Week 3: Daily ELA Learning Activities For Preschool And Kindergarten

Day 1: Reading CVC words

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Self-guided activity (with a little parental help):

1. Use letter magnets or a white board to write a CVC word like bat.

First, say the word aloud sound-by-sound and have your child create the word.
Then, swap out the vowel to create another word, like bit.
Play around with creating different words by swapping out the vowels without changing the consonants.
Alternatively, you can swap out the first letter while leaving the vowel and the last letter the same to create lists of rhyming words.
Have your child practice swapping out the letters themselves and then help them sound out words after they make the swaps, if needed.

Family time activity:

1. Hide pirate treasure.

Ahoy, matey!

Decorate a treasure box, load it with sticky notes or pieces of paper that have CVC words written on them, and draw a map to remember where it’s buried.
Sing some rhyming sea chanteys as you head out on your next voyage.
When you’re ready for someone to retrieve the treasure, write clues to help them find it.
Once they find the treasure, see if your child can read all the words aloud. Bonus if the words create a fun message!

Day 2: Family names

Self-guided activities (with a little parental help):

1. Familiarize children with the letters in their names and the names of family members.

Make a book or set of picture cards with names and faces. Point out the beginning letter of each person’s name as you browse them.

2. Have your child draw pictures of the family members on different pieces of paper.

3. Then, have them try to write their names themselves (by looking at the book or picture cards you made above).

You can also write the names and have children trace them.

4. Have your child create a special letter picture for each family member.

Ask your child to write the letter that starts the name of each family member on separate pieces of paper. Then, your child can decorate the letters for each family member, adding colors or decorations based on their likes and interests.

Family time activity:

1. Call family members on the phone or on video chat to show them their letters.

Have your child share the things they added to make the letter special for them. Then, have your child spell out each family member’s name. They can use their book if needed.

Day 3: Writing

Self-guided activities (with a little parental help):

1. Give children non-paper ways to practice forming letters.

Examples include tracing letters on each other’s backs to guess, writing on a foggy window, or writing in sand or dirt with fingers or sticks.

Give children a list of words to write out in these other mediums.
Ask them to tell you what the words mean after they write them out.

2. Have your child answer a writing prompt to help them create their own story.

For example: You wake up with a super power. What is it, and how do you use it?

Have them try to write down their story on several pieces of paper. You can fill in the blanks.

Have children illustrate their story and then read it back to you.

Find more writing prompts for younger children here!

Family time activity:

1. Curate a captivating museum.

Whether it showcases art, dinosaurs, inventions, beach treasures, or LEGO creations, all good museums need informative signage and a knowledgeable docent.

Direct your child to create signs for each exhibit, and then explain what the exhibit is about to the museum guests (you!).

Day 4: Rhymes

Last week, children learned about words that rhyme. This week, we’ll explore some words that don’t have any rhymes.

Self-guided activity (with a little parental help):

1. Have children watch this video about words without any rhymes.

WATCH: Are There Any Words Without Rhymes?

2. Have your child create made-up words that rhyme with the words in the video.

3. Ask them to think of any other words they can that might not have a rhyme.

Hint: most words do have rhymes except for the words in the video above.

4. Help your child think of a rhyme for the words they come up with.

Find objects to help illustrate the rhymes you’re coming up with or write out the words to show them similar letters within the words.

Family time activity:

1. Rhyming potato.

Find an object that you can toss around to each other to play an alternative version of the classic game Hot Potato.

The person holding the potato at the beginning of the game says a word.
They toss the potato to the next person.
That person catches the potato and says a rhyming word.
Keep throwing the potato until someone can’t think of a new rhyming word.

Day 5: Verbs

Self-guided activity (with a little parental help):

1. Name that verb.

Write easy-to-read verbs on sticky notes (e.g., run, jump, fall, duck, pat, etc.).
Give your child the stack of sticky notes and tell them to read each word, and then do the action.
You can also read the words aloud and have them complete the action while naming the letters in the word.

2. Explain that verbs are action words.

Read the definition of verb with your child. Ask them to remember the words from the activity above and think about other action words.

Write down other verbs as they say them.
Have them draw pictures to go with the verbs they made.
If they name a word that isn’t a verb, explain to them what part of speech it is.

Family time activity:

1. Verb race.

Have each family member line up at one side of the house. Find a spot that will be the finish line.
One person will pick a verb that everyone has to do (examples: jump, crawl, walk, etc.).
Race from the start to the finish line doing that action.
Race multiple times, the next person choosing an action each time.

Day 6: Definining words

Self-guided activities (with a little parental help):

1. Review the following definition pages of common words with your child.

2. Explain how all words have definitions.

You can look at the definition page for definition to show them the meaning of this word.

3. Print the Dictionary.com Coloring Book for your child.

Click the image below to get the PDF printable of pages A–E.

Have them color the pictures and examine the illustration while they color. Ask them to write a definition of the word based on the illustration. (You can help them write their definitions while they tell them to you too!)

Family time activity:

1. Watch a movie or read a book together.

Pick some words out from the movie or book and ask your child to define them for you. Offer your own definition too. Then look up the words on Dictionary.com to see if you both were right!

Psst! You can use this Disney activity to help you find words from some classic movies to define.

Day 7: Idioms

Self-guided activities (with a little parental help):

1. Ask your child: Have you heard the saying “once in a blue moon”?

Then ask, “You probably know that the moon isn’t actually blue. What do you think this saying means?”
Explain that “once in a blue moon” is an idiom—an expression or saying that does not have the same meaning as its individual words. Instead, idioms have meanings that people have come to understand over the years.
Review this slideshow with your child to learn about different names for our moon.

2. Discuss other idioms about space.

Have your child guess what each idiom means.

3. Guide your child to write a sentence using each idiom.

You can write the sentences for them, too!
Have them draw pictures to go with each sentence.

Family time activities:

1. What other idioms do you know?

Start an Idiom List in a notebook or computer document. Every time you hear a new idiom, add it to the list!
Start using these idioms around your house as inside jokes or to signal to your family that you want them to do something!

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