These songs are perfect for
Shared Reading Charts and Poetry Journals!

RED
(Tune: Are You Sleeping?)
R-e-d red
R-e-d red
I can spell red.
I can spell red.
Fire trucks are red!
Stop signs are red, too.
R-e-d
R-e-d

YELLOW
(Tune: If you’re Happy and You Know It)
Y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow.
Y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow.
Like the early morning sun,
When the day has just begun,
Y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow.
Daffodils and baby ducks are yellow.
Lemonade and scrambled eggs are yellow.
I like the smiley face that's yellow.
He is such a happy fellow.
Y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow.

Yellow
(Tune: Baa, Baa Black Sheep)
Yellow Yellow is the sun.
Shining down on everyone.
Y-e-l-l-o-w, Y-e-l-l-o-w
Yellow, yellow is the sun.
Shine on me so I can have fun...

GREEN
(Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
G-r-e-e-n
G-r-e-e-n
I know how to spell green.
G-r-e-e-n
Caterpillars are green,
And grasshoppers too.
I know how to spell green.
G-r-e-e-n

Green
(Tune: BINGO)
 There is a color we all know
 Can you guess what it is?
 G-R-E-E-N
 G-R-E-E-N
 G-R-E-E-N
 Green is what that spells.
 The grass and leaves outside
 are green as green as they can be.
 G-R-E-E-N
 G-R-E-E-N
 G-R-E-E-N
 Green is what that spells!

Orange
 (Tune: Ten Little Indians)
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 Orange like the fruit you like to eat.
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 Orange like Jack-O-lanterns bright.
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 O-R-A-N-G-E  ORANGE
 O-R-A-N-G-E ORANGE

ORANGE
(Tune: Ten Little Indians)
O-r-a-n-g-e
O-r-a-n-g-e
O-r-a-n-g-e
Orange is what that spells.
Jack-o-lanterns are always orange.
Carrots are always orange.
Oranges are always orange.
O-r-a-n-g-e

PURPLE
(Tune: This Old Man)
P - U - R - P - L - E
Spells the color purple you see.
Like the grapes on a vine,
Or some plums in a tree.
P - U - R - P - L - E

Black
(Tune: Put Your Little Foot)
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 Spells Black.
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 Spells Black.
 Hats are black.
 Some cats are black.
 Yes both of these are black.
 So if you really really like black,
 What you need to know is that
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 Spells Black.
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 B-L-A-C-K
 Spells Black!

Try these books for
Shared Reading or Read Alouds!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear
by Bill Martin
Big Book!

My Many Colored Days
by Dr. Seuss

Color Zoo
by Lois Ehlert

I Went Walking
by Sue Williams
Big Book!

Freight Train
by Donald Crews
Big Book!

Color Dance
by Ann Jonas

Mary Wore Her Red Dress
by Merle Peek

Little Blue and Little Yellow
by Leo Lionni

Planting a Rainbow
by Lois Ehlert

Shared Reading Using Poems/Songs

The class "reads"/chants/sings a poem or song that is written on illustrated charts as the teacher points to the words. As the poem is introduced, new vocabulary is explained. Depending on the poems/songs, you may discuss a variety of concepts of print, rhyme and/or letters and sounds.
 
EX: Using the song, "BROWN", focus on letter recognition or sequence in spelling the color word.  Also notice the repetitive phrase, "Chocolate _____ is always brown".

• Teacher Tip!! Each poem/song is word processed using the Century Gothic font (at least 24 pt size).  Be sure to leave about 3-5 spaces between words for easy reading!  Make a copy for each Student Poetry Journal.  Add a copy to your Poetry  or Pocket chart center.  Cut up each line of the poem/song, or copy on sentence strips to use as a rebuilding activity.

Shared Reading Using Big Books

Begin by making predictions about the story. Take a picture walk in the book and tell what is happening in the story. Read the big book aloud to the students, allowing them to chime in when they know the text. Reread it again using an oral cloze procedure, leaving out words and having the students supply them. Model reading by pointing to the text. Focus on the following concepts of print: words tell the story, left to right and top to bottom progression, spacing between words, use of capitalization, use of punctuation, letter recognition, understand letter/sound correspondence, and developing vocabulary and comprehension. 

TEACHER TIP!! Check the favorite links below for some shared reading lesson plans using Cat's Colors and Mary Wore a Red Dress !

