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Play to Learn

A delightful preschool experience

Plan Themes for the Year

Lesson planning can be so overwhelming, can’t it? I feel like I could work on my plans 8 hours a day and still find more to do! It doesn’t have to be like that, though. One of the most effective ways to complete lesson plans is to break them down into 4 easy steps.
How to choose great preschool thematic units all year long.
  1. Step 1 – Yearly – Plan for monthly thematic units for the whole year.
  2. Step 2 – Monthly – Plan for the learning centers (dramatic play, sensory table, blocks, art, literacy, math).
  3. Step 3 – Weekly (usually Sunday nights, but I dream of being more of a plan-aheader) – Plan for a circle time lesson for each day, and choose the book for story time each day.
  4. Step 4 – Daily – Set out the art supplies, morning work, table games, etc.

I honestly feel that the most important part of this 4-step process is the yearly planning. When I have a framework for the year, then everything else seems to fall into place. I become a hunter and gatherer all summer (and all year!) long, collecting things that I know will be perfect for each of my themes.

It is really important to pick great themes for your class. Some people advocate choosing themes as you go along, based in the interests of the children. I understand that! What I have found, though, is that I can pretty much guess what my preschoolers are going to be “into.” Also, if there is something that they are particularly fond of, our curriculum is flexible enough to include books and other activities about that topic.

Ideal preschool themes have these characteristics:

  • They are interesting and relevant to your age group.
  • The children are somewhat familiar with the theme.
  • The topic is high-interest and developmentally appropriate.
  • The theme offers lots of opportunities for related art, math, science, and dramatic play.
  • There are plenty of appropriate picture books to support the theme.
  • The theme is something that both the students and the teachers get excited about!
Here are some examples of awesome preschool themes. This is how I plan it out – 1 each month.
Preschool Thematic Units
A few examples of not-so-great themes are:
  • Letter of the week, Number of the Week, Shape and Color, etc. (These are skills, not themes and can be included within the context of the unit.)
  • Anything TV or movie related. (No Mickey Mouse, Princesses, Ninja Turtles, etc.)
  • Anything that your students have never heard of is probably not a great theme. We want to be able to activate their prior knowledge of the topic and build on it.

Here’s a blank planning template for you to use. Print it off today, choose your themes, and check off Planning Step 1. You’re off to a great start.

blank-themes-plan
I’d love to hear what your themes are for next year!

If you’re looking for help with Step 2 (Monthly Centers) and Step 3 (Daily Circle Time), I have created these thematic units that are great to use with a preschool class. They are exactly what I use with my own students every day.

Circle Time Thematic Units

Circle Time Thematic Units

Circle Time Units

Circle Time Thematic Units

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Comments

  2. Amy says

    I'm going back to the classroom after six years home with my kiddos. My background is in Kindergarten but this fall I'll be teaching 4 year olds. Your blog and resources have been so helpful this summer as I start to prepare for the new school year and this new position! Can't wait to see the new themes you mentioned in the post…hoping for a 5 senses unit 🙂

  4. Michelle S tratton says

    Inotice your themes last year are different than this year. Do you change your themes every year or do you rotate them every 2 years, so returnging students don’t repeat things?

    • Jamie White, M.Ed. says

      Yes, I change them every year. We’re on a 2-year cycle (sort of!). Sometimes there’s a theme that I don’t love or a new one that I want to try. I operate under the premise that the children can play and learn all the skills that they need while studying any theme!

  5. Trina says

    Jamie,
    I cannot believe how amazing you are! I have been teaching 3rd grade for 15 years and will be teaching developmentally delayed preschool this fall. I’m super excited about the opportunity and change. I’ve been digging into your webpage and have already purchased a few items. Is there a place where I could purchase your yearly plans or how your day is set up so I can begin thinking/planning for the fall. Thank you for being a wonderful resource for so many people. Thank you, thank you!!