Helper of the Month

• Choose a "Community Helper of the Month" to display on the board. This can be a real person you know or a general job, such as a paramedic or librarian. Ask children what they know about this person's job and write their responses down. Write each response down on bright construction color and cut them into shapes. Find pictures that show the person's job online or ask children to create illustrations. Post everything on the board so students know what helper you'll be studying that month.
  
  

Whom I Admire

• Ask each preschooler to choose one type of community helper and one word that describes how he feels about that person. Write these words down as a reference for the child, then ask him to copy them in his own handwriting for writing practice. Cut out a construction paper square for each child and ask him to write his name at the top. Glue his writing onto the paper. Create a heading for the board such as "We Admire These Community Helpers" and post each child's sheet under it.
  
  

Guess Who?

• Create a different "mystery helper" once a day or once a week. Choose a type of helper, then find pictures that relate to her job. For instance, if the mystery helper is a mail carrier, hang pictures of envelopes and the post office. Write out two to three clues to post along with the pictures. Read the clues aloud to the class, then ask them to guess who the person is. Once they've guessed, ask preschoolers to come up with a name and pictures of her to add to the board.
  
  

Letters to Helpers

• Ask each child to write a letter or draw a picture for a community helper. Older preschoolers will be able to write a few sentences if teachers spell out the words the child wants to write. Younger children can simply sign their names to their drawings. Ask children what they would like to say to the people who help them. Display these on the bulletin board for a week. Parents will enjoy seeing the kind letters their children have written. When the week is done, mail the letters and drawings out to real community helpers in your area.