Seedlings Curriculum Drops · Bennett Global Academy
🌱 Seedlings · Ages 3–5

Curriculum Drops

Monthly curriculum packages for Seedlings families. Each drop arrives two weeks before the month begins — everything you need, ready to open.

Full Pilot Edition · Includes live session schedules. Seedlings live virtual session: Tuesdays, time TBD. Async days: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
Unit 1 · August 2026
Belonging + Voice

This month your Seedlings learner steps into the year through the power of words — what they sound like, what they mean, and what they can do. Everything is play-based, read-aloud-driven, and joyful. You do not need a background in teaching. You need this guide, the books, and time with your child.

"What words do YOU love? What does it feel like to belong?"
Theme Focus
Identity · Words · Belonging
Children explore who they are, what words feel like, and what it means to belong to a family, a story, a community.
How This Unit Works
Read-aloud centered. One book per 1–2 weeks. Daily sessions: 20–45 minutes. No single right pace — follow your child's energy.
Social-Emotional Learning
Self-worth + the power of words. Your child learns that their name, voice, and feelings belong in the world. Affirmation matters more than any worksheet.
Subjects Covered
Language Arts · Math (Singapore Earlybird) · Science (5 Senses) · Rooted in Stories · Faith + Formation · Visual Art · Music · World Languages (Spanish)

How to Use This Guide

Each week has a focus, a read-aloud, and daily activities. You do not need to do everything. Read the week plan, pick what fits your family, and let the conversation happen naturally. The books do most of the work.

Links throughout open portal pages with printable templates, vocabulary card downloads, and video resources. Full Pilot families: your live session schedule appears at the top of each week.

Month 1 · Books + Materials
What You Need

Gather these before August 18. All books are available at public libraries — check your local branch first.

Anchor Text · Weeks 1–2
The Word Collector
Peter H. Reynolds
A boy named Jerome collects beautiful words the way others collect stamps. Read it slowly — the illustrations carry as much as the text.
Week 3
Your Name Is a Song
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
A child whose name keeps getting mispronounced learns from her mother that names carry music. Deeply affirming.
Week 4
The Day You Begin
Jacqueline Woodson
What happens when you walk into a room and feel like the only one? A gentle, powerful book about belonging.
Optional Enrichment
I Am Enough
Grace Byers
A lyrical affirmation of identity. Read anytime during the unit — especially when your child needs to hear it most.
Weeks 1–2 Supplies
  • Mason jar or small container (Word Jar)
  • Paper strips or index cards (word slips)
  • Markers, crayons, colored pencils
  • Scissors and tape or glue
  • Stickers or ribbon to decorate the jar
The Word Jar is a unit-long project. Start it in Week 1 and keep adding all month.
Weeks 3–4 Supplies
  • Large paper or cardstock for name art
  • Finger paints or tempera (self-portrait)
  • Watercolors (optional)
  • Mirror (for self-portrait reference)
  • Drawing journal or composition book
All Month
  • Construction paper (various colors)
  • Glue stick
  • Vocabulary picture cards (download from portal)
  • Printer + paper for templates
Science · 5 Senses
  • Ziplock bags (seed germination)
  • Bean seeds
  • Soil + small cup
  • Sensory items: cotton ball, sandpaper, silk, lemon, chocolate
  • Magnifying glass
Week 1 · August 18–22, 2026
Words Are Wonderful

Your first week is about wonder and play. You are not teaching reading yet — you are teaching your child that words are worth noticing, collecting, and loving.

