring in things that have the specific colors that are being studied. Ask the children to identify one item
with the color and name it using the color, e.g. a white slipper
• Ask the children to bring in objects with the specific color to “Show and Tell”. Let them use the
• Bring in black, white, and green colored clothing, shoes, purse and dress-up accessories and set up a
“Dress-up Activity Area” for the children to play
• Interact with the children as they play and discover their ability to identify the colors
• Play color ring games like “ As I was walking down the street, the color green I chance to meet”
• Adapt the “Blue Bird” song and ring game to “Black Bird”
• Sing songs related to colors, such as “A tisket, a tasket, a green and white basket”
• Recite nursery rhymes, engage them in finger – play, and tell them stories related to a specific color. Dis-
cuss the story with them and let them retell parts of the story that they like most.
• Bring in a parrot for a day so that the children can observe the color of the feathers. Talk about protecting
and preserving the parrot by leaving it in the natural habitat. Encourage them to take the message home
“ Keep a picture of a parrot rather than a real one in a cage.”
• Create matching games using large plastic dishes of the matching color or painted cardboard boxes. Ask
them to find things in the room that has the same color and put the things in the matching dish/box.
• Ask them to select a specific color crayon to color a shape and picture
• Randomly distribute green, white and black shapes cut from construction paper. Ask the children to or-
ganize themselves into groups by matching and classifying the color of their shapes and then let them do
so by shapes. Ask then to name the shape and the color each one has. Ask them to hold hand with
someone who has a color shape that is different from their own.
• Take them on a nature walk to identify and collect one thing that is green. Discuss with them why things
like green leaves will remain green while they are alive. Ask them to predict if the leaf will change its color
when taken off the plant. Let them observe the change and tell if their prediction was accurate.
• Bring in fruits and vegetables that are green and let them observe the changes when they get ripe.
• Ask them to bring some thing white and at another time, something that is black from home to, Show
and Tell”
• Let them identify, name and classify things that are black and those that are white by placing them on a
sheet of white and black poster paper placed on the floor in order to match them.
• Provide the three different color paints and let them experiment with mixing colors and identify shades
that are lighter and darker.
• Provide food coloring and/or powder paint and let them experiment with colors in water
• Ask parents a week ahead and give reminders for the children to dress or wear something green, black
white for a specific day. Let the children identify, point to, show and name the color they are wearing.
• Provide play dough of a particular color for them to knead, roll, shape, cut and create figures. They can
also mix small pieces of different color play dough to discover the result. They can also create shapes from
the play dough and organize them into sets of twos to reinforce the value of two.
• Let them work in pairs and discriminate and categorize things according to colors
• Provide large outlines of shapes, the number 2, and pictures for the children to color, paint, collage, trace,
outline with yarn, or sand and glue, or other materials.
• Provide patterns of about three different colored shapes organized in various forms and ask the children
to produce the pattern by organizing their individual colors and shapes in the same patterns. Allow them
to make their own pattern.
•

Level 1

(3-4 years)
• Provide cut-out shape of the number two and one for each child
• Collect a wide variety of colorful objects for them to organize sets of ones and twos, match the num-
ber with the value
• Provide some magazines and ask parents and friends to collect ones that are appropriate for the chil-
dren. Let the children search for the color that is being studied and cut pictures in squares, and paste
them into a booklet. For example, name the booklet “My Green Book”
• In discussions and conversations, ask specific questions to get the children to listen to how vocabulary
is used and listen how the children use the words in the speech on a daily basis.
• Bring in a variety of fruits, vegetables and cooked food for them to smell and taste. Hold discussions
and tell stories about the value of eating healthy foods.
• Let them plant seeds and observe the color of the leaves. Let them care for the plants by providing
adequate water and sunlight.
• Collect film containers and fill them with cotton. Add different safe things to smell and label them.
Play a smelling game in which they will name the fragrances.
• Use flash cards with words but do not expect them to memorize the words immediately. This just for
them to realize that speech can also be written.
• Label things around the room with color words. For example, black board, green chair, white socks.
• Play a touching game in which they will move around the room and touch, name and tell the color of
the objects.
• Use puppets to tell stories and to converse with the children and encourage them to do the same with
you and other children.
• Play short songs, rhymes, stories on a tape recorder and let them listen for main ideas. Ask them ques-
tions and let them share what they heard.
• Also Tape their voices and play it back for them to appreciate and listen.
• Let them go to buy 2 things at the class/center play -shop
COLOURS Cont.
• Plan activities to check if they are able to:

• Collect two objects, collect things with a particular color, and can discriminate between
and among colors, recognize things by the smell and taste and recognize that a set of one
is less than a set of two, count in sequence in ones, and recognize the one cent Belize coin.
• Observe their ability to listen attentively and follow simple directions, master a skill. Record
the data so you can address those needs.
• Prepare activity sheets and place them in the different Activity Areas for the children to use.
Check them and record the result.
• Set activities related to the theme and specific objectives to be achieved, in the Activity Ar-
eas and provide opportunities for all the children to experience play in those areas. You
can color code the areas and the children on a daily basis.
• Prepare worksheets with matching activities, coloring, tracing, painting, circling, placing X
on correct item/s
• Ask questions about stories, nursery rhymes, songs, field trips/nature walks, personal ex-
periences and activities so you can check their level of comprehension. Give more atten-
tion to those who need it.
• Play imaginary games in which you ask them to imagine that they are something green,
white and black and let them mime it. You and others try to guess what it is by asking is it
an animal, fruit, vegetable, insect? If no can guess, ask the child to say “It is a ____.”
• Read books and ask them to predict outcomes so you can check level of reasoning.
• Observe them at play, listen to their conversations and know when to intervene, listen to
how they use the vocabulary, how they represent ideas, and collect and record informa-
tion.
K. SUGGESTED RHYMES, SONGS, FINGER PLAYS, STO-

RIES, NURSERY RHYMES
• Two Little Black Birds Sat on a Wall

• Two little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed
• Two Round Buns In The baker’s shop
• Ten Little Frogies went to school
• 12345, once I caught a fish alive
• Two little Ships a Sailing
• Ready For School
• I had Two There was an Old Man in a Green Velvet Coat
• Parrots Bright and Gay

