Teaching very young children the days of the week, as well as concepts such as yesterday, today and tomorrow, requires repetition and regular reinforcement. A bulletin board can be a daily activity that helps teach these concepts. Print out the days of the week on sheets of card stock and place them randomly on one half of the bulletin board. On the other half of the board, write the lines "Today is . . .," "Tomorrow is . . ." and "Yesterday was . . ." Each morning, choose a volunteer to help fill in the blanks.
A bulletin board featuring the days of the week can help children learn to read a schedule, and help them know what to expect each day. You can turn your bulletin board into a calendar by placing the days of the week across the top of the board, and adding blocks of time down the side. For each block, write the designated activity on a piece of card stock, such as "Math," Reading" or "Music." Each day, go over the schedule with the class so they know the day's activities, and at the end of the day, provide a preview of the next day's work. For the weekend days, brainstorm with the class about their weekend activities.
It is easy to incorporate literature into your calendar lesson with one of the many children's books that concerns days of the week. The bright colors of Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," for example, are perfect for creating a bulletin board that teaches counting and healthy eating in addition to the days of the week. Have children color and cut out the foods that the caterpillar eats each day, and place them under the corresponding day on the bulletin board. Cindy Warde's "Cookie's Week" is another choice that teaches similar concepts.
Thanks to popular television shows and home language programs, many young children enter school with at least limited knowledge of Spanish and other foreign languages. They might be able to count to ten or say a few words, and you can expand on that knowledge with a "Days of the Week" themed bulletin board. Decorate the bulletin board by hanging up the days of the week in English across the top of the board. Underneath each day, add the equivalent in Spanish, French, Italian or another language; perhaps one that several students speak at home. To avoid confusion, only add two or three other languages, and practice pronunciation daily for reinforcement.