Freight Trains: A Preschool Unit of Basic Concepts and Language Activities

Need a transportation or train unit for your preschoolers? Look no further! This unit is 72 pages long and focuses on basic concepts and language activities. It can be used alone or as a storybook companion to Freight Trains by Donald Crews.

The book is available here:


-Name Cards/Labels: Use the trains with blank spaces as name cards, sheets for sign-in, center labels, cubby labels, or for any other need in the classroom. (6 cards)

-Sign-In Sheets: Use these sheets for sign-in activities. Have the students trace the words on the sheet. They may also color the picture. (6 sheets)

-Word List: This is a word list with vocabulary related to trains. This can be printed and sent home with families or can be used in the classroom. List is provided in color and in black and white.

-Color Sorting: Students will sort colored trains cars onto the appropriate engine car mat. (6 mats, 30 cards)

-Size Sorting Mats: These are purposely open-ended for use with any objects in the classroom. To use, say, “Place the object on the big engine.” (4 mats)

-Preposition Sorting Mats: Have students sort classroom objects or manipulatives into the appropriate box on the mat. For example, SLP says, “Put the object next to the caboose,” so the student will put the object in that box. (3 mats)

-Rhyming Coal Cars: Each card has a word on it. The students will match that word with its rhyming word on another card. Each yellow coal car card will rhyme with a green coal car card. This can be played like Go Fish or Memory, or they can be used as flashcards. (48 cards, 6 blank cards)

-Passenger Car Syllable Sort: Each passenger car card has a vocabulary word on it. Students will listen to the SLP say the word. They will then count the syllables in the word and place on the appropriate mat. (36 cards, 6 blank cards, 4 mats)

-Box Car WH-questions: Read the card to the students. The students will then answer the question. (30 cars, 6 blank cards)

-Reinforcers and Songs: Use these sets as reinforcers or incentives to accompany the previous activities. Three songs are included with pages to print out and post in the classroom. (Game board, die, coloring pages, 3 songs)

You can find this packet in my TpT store here.