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. Watch the sky for birds. Notice anything different?  What are the birds doing?

4.  Take a walk around the block and look for changes in your neighborhood that signify a change 
in the seasons.

5. Look for squirrels and take notice of how they are running up and down trees and gathering food for
the coming winter.

6. Choose a tree in your yard and count the number of leaves that fall each day.

7. September 9th is Grandparents Day.  Make a card or call your grandparents on their special day.

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 wilderness is?" or "What do you think a wilderness looks like?" After discussing the word, have your child draw a picture of a wilderness to help reinforce the meaning of the word. It doesn't need to be elaborate, just a small, quick drawing to help them remember. Repeat with other words such as reckless. Explain that reckless usually describes an action and brainstorm with your child about what acts might be considered reckless. Don't forget to draw a picture of a person doing something reckless.

2. Make a copy of this poem and give to your child with a pencil. Ask your child to circle the word "the" 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 "W" in the first line of the poem. Ask "Can you find the longest word in the fifth 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 title of the poem. Why is the poem titled Mountain Wind? Does the wind blow more in September or fall than in other seasons? What words in the poem make you think of the wind (accent the words windRUSH, chutes, hiss, a-sway.)

6. 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, did the author make you think of the wind? What kind of wind did the author write about (breeze, gale, etc.) Why do you think the author wrote about the "chosen" wind.

Click here to print the September calendar.

Click here to print the September calendar markers.

1. Discuss the important dates for September 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.

2. Have your child trace the word September 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 September 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 September.

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

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.

 
One more September Poem    (click for printer friendly copy of poem)

                    September 
                                  The breezes taste
          Of apple peel.
       The air is full
          Of smells to feel-

        Ripe fruit, old footballs,
           Drying grass,
        New books and blackboard
           Chalk in class.

        The bee, his hive
           Well-honeyed hums
        While Mother cuts
           Chrysanthemums

                                   Like plates washed clean
                                      With suds the days
                                   Are polished with
                                       A morning haze.

 
                                   John Updike