Letter A Preschool Unit

I’m so thankful I get to spend time with my children for their preschool years. First, I share our curriculum choices and why we use them. Keep reading to find out how we explored the Letter A. Finally, at the bottom, we list our favorite supplies for the preschool years.

PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

SUPPORTS AMPLE NATURE TIME

• The Peaceful Preschool – The schedule is amazing because it sets aside one day per week for field trips
• Exploring Nature with Children – This works well for my family because it is centered around being outdoors
• The Abundant Gardener – We are learning more about gardening together so this will naturally provide chances to visit gardens, plant stores, and be outside on our land

THE PEACEFUL PRESCHOOL

We currently follow the Peaceful Preschool curriculum by Jennifer Pepito and we love it! The content is full of rich literature, therefore it is a perfect fit for my book-loving family.  We read through many rich, classic stories. We also complete playful projects to go with the literature theme or letter. Download Unit A for free to try it out with your littles in order to see if you like it.

The community she has created is such a beautiful resource and I’m grateful to be a part of it. Jennifer has included a wonderful preschool e-book which helps you prepare to guide your child in early learning. We have found her curriculum perfect for our homeschool preschool. The curriculum is comprised of Read Aloud, Phonics, Counting Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Large Motor Skills, Practical Life Skills, and Art Skills. Also, here is how we enjoyed the letter B unit.

LETTER A REVIEW

We began with the letter A unit and had so much fun with it! The focus books for letter A are How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World and Ten Apples Up On Top. I found the books at a local library and we also reviewed the books later in the week while watching a Read Aloud video online. Then, we created glitter glue letters. The Peaceful Preschool recommends glitter glue in order to create the finishing touches on sensory, alphabet flashcards. We have used them with all of the letters so far. It is really one of my children’s favorite parts.

A IS FOR APPLE

My boys enjoyed exploring the map in How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World because they are interested in maps! I pointed out all of the locations the main character visits in the story. If you haven’t read the story, she travels all over the world to gather ingredients to make apple pie.

VEGAN APPLE CRISP

Next, we baked an apple crisp together! I love cooking and baking with my children in the kitchen. They are learning so many practical life skills along with gathering an interest in the food they are making and eating! My oldest son peeled all of the apples for this dish. Then, both children helped stir and pour the ingredients. Here is a helpful resource on cooking with your kiddos in the kitchen.

 

Here is the link on Pinterest to the vegan apple pie crisp we made. We have made it many times because it is simple, healthy and delicious.

APPLE ART

Next, my children used toothpicks to remove the seeds from the core. They counted and sorted the seeds. Finally, we recycled the cores of the apples, dipped them in tempera paints and made fun apple art!

Then, we cut an apple together, removed the seeds, counted them, and moved onto apple art. We also had so much painting a large apple template together. It was fun to see how the colors from the painted apple hit the paper to make a beautiful picture.

ADDITIONAL APPLE BOOKS

We love the library because we have access to books we otherwise may never have the chance to read! These books came recommended by a Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum and our favorite from these was certainly The Apple Tree’s Discovery. Its a cute story about an apple tree who begs God for some stars like he sees in the night sky, and its about his patience in the process.  I highly recommend it because it was a neat story! Arnold’s Apple Tree was a cute story by children enjoyed, and Johnny Appleseed was a sweet poem with beautiful illustrations.

Applesauce Season, Apple, and The Apple Pie Tree are some of my children’s favorite stories about apples. We loved studying apples this time of the year since its Fall.

ADDITIONAL BOOKS

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite books from childhood was the Giving Tree by Shell Silverstein. I read this story to them while they played with play dough and made apples. When a child plays and uses their imagination, so much valuable learning is taking place. We also read Johnny Appleseed and my boys asked for this story to be read many times! Now, they want to plant apple seeds everywhere! Next, we read The Apple Pie Tree and my youngest son really loved this book.

APPLE LIFE CYCLE

My oldest son completed an apple tree life cycle, which you can find on Pinterest. He cut out the cards, and then glued them on the correct order. Last, he discussed with me how the bare tree with branches could be at the end after the apples, since trees lose all of their leaves in the winter.

We used our Farm Anatomy book to outline and water paint how an apple blossom turns into an apple. First, I outlined the drawing for my son, and he did the rest.

APPLE WATERCOLOR ART

Next, we filled in our apple template. I love how this activity promotes focus, attention and fine motor skills because they use their hands and fill in the space.

My youngest son wanted to use the pencil to color in the apple stem and I thought it turned out beautifully.

Finally, we used watercolors to paint an apple tree. We used The Apple Pie Tree as a template for a tree since it is basic. My four year old painted the drawing on the right and below, my three year old son painted a free style painting.

FORMING LETTERS

I purchased some modeling clay for them, which is similar to play dough. They used their hands to create letters out of them and apples. They also made stick figures for fun. Side note: we love these travel chalkboard sets! I usually give these to them in the car and they are so convenient because they come in their own carrying pouch. Also, they are small enough to fit in my purse too!

ROOTED CHILDHOOD

Also, we made apple snacks with homemade caramel sauce (using dates, salt, almond milk, and vanilla extract). It was a hit! I highly recommend Rooted Childhood for handicrafts, recipes, and adorable projects to do together as a family. If you decide to check it out, use “nourishedchildren10” code for a discount!

SUPPLIES

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
The Giving Tree
The Apple Pie Tree
Johnny Appleseed
The Apple Tree’s Discovery
Glitter Glue
Montessori Moveable Letters
Watercolors
Construction Paper
Travel Chalkboards
Handmade Play Dough
Modeling Clay

OUR PICKS

Here is how we enjoyed the letter B unit. We had so much fun with letter A and can’t wait to share the next letter with you!