K is for Karate

K is for Karate!  It doesn't get more fun than this.  But since my children have no prior background in "Karate", other than a few moves from Kung Fu Panda, we had to start with a video.  So, I found this short one of a child breaking a board with a marital arts move:

Now I explained to my kids a very basic martial arts background:  "A long time ago, there was a country that did not allow its people to have weapons to protect themselves.  So they developed a way to fight where they used their hands and feet to protect themselves.  And one of the ways they fought was through a kind of protection called 'Karate'."

Like I said, very basic.  Point is, it's important for children to understand that Karate is for self-defense.  So, I absolutely loved finding this version of the Three Little Pigs, which illustrates this idea very well as the Ninja pigs take down the bully wolf through their amazing skills in martial arts (the girl pig is skilled in karate!).  This book, called "The Three Ninja Pigs", by Corey Rosen Shwartz, is read aloud on this YouTube video.  (I'm now going to buy a copy because I fell in love with this story!)

After we watched this YouTube video, Little Miss was feeling her oats.  Now, I brought in our Introduction to the Letter K story card which shows our fiesty Glimmercat kicking a board with the sound, "K!"

At this point, Little Miss decided she needed to try out a few karate kicks herself.  "I'm a Karate Kitty, Mommy!" she exclaimed and kicked (that's her kicking, 3rd picture in).

I asked her, "What does the letter K say?" And she announced "K!" and kicked again.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a successful mnemonic.

So I brought in our Path of Motion for the Letter K page, and showed Little Miss the way to write a K with my finger.  We traced it together, and then I gave her a marker for her to try it out herself.  After she was done with that, she decided to color it a bit more...I notice above she is coloring in the cracking board first.  :)

After this, we finished up with a book called "Nighttime Ninja", by Barbara DeCosta, recommended by a friend who has boys in Martial Arts classes (thanks, Elizabeth!)...

After my children watched this one, they were in all the way.  "I want to learn Karate, Mommy!" my five year old announced.

I'd say it was a successful day introducing the letter K.

For all the printables seen in this blog, head over to our Letter K Packet in our store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Letter-of-the-Week-K-2055248