Guided Reading/Mini Lessons

Mini lessons may include comprehension, story elements, phonemic awareness, or concepts of print.
Lesson 1: Discuss the story.  Ask questions to check          comprehension and discuss story elements.
Lesson 2: Focus on a letter and match a letter card to the text of the book.
Lesson 3: Focus on the sound from the previous lesson.  Say a variety words some of which start with the focus letter and have the students indicate by thumbs up or down if the word begins with that letter.
Lesson 4: Match word cards to the text.
Lesson 5: Review all the previously taught concepts.

EX: Using the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", focus on the letter "s" and the word "see".

Daily review of previously taught letter sounds may include an activity called "sound patterning".  On a sentence strip write a pattern of letters such as:
b b r b b r b b r b b r
Point to each letter and have the students make the corresponding sound. The sounds and patterns grow more complex as the year progresses. Do about 3 or 4 different sound patterns each day as a review.

Independent Reading

The following books are appropriate for Browsing Boxes and Independent Reading:

Level A  (Fountas & Pinnell)
Big and Green (Wright)
Paint the Sky (Wright)
Painting (Wright)
I Paint (Rigby)

Level B (Fountas & Pinnell)
Green Grass (Wright)
Making Pictures (Wright)
What is Red? (Rigby)
Yellow (Rigby)
Mixing Colors (Rigby)
Rainbow Town (Rigby)


Charts, Poems, and Classbooks
may also be used for Independent Reading 

Shared Writing/Predictable Charts

During this activity each child completes a predictable sentence that the teacher writes on a chart. Sentences may be based on theme studies, or relate to other classroom activities. As the sentences are written, the teacher points out conventions of print such as capital letters, leaving spaces between words or punctuation. Make sure to add the student author's name at the end of the sentence.

EX:  If your shared reading is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", write " I see a ______." (Student Name)

• Days 1 & 2: The children dictate sentences and touch read them. Children are invited to tell what they notice about various sentences and words.
  Days 3 & 4: Play sentence builders. Choose several sentences and write one word on a small sentence strip. Put the words in the sentence in order.
     
  Teacher Tip!! Laminate several sentence strips and cut them into word-sized pieces. Make some wearable pockets from yarn and page protectors to wear as a necklace.  Place words into the pockets which are worn by children in the class. The child who authored the sentence gets to wear his/her own name!
  
  Day 5: The sentences are cut apart and given to each student author. The student places the words in order, illustrates them and glues the words to the page. Create a classbook for the children to read and reread during free reading.

Interactive Writing

During interactive writing the teacher and class, or small group, work together to create written text. The group agrees on what to write through discussion and negotiation. In order to produce the written words, the students articulate the sounds with the teacher and then write the letters and chunks of words that they hear. The teacher may fill in parts of words or whole words, depending upon the group's stage of writing development.  Interactive writing is used for creating stories, writing poems, the retelling of favorite literature, recipes, directions and lists. The pieces created by the students become a part of the classroom environment and are used for reading and rereading. The class may use the pieces for shared reading or may enjoy reading some independently.

• Create a list of objects for each color studied.  Have students decide what objects to include.  Allow each student to write either a letter or a whole word on the list. The remaining students may use dry erase boards to write along with the teacher or create the words using magnetic letters.  
  
  EX: 
  
  RED 
  apple                    heart  
  stop sign              fire engine  
  cherry                  strawberry
  tomato                 lipstick    

Independent Writing

"The Red Book"
adapted from a book by TLCArt

The cover page is copied on red paper.
The Red Book
Illustrated by ______.

The first three pages of the book are preprinted:
A heart is red.
An apple is red.
A _______ is red.

Children can fill in things from the interactive writing chart that are red.

The final page is
But a ______ isn't.

Children add one thing that is not red.

Allow room to draw a picture to go with the sentence on each page in the book.

You can make a color book for every color!

Color Patterning



Discuss with students what a pattern is and give some examples.
 
Model a color pattern using pre cut circles of various colors.
 
Have students chose 3 different colors and then glue them on white paper in the order they want. (For example: blue, red, and orange)

Repeat the pattern on their paper. They can continue the pattern as many times as they wish. 

After they have finished their patterns, have each student show their pattern and name the color pattern they made.

