Week 1 - 4th Week of August
Items Needed: Bible
Tactile Number: 1
Tactile Letters: l, i, T, t, I, Letters in First Name
Colors: Black, White, Blue, Brown, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple
Books: My "T" Book, My "I" Book, My One Book, Red Red Red, Big Thoughts for Little People
Worksheets: l, i, T, t, I, 1 (see below), Line Characters, Visual Perception Worksheets, 1 1/2" tracing paper, Building with Colors Template, I am Looking at Jesus
Games: Colorama
CDs: Hide 'Em In Your Heart, Vol 1, 100 Hymns & Praise Song for Kids 
Videos: Boz Colors and Shapes, Boz: B-O-Z's and 1-2-3's
Activities: Water in a bucket, sponge, sidewalk chalk, foods to represent many different colors, ingredients to make homemade ice cream (see below), short and long popsicle sticks, two toilet paper rolls, string, pipecleaners, paint, apple, shallow tray, cloth
Letter T Activity, Letter I Activity, Number 1 Poster
Character Trait: Faith & Trust
Definition: Believing God will do what He says, believing in something that you cannot see
Opposite: Disbelief, not trusting, hopeless
Bible Story: Jesus Walks on Water
Objective: Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes
The Beginner's Bible
Through the Bible in Felt: pg 187
Verse: Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Steve Green – Hide 'Em In Your Heart, Vol 1 - #16
Bible Song: Deep and Wide (Traditional) - 100 Hymns & Praise Song for Kids Disc 1 #18
Deep and wide (put arms vertically, then horizontally),
Deep and wide
There’s a fountain (rain down with fingers)
Flowing (play piano with fingers)
Deep and wide
(Repeat)
Optional – each time substitute the below words and say “hmmm” instead
1st Time - Deep
2nd Time - Deep, wide
3rd Time - Deep, wide, fountain
4th Time - Deep, wide, fountain, flowing
1st Time Example:
Hmmm and wide
Hmmm and wide
There's a fountain
Flowing
Hmmm and wide
(Repeat)
Information: First name - Trace the letters using tactile letters.
Books of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Colors: Black, White, Blue, Brown, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple
Number: 1
Straight down and then you’re done. That’s the way to make a one!
Letters: l, i, T, t, I
l - line
i - down and dot
T - body and roof
t - down and cross
I - body, roof, floor
Comprehension Questions:
Who did the disciples think was walking on the water?
How did the disciples feel when they saw someone walking towards them?
What did Peter want to do?
Did Peter walk on the water?
Why did Peter start to sink?
Sometimes we forget to trust Jesus. Tell me about a time that you forgot to trust Jesus.
Book of the Week: 
Ideas:
• Red Red Red Activity Ideas:
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- Have a "Red Day" and do several of the activities suggested on the ABCJLM Red page.
• Jesus Walks on Water Preschool Bible Story Activities & Color Sheets:
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- Make pipecleaner glasses - Twist one pipecleaner into the shape of an "8". Attach one pipecleaner on each side to make ear pieces on the glasses. Twist the ear pieces together in the back to hold them on the child's head. This is a silly craft but my kiddos loved this one and it really helped them remember the objective of the Bible Story.
- He Walked Upon the Sea (Original Source Unknown)
Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Jesus did not need a boat,
He walked upon the sea.
- Click for more Jesus Walks on the Water Ideas...
• Character Education - Faith Activities:
- Using the Bible story, discuss how Peter walked on the water when he trusted God. But as soon as he became afraid, he sank into the water.
- "Do You Have Faith?"
Give the child an apple. Ask the child, "What is inside the apple?" (seeds, the white part of the apple, juice) "I have a secret...there is really a star in the apple!" The child will probably doubt this statement. "How can we find out if there really is a star inside?" (cut open the apple) "Do you trust me that there is a star inside without us cutting it open?" (cut the apple from side to side through the seed part) Show the child how the seeds in the apple and the area around the seeds look like a star. Explain that just as the child had to have faith that you were correct about the star, we have faith that Jesus is real even though we can't see Him.
- Apple Prints
Extend the "Do You Have Faith?" activity by doing apple prints. Have the child write "I Have Faith" at the top of a piece of construction paper. Dab the apple several times onto a cloth to remove excess moisture. Place paint into a shallow tray. Have the child dip the apple into the paint (or paint the apple) and then stamp it on the paper.