Level 1
STORIES GAMES
• The little Green Snake
• Partner Game
• Jack and the Bean Stalk
• The Grass Hopper’s Party
SONGS
• One of these things is not like the others
• Two Green Bottles Hanging on the Wall
• Two little Woolly Lambs
• There’s a Little Green Frog Sitting on the Water
• Green, black and white squares, circles, and triangles cut from construction paper
• Large colorful pictures of objects with labels and color words used as adjectives
• Black, white and green powder paint, crayons, play dough and materials like sponge, string, feather,
paint brushes, tooth brushes, marbles, and straw for painting
• Three large circles cut from white, black and green construction paper, 3 large colored plastic dishes
or painted - boxes, two large plastic tubs with water for water play, and sand tray for tracing.
• Black, green and white clothes to pull up and down, button and zip, shoes, purse, costume jewelry
for Dress- Up Area
• Three containers with 3 different colors bits of construction paper for collage, outlining shapes and
showing sets of one and two elements.
• Enough one-cent coins so that each child gets two for activities
• Magazines, scissors, glue, already prepared booklets and hand puppets
• Percussion instruments for sound and music activities, tapes and tape recorder, story books related
to the theme, posters with pictures related to the nursery rhymes, pictures for discussions, flash cards
with vocabulary words, directions, labels and simple sentences.
• Collect empty boxes and stuff them with old newspaper. Cover them with plain color paper and let
the children use them as blocks
• Add things like plastic bottles, empty food boxes and food containers that have black, green and
white labels to the play-shop
• Collect counting objects like bottle caps, small rocks and spray paint them black, green and white,
large buttons, plastic chips used for table games, and different color felt tip markers that have dried
out
• Make picture cards for matching, sequencing, classifying, story telling and picture reading.
• Make puzzles for matching colors
• Make blocks and dice using colors, pictures, letters, numbers etc
M REFERENCES
• Rand Nc Nally & Company, The Real Mother Goose
• A Collection of Activities and Ideas by Ms. Nelma Mortis
• Corbin, Charles B. (1973), Inexpensive Equipment for Games, Play, and Physical Activity
• Allen, Dianne D, Piersma, Mary L (1995), Developing Thematic Units- process and Product, Pgs.104-
111
• Sears William, Sears Martha, Pantly Elizabeth (2002), The successful Child- What Parents Can Do To
help Kids Turn Out Well, Pgs. 117-133
• A Comprehensive Framework For Curricula In Israeli Preschools, Jerusalem 1995, Ministry of Educa-
tion, Culture and Sports Pedagogical Administration
UNIT 8: ANIMALS
TOPIC: PETS
EXPECTATIONS:
Children will be able to identify, name, explain how to
care for, classify, differentiate, make sounds like, tell simple de-
scription of animals used as pets .
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Show caring attitude, concern and sensitivity towards animals
• Express feeling towards animals in acceptable ways
• Show control of feelings of aggression towards animals
• Practice how to play with a puppy
• Hold a simple conversation about animals used as pets using appropriate specific vocabulary
• Recognize the letter/sound “a” as in the word “Animals”
• Trace, draw, colour, paint, model, outline, collage shapes of animals used as pets
• Produce simple crafted models of animals used as pets
• Imitate animal movements to rhythm
• Listen to songs about animals and sing and clap
• Assemble puzzles of animals used as pets
• Move on all fours across the floor like animals and make sounds
• Compare movement and sounds of different animals used as pets
• Cultivate a sense of fun and enjoyment in doing physical activities
• Explain how to play with animals without hurting them
• Give explanation using at least two main ideas in sequence.
• Listen to stories about “Pets” recite nursery rhymes, jingles and finger play
• Retell parts of stories and answer simple questions about the stories
• Predict outcomes and explain simple cause/effect
• Recognize the number 3, the name and show the value of three.
• Collect three things and match them with the symbol 3
• Organize sets of 3 elements and compare and discriminate among sets of 1 and 2
• Conceptualize that a set of 3 has one more than a set of 2
• Count up to 25 and tell that 3 comes after 2 when counting in ones sequentially
• Use appropriate vocabulary in self-expression
• Identify and read simple words and sentences
• Dramatize and mime their feelings, imaginations and ideas
• Follow simple two-steps directions
• Discriminate among the concepts of big, little, large, small, long, tall, short
• Associate pictures with words
• Give simple descriptions of animals
• Measure dry ingredients by spoons and cups
• Animals are living-things, they breathe, feed and grow and God made all living things
A. PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES

DEVELOPMENT Apply, compare and contrast, observe, collect, arrange, pre-
• I must be gentle when playing with my pet or a pet dict, retell, recite, sing, discriminate, differentiate, imagine,
that belongs to someone else converse, read, comprehend, view, listen, mime, dramatize,
• I must treat pets with care and keep it clean, safe and represent, imitate, produce, construct, organize, cut and
well fed paste, assemble, draw, model, paint, print, outline, trace, clas-
sify, identify, name, sort, order, categorize, describe, report,
• My pet belongs to me and I must show kindness to it
explain, discuss, attend, value, internalize
Level 1
• Shapes of animals used as pets can be painted, collage, traced,
CONCEPTS
and colored
• To trace a shape, follow the outline of the shape with a crayon
• To collage, place materials inside the shape with glue until inside
the entire shape is full with the material. F. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDER-
• Go back and forth either up and down or left to right and right to STANDING OF THE WORLD
left with the crayon and use the same concept for painting
• Animals are living things and they feed,
• Model of a cat, dog, bird or fish, can be crafted from play dough,
breathe and grow
construction paper, foams cups and other materials
• God made all living things
• I can move my body creatively like animals as I move to the
rhythm of sounds and music • Animals can taste, smell, hear, feel, and see
• Some animals are wild and live in the forest
while some are tame and we keep them on
C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT the farm and at home as pets
• When I assemble puzzles of animals used as pets and manipulate • Some animals used as pets are: dogs, cats,
other materials, I develop fine muscles, eye-hand coordination birds, fish, rabbits, and fresh water turtles
and critical thinking • It is unsafe for you to allow your pets to
• Ring games, indoor and out-door activities help me to coordinate roam around in the community
and control my body- movements, improve my balance and judg- • We must keep our pets clean, well fed and
ment and listen to and carry out instructions provide a comfortable place to sleep
• When I trace, color, model, draw, string beads and paint , I build • Some pets eat food from the family pot but
small and large muscles some have to be fed special food like bird-
seeds, fish food, dog chow and special cat
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE &LITERACY and rabbit food
• We must take our pets to the animal doctor
• Some vocabulary words are animals, pets, dog, cat, bird, fish, rab- (veterinarian) to prevent them from getting
bit, feed, breathe, grow, three, care, safe, clean sick and to help to get them well when they
• The word “animal begins with letter/sound “a” that is also found are sick
in many other words. H. FOCUS SKILLS
• Information about pets are found in songs, poems, nursery
rhymes, jingles, finger play and stories. • Show concern, care for, express feelings
• Main ideas are presented in sequential order when listening for • Use specific vocabulary, describe, converse,
information discuss, recognize and name letters
• When I predict outcome, I am able to internalize and tell what • Identify numbers, animals, words
already happened and what will happen next • Ask and answer questions, identify concepts,
• “Before” means in front of and “after” means to the back of or organize sets of threes
past a given point • Take away and add one to make sets more
• “Three” is the name word for the number/ value three and less, trace, color, outline, assemble parts
• I can use words like: tall, short, long, young, and old, are used • Produce craft, imitate sounds and move-
when describing my pet and other objects ments of animals
• Listen to, sing and recite nursery rhymes,
E. MATHEMATICAL songs, stories, finger play and sounds of ani-
mals
• Three ones make three • Mime, coordinate movements, balance
• Three ones put together have the same value of three • Compare, explain, categorize, arrange, se-
• Three comes after two when counting sequentially in ones and quence ideas and numbers, count, listen,
two comes before three retell
• A set of three has the same value as a set of two and a set of one • Memorize, recall, differentiate, observe ani-
combined mals and pictures
• Three is one more than two and two is one less than three • Predict outcome, discriminate, discover, in-
• When I add one more element to a set of two, I will get a set of quire, identify cause/effect relationship, Clas-
three sify, report, demonstrate, play and partici-
• When I take one away from a set of three elements, I will get a set pate cooperatively in games
of two elements • Interact with group and self-chosen activities
• The number three can be traced by starting at the top, go to the • Relate their experiences at the center/
back and around, then around again and to the back, and end in classroom to what is happening at home
front and in the community
• Numbers follow each other in sequence when counting in ones • Synthesize and analyze
from 1-10
ANIMALS Cont.
• Ask parents and friends to help you collect a wide assortment of pictures of animals including the ones that are used
as pets, and let the children sort and collect the ones that are used as pets.
• Hold discussions and conversations about animals to discover what the children already know about animals. Talk
about animals as living things, and the difference between non-living things and why animals are classified as living
things. Include information about their senses.
• Compare stuffed toys to real animals and talk about it.
• Let them name animals they have at home and which ones are pets. Ask them to name and describe their pets and
tell how they treat and care for their pets.
• Introduce vocabulary related to the theme/topic
• Display relevant flash cards, bulletin board, flip chart, sentence strips, flannel board, matching games, and puzzles in
the various Activity Areas.
• Tell stories about animals using cinema box, story frieze, puppets, big books and read books about animals to the
children.
• Ask them to retell parts of the story they like. Listen for sequencing of main ideas.
• Sing songs, recite nursery rhymes, jingles, finger play, and read short poems about animals to them.
• Let them dramatize and mime their ideas and imaginations
• Bring in a puppy or kitten for the children to explore using their senses, observe, inquire, discover, describe and talk
about
• Play indoor and outdoor games in which the children will imagine that they are animals.
• Guide them in making paper bag puppets of animals used as pets.
• Let them help you to paint, color, cut, paste, and arrange items to create a bulletin board
• Place a wide variety of art and craft materials in the Art Activity Area for them to engage in self-directed activities.
• Let them use their imagination and creativity to model animals that are used as pets. Display them in a designated
area.
• Organize activities in which they will trace outlines of animals, paint, model, color, collage, do rubbings of textures,
cut and paste, add facial features to outlines, print and draw shapes of animals.
• Use a drum and other musical instruments and let the children pretend that they are animals and move to fast and
slow rhythm of music and sounds. Let them use up small spaces and large spaces indoor and outdoor as they create
animal movements with their body in space.
• Play music on tape recorder and CD player, and let them listen to a variety of animal sounds and try to identify which
animal made the sound.
• Play songs and let them sing along, dance, enjoy and appreciate
• Make puzzles from pictures of animals paste on to sturdy cardboard, thin ply wood or thin beaverboard. Cut them
into no more than 5 large pieces, and let them assemble the parts.
• Use some of the pictures that you collected and make a wind mobile with three pictures on each string.
• Let them use glue and yarn, sawdust and glue, sand and glue, watermelon seeds, tamarind seeds, wet and dry col-
ored chalk, small pieces of plastic drinking straws, glitters and sequence to outline shapes of animals.
• Set up a large clear glass bowl with a fish for them to observe, inquire, discover and talk about. Show them how to
feed it and let them take turns to do the same and supervise and monitor. Remember to change the water regularly
and hold discussions related to the questions they ask
• Let them match pictures with words and short sentences.
• Collect books from parents and make arrangements to borrow relevant books from a library to place in your Lan-
guage Activity Area.
• Read books with stories and information on pets and other animals and hold discussions.
• Collect magazines like National Geographic and others related to nature and environment. Place then in the Lan-
guage Activity Area. Encourage them to ask questions, think critically, make cause/effect relationship, and to predict
outcome.
• Bring in some new colorful items for counting and forming sets of ones, twos and threes.
• Cut out shapes of animals used as pets from black and white construction paper and give each child a set of three to
be used to sort and organize sets, add one and take away one, show one more and one less, place one before and
one after, one in front of, and one behind.
• Play number games in which they will identify and name the numeral 3 and its value.
• Play ring games like “As I was Walking Down the Street, the number three I chance to meet…”
• Make stencils of animal-shapes e.g., dog, rabbit, cat, bird, fish, and let the children trace them and decorate them
using their creativity.
Level 1

