Kindergarten — Week 1: Me & My Name
Life Academy · Top-tier parent script · ~50–65 minutes/day
Rule: Mastery before speed. Short, clear, daily. Days are not copies — each one adds a new sound, a new math move, and a new sense.
PICTURES FIRST: Open the child Story Studio before teaching from this script:
illustrated/storybooks/kindergarten-week-01.html
(letter art, counting picnic, kindness scene + phonics picture cards)
Week targets
| Strand | Target |
|---|---|
| Literacy | Letters Mm, short a, Tt — mouth shapes & clean sounds. Blend mat. |
| Sounds | m=/m/, a=/ă/, t=/t/ |
| Heart words | I, a |
| Math | Count 1–5 with one-to-one touch counting; compare more/less |
| Science | Five senses — one sense per day, then mix on Friday |
| Unplugged STEM | Sequences (first/next/last) and a 5-block tower that can stand |
| Life Skills | Say full name clearly 3× |
Materials
Letter cards Mm / a / Tt, pencil, crayons, 20 counters, 8–10 building blocks, blank paper, timer, week journal folder, a “mystery bag” (smooth spoon, rough sponge, soft sock)
Parent coaching stance
Speak less. Model once. Let the child struggle productively for 10–20 seconds, then prompt — don’t take over.
Day 1 — Letter Mm · See · Count 1–3
1) Literacy — Meet Mm /m/ (20–25 min)
Sounds/skills: m=/m/ only today
Heart words: I
Visual: Large Mm card → lips together, hum /m/ → milk, mouse, map pictures
I do (parent): “This is M. Sound /m/. Watch my mouth stay closed.” Trace M in the air.
We do: Sky-write M 5× while saying /m/. Hunt the room for 3 things that start with /m/.
You do:
1. Point to Mm and say /m/ alone, 5 times
2. Color or trace Mm on paper
3. Sort picture cards: /m/ vs not-/m/ (3 each)
If stuck: Drop writing. Only oral /m/ until 4/5 tries are clean.
2) Math — Count 1–3 with one-to-one touch (15–20 min)
CPA path:
- Concrete: 3 beans or spoons
- Pictorial: child draws 3 dots
- Abstract: numeral 3 only after touching is easy
I do: Touch each bean. Say 1, 2, 3. Shuffle. Recount.
We do: Make a pile of 2 and a pile of 3. Which has more?
You do: Child makes piles of 1, 2, and 3 without help.
3) Science — Sense of sight (10–15 min)
Observe → Say → Record
Go to a window or step outside. Child names 3 things they see. Draw them in the week journal. Parent writes the labels.
4) Life Skills — Full name (8–12 min)
Practice first name clearly 3×. Add last name if it is already easy. Parent records on the phone for pride playback.
Movement break (2–3 min)
10 jumps. Then done for the day.
Unplugged STEM (5 min, optional)
Say a 3-step sequence out loud and do it: get crayons → draw M → put crayons back. That is an algorithm — a recipe a computer could follow later.
Day 2 — Short a · Hear · Count to 4
1) Literacy — Review Mm, introduce short a /ă/ (20–25 min)
Sounds/skills: m=/m/, a=/ă/
Heart words: I, a
Visual: Apple, ant, alligator pictures. Mouth open, jaw drop for /ă/.
I do: Contrast /m/ (lips closed) vs /ă/ (mouth open).
We do: Switch game — parent shows M or a; child says the sound. 10 rapid rounds.
You do:
1. Trace a (lowercase) 5× while saying /ă/
2. Build am with letter cards (say /ă/ /m/ → “am”)
3. Heart word I: “I am ___.” Child finishes the sentence.
Fluency (2 min): Point to yesterday’s Mm. Sound?
2) Math — Count 1–4; match numeral to set (15–20 min)
Concrete: 4 counters. Touch-count. Hide one. “How many now?”
Pictorial: Draw 4 boxes; put one counter in each.
You do: Flash numerals 1–4. Child builds that many with objects. 6 rounds.
Retrieval: Make 3 (from Day 1) without looking at a model.
3) Science — Sense of hearing (10–15 min)
Sit still 60 seconds. Child names 3 sounds (fridge, bird, voice). Sort: loud vs quiet. Draw one loud and one quiet in the journal.
4) Life Skills — First + last name with a pause
“Maya. Chen.” Practice the pause between names. 3 clean tries.
Movement break
Wall push-ups × 8.