• Letter & Number Ideas:
If your child finished the 3 Year Curriculum, he learned to trace each letter and number with his finger using the correct formation. Also, he learned to write his first name using capital letters. The 4 Year Curriculum focuses on writing all characters using a logical formation progression.
If you are new to ABCJLM, please read Learning to Write to understand how to help your child learn to write her letters and numbers. Here are the five levels of learning handwriting skills.
1 - Trace each letter or number on tactile surfaces. Say the Letter Formation Chant or Number Rhyme as the child traces each character.
2 - Work on Pre-writing Worksheets to help the child learn control and the basic formations of all letters and numbers - lines and circles.
3 - Create 3" characters using yellow lines and green and red dots.
4 - Place the letters and numbers on tracing paper using yellow lines and green and red dots. Start with lines 1 1/2" wide.
5 - Work on keeping the letters uniform by using the ABCJLM Tracing Worksheets.
In the 4 Year Lesson Plans, the character formation is reviewed with tactile letters and numbers. Then the characters are created using popsicle sticks, play dough, or pipe cleaners before being placed on tracing paper. If this is not an appropriate level for your child, begin where he can be successful. If in doubt, start a level below where you think he is ready.
Weeks 1-4 focus on "straight-line letters" - characters made with straight lines only. Start by creating the characters using short and long popsicle sticks and move to writing the characters on 1 1/2" tracing paper with yellow lines and green and red dots as a guide. Use the Line Characters worksheet to show the progression of the letters and numbers. Be sure to say the Letter Formation Chant or Number Rhyme as the child creates each character.
• Number Books:
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• Name:
In the 4 Year Curriculum, the child will learn how to write her first and last name using a capital letter for the first letter only. This week starts the child learning (or reviewing) the formation of each letter using tactile letters. Lay the tactile letters in order so the child begins to think of the letters as a "word" instead of individual letters. If letters are doubled, you may need to make extra tactile letters.
• Calendar Activity - Begin each day with this activity to reinforce numbers, days of the week, and months of the year.
• Books of the Bible - In order to study the Bible, I believe everyone should know the order of the Books of the Bible. With a little help, most preschool children can master this task. The New Testament books have been divided into small group with a new group being introduced every 3-4 weeks in the curriculum. Use a song, motions, or simply repetition to help your child. Click for more ABCJLM Teaching the Book of the Bible Ideas.
• Phonics - Remember to focus on the phonetic sound of each letter as your child is writing the characters. Read more...
• Colors:
- Eat and discuss foods that represent many different colors (green beans, bananas, carrots, chocolate chip cookies, etc.)
- Play Colorama
• Building with Colors
• Family Fun - Create a new family tradition of making homemade ice cream.
- Ice Cream in a Bag - Video Directions, Directions
- Ice Cream in a Coffee Can - Directions
• Read and View: 
Big Thoughts for Little People: ABC's to Help You Grow - This is a book that I highly suggest that you use throughout the curriculum to learn about Jesus and character traits, as well as ABC's and phonetic sounds. 
• Fine Motor Skill:
Write "My Family" on the bottom of a blank piece of paper. Demonstrate how to draw your family. Use simple shapes and explain what you are doing as you draw. Let your child tell you what to draw. Your child will be drawing their family periodically throughout the curriculum. This demonstration helps prepare them for this activity. Later in the week, give your child a chance to draw his/her family.
• Gross Motor Skill:
Play "Put the Fire Out" - an activity that involves sidewalk chalk, water in a bucket, and a sponge
• Visual Perception Skill:
Visual perception is the translation between the eyes and the brain. Correct translation is imperative to reading and writing. Along with fine and gross motor activities, each lesson plan in the 4 and 5 Year Curriculum contains visual perception activities. These activities can help correct any problem as well as strengthen the brain and eye communication. For the first week, begin with some of the ABCJLM Visual Perception Worksheets. Choose one of the areas of focus to begin. The worksheets in each area increase in difficulty.
• Be sure to look over the Development Guide Between Ages 4 & 5 and Development Guide Between Ages 5 & 6 so that you are familiar with developmental milestones for your child's age.