• Ask the children to count from 1-10 doing actions like clapping, jumping, bending,
punching, marching, touching knees and kicking. Observe and listen where they
need help in identifying the concept of numbers. Record data and plan reinforce-
ment activities.
• Ask them to sort through counting objects and set up a set of three elements and dis- STORIES
criminate, identify, name and match the cutout shape 3 to the set.
• The Dog and the
• Ask them to identify and set up a set that is less than three and one that is more than
Bone (fable)
two
• The story of Creation
• Use real life scenarios related to “Pets” and get the children to predict outcomes and
make cause/effect relationships. Ask questions that will make them think critically. • The Dog Who Forgot
To bark
• Observe their ability to remain focused and attentive for longer periods when en-
gaged in discussions and conversations, doing a teacher-directed activity, and a self- • The Three Billy Goats
chosen activity. Document your observations. Gruff
• Draw three circles on a flip chart. Number the circles 1,2,and 3. Give some children a • Puss in Boots
piece of “post it” paper with a set of one element, some with a set of two elements • (The Musicians of Bre-
and some with a set of three elements, 1 circle, 2 squares, 3 triangles. Ask them to men
place the paper in the matching circle on the flip chart. Observe those who were
wrong and plan reinforcement activities. The children cannot advance to another SONGS
concept if they do not understand these requisite concepts.
• Check their ability to describe using specific vocabulary, descriptive words, their imagi- • Three Little Fingers
nations, creativity, and feelings in words and body language. (number song)
• Observe and record their sensitivity to first hand experience with a puppy. Take • Three blind Mice
notes. (number song)
• Check for ability to identify and name the letter/sound “a” in the word “animal”. Lis- • Oh Where, Oh Where
ten for use of concepts: short, tall, long, more, less, before, after in daily expressions. has my Little Dog
Gone
• Bring in stuff toys the shape of dog, cat, bird, fish, rabbit and observe them at play and
observe acquisition of skills and use of information and concepts in their play activities. • Old Mc Donald had a
Choose the correct time to intervene to ask open-ended, closed and/or clarifying Farm
questions during indoor and outdoor activities. • Doo Misa Maatn Hoal
• Ask many low level and one or two higher order questions after or during story tell- Yu Daag (Kriol folk
ing. You can do the same when reading a book for them. song)
• Give them a sheet of paper with the picture of three animals. Ask them to color the • I have a Big Farm
animal that may be used as a pet.
• Tape a relevant program from Animal Planet on TV, or use a video or DVD, and let the GAMES
children view it, listen, discuss and represent their comprehension through dramatiza-
tion, music and movement, and /or puppetry. • A Farmer’s Dog was
on the Ground and
• Make note of their willingness to participate and contribute to conversations with
Bingo was his Name
adults, group discussions, games and activities, and in cooperative play.
(ring game)
• Listen for comparisons and sequencing of main ideas when they retell, explain events
• As I was Walking
and answer questions.
Down the Street (ring
• Roll several sheets of newspaper and glue it to hold in place. Paste a picture of a pet game)
on it and let the children hold it up. Make the sound of the pet and let the children
• A Farmer in a Dell
form groups if they have the animal that makes the same sound. Ask them to name
(ring game)
their animals and tell one thing about it
L. SUGGESTED RESOURCES K. SUGGESTED

