Preschool Scouts: running the missions (Monday–Friday)
The adult leads a predictable Operation Thank You mission that children can recognize from one meeting to the next. This Monday–Friday plan is for preschool children in a Scouts group.
about 4 and 5- 5 to 7 minutes missions
- Monday–Friday
Running the missions for preschool in a Scouts group
The adult leads a predictable Operation Thank You mission that children can recognize from one meeting to the next. In this scout den, preschool children (about 4 and 5) practice with “The story on the porch.” Grandpa Luis, the grandparent, he told a short story and let a child sit close until it ended. 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 scout leader leads. The den may meet only once this week. Do not assign five school-day missions and hope families finish them. Use the weekly format and send one home mission. Children answer in one picture and one question, answered out loud in a small circle. The spoken line is “Thank you for telling me that story..” The note line is “Thank you for the story on the step..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this kindness.
What Grandpa Luis's lesson needs
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. 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 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. 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 story on the porch,” also set out the step where they sat. Follow the manual’s order. Do not invent a new craft. The child’s work is the mission and, at the end of the series, the note.
If the books are not here yet, preschool children can still say “Thank you for telling me that story.” in the scout den. A sponsor request is free for the leader. Shipping is included on full and partial packages, and the leader is called before anything ships.
Five preschool missions in the scout den
Monday in the scout den belongs to the scout leader. Look only. Put the step where they sat where preschool children can see it. Name Grandpa Luis, the grandparent, and say the kindness: he told a short story and let a child sit close until it ended. It happened at a porch step. Ask “What did he give that you cannot hold?” Stop at 5 to 7 minutes. No note yet. The den may meet only once this week. Do not assign five school-day missions and hope families finish them. Use the weekly format and send one home mission. If they freeze, Tell one sentence of a story and stop. Ask what the teller gave in that sentence.
On Tuesday, preschool children (about 4 and 5) stay with “The story on the porch.” Say the line. preschool children tell a partner, “Thank you for telling me that story.” Follow the manual’s order. Do not invent a new craft. The child’s work is the mission and, at the end of the series, the note. If the kindness disappears, point back to the step where they sat. The den may meet only once this week. Do not assign five school-day missions and hope families finish them. Use the weekly format and send one home mission. If they freeze, Tell one sentence of a story and stop. Ask what the teller gave in that sentence.
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 Scouts plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 7 minutes. one picture and one question, answered out loud in a small circle.
The note for Grandpa Luis
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 the story on the step.” It has to mention a porch step or the step where they sat, not a general compliment to the grandparent.
Words to say about Grandpa Luis
This is a script the scout leader can say with preschool children during running the missions. It uses “The story on the porch,” 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.
Copy-ready lines for “The story on the porch”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for telling me that story.” Reply children may hear: “I like telling it to you.” Note line to write: “Thank you for the story on the step.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por contarme el cuento.”
Home work after The story on the porch
Ask a grandparent or older relative for one short story, then thank them for that story, not for “everything.” Write that in the activity book so the family sees Grandpa Luis'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.
Classroom and group notes for the scout den
Scout dens and packs often meet weekly. The second half of the Operation Thank You Manual is a once-per-week sequence written for clubs, so gratitude practice fits a den meeting without taking the whole hour. A sponsor can fund the manual, an activity book for each child, and the flashcard set. Shipping is included on full and partial packages. The den may meet only once this week. Do not assign five school-day missions and hope families finish them. Use the weekly format and send one home mission.
Who is in the scout den
Scout dens and packs often meet weekly. The second half of the Operation Thank You Manual is a once-per-week sequence written for clubs, so gratitude practice fits a den meeting without taking the whole hour. A sponsor can fund the manual, an activity book for each child, and the flashcard set. Shipping is included on full and partial packages.
If preschool children stall on Grandpa Luis
Tell one sentence of a story and stop. Ask what the teller gave in that sentence. A child who keeps thanking the scout leader is avoiding Grandpa Luis. Send them back to the grandparent and the moment at a porch step. Whispering “Thank you for telling me that story.” counts.
Books for this Scouts preschool group
Spoken practice about Grandpa Luis can start in the scout den today. The activity-book template matters when preschool children are ready to write “Thank you for the story on the step..” If a sponsor is funding this Scouts group, parents get a sample letter, and shipping is included on full and partial packages. The leader can ask at no cost.
Spanish materials in this group
If any child in the scout den 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 contarme el cuento.” The English line remains “Thank you for telling me that story.”
Questions leaders ask
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and say “Thank You” with meaning.