1. Take a walk and look up at the trees.  See any changes?

2. Discuss changes in clothing if you live in an area that is beginning to get chilly.  If you
    live in an area that stays warm, talk about what children are wearing in other areas.

3. Make a cup of hot cocoa and talk about what you are thankful for this year.

4. Place a bowl of water outside in the morning and see if it freezes in a few hours.
    Place a check mark on each day the water does not freeze on your calendar.
    On the day it freezes draw a big circle.

5. Sprinkle bread crumbs in your yard to feed the squirrels and birds.

6. Draw a picture of what you will eat on Thanksgiving.

Poem Activities

1.  Read the poem aloud with your child.  As you say each word point to it, so your child will learn that each word has a sound and a look.  Talk about any  individual word that your child may not be sure of the meaning.  For example, ask “What do you think a swallow is in this poem?” After discussing the word, have your child draw a picture of a bird (swallow) to help reinforce the meaning of the word.  It doesn't need to be elaborate, just a small, quick drawing to help them remember. Talk about how winter has come and the birds have gone, but will return.

2.  Make a copy of this poem and give to your child with a pencil.  Ask your child to circle the words that begin with "F" in the first line.  Repeat with other words throughout the poem.

3.  Make a copy of this poem and have your child circle individual letters in the poem.  For example, ask your child to circle all the “A” in the first line of the poem.  Ask “Can you find the longest word in the third line.”  Help your child count down the lines if they do not understand ordinal numbers.  What is the shortest line in the poem?

4.  Talk about what the poem means.  Draw a picture to illustrate the poem.

5.  Talk about the author.  Who is the author?  What is an author?  If you wrote this poem, what words would you add?  What words would you change?  When you close your eyes and listen to the poem, does the author make you think of birds flying away?  Do you think the author is going to miss the birds?

Click here to print the November calendar.

Click here to print the November calendar markers.

1. Discuss the important dates for November including any special days pertaining to your family such as birthdays or anniversaries.  Talk about the different holidays and the changes that usually occur in the weather and the environment.  Don't forget to talk about any special traditions your family may have for a holiday or special day.

2.  Have your child trace the word November with their finger and say each letter out loud.

3.  Together, count how many days are in the month, while pointing to each number.

4.  Discuss what the letters at the top of the calendar mean (S M T W T F S).

5. Cut out the icons representing November and any others that relate to your family's special days.

6. Talk about what each icon represents and paste it onto the appropriate day.

7. Draw a picture within the border of the calendar that represents an aspect of  November.

8. Again, count the days of the month and say the special days.

9. Hang the calendar at your child's eye level and try to refer back to it during the month, especially around the special occasions.

These are just a few books on the subject of fall that you may want to explore with your child.  Please feel free to e-mail me the title and author of any books that you enjoy reading with your child.

Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell
   Easy reader with bold bright pictures.  Great book for reading about the autumn season with your
   preschooler or beginning reader.  This book has just a few words per page concerning picking apples
   and the perfect pumpkin to carve.

When Will the Snow Trees Grow? by Ben Shector
   The main theme of this book is to slow down to see and experience the joys of fall before wishing for the
   snows of winter.  The characters are a young boy and a bear who teaches the child patience.  Great book
   for beginners and wonderfully illustrated.

Lionel in the Fall by Stephen Krensky
   This is a chapter book containing four short chapters.  This is great for a first grader needing a challenge or
   for a second grader.  The book chapters are First Day of School, New Teacher, Raking Leaves, and
   Trick or Treat.

Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro
   This is a non-fiction book with easy to understand details on how and why leaves change color.  The book
   details what a tree experiences during the change of seasons.  This would be a good book to read with your
   child to ensure their understanding of this aspect of nature.

Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins
   A non-fiction picture book on identifying the different types of leaves.  The book has great, realistic
   pictures and would be wonderfully to take to the park and see how many leaves you and your child
   can identify.

What Happens in the Autumn by Suzanne Venino for National Geographic
   This is a non-fiction book that touches on several events of the fall season, such as apple picking, birds
   flying south, animals collecting food, and the changing leaves.  The book contains photographs depicting
   each event.  This is a great book to read with your child.  This could be a read alone book for a second
   grader.

Wild Child by Lynn Ploude
   This is a wonderful autumn book.  The illustrations are very well done with all the brilliant colors of
    autumn. This is an easy to read story with rhyming adjectives on every page.  The theme of the book
    is Mother Nature struggling to get her child Autumn to bed.  Preschoolers will really enjoy this book.

Possum's Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter
   This is a nice book to read with your preschooler or have your first grader read with you.  In this book
   Possum wants to have a party, but everyone is too busy getting ready for winter.  The book has large
   pictures and just a few words per page (about 15-20.)  This book will probably not appeal to children
   above the second grade.

The First Thanksgiving Feast by Joan Anderson
  Non fictional account of the first Thanksgiving with black and white re-enactment photos instead of illustrations. 
  Tells the story from the first landing at Plymouth Rock.  The dialogues are fiction, based on first hand accounts 
  of the original feast found in the book Of Plymouth Plantation.

The Story of the Pilgrims by Katherine Ross
  Researched at Plymouth Plantation.  Tells the story of why the PIlgrims left England, their trip across the ocean 
  and landing at Plymouth Rock.  The book touches on their hardship and how the Indians aided in their survival 
  and ends with the feast.

Sarah Morton's Day- A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl by Kate Waters
  This book contains an accurate of what life was like to be a child in the 1600's.  The book begins with Sarah 
  Morton rising in the morning and going about a typical day.  The book also contains facts about daily life as well 
  as a glossary.

The Pilgrims of Plimouth  by Marcia Sewall
  This is a very good book depicting the true lives of the Pilgrims.  The author was very detailed in her writing, so 
  please use your judgment when choosing this book.  I am listing it because of the true tao life details the author 
  has included.  She wrote of the harshness of life, as well as the Pilgrims perseverance and hope for a better world.

N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims text by Robert San Souce
  This book gives a wonderful historic account of the Pilgrims journey.  Robert San Souce did a great job 
  researching this book and included many of the small details some books overlook.  N.C.  Wyeth's paintings are 
  wonderfully reproduced in this book and make it a joy to look at again and again.

One More November Poem   (click for printer friendly copy of poem)

                    November

The stripped and shapely
   Maple grieves
The loss of her
   Departed leaves.

The ground is hard,
   As hard as stone.
The year is old,
   The birds are flown.

As yet the world,
   Nevertheless,
Displays a certain
                             Loveliness--

                          The beauty of
                              The bone, Tall God
                           Must see our souls
                               This way, and nod.

                           Give thanks: we do
                               Each in his place
                            Around the table
                                During grace.

                               John Updike