Full Pilot · Week 1 Schedule · Seedlings
Monday
Settle In Day
Explore supplies. Decorate drawing journal cover. Talk about what you love.
Math (Earlybird)
Counting 1–5 with objects. Sort by color.
Tuesday · Live
TBD · Virtual Session Live Read-Aloud
The Word Collector, first reading. Word hunt intro. Meet your learning community.
Wednesday
Art
Decorate the Word Jar together.
Science · Hearing
Close your eyes and listen. Draw one sound you hear.
Thursday
Math
Counting 1–10. Number songs and games.
Faith + Formation
"I am made with purpose." Affirmation + verse.
Friday
Word Hunt
Find beautiful words on books and signs around your home. Add to jar.
Music
Name song: clap the syllables in your name.
Week 1
Words Are Wonderful · Daily Plan
Day
Read-Aloud + Language
Play + Explore
Make + Tell
Day 1 Mon
Book Preview Before opening: "We're going to meet a boy who collects words the way some people collect rocks. What do you think that means?" Show the cover. Let your child predict.
Supply Exploration Lay out this month's supplies. Let your child handle them. Name them together. Ask: "What do you want to make with these?"
Journal Cover Decorate the drawing journal cover. Write or trace their name big. This journal belongs to them.
Day 2 Tue
First Read-Aloud Read The Word Collector slowly. Pause on every spread. Ask: "Which word on this page do you like the sound of?" Do not rush. The pictures carry the story.
Word Notice Walk Walk through your home or outside. What words do you see on boxes, signs, books? Point them out. Say them aloud. Notice how they sound.
Word Jar Setup Decorate the jar together with stickers, markers, or ribbon. This is the family's Word Jar — it fills up all month long.
Day 3 Wed
Reread + Savor Reread favorite 3–4 pages from Day 2. Ask: "What is Jerome's favorite word? What does it mean to collect something beautiful?"
Science · Hearing Sit quietly for 1 minute, eyes closed. List every sound you hear. Draw one sound.
First Word Slip Each family member picks one word they love. Write or dictate it on a slip. Put it in the jar. Read them aloud with drama.
Day 4 Thu
Vocabulary: collect Introduce collect / coleccionar. Say both. Clap syllables. Use in a sentence: "I collect ___." Ask: "What do YOU collect?"
Math: Counting Collections Count word slips in the jar. Count objects in a collection (rocks, buttons, toys). Practice 1–10 with real objects.
Faith + Formation"I am made with purpose." Draw one thing that makes you special. Parent writes the label.
Day 5 Fri
Word Celebration Pull slips out of the jar. Read each one aloud with drama. Which sounds the best? Which is longest? Shortest?
Music: Name Song Clap the syllables of every family member's name. Sing them to a simple beat. Make up a silly name chant together.
Draw Your Favorite Word Child draws their favorite word from this week. Label it. Add to journal.
RF.K.1 RL.K.1 SL.K.1 L.K.5
Week 2 · August 25–29, 2026
Beautiful Words

This week you go deeper with The Word Collector. Revisiting a book is not repetition — it is what readers do. Each time your child hears it, they notice something new.

Full Pilot · Week 2 Schedule · Seedlings
Monday
Reread + Notice
Reread The Word Collector. What do you notice this time that you did not before?
Math
Sorting by color and shape. Pattern making with manipulatives.
Tuesday · Live
TBD · Virtual Session Word Gift Activity
Each family brings one word they collected. Live discussion: "What happens when you share words?"
Wednesday
Science · Touch
Sensory exploration — soft, rough, smooth, bumpy. Texture rubbings with crayons.
Thursday
Math
Number matching 1–10. "Show me 7 blocks."
Vocab
Introduce: belong / pertenecer. Use in sentences.
Friday
Word Gift
Make a word gift for someone. Write + deliver with one sentence.
Music
Movement song — move your body to the beat.
Week 2
Beautiful Words · Daily Plan
Day
Read-Aloud + Language
Play + Explore
Make + Tell
Day 1 Mon
Second Read Read The Word Collector again. Stop before the last pages: "What do you think Jerome should do with all his words?" Let your child answer before you turn the page.
Word Sort Pull all word slips out of the jar. Sort them: long words, short words, funny-sounding words, beautiful words. No wrong answers.
Favorite Word Drawing Child picks their favorite word from the jar and illustrates it — not the letters, but what the word means or how it makes them feel.
Day 2 Tue
Sharing Words Discussion: "What happens when you keep something beautiful to yourself? What happens when you share it?" Act it out — one person whispers a word, the other says it aloud with joy.
Science · Touch Gather 5 objects with different textures: cotton ball, sandpaper, silk, a rock, a leaf. Feel each with eyes closed. Name the texture: soft, rough, smooth, bumpy, cold.
Texture Rubbings Place paper over textured surfaces and rub with the side of a crayon. What patterns appear? Name what you see.
Day 3 Wed
Vocabulary: belong Introduce belong / pertenecer. "Jerome's words belong together. Where do YOU belong? Who do you belong with?" Make a list: I belong with ___.
Belonging Circle Draw a circle on big paper. Each family member draws themselves inside. Add pets, a house, anything that belongs. Talk as you draw.
Word Jar Addition New words: collect, beautiful, share, belong. Add them to the jar on slips. Count how many total.
Day 4 Thu
Math: Patterns Count your word jar slips — how many this week? Practice patterns: red, blue, red, blue. What comes next? Use crayons, blocks, or fruit.
Word Gift Making Each person writes or dictates one word on a slip to give to someone they love. Deliver it with: "I chose this word for you because ___."
Faith + Formation"My words are a gift." Read I Am Enough if available. Affirmation: "My voice matters."
Day 5 Fri
Word Reflection Pull the word jar out. Count the slips. Ask: "Which word are you most proud of finding?" Read them with big, silly, quiet, excited voices.
Music + Movement Put on music and move: stomp the beat, clap the rhythm, freeze when music stops. Name what you feel in your body.
Journal: My Words So Far Child draws their 3 favorite words with illustrations. Parent labels. This page stays in the journal.
RL.K.3 SL.K.4 L.K.5b K-ESS2-2
Week 3 · September 1–5, 2026
My Name, My Story

Names are not just labels. They are songs, stories, and gifts. This is one of the most powerful conversations you will have all year — you do not need a lesson plan for it. Just the book, and time to listen.

