Preschool Curriculum Updated - Simple! and Letter A

This is the beginning of my new preschool ABC curriculum. According to Charlotte Mason (from whom I cull most of my educational philosophy) preschoolers and those up to age six should be spending the bulk of their time playing creatively indoors with open-ended toys (no lights, buttons or sounds) and outdoors with any and everything to be found, except what might be too dangerous of course! It is very simple, to be done at leisure as your child desires and prompts. I started working on this curriculum 7 or 8 years ago while "tutoring" the little boy across the street before we even had children. I did something a little more complicated with Wesley (see here) two years ago but found that doing this instead is easier and simpler for me (especially now that I'm doing first grade with Wes) and sufficient enough for preschool. There are some things that I have carried over from what I did with Wesley. Honestly, if you just read a variety of good books, talk about letters, do some fun crafts (or not!), get out in nature and sing children's songs your child will have a rich feast spread before him or her to absorb and learn from. I hope this will be beneficial for all!

Books I am using the whole year through in addition to a multitude of home and public library books!
        

The A-Z Picture by Gyo Fugikawa
Rhyme Time by Tomi De Paola
Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young
Tommy De Paola's Favorite Nursery Tales
What Do People Do All Day by Richard Scarry
Things People Do - Anne Civardi
Songs for Saplings (Scripture memory songs on CD By Dana Dirksen)
Wee Sing Children's Songs and Finger Plays
Rod and Staff Preschool Workbooks A, C-F
Five in a Row and Before Five in a Row (we may or may not do this - sometimes we come across a FIAR book and might do a few activities, sometimes not).
Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales (a really lovely book!)
Let's Read and Find Out About Science Level 1 Tons of titles about science in picture book form.
Science Play

I also use these books with Wes and David together for art, music and French, every other week.
Artistic Pursuits
My First Classical Music Book
French for Children (One unit every couple months or more, at your children's pace - my kids have loved it so far! They are wanting to know how to say everything in French and we've only done the first few pages!)


Here's letter A for starters to show I incorporate all these books! Just do  an activity or two per day or just pick a few per week. I usually do the first six items listed below per week, do the letter craft, the art and music (listed above) and a bit from the Rod and staff books (as fast or as slow as David wants). He asks me how to spell things all the time so I don't worry about handwriting much, and that is included in the Rod and Staff books. If I get to other things great, if not, that's fine too.  Don't think you have to read and do all of this!!! I'll add some pictures or graphics soon!

Letter A

Letter The A-Z Picture Book by Gyo Fugikawa - Read letter A pages and what sounds the letter A makes.

Poetry - Read The Alligator Escalator in Rhyme Time by Tomie De Paola, or pick an A poem in your favorite Poem book

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

Bible Read the story of Creation including Adam and Eve in your 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 - "Make Me As the Apple of Your Eye" from Songs for Saplings.

Picture Books - Read books about Apples and Alligators or Ants or Anteaters, or all!
   We read these:
     * Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington
     * Ten Apples Up on Top by P.D Eastman
     * The Lady with the Alligator Purse illustrated by  Nadine Bernard Westcott
     * Air is All Around by Franklin N. Branley

Other picture book suggestions: 
     * All in A Day by Mitsumasa Anno
     * I am An Artist
     * Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack

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

     * Eat Apples, Apple Sauce, Apple Pie, dried apples
     * Make Apple sauce, dried apples, Apple Pie, Apple Cake (recipe in Apple Farmer  Annie)
     * Take a field trip to an apple farm and do some apple picking
     * Taste Test apples and find your favorite
     * Visit the Alligators at the zoo
     * Count Apple Seeds
     * Count Letter A's on a page in a favorite book. 
     * Make Letter A crafts from here. Alligator or Apple
     * Make Letter A's out of Playdoh or with any and everything - list coming soon. 
     * Do other activities from this site or from Alphabet Art
     * Make an ant farm

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

Children's Songs and Fingerplays
     * All Day, All Night
     * Amazing Grace
     * The ABC Song


Science 
     * Ant Cities
     * Air is All Around
     * What's Alive

Madeline Joy

So here is our sweet newest arrival! Madeline Joy was born on Sunday, July 31, 2016 at 12:52pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. She had a head full of dark hair.