• Pictures of animals, cinema box, flannel board, flip chart, hand puppets, box and pa-
RHYMES, SONGS, FIN-
per roll puppets, paper bag puppets, animal shape stuffed toys, flash cards GER PLAYS, STORIES,
• Sentence strips, story and information books NURSERY RHYMES
• Video tapes, audio tapes, CD, DVD and player/recorder
• Three Little Kittens
• Stencils, puzzles, matching games, paint, scissors, glue, brushes, jumbo crayons, play
• Hark, Hark Dogs do
dough
Bark
• Small food and medicine boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, construction paper,
• Three brown Puppies
paper and foam cups
• Three little Cats
• Buttons to use as eyes, nylon fishing line to use as whiskers, cut-out shapes of animals
Caught a Mouse
and numbers
• One Little Birdie Saw a
• A glass bowl, fish food, sawdust, sand, wet and dry chalk, tooth brush, sponge,
Big crumb
feather, and brush for painting,
A. PERSONAL, SOCIAL
UNIT 9: PEOPLE
• I feel comfortable when I am
TOPIC: PEOPLE I LOVE around people that I love, trust
and care for, and who love me
and find it easy to share and
EXPECTATIONS: converse with them.
Children will be able to identify, name, talk about people • When I feel hurt and angry, I
allow those that I love and
they love and trust, draw conclusions that those people are spe- trust to comfort me and redi-
cial and will recognize and demonstrate ways to show love . rect my behavior.
• People I should love and trust
GENERAL OBJECTIVES are my parents, grandparents,
brothers and sisters and aunts
The children will: and uncles.
• Allow one-self to be comforted in stressful times by people they love and trust • I must tell my parents or grand-
• Show feelings of acceptance and appreciation for people they love and trust parents that I trust, if someone
• Identify characteristics of people they should love and trust makes me feels uncomfortable
• Allow aggressive behaviors to be redirected by people that care for them and and bad.
who they care for • I feel happy and can laugh and
• Laugh, smile and show signs of happiness when they are around people they smile when I am around peo-
love. ple that I love and trust
• Share things, interact, and converse easily with those they care about • God loves me and I love Him
• Identify that God loves us and we must love Him too and talk with Him through and I can talk with Him when I
prayers pray
• Decorate a picture frame to hold a photo of someone they love • There are many ways that I can
show people that I love them
• Draw stick figures of the people they love
e.g. hugging, kissing on the
• Model from sawdust and flour paste some one they love
cheek, hand and forehead,
• Imitate and demonstrate dance steps of a loved one. sharing things and our time
• Identify that people have different jobs, roles and responsibilities with them, listening to them
• Observe, demonstrate, explain, imitate, and respond appropriately to people when they want to talk, and
when greeting, conversing, discussing, and waiting to carry out directions/ giving presents and flowers
instructions • I must be kind to old people
• Recognize and use the appropriate words/terms and tone of voice when convers- (senior citizens) and respect
ing, asking for something, seeking attention, and alerting others when in danger- them
ous situations.
• Explain and demonstrate how to behave when eating around a table with others,
when others are speaking, when traveling, walking on the street and when at- B. CREATIVE DEVEL-
tending parties. OPMENT
• Identify, name and show the value of four
• Some creative ways to decorate a
• Recognize that four is one more than three and three is one less than four
photo frame to hold a picture of
• Recognize that 3 comes before 4 and four comes after 3 when counting sequen- someone I love, are:
tially in ones • Use lace, glitters, sequence, bright
• Add one more to a set of 3 elements to make a set of four elements and take one colored buttons, macaroni shells,
away from a set of four elements to make a set of 3 elements colored sand, painted sea shells,
• Divide a set of 12 elements into three sets of four elements using circles to divide ribbons, felt tip markers, colored
• Organize sets of four things found in the environment construction paper, cloth, pine
cone pods, and dried flowers,
• Divide a set of 4 elements into smaller sets of two sets of 2, one set of three plus leaves and twigs
one set of one
• When I imitate the dance of some-
• Use specific vocabulary in oral expression one I love, I am able to demon-
• Recognize the letter/sound “P” in the word “People” and in other words, and strate it for others
trace, outline and color the letter “p” • I can pretend to be any person I
• Read simple sentences and picture stories related to the theme/topic want to be
• Listen to stories about lives of people • My image of someone I love can
• Sing a short Creole, Spanish and Garifuna song be identified in the model, draw-
ing and painting I create.
• Recite nursery rhymes about people
• Paintings and pictures we create
• View, listen to, discuss and compare one type of food, the dress and music of Cre- can show us how people care for
ole, Garifuna and Mestizo and love each other
• Recognize and appreciate senior citizens as grandparents and great grandparents
Level 1
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE &LITERACY

