Friday, October 21, 2016

A Homeschool Day

It's been awhile again, I know. My only excuse is that I had a baby. (Smile). You can read about her here.

We started first grade and preschool homeschooling about 6 weeks ago. All I can say is it is definitely not the picture in my head that I thought it would be! But, overall, it has been a success. Wesley needs to be prodded for phonics and writing practice but he enjoys math, science, history and any other subject that requires me reading to him or him doing an activity or us playing a game together.

I had in my head it would all be nice and neat, sitting at the table with it quiet around us. That has not been the case but there has been a lot of life around us and learning has taken place which is all I can ask for right now. :)

So above is a picture of one of homeschool days. We were having snacks while doing school. I had just finished feeding Madeline, while also trying to do school. David is looking at an alligator craft for the letter A from the computer. Catherine is gracefully digging out large scoops of cream cheese with triscuits. I think she ate half the tub! She has a piece of paper to "color" on with a marker but it is only covered in cream cheese. (By the way, I had to put her in her room secured with a baby gate the previous two days because she was reeking havoc all over the house!) Beside Wes is a Beatrix Potter Treasury book. We read the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. Then we practiced some phonics in the book The Reading Lesson. Next, for math and writing combined, he practiced writing numbers. For math and history combined, we played a modified version of a Native American Passomaquady game where you roll dice and count out that many sticks from a pile of sticks. Whoever has the most sticks when the pile runs out wins. This is for practicing counting, adding, counting by twos, etc. Wes is extremely competitive with others and against himself so games and racing himself with a timer for number facts is a big hit! Then we went outside and raced around the house a few times (so happy to be able to run again but I'm out of shape!). Then we practiced the standing long jump and David made up a hopping race.

The kids continued to play outside while I made lunch which we were going to eat outside but the yellow jackets chased us away. At lunch I read a short devotional that I forgot to read at breakfast. And then I read some Aesop fables.

Soon, I will write what I'm actually teaching for first grade and preschool. Hopefully. Again, not making promises. I don't have a good track record!

Preschool Weekly Activities - Letter D

Preschool Weekly Activities - Letter D
Click here for an introduction to the preschool curriculum and here for my preschool philosophy.

Letter The A-Z Picture Book by Gyo Fugikawa - Read letter D pages

Poetry - Read "Dream Variation" and "A Small Discovery" in Rhyme Time by Tomie De Paola, or  D poem from Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young

Literature - Read a story from Tomie De Paola's Favorite Nursery Tales 

Bible Read about Daniel in the Lion's Den, or David and Goliath in your favorite children's Bible or Bible Story Book of choice. I either use The Jesus Storybook Bible or The Look And See ESV Bible for children.

Scripture Memory - "He will take great delight in you'" Zephaniah 3:17 from Songs for Saplings.

Picture Books - Read books about Ducks, Dogs, dump trucks, diggers, dolphins, drums!
   We read these:
     * Harry the Dirty Dog
     * Dozen Dozens
     * Dr. Desoto Goes to Africa by William Stieg
    
Other picture book suggestions: 
     * The Doorbell Rang
     * Make Way for Ducklings
     * Angus and the Ducks
     * The Story of Ping (BFIAR) - about a duck 

Activities (we only did the ones in bold, though I had plans for more) - actually this week, we didn't really do any D activities, except one that my son made up.  It's ok not to do any, they are still learning!

     *Eat Donuts
     * Play Drums
     * Watch a video of drums
     * Draw. Anything. or draw things that start with d 
     * Dig
     * Play with your dog. 
     * Make up a story about a dog or a duck, or both together. My son made up a story about               Duck and Truck. They were best friends. :) 
     * Run in dewy grass and talk about where the dew comes from
     * Talk about your dreams.
     * Cover a big letter D in dots
     * Make Darren the Duck from Alphabet Art
     * Do other D activities from this website

Skills Do a few pages in Rod and Staff Preschool Books A, C, D, E, or F. and/or Wipe Clean: Early Learning Activity Book

Songs and Fingerplays
    * Down by the Station

Science Activity 
 Choose an activity from Science Play

Let's Read and Find Out About Science Level 1
     * Ducks Don't Get Wet

Monday, October 10, 2016

Preschool Weekly Activities - Letter C

Preschool Weekly Activities - Letter C
Click here for an introduction to the preschool curriculum and here for my preschool philosophy.

Letter The A-Z Picture Book by Gyo Fugikawa - Read letter C pages

Poetry - Read "Cat Kisses" in Rhyme Time by Tomie De Paola, or a B poem from Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young

Literature - Read a story from Tomie De Paola's Favorite Nursery Tales 

Bible Read about Joseph's Coat of Many Colors in your favorite children's Bible or Bible Story Book of choice. I either use The Jesus Storybook Bible or The Look And See ESV Bible for children.

Scripture Memory - "You will be changed into His likeness'" 2 Cor. 3:18 from Songs for Saplings.

