Day 1: Rhyme Time & Story Fun (30 minutes)
- (5 mins) Introduction & Rhyme Recitation: Begin by asking the student if they know the rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle." Recite or sing it together a couple of times. Use fun voices for different characters (the cat, the cow, the dog).
- (5 mins) Action Rhyme: Add simple actions to the rhyme. For example: fiddle playing motion for the cat, jumping motion for the cow, laughing motion for the dog, running motion for the dish and spoon. Practice singing with actions.
- (15 mins) Story Time: Read the book "The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon" by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. Pause to look at the pictures and discuss what is happening. Ask questions like, "Who are the characters?" "Where do they go?" "What funny things happen?"
- (5 mins) Wrap-up & Character Chat: Briefly talk about the characters from the rhyme and the book. Ask the student which character is their favorite and why. Sing "Hey Diddle Diddle" one more time with actions.
Day 2: Sequencing & Crafty Characters (30 minutes)
- (5 mins) Review: Start by singing "Hey Diddle Diddle" together. Briefly recap the story of "The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon," asking the student to recall some main events.
- (10 mins) Sequencing Fun: Use the pre-made sequence cards (or draw simple pictures together on small cards: cat/fiddle, cow/moon, dog laughing, dish/spoon running). Mix them up and have the student put them in the correct order according to the nursery rhyme. Talk about what happens first, next, and last.
- (10 mins) Craft - Jumping Cow: Create a simple jumping cow craft. Attach the small cow cut-out to the craft stick. Cut a slit in the paper plate (the moon). Show the student how to make the cow 'jump' over the moon by moving the stick behind the plate. Decorate the moon (plate) if desired. Alternatively, create spoon puppets for the dish and spoon.
- (5 mins) Show & Tell / Sing-along: Let the student showcase their craft and make their cow jump over the moon (or use their puppets). Finish the lesson by singing "Hey Diddle Diddle" one last time, perhaps using the craft as a prop.