• Some vocabulary words are: people, love, trust, father, mother,
sister, brother, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle.
CONCEPTS
• Words are used in sentences to tell people how we feel, what we H. FOCUS SKILLS
want, what we know, think and imagine.
• The letter/sound “P” can be found at the beginning of the word • Love, trust, appreciate, accept people
“People” and also in many other words. • Identify, name, recognize, listen to, view and read letters,
• A red heart is often used as a symbol of love. words, numbers, pictures, symbols and concepts
• I must always tell my parents and family members “ I love you”, • Classify and organize ideas and concepts
and give a hug. • Describe and give simple characteristics of people
• I must greet people I love and care about when I meet them. I say, • Play indoor and outdoor self-chosen and teacher-directed
“good morning, good afternoon, good-evening, good night, games
goodbye, hello.” • Organize activities i.e. laugh, smile, show signs of joy, happi-
• Stories, poems, nursery rhymes and songs can tell us about peo- ness and excitement
ple’s love for each other • Share things and events with others
• We must remember to tell people that we love them and show • Interact with people in the neighborhood and the wider
them by speaking to them kindly, use mild tone of voice. community
• When I am in danger and need quick attention of people that are • Pray, draw, trace, model, decorate, imitate and demonstrate
far from me, I shout and scream in a loud voice, but change to a dance steps, observe, explain, respond, greet, converse
softer tone when I am asking for something or need attention for
other reasons. • Discuss, add, take away, compare sets, concepts and ideas
• I must wait or ask for an excuse if I need to speak urgently to • Divide and group objects and concepts, follow directions and
someone who is engage in a conversation instructions, use appropriate vocabulary and tone of voice
• I must also say, “excuse me” if I step on someone’s foot, bump into, • Use particular expressions when speaking with, eating with
or cause an accident. and interacting with people
• When eating around a table with others, I must not talk with my • Express imaginations, feelings and ideas orally and through
mouth full with food and play with the food. their actions
• I must say “Please pass me the…” or “May I have the_____, please”. • Draw conclusions, think critically, dramatize, mime, sing and
recite
• I must say “thank you or thanks” when I receive something from
someone. F. KNOW, & UNDERST.OF THE WORLD
• I must say “sorry” if I do something that hurt the feelings of other
people •Four main languages that people in Belize speak are: English,
Creole (Kriol), Spanish and Garifuna.
E. MATHEMATICAL •The “Bruk Dong”, “Punta” and “Merengue” are dances of three
ethnic groups in Belize.
• There are four ones in four •“Bail Op”, “Hudut” and “Escabeche” are ethnic dishes
• Four is one more than three and three is one less than four. •Some times people wear special dresses to show that they
• Four comes after 3 and three comes before four when counting belong to a special group of people.
sequentially in ones. •People in our communities have special jobs like selling at the
• When one more is added to a set of three elements there is a set market and in a shop or store, fighting fires (Fire fighters),
of four and when one is taken away from a set of four elements, working in hospitals (Nurses and Doctors).
there remains a set of three elements. •Police officers are people who help to keep our community
• If a set of two elements is added to make one set, there will be a safe.
set of four elements. •Parents have special responsibilities to work, take good care of
• A set of 3 elements added to a set of one element will make a set their family and love them
of four elements. •Children have special responsibilities to obey or follow family
• Twelve objects can be divided into 3 sets of four elements by rules and to show love for others in the family and at school.
grouping the objects. •Family members, relatives, friends and neighbors show that
• When tracing the number four, start at the top of the line to the they care for and love each other by visiting them, celebrating
back and go down and across to the front, then stop. Move the with them, sharing things and events with them and convers-
crayon to the top of the next line and trace down and say “four”. ing with them.
• I can do many actions with my body while counting sequentially •We do not fight with and hit those we care about and love.
in ones, from 1-10. •We help to take care of things that belong to people we love
and care about.
G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES •Some special days set aside to show people that we love them
are: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Children’s
Recognize, share, characterize, describe, identify, classify, organize, Day, Christmas Day
apply, comprehend, view, listen, read, converse, discuss, recite, sing,
represent, relate, trace, draw, paint, observe, dance, manipulate, C. PHYSICAL DEV.
explain, accept, appreciate, trust, love, characterize, name, interact,
socialize, demonstrate, imagine, dramatize, mime, imitate, value, • I can move my body and dance and walk like other people
differentiate, discriminate, attend, respond, produce, memorize, fol- • When I dance I strengthen my calves and thighs, move my
low, count, group, compare, divide, subtract, add, comprehend, body through space, develop flexibility and balance
analyze, synthesize, apply. • When I draw and model I develop small and large muscles
PEOPLE Cont.
• Set up a “Home Activity Area” and observe how the children role-play adult roles, play with dolls and other house
items, and how they interact with each other. Listen to their conversations and ask clarifying questions.
• Tell stories about people and use puppets, pictures and other visuals to enhance comprehension and discuss and
converse with them.
• Let them dramatize and mime how to respond to those people they love, care for, and trust and how to react to
people who make them feel uncomfortable.
• Show videos, DVD’s and let them listen to information on audio-tapes about people’s experience and feelings. En-
courage them to talk about their own experiences in relation to it.
• Observe the behaviors of the children. Record the situation, the cause, and the response and look for signs of happi-
ness, sadness, fear, with-drawl, and anger. Hold conversation with them and give lots of encouragement. When
recording observations, include in your program strategies to build self-esteem.
• Make a people wheel from heavy cardboard. Cut a large circle from the cardboard and a sheet of colored “Bristol
board”. Glue them together. Divide it into one-eights like a pie. Ask parents to help their child/ children to collect a
photo of one person they love and bring it to the center/classroom. Use tape and place the photos in the sections,
as many as you need to so all the photos fit. Cut an arrow from a sturdy piece of material and use a paper fastener
to attach it to the middle of the circle. Call on children to take turns to spin the arrow and the photos that it stops
on, those children must tell one reason why they love that person.
• Collect plastic soda bottles and cover them with plain paper. Paste pictures of community workers on them. Line up
the bottles about six inches apart, and use a ball and let an individual roll it and try to knock down one of the bottles
and name the community worker on it.
• Invite community workers dressed in uniforms to visit the center/classroom and discuss and converse with the chil-
dren. Talk about the community workers and tell the children stories before you plan the visits.
• Take the children for visits to the place of work of these community workers.
• Create patterns from objects and pictures and allow them to see the relationship between patterns.
• Bring in some items used by community workers into the center/classroom for the children to manipulate and play
with.
• Encourage people that the children love and care about to visit the center and plan an “ I Love You” day so that the
children can present special songs and nursery rhymes, a photo in a frame, paintings, drawings of stick figures and
cards to these people.
• Teach special prayers of love so that the children can learn to pray. Encourage them to pray using their own words.
• Use gray cardboard and cut strips for the children to glue them together on a backing to create a picture frame to
hold the picture of someone they love. Provide a variety of materials and let them use their imaginations and creativ-
ity to decorate it and add the photo.
• Collect sawdust from a “wood-work” place and add flour, oil, salt and water to make it into a dough. Allow the chil-
dren to use it to model shapes of people they love. Leave them to dry and put them on display.
• Play different types of cultural music and encourage the children to imitate the dance of someone they love.
• Show the children how to greet people, how to speak politely using different tones of voice, how to eat with small
amounts of food in the mouth, simple table etiquette, and let them practice it.
• Tell stories, sing action and number songs, recite nursery and number rhymes, play ring games and other indoor and
outdoor games.
• Dramatize how to behave when traveling, walking on the street, and when attending functions with the family.
• Make puppets from pictures and toilet paper rolls and small brown paper bags.
• Let them form sets of fours among themselves by holding hands and forming circles.
• Cut out pictures from magazines and paste them on to gray cardboard and cut along the border. Let the children
use them to add, subtract, divide, share, form sets, show the concept of one more and one less.
• Reinforce Letter/sound “P” as in the word “people”.
• Play the game, “Hunting for P”, in which they will search in books and magazines, signs in the community, and in
the center/classroom for the letter “P” in words.
• Discuss and tell stories about special days set aside to show people that we love them.
• Organize a Culture Day and arrange for parents and other people who speak different languages to come in to
teach simple songs, tell short, simple cultural stories, and talk with the children, wear cultural dresses, display and
share cultural food with the children. Tape some of the conversations and play it back for the children to listen to
and identify their voices.
• Add cultural dresses and uniforms of community workers to the “Dress-Up Activity Area” for the children to use
when playing.
• Read books about children and people in other parts of the region and world and place books about people in the
64 Language Activity Area for the children to view pictures and read Early Childhood Education & Development Center
Level 1

•Observe how the children respond and react to people they love and care about, to the
different languages, community workers, cultural dresses and food. Record the informa-
tion.
•Record situations when a child does not allow behavior to be redirected.
•Provide a sheet with different facial expressions showing joy, sadness, anger, and fear.
Ask the children to select different faces and tell what feelings the expression is showing. STORIES
•Take note and pay attention to children who are always sad, withdrawn and find it hard
to interact with others. • Cinderella
•Check the children’s ability to produce models of people they love, draw stick figures and • Goldilocks and the three bears
talk about it, to decorate a photo frame, to identify and name at least one person they • Red Riding Hood
love and care for. • Snow White and the Seven
•Observe the children’s ability to match sets, organize and show the value of sets, to add Dwarves
one, to subtract one, to tell which set has more and less, to identify the number 4, to • Rumpelstiltskin
count up to 10 without making mistakes, to identify the letter/sound “P” in words, to di-
• The Princess who couldn’t cry
vide a set of 12 into 3 sets of fours, and to be able to read picture stories and simple three
and four letters words and simple four words sentences related to the theme. • The Fisherman and his Greedy
•Listen to hear if the children are using specific vocabulary, terms, and expressions related Wife
to the theme in their conversations and discussions. • The Pied Piper of Hamlin
•Observe them when having their snacks to see if they will practice how to eat, share, say • The elves and the shoemaker
thanks to God, and behave around the table. • Sleeping beauty
•Give a work sheet with community workers and let them draw lines to match a tool to the • The Princess and the pea
worker that uses it and another sheet for them to match a part of the uniform to the per- • The Brave Police Officer
son.
• Pinocchio
•Give a worksheet with some sets of twos, ones and threes and fours inside the shapes of
• Beauty and the Beast
helmets of the fireman, and let them circle the ones that show sets of four.
• The story of Florence Nightin-
•Ask them to locate the number four on the calendar.
gale
•Recognize, color, trace and paint numbers, letters and pictures.
•Tell stories about people and ask open-ended questions to see the children’s level of com-
prehension, drawing conclusions and predicting outcomes. SONGS
•Listen to hear if they can extend understanding of the new vocabulary they acquired.
•Observe how well they are able to appreciate and enjoy cultural music and dance.
• A Farmer in a Dell
•Ask them to choose the picture of a community worker, and do an action to show the job
of the worker and the others must try to guess. • Are You Sleeping, Brother
John?
•Ask them to tell how many hands, eyes, ears, feet, two persons together have.
• John Brown Baby
•Let them show and count four fingers.
• Did you ever see a fireman/
doctor/police officer, go this
L. SUGGESTED RESOURCES way and that way
• Miss Polly had a Dolly
• Pictures, paint, ribbons, lace, sequence, glitters, buttons, shells, rocks, macaroni, plastic • As I was walking down the
straw, dried flowers, dries leaves, yarn, paint, glue, scissors, paint brushes, feather
street, a pretty nurse I chance
• Strips of construction paper, fabric, crayons to meet.
• Resource persons, community workers in uniforms, wood craft sticks, felt tip markers, • I Love You, You Love Me
Pine cones, pop corn, cut-out letter S, stencil with S –shape, different shapes cut from
(Barney Song)
colored paper for the children to divide into parts to practice the concept/skill of shar-
ing • Ha, Ha, Ha, happy are we
• Audio and video -tapes • Good Morning Song
• Items of different textures, smells, sounds, tastes and views • Jesus loves the little children
• Flour and saw dust • With mother/ father/sister/
• Gray card board, Bristol board, construction paper of different colors, flash cards with brother/ Jesus in the family,
vocabulary words and short simple sentences, sentence strips with picture related to what a happy home
sentence, stencils of letter P, story books, puppets, toilet paper rolls, small brown paper • There is a firefighter/ police
bags, story frieze, cinema box, flip chart, cultural food, dress, and music, materials to set officer/ doctor/nurse in a ring,
up a Home Activity Area. tra, la, la, la, la
• Activity sheets
K. SUGGESTED RHYMES, SONGS, FINGER PLAYS, STORIES,

