Preschool Lesson Plans

Montessori Lesson Plans

Summer Lesson Plans

Bean Alphabet

Lesson Plan:

​Activity:

Bean Alphabet​

Age Group:

Preschool

* Lesson plan objective and assessment can be adapted to use this activity with school-age children.

​Please provide appropriate supervision to the children in your care when completing all activities. You will need to decide what types of activities are safe for the children in your care. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when providing art and sensory experiences for children.

Objectives:  

Child will:

• apply fine motor skill practice​
• practice literacy skills​

CDA Competency Standard:   

II.4.2a

• Activities and materials encourage children of varying abilities to develop their small muscles

​a) Individual fine motor skills are encouraged through a variety of developmentally appropriate materials and activities

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Materials: 

• Tray
• Cards with alphabet letters on them
• Assortment of beans​

Procedure: 

1. If the children show interest in the alphabet or early literacy, place an assortment of beans and alphabet cards on a tray.
2. Show the children that they can use the beans to cover the letters on the cards. For a challenge, use words instead of single letters.
3. Place the tray with contents on an appropriate shelf or table in the classroom for children to explore on their own.

**This activity can be modified for older preschoolers by changing just the letters on the paper to lower case letters. Doing so will challenge children to show knowledge of both upper and lower case letters. ​

Assessment: 

• Observe and record any improvements in the children’s fine-motor skills when transferring beans to the cards.​

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Incorporating Reggio Emilia Elements

How can you add Reggio Emilia elements throughout the classroom space?

Adding in Reggio Emilia elements throughout the classroom space might seem daunting but one or two activities can be added into each learning center easily. It can be less overwhelming to add one element a week so the educators and children grow accustomed to it. 
​
A few examples could be: 

Science - 

• Add some beans or seeds and plastic bags or clear containers to the center. This can help the children explore planting and seeing what will and won't grow under what circumstances.
• Add some laminated animal track cards with toy animals and playdough or paint. The children can practice matching up the animal tracks to the animal track cards.

Manipulatives - 

• Add some beans or pebbles with trays and laminated pattern cards. This can help the children expand their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Add some twigs, pinecones, rocks, etc. with pattern and number cards. This can help the children practice different patterns (A-B-A-B, color, size, etc.) or numbers of items.

Art - 

• Add paint with different types of paint brushes (sponges, sticks, rocks, leaves, etc.). This can help the children explore what strokes or marks each paint brush can make.
• Add leaves, twigs, glue and writing materials. The children can practice making self portraits or animals out of the different materials.

Blocks - 

• Add cardboard tubes, wood boards of all lengths and thicknesses, wood or wicker rings, etc. The children can explore what rolls and moves down different types of ramps. They can also use the materials to design different shapes (ie. flowers, boats, houses, etc.).
• Add a mirror or multiple mirrors to the space. This can help the children explore differences in what things look like from other perspectives.

Dramatic Play - 

• Ask the children what they want to decorate the center as. This is the perfect opportunity to have the children give their input and interests in what they want to explore further.