Letters vs. Themes

[MsLaura529]

Just wondering what you enjoy doing better as far as curriculum ...

Letter of the week or monthly themes?

I am doing letter of the week right now and am very bored with it. Over the summer I did monthly/bi-weekly themes, and we had so much fun! I think I might be switching over to that (after finishing out this alphabet first). Then I can introduce letters, numbers, shapes, and colors randomly throughout the year.

[Cat Herder]

I tend to do both. Letter/number/shape of the week along with an overall monthly/seasonal theme. I try to incorporate them as much as possible and usually do full room decor.

EX. December, week 1, was painting/decorating green triangles (trees), rolling/shaping/baking/decorating 3 (small) sugar cookies each, and "S" snow everywhere with gluing cotton balls, jumping on big white pillows and instant snow sensory play.

I know, not particularly creative, but kids love tradition and repetition for seasonal stuff (just not crafts ).. ::::

[Annalee]

Just wondering what you enjoy doing better as far as curriculum ...

Letter of the week or monthly themes?

I am doing letter of the week right now and am very bored with it. Over the summer I did monthly/bi-weekly themes, and we had so much fun! I think I might be switching over to that (after finishing out this alphabet first). Then I can introduce letters, numbers, shapes, and colors randomly throughout the year.

I like using themes and setting up the play centers emphasizing all letters, colors, shapes, numbers, etc. This just works for me!

[melilley]

I have a theme, letter, and color of the week. We count in circle and go over the days of the week, read, and sing songs. That's the extent of our curriculum. I do integrate things for the theme and other things throughout the week/day like CH does. For example, this week the theme is snow, so I brought snow in for the sensory table, we played in oatmeal (it was our snowflakes), the color is white so we talked about the white snow (and other white things). I am constantly talking to them about everything that happens in our day.

In the summer, I still do a theme, but it's more relaxed as we are outside more.

[TaylorTots]

I do monthly themes and incorporate 2-3 letters per month around the theme (Winter theme = S for snowman, P for penguin, etc.). All my materials are grabbed from teacherspayteachers (some paid, some freebies). I don't spend a lot of money on curriculum.

[MarinaVanessa]

I do monthly themes and incorporate 2-3 letters per month around the theme (Winter theme = S for snowman, P for penguin, etc.). All my materials are grabbed from teacherspayteachers (some paid, some freebies). I don't spend a lot of money on curriculum.

Same here

[MsLaura529]

Thanks ladies! I love hearing what others are doing, it helps me actually try to process all of these thoughts I have jumbling around in my head

[daycare]

I do both.

so lets say we are going to lean about snow/winter.

we will read

the snowy day
have snow art activities
the letter for that week will be S

we will read words like

snow, sun, sound, sled, etc

next week will be the letter W....winter, walk,

[KSDC]

I do letter of the week and seasonal themes.
So, each week we have a different letter that we emphasize. (I do them in the Handwriting Without Tears order). But, along with that we also do crafts and activities that fit in with the calendar. Right now we are doing lots of winter/snow stuff.

I like the Letter of the week, because it helps keep me on task! ::