NURSERY RHYMES
• Doctor, Doctor turn around, Doctor, Doctor touch the ground
• One policeman caught a thief
UNIT 10: HOLIDAYS

TOPIC: Baron Bliss Day, Good Friday, St.
George’s Caye Day, Independence
Day, Garifuna Settlement Day, Christ-
mas and New Year’s Day
EXPECTATIONS:
The children will be able to explain why particular days
are set a side for holidays and how these days are celebrated .
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The children will:
• Name 5 different national holidays celebrated in Belize
• Explain at least two reasons why a particular day is celebrated
• Tell how Baron Bliss contributed to Belize.
• Explain ways to show appreciation for contributions from Baron Bliss
• Retell parts of the stories of “Baron Bliss, Easter, St. George’s Caye Day, Independence Day, Garifuna Settle-
ment Day, Christmas and New Years”, in sequence and recall and identify at least two main ideas
• Associate the beginning sound of “Hh” in the word “holiday” with the letter Hh
• Trace letter “Hh”, write capital H with crayon on paper and in salt or tray,
• Color letter “Hh” and join the dots to form letter “Hh”,
• Listen to stories, view pictures, represent ideas through drawing and painting, discuss, recite and sing
• Describe celebration activities
• Identify on the calendar the months and date these holidays are celebrated
• Identify and name at least two symbols that represent and are associated to each holiday
• Use their imaginations and information about the holidays to create and produce art, movement to music,
sound, and craft
• Discuss, converse, dramatize and mime ideas about the holidays
• Describe pictures showing celebrations during the holiday
• Imitate and demonstrate activities that people do during the celebration of the holidays
• Recognize the number 5, the word five, sets of 5, and compare smaller sets to a set of 5 to discover which is
more and less
• Add one to make a set of 5 and identify if 5 is more than, less than or equal to other sets with no more
than 5 elements
A. PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT G. GENERAL SKILLS, ATTI-
• All holidays are celebrated differently and I can observe the ceremonies TUDES, VALUES
• Most celebrations make us feel happy but some make us feel sad
• I participate in activities with my family on holidays Name, differentiate, explain, iden-
• My family and I share time together on holidays tify, reason, predict, summarize,
• Some families relax and rest on holidays, while some take part in community activities describe, read, converse, discuss,
• I learn to interact with other people when I participate in community activities on holi- appreciate, value, listen, represent,
days demonstrate, imitate, discover,
• I feel sad at Easter time when I remember how Jesus died on the cross but I also feel imagine, recite, count, apply,
happy to know that he rose on Easter Sunday and is alive and loves me draw, paint, model, match, view,
sing, create, produce, select, or-
• I feel happy at Christmas, I give presents to and receive presents from those that love ganize, dramatize, compare, in-
and care for me quire, add, subtract, categorize,
• I enjoy and appreciate when Santa Clause bring me presents and comprehend
• I show appreciation for the contributions the Garifuna people and Baron Bliss make to
Belize when I observe and/or join in the community activities to celebrate
• I think about my next birthday when I celebrate the New Year
Level 1
• Baron Bliss day can be symbolized by drawing, coloring, tracing, collage,
CONCEPTS
modeling, etching, painting pictures of boats
• It is very windy around the month of March, so I can make a small simple F. KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD
kite and decorate it
• Easter can be symbolized by making Easter baskets, coloring, tracing, paint- • On holidays, schools, offices, big businesses are
ing, drawing, designing, modeling and constructing bunny rabbits, chick- closed and only some small shops are opened.
ens and eggs • The first day of a new year is celebrated as New
• The cross is a symbol of Easter Year’s Day and is a holiday in many countries includ-
• Christmas cards can be produced from a number of different materials, ing Belize.
patterns, designs and colors • Baron Bliss Day is celebrated because Baron Bliss left
• Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Angel Gabriel, the Shepherds and Wise-men are a lot of money for the people of Belize before he
symbols that remind us why we celebrate Christmas died in his boat in the Belize harbour. A light-house
• Pine-cones are symbolic of Christmas and can be decorated was built at the Fort near his grave. Wreaths are laid
on his grave every year on March 9th.
• Fabric, felt, and construction paper can be used to cut shapes of “Garifuna”
dress to paste on to an outline/ picture of “Garifuna” women and men • Easter time is also a holiday in Belize. On Good Fri-
day, and Easter Monday most people do not work.
D..COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE &LITERACY Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and rose from
the dead on Easter Sunday. Easter is celebrated
•Vocabulary words that I can use when I converse and discuss about holi- many ways in Belize. Some people go to church,
days are: Easter, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas, Baron Bliss, New some people go on picnics and others visit family
Years, holiday, celebrate, gifts, presents, cards, basket, eggs, boat, rabbit, and friends that live in other parts of Belize
bunny, kite, Santa Claus, tree, lights, Garifuna, canoe, dorey/canoe , paddle, • Pan American Day is celebrated to remember those
church, like Christopher Columbus, who discovered that
•The word “Holiday” begins with “H”, and “h” is found in many other words. there was another part of the world in the western
hemisphere. People in this part of the world cele-
•Baron Bliss left lots of money for the people of Belize before he died. He brate Pan American Day on October 12th.
wanted the money to be used to help people
• On November 19th, the Garinagu celebrate Gari-
•Jesus on the cross is also symbolic of Easter and many people make an effort
funa Settlement Day. They remember when the first
to go to church to thank God by singing and praying and remembering
set of Garinagu came to Belize in their “doreys/
how he died and was risen
canoes”. They go to church, sing, beat drums and
•Jesus was born on Christmas day in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph. People eat, drink and dance.
who love God and want to show it, celebrate Christmas, Jesus’ birthday
• Christmas is celebrated on December 25th because
•Santa Claus is a symbol of giving and sharing at Christmas time it is Jesus’ birthday. Jesus was born on the first
•New Year’s day is the beginning of a new year and people all over the world Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a holiday and a
celebrate it by having parties and spending time with family and friends time for family and friends to share the joy of cele-
•When we listen to stories with holiday themes, we learn many concepts brating Jesus’ birthday and going to church to
•My ideas and imaginations about holidays can be represented in drawing thank God. Many people prepare for Christmas by
pictures, painting, dramatizing, miming, and puppetry decorating a tree and their house with colored
lights. It is also a time for family, friends and
•When retelling and explaining about holidays, my ideas must be accurate
neighbours to share and spend time together.
and come in order or in sequence
Santa Claus also shared gifts with children all over
H. FOCUS SKILLS Belize and the world.
• Name holidays, discuss and converse about why specific days are E. MATHEMATICAL
considered holidays, Explain how particular days are celebrated
and when, recall and retell parts of stories they like, view pictures, • To trace the number 5, start at the top to the back. Go to the
words, sentences, puppets, videos, dramatization, miming, puppet front, down and around
shows, calendars, and bulletin boards, listen to stories, songs, mu- • If 5 Easter bunnies are sitting by a door and one ran away
sic, poems, nursery and number rhymes, sing and do actions there will be four.
• Move to music and sound, imitate physical actions of people, com- • If Baron Bliss had 1 boat in the sea and 4 boats anchored
pare sets, recognize the number 5 and the word, add and subtract beside his, there will be 5 boats
one to create the value of five, point to and count numbers up to • Patterns can be alike and different.
10 • A dorey/canoe arrived with 4 Garifuna men and another
• Discriminate among numbers and letters, and ask and answer dorey/canoe with one Garifuna woman on Garifuna Settle-
questions ment Day, there will be five Garifuna persons that arrived.
C. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT • If Santa Clause gave Pam 2 gifts and Grandpa gave 3 gifts,
Pam will have 5 gifts.
• Some physical activities that people engage in during the holidays • A set of five Christmas trees is more than a set of four Christ-
are : canoe paddling, sailing boats, walking, flying kites, dancing, mas trees
beating drums, decorating, cycling, driving, swimming, and cook- • A set of four baskets is less than a set of 5 baskets
ing • The number 4 comes before 5 when counting sequentially in
• When I use my body to imitate these activities, my muscles be- ones
come stronger • If I have 5 Easter eggs and gave one to my sister and one to
brother, I will have 3 left
HOLIDAYS Cont.
• Tape your voice and someone else’s voice telling stories about the holidays
• Sing number songs, action songs and songs relevant to the theme and let the children use percussion instruments.
• Recite number rhymes, nursery rhymes, Bible verses and poems.
• Play outdoor and indoor games
• Organize Art and Craft activities related to the themes.
• Tell stories using puppets, pictures on flip chart, story frieze, cinema box and the flannel board.
• Invite parents and others to come to talk about exciting experiences celebrating holidays.
• Take them on field trips to visit the light House at the Fort, and Baron Bliss grave.
• Ask parents to bring in photos taken of the children and the family celebrating a particular holiday. They are to dis-
cuss the photo with the child at home, so that the child can show, describe and tell about it.
• Encourage the children to model, draw and paint their ideas and imaginations.
• Play rabbits find a hole
• Encourage them to listen to music, respond and dance to music.
• Play a ring game changing the words of “I’m going to Kentucky” to “I’m going to San Pedro”, and compose the song
using your creativity.
• Get a picture of Baron Bliss and enlarge it for discussion.
• Collect post cards and other pictures of activities during Garifuna Settlement Day, Easter, Christmas, and Baron Bliss
Day and use them for story telling and discussions.
• Ask parents to give the children items related to and symbolic of the topics when you are presenting them, so they
can use them for “show and tell” activity.
• Play “I spy with my little eye” game.
• Take them outdoor and let them hop like rabbits and glide like Santa’s reindeers.
• Collect and play videos of celebrations and ask the children to tell the parts that they enjoyed most.
• Ask parents to help the children to collect 5 plastic drinking-straws to bring to school and let them cut them in small
pieces. Let them draw three geometric shapes and glue 5 straws, 5 cut-out shapes of Santa Claus, Christmas trees,
boats, canoes, paddles, baskets, eggs, or kites, in each shape to form sets of 5.
• Let them trace numbers with fingers, crayons
• Join the dots and write numbers in the sand tray
• Take the children outdoor and let them collect 5 small pebbles and 5 leaves. Take them indoor and let them make
sets of five. Ask them to take one away and tell how many remain. Ask them to add one to four and tell how many
they have.
• Let them organize themselves into groups of five.
• Ask many critical thinking questions.
• Bring in toy and discarded telephones and encourage them to pretend to call someone to converse about some-
thing.
• Bring in plastic plates, spoons and cups and let them arrange them and match one to one to show sets of five.
• Let them trace the number 5 in the air, in the sand tray and with crayons on paper.
• Cut out the number 5 from colored construction paper, paste on to a sheet of paper, trace with the index finger,
then close their eyes and trace with the index finger and say the name of the number.
• Make a wind mobile with the number 5 and the word and hang any 3 sets of the following based on the topic being
taught: 5 boats, 5 kites, 5 Easter-eggs, 5 baskets, 5 bunny rabbits, shells, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, etc and let the
children count them for reinforcement.
• Beat a drum and let the children do 5 paddling movements, 5 pulling on a rope, swimming, jumping jacks, 5 wheels,
sit, stand, stoop, and kneel 5 times,
• Ask for volunteers to come in to teach the children how to make and how to fly small kites.
• Collect and prepare materials for the children to make Easter and Christmas cards for someone they love in the fam-
ily.
•