Full Pilot · Week 3 Schedule · Seedlings
Monday
Book Preview
Look at the cover of Your Name Is a Song. Predict what it's about.
Math
Counting syllables in names. Bar graph with blocks.
Tuesday · Live
TBD · Virtual Session Name Celebration
Read-aloud: Your Name Is a Song. Each child shares what their name means. Sing the syllables together.
Wednesday
Name Art
Large-paper name art. Decorate each letter.
Science · Sight
Observation walk. Draw 3 things you notice.
Thursday
Vocab
name / nombre. "Me llamo ___." Practice with every family member.
Faith + Formation
"God calls me by name." Isaiah 43:1.
Friday
Reread
Reread Your Name Is a Song. What do you notice the second time?
Music
Compose a 4-beat name chant. Perform for the family.
Week 3
My Name, My Story · Daily Plan
Day
Read-Aloud + Language
Play + Explore
Make + Tell
Day 1 Mon
Book Preview Before opening Your Name Is a Song: "Has anyone ever said your name wrong? How did that feel?" Then look at the cover together and predict.
Name Syllable Clapping Clap the syllables in everyone's name. Who has the longest name? Shortest? Whose name has the most beats?
Name in Big Letters Write your child's name in huge letters on large paper. They begin decorating — just play, no "right" way.
Day 2 Tue
First Read-Aloud Read Your Name Is a Song all the way through. Pause on the pages where the mother explains. Ask: "Did you know your name was a song? What song does it make?"
Name Song Sing your child's name to any simple melody — "Happy Birthday" rhythm works perfectly. Stretch the syllables. Make it sound like the most beautiful thing.
Name Meaning Tell your child what their name means and where it comes from. Write or draw it together. This is one of the most important conversations this month.
Day 3 Wed
Vocabulary: name / nombre Practice "Me llamo ___." Say every family member's name in Spanish phrasing. Clap after each name.
Science · Sight Observation walk outside or at a window for 10 minutes. No talking — just looking. Come back and each person draws 3 things they noticed.
Name Art Continued Finish decorating the large name paper. Add colors, patterns, drawings of things they love. This is a self-portrait in letters.
Day 4 Thu
Reread + Savor Read Your Name Is a Song again. Ask: "How does the little girl feel at the beginning? How does she feel at the end? What changed?" Let the child show you with their face.
Math: Name Length Count the letters in each family member's name. Whose has the most letters? Make a simple bar graph with blocks or stickers.
Faith + Formation"God calls me by name." Isaiah 43:1 — "I have called you by name; you are mine." Draw what it feels like to be known by name.
Day 5 Fri
Name Chant Performance Make up a 4-beat chant using the child's name — add a stomp, clap, or jump for each syllable. Perform it. Record if possible. Celebrate it loudly.
Word Jar Addition Add: name, song, beautiful, special. Count total words in jar now.
Journal: My Name Page Draw a self-portrait. Write name underneath. Parent adds: "This name means ___." This is a treasure page.
RL.K.1 RL.K.6 SL.K.5 RF.K.2b
Week 4 · September 8–12, 2026
Brave + Belonging

Your final week of Month 1 closes with The Day You Begin — a book about what it feels like to walk into a room as the only one. It opens conversations about difference, bravery, and the moment you decide to belong anyway.

