Engaging Days of the Week Lesson Plan for Pre-K & Kindergarten

Discover a fun, hands-on lesson plan to teach the days of the week to Pre-K and Kindergarten students. This 45-minute activity uses a catchy song, the beloved story 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar,' and a creative caterpillar craft to help children master sequencing. Perfect for educators and homeschool parents, this resource includes learning objectives, a step-by-step guide, and differentiation strategies.

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A Week of Wonders: Exploring the Days of the Week

Materials Needed:

  • 7 sheets of construction paper in different colors
  • 1 green sheet of construction paper (for the caterpillar's head)
  • Markers or crayons
  • Child-safe scissors
  • Glue stick or tape
  • Googly eyes or a marker to draw a face
  • Pipe cleaner (for antennae, optional)
  • A copy of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle (or another book that features days of the week)
  • A speaker or computer to play a song

Lesson Plan Details

Subject: Language Arts, Life Skills, Math (Sequencing)

Grade Level: Pre-K / Kindergarten (Age 5)

Time Allotment: 45 minutes

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

  • Recite the seven days of the week in the correct order with minimal prompting.
  • Identify the current day of the week ("Today is...").
  • Create a visual representation of the week, connecting each day to a sequence.

2. Lesson Procedure

Part 1: The Warm-Up Song (5 minutes)

Goal: To introduce the words in a fun, low-pressure way and get the student moving.

  • Activity: Start the lesson with a fun, catchy song. A great one is "The Days of the Week Song" set to the tune of The Addams Family theme.
    (Lyrics: "Days of the week, (snap, snap), Days of the week, (snap, snap), Days of the week, days of the week, days of the week. (snap, snap). There's Sunday and there's Monday, there's Tuesday and there's Wednesday, there's Thursday and there's Friday, and then there's Saturday! Days of the week...")
  • Sing it together two or three times. Encourage clapping or snapping to the beat. This caters to auditory and kinesthetic learners.

Part 2: Story Time Connection (10 minutes)

Goal: To see the days of the week used in a familiar context.

  • Activity: Read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle aloud.
  • As you read, place special emphasis on each day. For example, say, "Wow, on Monday, he ate through one apple. What comes after Monday?"
  • Point to the words on the page as you say them. This reinforces the connection between the spoken and written word.

Part 3: Craft a "Days of the Week" Caterpillar (20 minutes)

Goal: To build a hands-on tool that reinforces the sequence of the days and provides a sense of ownership over the concept.

  • Step 1: Prep the Body. Have the student help you cut out seven large circles from the different colored construction paper sheets.
  • Step 2: Label the Days. On each circle, write one day of the week. Say the day aloud as you write it. Ask the student, "What sound does Monday start with? M-m-m." Encourage the student to trace the letters with their finger or color them in.
  • Step 3: Build the Caterpillar. Start with Sunday (or Monday, depending on your preference for the start of the week). Ask the student, "What day comes next?" Use the song or book as a clue. Glue the circles together in order, slightly overlapping, to form the caterpillar's body.
  • Step 4: Add the Head. Cut out a larger circle from the green paper for the head. Let the student draw a face or add googly eyes. Attach the pipe cleaner antennae. Glue the head to the first day of the week.
  • Throughout the activity, keep the conversation flowing. "Your caterpillar is so colorful! Look, the red circle is for Monday, and the blue one is for Tuesday."

Part 4: Putting It All Together & Closure (10 minutes)

Goal: To apply the new knowledge to the student's own life.

  • Activity 1: Caterpillar Review. Hold up the finished caterpillar and point to each day, reciting them together. Hang the caterpillar on a wall at the student's eye level.
  • Activity 2: Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow. Go to the caterpillar and find the current day. Say, "Look! Today is Wednesday!" Place a sticker or a clothespin on the Wednesday circle. Then ask, "If today is Wednesday, what day was yesterday?" Guide them to look at the circle before it. "And what day will it be tomorrow?" Guide them to the circle after.
  • Activity 3: Final Sing-Along. End the lesson by singing the "Days of the Week" song one more time, pointing to the days on the brand-new caterpillar.

3. Differentiation and Inclusivity

  • For Extra Support: Focus on just reciting the song and recognizing the names of the days. Pre-write the days of the week on the circles and have the student decorate them. Work on identifying only "today" first before introducing "yesterday" and "tomorrow."
  • For an Extra Challenge: Have the student try to write the first letter of each day on the circles themselves. Introduce the concepts of "weekdays" and "the weekend." You can have them put a star sticker on the weekend days (Saturday and Sunday) on their caterpillar.

4. Assessment (Informal)

  • Observation: Did the student actively participate in the song and craft? Were they able to help sequence the caterpillar's body parts with guidance?
  • Questioning: Can the student point to "today" on their caterpillar? Can they answer what "yesterday" was or what "tomorrow" will be, even with help?
  • Ongoing Practice: Each morning for the rest of the week, make it a routine to go to the caterpillar, sing the song, and move the "today" marker to the correct day. This will solidify the learning over time in a playful way.