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olors

  Here are some ideas for teaching colors.   

I don't teach colors in one unit, instead we focus on one color every two weeks using Frog Street Press materials and then we review daily for the rest of the year. 

5 Day Color Plan

Day 1: 

• Read Frog Street Press color book to class

• Introduce the color box and shape

• Sing Frog Street Press color song.  Show the book and turn the pages as you sing the song.

• Place a copy of the color song and book in your listening center.. 

Day 2: 

• Read Frog Street Press color book to class

• Sing Frog Street Press color song.  Show the book and turn the pages as you sing the song. 

• Introduce the color cards and Learn Your Colors pocket chart.

• Introduce the color poster and model how to "read" it as you sing the song with the class.  Place the poster in a center with pointers so the students can "read" it independently. 

Days 3-5:

• Read Frog Street Press color book to class

• Sing Frog Street Press color song.  Show the book and turn the pages as you sing the song. 

• Sing the Frog Street Press color song using the color cards OR the  Learn Your Colors pocket chart, let your Student of the Day decide. 

Note:  Since we study each color for two weeks days 3-5 repeat themselves the following week.  Each song is available in the listening center all year after it is introduced.  The color books and boxes are also available all year after their initial introduction. 

Colors Pocket Chart

The pocket chart on the left is discontinued, I purchased it from the Lakeshore Learning store several years ago.  The pocket chart on the right is from Learning Resources and is still available.  My students absolutely adore the Lakeshore color chart and enjoy using pointers to "read" it during center time.   When I first introduce our focus color I place the picture and word cards in the pockets while the class watches; then I use a pointer to read the chart to the class.   Next, I ask the class to "read" the chart with me.  Finally, I ask a student to come up and use the pointer to "read" the chart to the whole class.  After the student has had a turn he may choose another friend to read the chart to us and so on.  I usually let about 3 or 4 students have turns reading the chart for us.  If they don't get a turn during large group I encourage them to visit the chart during center time and read it with their friends then. 

The Color Boxes

                                               Red Box                      Green Box

Giant color sorting mat- click on picture to enlarge

The color boxes consist of 10 clear plastic shoeboxes, baskets, or bins filled with various items, each of a particular color.  The pictures above show the red box and the green box.  I collect the color items from various places, thrift stores, garage sales, Happy Meal toys, and Dollar Stores. 

The color boxes can be sorted on the giant sorting mat pictured above.  The mat is made from a dollar store vinyl tablecloth and sharpie markers.  I like using the sorting mat with the color items because it can be easily rolled up and stored in a box or bin on the shelf with the color boxes and the students can have easy access to it. 

I introduce the color box on the first day of our new color.  I have all the children sitting in a circle around the sorting mat on the floor, then I pass the box around the circle and each child takes one item.  Next, we take turns naming our item and using complete sentences such as "The football is red" and then placing the item on the giant sorting mat. 

After I have introduced a color then I put the color box in a center and the students can work with it and play the color game on their own.  It sounds so simple, but it is actually a favorite of every class I have ever had.  They anticipate each new box and try to guess what might be inside, the first day the box goes into a center they are all fighting over who can play with it first :)  Lakeshore used to sell a similar item, but it is outrageously expensive, I prefer to make my own. 

Frog Street Press Color Songs and Books

I started using Frog Street Press color songs in 2000 and I don't know how I managed before then!  There is a song for each color, a music CD, and a reproducible book so you can copy and make little books for each child, or enlarge, color, and laminate to make books to use with the whole class.   I recently upgraded to the Frog Street color big books and little books that they sell.   These are already colored for you if you don't have the time, a great investment in my opinion. 

I made posters to go along with each color song, see the picture below  After many years of begging I finally convinced Frog Street Press to create posters to go with their Sing & Read series.  They now offer all of their Sing & Read songs in a convenient flip chart format; but they are not available through Amazon yet so I don't have a link to share with you. 

Color Cards:  

I got this idea from a Frog Street Splash conference a few years ago.   Die the cut the letters to each color word on the appropriate colored construction paper.  Glue the letters to black or white squares of construction paper to make individual letter cards that spell out the color words and laminate.  When you sing each color song with your class pass out the corresponding color cards to individual students and have them stand in front of the class to spell out the word.  As the song plays have them hold up their letter card when they hear it in the song, this activity helps promote letter identification. 

Frog Street Press Color Posters

I use these posters in my classroom to help teach colors.  You can laminate and bind them to create your very own big book that your students can "read" independently without the risk of damage.

Color & Shape Bingo

My students love to play this color and shape bingo game by Trend. 

In the classroom library we have a book box containing color books.