Picture Books - Read books about Cats, Caterpillars, Colors, Cars, Crickets!
   We read these:
     * Corduroy by Don Freeman (BFIAR)
     * Millions of Cats
     * Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodnika  (BFIAR)
     * The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet
    
Other picture book suggestions: 
     * Copyboy
     * Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
     * If you Give a Mouse a Cookie
     * The Very Quiet Cricket
     * A Rainbow of My Own
     * The Red Carpet (BFIAR)

Activities (we only did the ones in bold, though I had plans for more)

     * Make Cookies
     * Eat Chocolate
     * Catch a caterpillar and take care of it
     * Count cars on your street
     * Race match box cars
     * Make Letter C crafts from here. Cats, caterpillars
     * Make Letter C's out of Playdoh or any of these others ways from this list. 
     * Do other activities from this site or from Alphabet Art
     * Paint a rainbow
     * Play with sidewalk chalk
     * Chop carrots (with a parent's help!) 


Skills Do a few pages in Rod and Staff Preschool Books A, C, D, E, or F. and/or Wipe Clean: Early Learning Activity Book

Songs and Fingerplays
    * Chickamy, Chickamy, Crany Crow

Science Activity 
 Choose an activity from Science Play

Let's Read and Find Out About Science Level 1
     * Chirping Crickets
     * From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Preschool Social Studies

Can I just say, if I haven't said it already or if you haven't drawn the conclusion yet,  I'm addicted to children's books! One of the joys in my life is perusing Amazon or bookstores or the library looking at children's books! Because I was an elementary school teacher and just because I'm a children's book nerd, I've come to know many of the children's books' authors and illustrators. So I try to pick out the best of both for the various booklists on this site. 

Below is a list of books to incorporate into your reading for preschool ages 3-5. The themes for social studies for my preschoolers are family, neighbors, communities, farms, manners and a smattering about our country. 

A Year at Maple Hill Farm
What Do People Do All Day
Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm
Town and Country
Animal Orchestra
Our Flag
The Seven Little Postmen
The Please and Thank You Book
Polite Elephant
The Jolly Postman
The Last Stop on Market Street
A Chair for My Mother
Yard Sale
Home
A Fine Dessert
Oxcart Man
What Happens on Wednesdays
The Reader
Nana in the City
Buffalo Music
Policeman Small
Daddies
Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs
The Animal Fair
Maybelle The Cable Car
Pancakes; Pancakes
The Little House
Katy and the Big Snow
When I was Young in the Mountains
The Old Woman Who Names Things
George Washington's Teeth
Thunder cake
Charlie Needs a Cloak
The Baby Sister
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg
Farm 

Preschool Weekly Activities - Letter B

Letter B
Click here for an introduction to the preschool curriculum and here for my preschool philosophy.

Letter The A-Z Picture Book by Gyo Fugikawa - Read letter B pages

Poetry - Read Brooms in Rhyme Time by Tomie De Paola, or an A poem from Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young

Literature - Read a story from Tomie De Paola's Favorite Nursery Tales 

Bible Read about how Jesus calmed the storm in the boat in your favorite children's Bible or Bible Story Book of choice. I either use The Jesus Storybook Bible or The Look And See ESV Bible for children.

Scripture Memory - "Jesus said, 'I am the Bread of Life'" John 6:48 from Songs for Saplings.

Picture Books - Read books about Bears, Birds, Bugs, butterflies, boats, or beavers!
   We read these:
     * Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear by Nancy White Carlstrom (BFIAR)
     * Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski (science)
     * The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco (FIAR 3)
     * Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
     * Blueberries For Sal bt Robert McCloskey (BFIAR)
    

Other picture book suggestions: 
     * Are you a Bee? by Judy Allen
     * Buster by Kevin Henkes
     * Little Bear by Elsa Holmelund
     * Babushka and the Three Kings by Patricia Polacco
     * Beach by Alisha Cooper
     * We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury
     * Babar and His Family by Laurent de Brushoff  
     * How to Hide a Butterfly by Ruth Heller (science)

Activities (we only did the ones in bold, though I had plans for more)

     * Eat Bananas and/or blueberries
     * Count Blueberries in cereal/oatmeal
     * Go on a bug hunt
     * Make banana bread or a banana smoothie
     * Count Letter B's on a page in a favorite book. 
     * Make Letter B crafts from here. Bees and butterflies
     * Make Letter B's out of Playdoh or any of these others ways from this list. 
     * Do other activities from this site or from Alphabet Art

Skills Do a few pages in Rod and Staff Preschool Books A, C, D, E, or F. and/or Wipe Clean: Early Learning Activity Book

Songs and Fingerplays
    BINGO

Science Activity 
 Choose an activity from Science Play

Let's Read and Find Out About Science Level 1
     * Bugs are Insects
     * From Caterpillar to Butterfly