Level 1

• Invite parents and other community volunteers to accompany you and the children on a trip to Baron Bliss
Grave or any park or community building donated from Baron Bliss Funds.
• Call in parents or a family member one evening and teach them how to make paper boats by folding. Let them
make one with their children, decorate it and send it to school. Let the children observe how the boat floats in
water.
• Bring in topic-related books for the Language Activity Area and create a Quiet Area where the children can re-
lax, view pictures and read.
• Provide materials for the children to make Easter baskets from small shoe boxes and/or plastic, foam or paper
cups and decorate them. Ask parents to give a small donation to purchase Easter eggs and let them help to put
5 in each one.
• Use a section of a wall and let the children help you to build a wall mural using different types of paper and
other materials to create a scene relevant to the topic, e.g. Easter, Baron Bliss Day, Garifuna Settlement Day,
Christmas Day.
• Collect pine cones and let the children put glue on them and decorate them with glitters.
• Introduce the letter “H” and the word Holidays and let them make the sound.
• Place letters, numbers and shapes in different patterns and let the children identify 2 patterns that are alike
• Let them run around like a horse and listen for the “H” sound in the word “horse”.
• Have them pretend to be a tired dog and pant in order to make the “h” sound.
• Let the children write letter Hh in the air, sand tray, salt tray, trace letter Hh with crayons, use paint brush to
paint the shape of letter Hh
• Let them join the dots to form letter Hh and also color the letter
• Play “follow the leader” game.
• Dramatize the Nativity story using costumes and simple sentences.
• You can encourage a parent, a friend or another teacher to dress as Santa Claus and visit the center/classroom
to converse with the children.
• Bring in a Christmas tree and cut shapes from construction paper and let the children make designs and patterns
with paint, crayons and glitters. Let them help to decorate the tree.
• Ask parents to help you to collect toilet paper rolls to make figures of Mary, Joseph, the Inn -keeper, angels, and
animals
HOLIDAYS Cont.
• Give an activity sheet with three Easter baskets drawn on it to each child. Ask them to
draw five (5) eggs in each one and color the eggs. Let them trace, join dots and write the
number 5.
• Ask them to orally tell at least 2 holidays that are celebrated in Belize and one that is cele-
brated in many other parts of the world.
• Observe how well they are able to listen, show respect, and focus for longer periods when
someone is speaking and to give appropriate feedback.
• Ask them to tell at least one reason why “Baron Bliss Day” is celebrated.
• Observe them at play with water and listen to their conversations. Record all significant
data related to acquired skills, concepts, attitudes/values.
• Let them tell one reason why “Garifuna Settlement Day” is celebrated.
• Ask them to tell what happened on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
• Give an activity sheet with a Christmas tree and a Santa Clause along with 3 other symbols
and let them circle the ones that represent Christmas
• Give each child an activity sheet with 10 pictures of gifts and 5 numbers to the top. Let
them count how many gifts have bows and circle the correct number.
• Ask them to measure 5 spoons of sand and place it in a container or 5 cups of water in a
plastic pail.
• Prepare a picture mounted on a sturdy backing for each child. Ask them to choose a pic-
ture they want to talk about. Listen for use of vocabulary, adjectives and ability to read the
picture and sequence ideas.
• Play an “I remember when” game.
• Check their ability to identify cause/effect relationships
• Give an activity sheet divided into sections with three and four letter words including
about 5 that begin with “Hh”. Let them identify, discriminate and circle the letter “h” at the
beginning of the words.
• Create patterns with the letter Hh on an activity sheet and ask them to circle the patterns
that are alike.
• Let them trace, and write the letter Hh
• Observe how they respond to stories. Record any unusual responses.
• Listen to their conversations at play and take notes.
• When they return to school after holidays, ask them to tell stories about their own experi-
ences with their families and how they spend the holidays. Listen for improvement in se-
quencing of main ideas and correct use of vocabulary.
• Observe how confident they are in using puppets for conversations and reporting, facial
expressions, and listen for changes in tone of voice