Full Pilot · Week 4 Schedule · Seedlings
Monday
Book Preview
Look at The Day You Begin cover. What does the girl's expression tell you?
Math
Counting to 20. One-to-one correspondence with objects.
Tuesday · Live
TBD · Virtual Session Brave Faces
Read aloud: The Day You Begin. Discussion: when did you feel brave? Share brave faces on camera.
Wednesday
Self-Portrait
Begin "This Is Me" portrait — finger paint or markers.
Science · Smell + Taste
Mystery smell test. Taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter.
Thursday
Vocab
brave / valiente, different / diferente. Use both in sentences.
Faith + Formation
"Be strong and courageous." Joshua 1:9.
Friday
Word Jar Final Count
Count all slips. How many words did we collect this month?
Journal Share
Go through journal from page 1. Celebrate every page.
Week 4
Brave + Belonging · Daily Plan
Day
Read-Aloud + Language
Play + Explore
Make + Tell
Day 1 Mon
Book Preview Look at The Day You Begin cover without reading. "What do you think this girl is feeling? What do you think 'the day you begin' means?" Make a prediction.
Feelings in the Body Act out feelings with your whole body. How does shy look? How does brave look? How does belonging feel? Show me with your body, not your words.
Feelings Drawing Draw a time you felt brave — trying new food, saying hello to someone, doing something hard. Label: "I was brave when ___."
Day 2 Tue
First Read-Aloud Read The Day You Begin all the way through. Pause on the page where the girl decides to speak. Ask: "What did she decide? What helped her be brave?"
Brave Share Circle Each family member shares one time they felt like the "only one" in a room, or one time they did something brave. No wrong answers. Just stories.
Self-Portrait Begins Start the "This Is Me" portrait. Use a mirror if you have one. Finger paint, markers, or watercolor — whatever is available.
Day 3 Wed
Vocabulary: brave + different Introduce brave / valiente and different / diferente. "When do YOU feel different? Is that always a bad thing?"
Science · Smell + Taste 4 mystery smells in small containers — lemon, cinnamon, coffee, soil. Eyes closed. Name each. Then taste test: sweet, sour, salty, bitter.
Senses Journal Page Draw all 5 senses — eye, ear, nose, mouth, hand. Label each. Add to journal.
Day 4 Thu
Reread: What's Special About You? Reread The Day You Begin focusing on what makes each character unique. Ask: "What is one thing that belongs only to YOU — a food, a place, a song, a feeling?"
Math: Counting to 20 Count 20 objects together. Practice writing numbers 11–20 in the journal with pictures.
Faith + Formation"Be strong and courageous. God goes with you." Joshua 1:9. Draw what courage looks like. Write: "I am brave when ___."
Day 5 Fri
Month 1 Closing Pull out the Word Jar. Count all slips. Read every word aloud. Ask: "Which word was your favorite from this whole month? Which one do you want to keep forever?"
Self-Portrait Finishing Complete the "This Is Me" portrait. Add color, details, hair, a smile. Display it where everyone can see.
Journal Share Go through the journal together from page 1. Parent says something specific they love about each page. This is the celebration.
RL.K.2 RL.K.4 SL.K.2 L.K.6 K-PS1-1
Vocabulary · Month 1
Words We Collect

Introduce through read-alouds, games, and conversations. No memorization or testing — just use them, repeat them, and celebrate when your child uses one on their own.

collect
coleccionar
To gather things you love and keep them together.
belong
pertenecer
To be part of a place or family where you are welcome.
brave
valiente
Doing something even when it feels scary or hard.
word
palabra
A sound or group of letters that means something.
different
diferente
Not the same as something else — and that can be beautiful.
special
especial
One of a kind. Belonging only to you.
share
compartir
To give some of what you have to another person.
begin
comenzar
To start something for the first time.
Unit Project · Weeks 1–8
The Word Jar

What It Is

A decorated jar filled with slips of paper, each holding one word your child loves. Words come from the books, conversations, signs and labels — from everywhere. The jar is always nearby. Adding is always an option.

The Sharing Moment · Week 8

At the end of Unit 1, each child holds their jar and shares one word: "My favorite word is ___ because ___." Full Pilot families do this live on Tuesday. Curriculum Drop families do it at home and are invited to share a photo or video in The Grove.

SEL This Month: Self-Worth + The Power of Words

The most powerful teaching you will do this month will not come from any activity. It will come from moments like these: "That was a brave thing to say." "I love the word you picked." "Your story matters." Say these things out loud. Often.

🌱
Month 2 is on its way.
Drops September 17, 2026

Your September curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on September 17 — or watch The Grove for your drop notification.

🌱
Month 3 is on its way.
Drops October 17, 2026

Your October curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on October 17.

🌱
Month 4 is on its way.
Drops November 17, 2026

Your November curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on November 17.

🌱
Month 5 is on its way.
Drops December 17, 2026

Your December curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on December 17.

🌱
Month 6 is on its way.
Drops January 17, 2027

Your January curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on January 17.

🌱
Month 7 is on its way.
Drops February 17, 2027

Your February curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on February 17.

🌱
Month 8 is on its way.
Drops March 17, 2027

Your March curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on March 17.

🌱
Month 9 is on its way.
Drops April 17, 2027

Your April curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on April 17.

🌱
Month 10 is on its way.
Drops May 17, 2027

Your May curriculum drop will be ready two weeks before the month begins. Check back on May 17.