Preschool homeschool: using the flashcard set (Monday–Friday)
The group uses one large flashcard to talk about a thank-you situation before anyone writes. This Monday–Friday plan is for preschool children in a homeschool group.
about 4 and 5- 5 to 7 minutes missions
- Monday–Friday
Using the flashcard set for preschool in a homeschool group
The group uses one large flashcard to talk about a thank-you situation before anyone writes. In this homeschool table, preschool children (about 4 and 5) practice with “The watering can passed over.” Mr. Bennett, the neighbor, he passed a lighter watering can so a child could reach the plants. The Monday–Friday calendar is the one that fits: This is the Monday–Friday format from the first half of the Operation Thank You Manual. You see the same children on five school days. Each day is one mission of 5 to 10 minutes. The note is the work of the later days, not of Monday.
The homeschool parent leads. The mission should not crowd the rest of the homeschool day. Stop at the time limit even if the child wants to keep decorating the note. Children answer in one picture and one question, answered out loud in a small circle. The spoken line is “Thank you for letting me water the plants..” The note line is “Thank you for sharing the watering can..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this kindness.
Who is in the homeschool table
Home-schoolers use the same missions teachers use in class. The manual, one activity book, and the flashcards fit on the kitchen table. An all-inclusive home-schooler package is available in English and Spanish. Daily schooling can follow the Monday–Friday format. A weekly gratitude block can follow the once-per-week format.
Plan 5 to 7 minutes for preschool. Most preschoolers dictate. The adult writes the name and the short line. A child who wants to mark the page can draw the helper and trace the words Thank you. The homeschool parent holds the manual. Children hold the line about Mr. Bennett once they can say what happened to a small watering can.
Words to say about Mr. Bennett
This is a script the homeschool parent can say with preschool children during using the flashcard set. It uses “The watering can passed over,” a practice situation for this plan. It is not a list of the 30 printed flashcards. Those cards stay in the set and match the activity book. Use this script when you need the words in the room.
homeschool parent: “We are going to thank Mr. Bennett. Mr. Bennett is the neighbor. Here is the kindness: he passed a lighter watering can so a child could reach the plants. It happened at a garden bed. Look at a small watering can.”
homeschool parent: “A thank-you that fits is ‘Thank you for letting me water the plants.’ Say it with me.” The group repeats it. Then one child says it alone. If they drop the kindness and only say “thank you,” ask what Mr. Bennett did, and have them put that piece back in the sentence.
Five preschool missions in the homeschool table
On Monday, preschool children (about 4 and 5) stay with “The watering can passed over.” Look only. Put a small watering can where preschool children can see it. Name Mr. Bennett, the neighbor, and say the kindness: he passed a lighter watering can so a child could reach the plants. It happened at a garden bed. Ask “What did he change so you could do the job?” Stop at 5 to 7 minutes. No note yet. The mission should not crowd the rest of the homeschool day. Stop at the time limit even if the child wants to keep decorating the note. If they freeze, Use a cup as the can. The thanks comes after the pour, not before, so children see the job.
Age tips for preschool (about 4 and 5)
Preschool children can learn why thank you matters before they write much. They need a picture, a person, and one clear kindness. A long talk loses them. The leader shows the moment, the children say a short line, and the group stops while the words still feel friendly. For this homeschool plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 7 minutes. one picture and one question, answered out loud in a small circle.
The note for Mr. Bennett
The note can be a dictated sentence. The child supplies the person’s name and the kindness. The adult prints it on the activity-book template so the child can see that spoken thanks and written thanks are the same idea. For this kindness the sentence is “Thank you for sharing the watering can.” It has to mention a garden bed or a small watering can, not a general compliment to the neighbor.
Copy-ready lines for “The watering can passed over”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for letting me water the plants.” Reply children may hear: “The roots need it. Pour slowly.” Note line to write: “Thank you for sharing the watering can.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por dejarme regar las plantas.”
Classroom and group notes for the homeschool table
Home-schoolers use the same missions teachers use in class. The manual, one activity book, and the flashcards fit on the kitchen table. An all-inclusive home-schooler package is available in English and Spanish. Daily schooling can follow the Monday–Friday format. A weekly gratitude block can follow the once-per-week format. The mission should not crowd the rest of the homeschool day. Stop at the time limit even if the child wants to keep decorating the note.
If preschool children stall on Mr. Bennett
Use a cup as the can. The thanks comes after the pour, not before, so children see the job. A child who keeps thanking the homeschool parent is avoiding Mr. Bennett. Send them back to the neighbor and the moment at a garden bed. Whispering “Thank you for letting me water the plants.” counts.
What Mr. Bennett's lesson needs
The flashcard set has 30 cards, 8.5 by 11 inches, colorful, with rounded corners. The cards mirror the activity book so the group can look at one situation before writing. Each child needs Why and How To Say “Thank You,” the classroom edition: a saddle-stitched activity book with situations for saying thank you, the How To Write A Thank You Note template, and extra pages to practice. The Operation Thank You Manual is 98 pages. The first half is the Monday–Friday classroom sequence. The second half is the once-per-week sequence for clubs. The manual, the activity book, and the flashcards are available in Spanish. The MISSION Reminders Supplement can be added when some children speak Spanish. Extra activity books are sold in packs of 10. For “The watering can passed over,” also set out a small watering can. Hold one card. Ask what the person did. Match the card to the page in the activity book only after the children have said the kindness in their own words.
Spanish materials in this group
If any child in the homeschool table speaks Spanish at home, order the Spanish activity book for that child and keep the same situation. The Spanish line for this plan is “Gracias por dejarme regar las plantas.” The English line remains “Thank you for letting me water the plants.”
Home work after The watering can passed over
Water one plant with a family member and thank them for teaching you how much water to use. Write that in the activity book so the family sees Mr. Bennett's kindness, not a blank “say thank you.” The note can be a dictated sentence. The child supplies the person’s name and the kindness. The adult prints it on the activity-book template so the child can see that spoken thanks and written thanks are the same idea.
Books for this homeschool preschool group
Spoken practice about Mr. Bennett can start in the homeschool table today. The activity-book template matters when preschool children are ready to write “Thank you for sharing the watering can..” If a sponsor is funding this homeschool group, parents get a sample letter, and shipping is included on full and partial packages. The leader can ask at no cost.
Questions leaders ask
Let's Grow a Culture of Thank You.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, organization, business, or individual looking to make a difference, there's a place for you in the Culture of Thank You.
Let's help the next generation learn to recognize kindness, appreciate others,
and say “Thank You” with meaning.