• 1 2 3 4 5, once I caught a fish alive
• Hot Cross Buns
• 5 little ships a sailing
• Santa Claus, Santa Claus, turn around
• Little houses closed up tight (finger play)
• 5 cross buns in the baker’s shop
• 5 little squirrels sat in Christmas tree
• 5 in a bed and the little one said roll over
• Christmas is coming, the turkey is getting fat
• Christmas comes but once a year
Level 1
STORIES GAMES
• The little boy who met Santa
• Egg in a Basket
Claus
• The Birth of Jesus (story) • I’m going to San
Pedro
• The Easter story
• Rabbits find a hole
• The story of the coming of the
first “Garinagu” to Belize
• Santa’s Little Helpers
• The Polar Express
• Art and craft materials like paint, glue, scissors, crayons, glitters, construction paper, Bristol board,
toilet paper rolls, crepe paper, ribbons, sequence, fabric, felt, cotton, etc.
• Play dough for modeling, cookie cutters the shape of rabbit, turkey, Santa Claus, large pictures of
Baron Bliss, a place that was built from his funds, pictures of the re-enactment, pictures of the Easter
story, audio and video tapes, cinema box, flannel board, post cards, plastic drinking straws, pebbles,
wooden and plastic blocks, plastic disposable spoons, plates and cups for counting, a drum and
“percussion” instruments.
• Materials to make a small kite, a real Christmas tree, ornaments, Easter eggs
• Add topic-related clothes to the dress-up activity area,
• Materials to make Easter basket
• Include pine cones
• Use old Christmas cards to get pictures to create new ones
• Cut pictures from magazines and newspapers, cut-out shapes of Santa Claus
• Make stamps from cotton cord glued on wooden blocks and stamp pads for them to stamp shapes
and color them
SONGS
• Away in a Manger M REFERENCES

• Did you ever see a Santa go this way and that • http://www.Childrenresources.org/
way (action song) • http://www.pbskids.org
• Row, row, row your boat (action song) • http://www.first-school.ws
• Misa Baran gat wahn leeky oal doari (kriol • Early Childhood Readiness Program, Level 1
song) • http://www.stutzfamily.com
• Jesus loves the little children • http://www.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/early/
• As I was walking down the street prekguide.html
• Jingle Bells • http://www.psi.kiev.ua/doc/preschool.htm
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star • A Comprehensive Framework For Curricular In Is-
• Gud Maanin Mis Laydi raeli Preschools, Jerusalem 1995
• Jesus loves me this I know • Rand McNally & Company, The Real Mother Goose
• The hat I got for Christmas is too big • http://www.TeacherHelp.org/holidays.htm
• Twelve Days of Christmas ( Teach the first five • http://www.readinga-z.com
days) • http://www.pulaskiacademy.org/ecc/3activity.htm
• The Baron who lived on the sea (story about • http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.asp?
Baron Bliss) id=1197

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THE

Printed : August 2006

Author: Alma Eiley, Early Childhood Specialist

Reviewed and Piloted by the following Preschool Teachers:

4 Early Childhood Education & Development Center

The Process of Learning in Early Childhood……………… 9

Sample Time Tables……… ....................................................... 15

Competencies for the Three to Four Year Old ………… . 16

Level One Curriculum Themes and Topics………………… 20

Unit 1 – MY PRESCHOOL CENTER……………………………… 24

Unit 2 – ALL ABOUT ME/MYSELF…………………… ............. 28

Unit 3 – STIMILATION………………………………… .................... 34

Unit 4 – MY FAMILY………………………………………… ............... 40

Unit 5 - OUR WORLD……………………………………………… ...... 44

Unit 6 – SHAPES…………………………………………… ................... 48

Unit 7- COLORS……………………………………………… ................. 52

Unit 9 – PEOPLE……………………………………………… ................ 62

Unit 10 – HOLIDAYS……………………………………………… ........ 66

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

6 Early Childhood Education & Development Center

II. RATIONALE FOR THE PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

IV. OTHER GOALS:

8 Early Childhood Education & Development Center

THE PROCESS OF LEARNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

'Learning' is a change in behaviour that occurs as a result of experience.

We need to be concerned with three words: 'change', 'behaviour', and 'experience’

DIFFERENCE IN PACE AND RATE OF LEARNING

CONDITIONS THAT FACILITATE LEARNING

The child must want to learn.

Some children need to learn trust.

FOUNDATIONS FOR LEARNING

The teacher is in a position to detect hearing impairment early.

10 Early Childhood Education & Development Center

PLAY AS A WAY OF LEARNING

DOREEN JONES (MRS) E.O. Pre-

Effective discipline is helping, teaching and learning

Discipline Is Not Punishment

To Discipline Effectively, Think About These Ideas:

1. Effective discipline is positive. It is helping, teaching and learning.

3. Effective discipline is moderate, neither very permissive nor very strict.

4. Moderate discipline is most effective for the age we live in.

5. Discipline influences the kind of adult your child will be.

7. Discipline needs to be in keeping with the child's age and abilities.

TRY NOT TO:

INTRODUCTION TO SELF CHOSEN ACTIVITIES

The skills to be developed at these centres will include:

Social skills such as human interactions and relationships.

Some of the materials developed for these activities include:

Classification in three categories:

(a) Grouping which is relational on the basis of common function or association

Spatial Relations - That is perceptions of body awareness and relationships in space.

Temporal Relations - That is time with regards to beginning and ending.

iii) Personalizing learning opportunities for maximum individual involvement.

(iv) Encouraging children to make decisions as they self-select an activity.

ALTERNATE TIME TABLE