Unplugged STEM (5 min)
Robot parent: Child gives 4 commands (step, step, turn, sit). Parent obeys only what was said — not what was meant. If it fails, debug: change one command.
Day 3 — Letter Tt · Touch · Count to 5 · Build
1) Literacy — Introduce Tt /t/; blend at (20–25 min)
Sounds/skills: t=/t/, review m and a
Visual: Tiger, ten, turtle. Tongue tap behind teeth for /t/ (no extra “uh”).
I do: Clean /t/ — not “tuh.” Blend at: /ă/ /t/ → at.
We do: Sky-write T 5×. Blend at and am together.
You do:
1. Point to T, M, a in mixed order (10 taps)
2. Build at and am with tiles
3. Dictation: parent says “at” → child writes a t in boxes _ _
If stuck: Stay oral. Do not force writing T yet.
2) Math — Count 1–5; compare more/less (15–20 min)
Concrete: 5 counters. Touch-count to 5.
We do: Pile of 3 vs pile of 5. “Which is more? How do you know?”
You do: 5 comparison rounds (2 vs 5, 4 vs 1, 5 vs 5). Child says more, less, or same.
Abstract: Match numerals 1–5 to the correct piles.
3) Science — Sense of touch (10–15 min)
Mystery bag: child reaches in (no peeking). Name smooth / rough / soft. Draw the favorite texture.
4) Life Skills — Knock, enter, say full name
Child knocks on a door, waits, says full name as if starting school. 3 times.
Movement break
Stretch to the ceiling, touch toes, 5×.
Engineering (8 min) — Five-block tower
Ask: Can you build a tower using exactly 5 blocks that still stands when you blow once?
Imagine / Plan: Sketch first (stick drawing is enough).
Create: Build.
Improve: If it falls, change the base — don’t just stack taller. This is engineering, not playtime with no goal.
Day 4 — Blend mat · Smell / taste · Take-away 1
1) Literacy — Mix m / a / t; read mat (20–25 min)
Sounds/skills: m=/m/, a=/ă/, t=/t/
Heart words: I, a
Visual: Picture of a mat. Finger-tap 3 boxes: /m/ /ă/ /t/.
I do: Stretch mat. Snap it together.
We do: Build mat, at, am. Mix the tiles; child rebuilds mat.
You do:
1. Read 4 cards: m, a, t, mat
2. Dictation: mat (boxes _ _ _)
3. Sentence: “I am at a mat.” (parent writes; child tracks with a finger)
Fluency (2 min): Rapid sound pack — 12 mixed letters from this week.
2) Math — Five, take 1 away (15–20 min)
Start with 5. Remove 1. “How many left?” Repeat with 4→3, 3→2.
You do: Child tells a take-away story with counters (“5 crackers, I ate 1…”).
Pictorial: Draw 5 circles, cross one out, write the numeral that remains.
3) Science — Smell and taste (safe kitchen) (10–15 min)
Safety: No allergens. Tiny amounts. Child may skip taste.
Smell cinnamon vs lemon (or soap vs orange). Taste water vs a drop of juice if the family is comfortable. Journal: “I smelled . I tasted .”
Circle which sense they used.
4) Life Skills — Teach a stuffed animal your name
Child becomes the teacher. If the toy “forgets,” child models again. That’s retrieval practice.
Movement break
10 jumps + a silly freeze.
Data (5 min)
Tally marks: walk the house, count things that start with /m/. That’s a data table — kindergarten technology without a screen.
Day 5 — Mastery Friday (Week 1)
Theme check-in: Me & My Name
Spaced Retrieval Quiz (no teaching first — test then fix)
- Say each new sound from this week: /m/, /ă/, /t/
- Read mat, at, am
- Write mat from dictation (or build it with tiles if writing is not ready)
- Math: touch-count a set of 5; show which pile is more
- Life: say full name clearly once
- STEM: rebuild the 5-block tower or give the parent a 3-step robot sequence
Scoring:
- 5/6 or 6/6 → celebrate → preview Week 2 card
- 3–4/6 → reteach missed skill Saturday/Monday before advancing
- 0–2/6 → repeat Days 3–4 of this week (mastery over coverage)
Family showcase (10 min)
Child teaches the parent one sound, one math move, and how the tower was improved.
Visual flashcards this week
Use matching cards in ../flashcards/ for: m=/m/, a=/ă/, t=/t/
Real-life extension (optional weekend)
Connect the theme Me & My Name to one outing or home job. Child uses /m/, /ă/, /t/ out loud. Rebuild the tower for a visitor and explain what you changed.