Monster Math Problems

Read the book Go Away Big Green Monster
by Ed Emberly

1. Find a monster clip art and photocopy several on paper.
   
2. Give each student a copy and have them cut out and create simple addition problems using the monster pictures. For example: 1 monster plus 3 monsters equals 4 monsters.
   

M&M Candy Colors

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	red	blue	yellow	green	brown	orange

Pass out a simple graph and a handful of M & M's to every child.
Have them put the colored M & M's on the correct spot on their graph.
Have them count how many green ones they have. Then how many brown ones and so on...
Let the children then eat the M & M's and then ask them what their favorite color of M & M is.
Then make a chart showing the children's favorite M & M colors.
Have them answer questions such as: What is the most favorite color of the class? What is the least favorite color?
List the favorites in order from greatest to smallest.

Matching Berry Activities

Draw a large bush on a file folder to use as a game.
Color the bush.
Color blueberries of different sizes on the bush.
Cut out blueberries of those same size on paper.
Have the children match the blueberries to those drawn on the bush.

This idea can be adapted for other colors.

TEACHER TIP!!  Laminate the front of the folder and berries to preserve the game.

Numbered Stars

Create 2 sets of number cards for the numbers 1 - 5.
On one set of cards, write the numerals 1 - 5.
On each card in the other set, designate a number by drawing the corresponding number of stars.
Have the children match the numeral cards with the corresponding star cards.

TEACHER TIP!! To make the cards sturdy, you may want to laminate them.

Color Mixing

1. Color small solid squares on paper with the markers.
2. Cut out squares.
3. Fill egg carton cups with water.
4. Let the children dip the color squares in the water, and watch how the water changes color.
5. Share in the children's excitement and discovery and together name the colors.
6. See what happens when the colors mix.

Crayon Fun

Count and pattern crayons.
Match colors.
Make a picture with those colors.

Discovery Bottles

• Take label off a 16 oz. water or soda bottle.
• Fill bottle 2/3 with cooking oil and at least 2-3 drops of dye or food coloring.
• Add more coloring for darker colors and less for lighter colors.
• Glue top onto bottle.
• Roll bottle around and the color will mix with oil during play, for example, the blue will look as an ocean
• Add glitter or small objects for more fun!

Red Wagon Book

Have each child glue a red rectangle to construction paper. Add a black handle and black wheels. Then the child can draw anything they'd like to put in their red wagon. Let them tell you about it and write their responses to the sentence:  "I see _______ in my red wagon."
Staple everyone's picture together for your very own Red Wagon Book.

Other color sentences:

I see _____ in my blue sea.  (blue rectangle with waves at top)
I see _______ in my yellow bus. (yellow bus shape)
I see ______ in my green grass.  (green rectangle fringed on top)
I see _____ in my purple car.  (purple car shape)
I see ______ in my orange pumpkin. (orange pumpkin shape)

Squishy Bags

Here's a good squishy bag basic. You can just use two colors to let children discover secondary colors; you can add all kinds of things- sequins, the tiny doodads from craft shops, tiny alphabet blocks, etc. Give a bag to the kids, and let them squeeze and press the colors around. The colors will blend beautifully, and the bags will last for quite a while.  Remember to check that seal! 

TEACHER TIP!!  To make squishy bags:
In a saucepan, pour 1 cup cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, and four cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. The mixture will  start to turn lumpy, and then thicken into a  sort of vaseline-looking product. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Divide into 4-6 small strong ziploc  storage bags. Squirt in a few drops of food coloring in primary colors, aiming for different areas of the bags. Press out as much air as possible, and seal the bags. Fold a piece of duct tape over the top for added security .   

Rosy Red Play Dough

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large, heavy pot. Stir in the water, oil and potpourri scent until the mixture is smooth. Continue to stir the mixture over medium heat until it forms a ball. Put the dough onto a floured board, and knead it until it is cool. Store the dough in an airtight container.

Adapt for other colors.

Blotter Bugs

Directions DAY 1:

1. Introduce the Primary Colors - Red, Yellow & Blue
2. Talk about how by mixing colors you can get other colors

   ** Red + Yellow = Orange
   ** Blue + Yellow = Green
   **Red + Blue = Violet

3. Hand out white paper; have students choose two primary colors that they want
4. Have students put two drops of each color they chose on the white square paper
5. Students then fold the white paper in half and rub the paint around
6. Open the paper to discover what colors they made.
7. Repeat with other colors and allow to dry overnight
   
   Directions DAY 2:
   1. Have students cut out 3 bug shapes from papers that were created by the paint mixing.
   2. Then have them glue all three bugs on a large sheet of colored construction paper
   3. The students may then begin to decorate their bugs with black markers to look like bugs.

