Overview
Based on years of research that demonstrate the importance of teacher-student interactions, immediate and regular access to the best literature available, and the need for social-emotional development instruction, Big Day for PreK offers teachers a thematic and integrated approach to guiding our youngest learners. Organized around eight themes that grow in scope as children become more aware of their surroundings, the program introduces children to math, literacy, science, and the arts in a way that feels like play and inspires joyful engagement.
Literature
Offering the best fiction and nonfiction available ensures our youngest readers become lifelong lovers of literature.
Technology
Innovative technology merges home and classroom interaction with a host of virtual learning activities.
Comprehensive Support
Materials place everything from lesson plans to wall charts and math mats at a teacher’s fingertips.
An instructional model designed around relevant, child-friendly themes
A research-based approach helps children to acquire social-emotional development, with social skills interwoven into every activity. Big Day’s multi-tiered model revolves around eight relevant and child-friendly themes that broaden as the year progresses. Each of four weeks‘ of instruction is centered around a Big Idea designed to engage children.
Relevant Themes
Big Day’s multi-tiered model revolves around eight relevant and child-friendly themes that broaden as the year progresses.
Weekly Big Ideas
Using these themes as an anchor, children are guided through four weeks of instruction on each theme. Each week is centered around a Big Idea designed to engage children.
Social-Emotional Development
Based on research demonstrating the importance of integrating social-emotional development into preschool curriculum, social skills are interwoven into every activity.
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Ready for School: Children learn about classroom culture and their contribution to their class.
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My Family: Children learn about the unique characteristics of their, and other, families.
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Our Community: Children discover the importance of communities and learn about the different roles members play in a community.
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Awesome Animals: Children are introduced into the wonders of science through animals.
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Imagine it, Make it: Children learn how imagination and creativity shape the world.
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Growing Up Healthy: Children learn about the power their body possesses and how to best care for it.
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Nature Around Us: Children learn about the environment and how to best care for it.
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Moving On: Children are introduced to math vocabulary, problem solving, and basic writing skills.
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Every lesson includes developmentally appropriate practices designed to elicit input and increase engagement levels.
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Based on research correlating social-emotional development to academic achievement, a social-emotional focus for each theme is embedded into the instruction.
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An extended activity is worked into each learning center period, using purposeful, instructional play as their basis.
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Daily math and writing instruction introduces children to math vocabulary, problem solving, and basic writing skills.
Program Components
Big Day for PreK supports intentional and integrated prekindergarten instruction with the engaging tools that help children develop oral language, emergent literacy, and social-emotional skills.
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Big Day for PreK provides a robust collection of hands-on preschool classroom materials that integrate instruction across all learning domains and bring early learning to life.
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Math Mats and Number Cards cultivate the development of number recognition and problem-solving skills and provide math practice.
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Four Little Book versions of the Theme Big Books are provided so children in the prekindergarten classroom can revisit favorite books and practice print concepts, such as handling books, turning pages, and tracking print.
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Manipulatives offer hands-on exploration and enhance gross- and fine-motor-skill development. Big Day for PreK manipulatives include: Magnifiers, Balance Set, Counting Bears, Letter Cards, Magnetic Letters, Healthy Foods Set, Pattern Blocks, and more.
Teacher Experience
Big Day for PreK provides everything teachers need to create and manage a purposeful and fun early-learning environment in full-day or half-day prekindergarten settings. Lesson plans and materials are flexible and meet the needs of all prekindergarten classrooms.
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Teaching Guides and read alouds for each of the eight themes are packed into separate Theme Boxes for easy organization and storage in your prekindergarten classroom.
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Lap Books promote nonfiction concepts, and Theme Big Books are used introduce new concepts and vocabulary and to promote discussions about theme-related topics.
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Teaching Guides include informal assessment and help prekindergarten teachers know when to assess children, what early-learning skills and concepts to assess, and what to do once teachers have gathered the information.
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Teacher Space, an online system for teachers, features customizable lesson plans, family communication tools, formal assessments, over 1,000 downloadable resources, and access to BookFlix®, which provides animated versions of awarding winning literature.
Professional Learning Guide
Best practices for prekindergarten instruction across preschool curriculum domains are included in the Professional Handbook and embedded throughout each Teaching Guide.
Free Web Series
Listen, interact, and exchange ideas with leading experts to ensure that your classroom and community are at the forefront of research-based and standards-aligned practice.
Professional Learning
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt® is committed to partnering with schools to support a strong implementation of Big Day for PreK with courses and in classroom coaching.
“A theme-based curriculum provides structure and repetition to help children deepen understanding of words in varied contexts.”
Preview a sample of a Big Day for PreK lesson.