Lesson Overviews for Three-year-Olds
The Big Red Barn
Each day the children will gather in front of the Big Red Barn
and enjoy discovering colored water bowls hidden behind Barnabas’s pet door flap, numbers on eggs in Hattie Hen’s nest, uppercase letters on ears of corn in Pinky Pig’s trough, and new shapes on Clara Cow’s milk pails behind the barn door. Sunny Sheep helps the children look at and keep track of the weather. These characters are introduced in the first unit and will reappear throughout the year.
Barnabas the cat (the teacher has a puppet) is the main character, and he leads the children on many adventures through the year.

Each day’s schedule includes many of these segments:
In the Big Red Barn: Barnabas and various farm friends come out to introduce the color of the month, letters, weather and calendar. This is the first activity of the morning at the Big Red Barn.
Tales Around the Barn: Stories about the barnyard friends reinforcing the theme as we encourage listening skills
A-B-C Time: Introduction and review of letters, auditory discrimination, phonemic and print awareness
1,2,3 Go!: numbers, counting, patterning, classification, sequencing
Once Upon A Time: Story time, usually using theme books, and books that children bring in to be read to the class
Show Me A Shape: Songs and activities about the month’s shape.
Happy Habits: Classroom Rules, hygiene, interpersonal relationships (friendliness, kindness, manners, helpfulness, etc.)
Colors Are Fun: learning about colors and the “color rhymes”
A Hop, Skip, and a Jump: gross motor skills and group games
Yummy in My Tummy: food activities
Sing With Me: Singing old favorites as well as new songs created for the lessons
Activity Packet: student pages provide practice and reinforcement through crafts, coloring, tracing, table activities
Rhyme Time: Nursery rhymes, poems, practice with rhyming words, fingerplays and songs extend the theme and help develop language skills and auditory discrimination
Let’s Discuss: Class discussion built around the theme as we try to teach taking turns, raising hands, and listening to each other, and expanding vocabulary and knowledge
Look Up, Look Down: Understanding position words and opposites

August: Through the Barnyard Gate
Unit focus: Recognize the color red; recognize a circle; trace a circle; contrast big and little; recognize the number 1; identify a set of 1; recognize the letters B,C,H,P; nursery rhymes
Special Days: Red Day and Farm Day (dates will be announced)
Song of the Month: “Old MacDonald”


September: The Street Where I Live
Unit Focus: Recognize the color yellow; recognize a square; trace a square; contrast up and down; recognize the number 2; identify a set of two; recognize the letters F, J, M, Y; discussions of family; God made me; body parts; five senses; babies; siblings; grandparents
Special Day: Yellow Day (date will be announced)
Songs of the Month: “Jesus Loves Me”, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”


October: Down Autumn Lanes
Unit Focus: Recognize the color orange; recognize a triangle; trace a triangle; identify front and back; recognize the number 3; identify a set of 3, recognize the letters A,G,P,L; sorting apples by color; story of the apple seed; acorns and squirrels; fall leaves; seasons; pumpkins; scarecrows
Special Days: Orange Day and Fall Fun Party (dates will be announced)
Songs of the Month: Various songs with fall theme


November: Blazing New Trails
Unit Focus: Recognize the color brown; recognize a rectangle; trace a rectangle; contrast over/under and loud/soft; recognize the number 4; identify a set of 4; recognize letters I, M, T; learn about Native Americans and their food, clothing, homes, work; learn about Pilgrims, their journey on the Mayflower; Thanksgiving; Squanto and harvest; Thanksgiving food and family celebrations
Special Days: Brown Day; Pilgrim and Native American Feast Day (the First Thanksgiving reenacted) (dates will be announced)
Songs of the Month: “O Give Thanks”; “Ten Little Indians”


December: Christmas Journey
Unit Focus: Recognize the color green; recognize a star; trace a star; contrast high/low; recognize the number 5; identify a set of 5; recognize the letters B, C, E; Christmas as Jesus’ Birthday; Christmas bells; Christmas at the farm; decorating trees and homes; giving to others; manners about giving and receiving; Christmas food treats
Special Days: Green Day; Christmas Party (dates will be announced)
Songs of the Month: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”; “Away in a Manger”; “Jingle Bells”


January: Along Snowy Paths
Unit Focus: recognize the color blue; recognize a diamond; trace a diamond; contrast hot/cold; recognize the number 6; identify a set of 6; recognize the letters Q, S, W, Z; seasons; animals in the winter; winter clothing; staying healthy; fun activities in cold weather (skating, sledding skiing, sleigh ride) snowy days
Special Day: Blue Day (date will be announced)
Song of the Month: “Over the River”


February: Steppingstones to the Mailbox
Unit Focus: recognize the color pink; recognize a heart; trace a heart; contrast on/off; recognize the number 7; identify a set of 7; recognize the letters D, K, L, V; letter carriers and mail; valentines; friendship and kindness; Our country; first president and Presidents’ Day; Abraham Lincoln; White House; our flag
Special Days: Valentine’s Day/Pink Day Party; Red, White & Blue Day
Song of the Month: “Jesus Loves Me”, “I Am So Glad That Jesus Loves Me”, “Jesus Loves the Little Children”


March: Wet and Windy Ways
Unit Focus: recognize the color white; recognize an oval; trace an oval; find an oval among other shapes; contrast open/close; recognize the number 8; identify a set of 8; recognize the letters K, R, U, W; weather and spring - wind, clouds, sun, rain; seasons; tadpoles; ducks; baby animals; kites; planting
Special Days: First Day of Spring; White Day
Song of the Month: “Spring Weather”, “Hi, Mr. Robin”


April: Around the Neighborhood
Unit Focus: recognize the color black; review the shapes; contrast fast/slow; recognize the number 9; identify a set of 9; recognize the letters E,N, O, X; learn about community helpers: firefighters, dentist, house painter; police officer; grocery store workers; transportation: trains, buses, airplanes; boats
Special Days: community helper day: Easter Party
Song of the Month: Safety Song; community helper songs


May: Up the Waterspout
Unit Focus: recognize the color purple; review the shapes; contrast in/out
Recognize the number 10; identify a set of 10; recognize the letters B, F, G,
V; discuss ladybugs and bees; spiders; butterflies; flower gardens, vegetable gardens, fruit gardens; farmers, seeds
Special Days: End of School Party