Rainbow Coffee Filter Flowers

• Each child takes one coffee filter and colors brightly with markers.
• Any design may be used, more vibrant colors work well.
• After coloring completed, place filter on a newspaper, spray water directly onto filter.
• Have children watch the colors mix.
• When filter is dry, scrunch the middle of flower up and wrap pipe cleaner around it to make a stem.
• Cut out flower petals from construction paper and apply to pipe cleaner with Elmer's glue

Brown Bear Color Book

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
I see a.....
red apple looking at me (sponge paint red apple)
blue bird looking at me (blue collage)
green leaf looking at me (leaf print)
yellow star looking at me (fingerpaint print on cut out star)
orange balloon looking at me (staple orange balloon onto picture of bear holding string)
purple grapes looking at me (bubble wrap print)
pink lollipop (squeeze bottle paint swirl)
black spider looking at me (scrunch black paper to glue on - draw legs)
The cover has a picture of a bear which the children color brown and brush over with watercolors.

More Activities

1. Play color BINGO.

2. Have the children vote for their favorite colors. Make a large class graph.

3. If you have access to an Ellison machine, cut lots of shapes out of different colored construction paper. Have each child make a picture using the shapes. Then when the glue has dried, have them count and record the number of squares, rectangles, triangles, circles etc....

4. Have "Color Days" where children are encouraged to wear the color of the day.

5. Provide the children with colored water (using food coloring), eyedroppers and white ice cube trays. Allow them to be color chemists where they mix the primary colors in order to create other colors. You may choose to have a recording sheet to go with this activity.

6. Have the children drop water colored with food coloring onto white coffee filters. Set aside to dry. (Note: For the best results, and the brightest colors, put LOTS of food coloring in the water.)

Color Fun

1) Make Vanilla pudding and add food coloring of the color you want.
2) Make Jell-O in the color you want and even add some fruit of that color.
3) Kool Aid Art - Sprinkle Kool Aid powder of the desired color on a large piece of white paper. Use Spray bottles to spray the KoolAid with water. It make some very interesting artwork that smells good, too!!!!!
4) Fingerpaint with the color you are "studying."
5) Fill the water table and add food coloring of the desired color and toys of the desired color.
6) Make some colored water using food coloring and freeze it in ice trays the day or night before. Then, Put them on trays or in the water table and watch them melt to make colored water. If you use different colored ice cubes, the colors will mix to make new colors.

QUICK STARTS FOR ANY COLOR DAY!

* Dress in clothes that are the color of the day
* Add the desired color of food coloring to playdoh and set it out on the art table
* Take a walk to look for a particular color of car
* Dip cooked spaghetti in the desired color of paint and let it "dance" across white paper
* Make a chart listing foods that are the color of the day
* String the desired color of buttons on matching colored telephone wire to make necklaces
* Use paper plates and napkins that are the color of the day for snack time
* Try guessing how many of the same colored buttons, beads, etc., there are in a glass jar, then count to see who came the closest.
* Add food coloring to white glue to coordinate with the color of the day.
* Mix cream cheese with the desired color of fruit or vegetable bits (tomatoes, pineapple, blueberries, etc.) and spread on crackers for snack.
* Plan a scavenger hunt to search for objects that are the desired color.
* Freeze water tinted with the desired color of food coloring in milk cartons to make ice sculptures for the water table.
* Use the desired color of paper cups for stacking in pyramids or for counting.
* Make finger Jell-o to coordinate with the color of the day.
* Tint rice with the desired color of food coloring to use for sandbox play.

What Color Am I?
Copyright 2000 Barbara Pratt.  All rights reserved.

I am thinking of a color that is the color of the sky.
What color am I? (Blue).
I am thinking of a color that is the color of the sun.
What color am I? (Yellow).
I am thinking of a color that is the color of grass.
What color am I? (Green).
I am thinking of a color that is the color of milk.
What color am I? (White).
I am thinking of a color that is the color of a lemon
What color am I? (Yellow).
I am thinking of a color that is the color of a lime
What color am I? (Green).
I am thinking of a color that is the color of an orange
What color am I? (Orange).