It has been a bit crazy since we've had her home, as I guess it is with most families when they add a newborn to the mix. Madeline, being the fourth in our clan, was supposed to just go with the fl
ow but she's had her own ideas about how things should go. She is a very finicky eater! She likes to eat a little and pause a little and fuss a little, then sleep a little. Then repeat. It can take up to an hour or even more to feed the little chick! All the while, my two year old is pouring water all over the house (she loves to play with water) while my boys, four and six, are fighting and screaming and throwing things at each other. All my others have eaten steadily and without fussing. If they fell asleep I could usually coax them to eat more. Not so with Madeline. She tightly closes her lips and makes faces if you try to keep giving her milk when she wants to pause.  Or she just gets mad. Or she just keeps sleeping, limp as a rag.

And, she did not latch well and so eventually I just gave up on breastfeeding. But, getting her to take a bottle has also been frustrating. She wouldn't just take the bottles we had for her which were given to us, no matter how hard I tried. We went through several bottles before we landed on one she liked and would happily drink from. But, even then, you have to be careful how you put it in. If you just stick it in, she won't latch on it, she just licks her tongue on it like a cat or fusses. She is getting better with that but at first it was quite frustrating! And, even still, she might go several days and just decide she doesn't like that bottle anymore and so we have to go through them all again to find the one she's satisfied with. Good grief! She's also had reflux enough that she's on medicine now though we are already weaning her off of it some. And, because of that we had to prop up her bassinet. But even with that, she got to where she wouldn't sleep in that well either without fussing. The bouncy seat didn't work either, as it did for Wesley who was a happy spitter, spitting up across the room, dousing all our clothes, without a fuss from him. So we resorted to borrowing a rock n' play and it was worked wonders! I am not a fan of having lots of baby paraphernalia but when the fourth baby won't sleep you do whatever is necessary!!! I was even tempted to buy a swing! We had one with Wes but got rid of it because we hardly used it after him.

All that to say, we love her very much and are terribly grateful for her! Despite all the problems she's had and her pickiness, she seems really sweet. When I write of her fussing, it's usually a sweet soft fuss that makes you just want to cry with her. She doesn't cry with a "wah!" It's with a "La, La, La" Although if she gets upset enough she can really get hysterical. She loves to snuggle and will bury her head in your neck. She's just starting to try to smile and coo. I love it! And, once we got the rock n play, she does sleep better than my others at this point, already sleeping long stretches at night. I am very thankful for the sleep! While I was still trying to breastfeed and she was waking up more at night, I was a total basket case from lack of sleep and stress. Glad that is done.

I still feel quite overwhelmed at times but I've learned to let go of some of the expectations I have had for myself and my house and my kids. But I've also learned to use child labor! We had the kids doing chores before but now we've really implemented their help, even with Catherine. In some ways she's a better helper than the boys! At least she almost always has a willing heart if not perfect execution of said chores.

I think Madeline might turn out to be a little redhead which I would love. She has the skin tone for it and her eye brows look reddish as does her hair in the right light.

With all the craziness, we are so thankful for our little bundle of Joy. :) Can't wait to see more of her personality! God has been so good to us! This time 7 years ago, we despaired that we might not ever have kids. That's kind of funny to think about now. I think God might be giving us a big wink. He is sovereign, His timing is perfect though we might know why. He is in control of all things and through all these seven wild, crazy years of adopting and giving birth, I've learned more to trust Him. He is faithful and He is a good, good Father. Thank you Father for these beautiful blessings!

"Ahhh! Will somebody do something about my hair!" Poor baby has some major hair issues. I get a good laugh at least daily from all her untamable hair!