Head Start lesson plans include teaching children the basics of math and numbers, including adding, subtracting and counting. Teachers can use blocks, strings, toys and stones to teach kids how to count by adding and removing items from piles, lines and groupings. Kids can get a hands-on learning experience by moving the items around and counting how many are left in each grouping.
Spending time outdoors is more than just a free-play recess, but can teach kids about teamwork, sharing and how to interact with each other. Some Head Start lesson plans for outdoor time can include playing a sport, such as kickball or soccer, organizing a marching band or running through an obstacle course on the playground. Other outdoor activities can include identifying trees, plants, animals and insects that are located on the school’s property.
Head Start lesson plans should include basic letters and some sight words to give children a jump start with reading. Kids can learn about the different letters by coloring each letter, finding pictures in magazines of items that start with a letter or singing songs about the letters. Lesson plans should also include teaching a student how to write letters and how to write his name.
Art can be included in a Head Start lesson plan in the form of audio or visual art. The lesson can include talking about the different colors and shades and how to mix the colors together. Kids can get a hands-on learning experience with art by making music on toy instruments or creating a piece of art using clay, finger paints, chalk or crayons.
Head Start lessons plans can help educate children about how to be safe and live a healthy lifestyle. Topics can include stranger danger and the dangers of strange animals. Kids can also learn about healthy foods, exercising, dental health and hygiene.
Science can teach kids about basic earth science and the environment. As a class, students can set up a mini-greenhouse in the classroom or take care of a small garden outside. When learning about weather, kids can create a rain stick using empty paper towel rolls, rice, tape and construction paper. Other weather activities include keeping track of rainfall, looking for shapes in the clouds and making a tornado machine using soda bottles, duct tape and water.