Preschool seems to be the time when kids start making real friends. The experts say toddlers are too little to make real friends and a part of me believes that, but another part thinks that's not entirely true. However, I've seen both of my kids make true friends between the ages of 3 and 5.
I think it's important to teach kids exactly what friendship is on a level they understand. My son had to leave his best friend Diego when we moved from Florida to Missouri. This was hard on him, but we taught him that the memories he has of Diego would last his whole life. (The incident of when they both peed on our dog is the most talked about memory.) To do this we play the Memory Friend Game. This is a simple game that can be played during dinner. You simply name a friend you've had in life, and talk about all the memories you can remember, both good and bad.
Role playing is a great way to show kids what it's like to be a good friend. Preschool is the time when kids are still learning to share and not be bossy. By playing a game where you're the bossy friend, or the friend who doesn't like to share, you and your child can talk about why it's not fun to play with someone who doesn't act nicely while playing. You can then reverse the roles for more discussion and role playing.
I also like to make a "Why I Like...." list. For this my daughter picks a friend and then I write down all the attributes she likes about that friend. Then we take two different friends and see how they're alike and different. Then we talk about how you can have all different sorts of friends because everyone brings something different to your life. Her attributes are pretty basic right now. She likes her friends because they have pretty hair or because they have a pink sparkly bracelet, but it's a start to learning how to pick out good attributes in a person.
As my kids get older, we talk about respect and peer pressure. My 9-year old is currently learning about what it means to respect your friends and expect the same respect in return. He's also learning what it means to stand up for yourself and not be intimidated by someone just because they act a fool. I'm hoping that by teaching about friendship from a young age, my children will grow up with a good group of friends. Because when it comes down to it, there will come a point where their friends' opinions are more important than mom's and dad's opinion. Hopefully they'll make friends with the types of kids we'd choose for them to be friends with.
I think the thing that defines whether a person really understands friendship is not just knowing how to make a new friend, but how to maintain that relationship. Even though my closest friends and I have moved to different states, if I saw them tomorrow it would be like I'd just seen them yesterday. I'm hoping to teach my kids how to make and maintain lifelong friendships that stand the trials and tribulations that time brings. And if you're eventually sending your kids off to school, there's no better time to start teaching them about friendship than at home.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
How to Make a Valentine Heart Flower
Today we made a valentine heart flower. It's so simple, and yet such a fun project too. I used it to reinforce the writing of the letter V and its sound. We are just about finished working with our letter sounds and are going to move on from sight words to phonics reading. Our current list of sight words include: A, An, And, The, It, Is. Soon we will be working on: In, On, Up, Boy, Girl
We will also be starting our Bob Books in March. Math is moving along nicely. She's definitely on a K level with math, but still a PK level with reading. But I do believe she's advanced in her computer skills. I can set her up on a website and she can navigate it all without any help. Her favorites are Starfall, PBS Kids, and Nick Jr.
Anyway, back to the craft. This is a quick craft and would work well for a large group.
Supplies:
Pink, red, green and a favorite color of construction paper
Scissors
Glue stick
Tulle, felt, or cotton ball
Draw three hearts on both the pink and red paper. Cut out. Cut out a long rectangle from the green paper for a stem. Glue the stem onto your favorite color paper. Using the gluestick, overlap the hearts to create flower petals in a circular shape. We alternated the colors, but you could do one side red and one pink, or however you like. Glue a small piece of tulle, cotton, or felt to the center. Have your child write the letter V on the paper and review the sound it makes. Happy Homeschooling!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Free Magazine for Missouri Homeschoolers
If you live in the state of Missouri, there is a free magazine published by the Missouri Department of Conservation called XPLOR. This nature magazine is aimed at children, and I would say it's suitable for PK-5th or 6th grade. All you have to do is sign up at the website for your free copy.
We just received our first copy for Feb./Mar. and it's full of all kinds of neat stuff. To celebrate valentine's day, it talks about the different courting rituals of animals. It also has stories about how owls digest food, the edibility of dandelions, black bears, and a lot more little tid-bits of fun nature information. This is a great subscription to start if you're currently studying Missouri or plan on studying Missouri in the near future.
And if you're in a surrounding state that doesn't publish its own magazine, you can get a subscription to XPLOR for only $5, so that's fairly cheap. Happy Homeschooling!
We just received our first copy for Feb./Mar. and it's full of all kinds of neat stuff. To celebrate valentine's day, it talks about the different courting rituals of animals. It also has stories about how owls digest food, the edibility of dandelions, black bears, and a lot more little tid-bits of fun nature information. This is a great subscription to start if you're currently studying Missouri or plan on studying Missouri in the near future.
And if you're in a surrounding state that doesn't publish its own magazine, you can get a subscription to XPLOR for only $5, so that's fairly cheap. Happy Homeschooling!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
How To Make a Robot Valentines Box
Tonight we all worked on helping Gavin make his valentines box for school. He finally decided on a robot. We think it turned out really well. Here's the instructions for making your own robot valentine box.
Supplies:
1 large shoe box
1 small tissue box
Duct tape
2 mini slinkies (found at walmart in the party section)
2 soup or bean cans
4 mini kaleidoscopes (found at walmart in the party section)
heart stickers (came in the box of kids' valentines)
box cutter
black permanent marker
Start by wrapping both boxes in duct tape. Once that step is completed, start working on the head. Cut two eye holes a little smaller than the circumference of the kaleidoscopes. Push the kaleidoscopes into the holes for eyes. Gavin added heart stickers as the pupils. Then he drew on a face. Do the same thing on the sides of the tissue box for the knob ears.
Next, work on the body. First we cut a slit for the valentines in the center of the stomach and wrote INPUT HERE with a small arrow. Then we cut circles a little smaller than the circumference of the bean cans. We then stuffed the cans into the holes for legs. We then drilled a small hole into the sides of the shoe box and threaded the slinkies through the holes for arms. Gavin then decorated the body of his box with more stickers.
Finally, using more duct tape we attached the head to the body. There is one piece of duct tape on each side of the head and two pieces in the back. And that's how we made our robot valentines box. Happy homeschooling!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Young Adults Have Disturbing Ideas About Homeschooling
I've never been one to care about whether or not someone approves of homeschooling. If they're not paying my bills or supporting my family, they can stick their opinions wherever they want. But I always find it interesting to hear different opinions and the reasoning behind them. The opinions usually come fast and hard, but the reasoning is usually like "Well, uh...."
My friend who has the blog SAHMville posted an account of what happened when her husband asked a group of college students their thoughts on homeschooling. Now keep in mind these are the opinions of very young adults, late teens and early twenties. And this is a small sample in little ole' southeast Missouri. But it's disheartening to hear so many young people feel that homeschooling should be illegal. Didn't we already determine that parents can do just as well (if not better) at teaching their kids as any school system? This is just a reminder (or a slap in the face depending on how you take it) that the fight for educational choice will never end.
My friend who has the blog SAHMville posted an account of what happened when her husband asked a group of college students their thoughts on homeschooling. Now keep in mind these are the opinions of very young adults, late teens and early twenties. And this is a small sample in little ole' southeast Missouri. But it's disheartening to hear so many young people feel that homeschooling should be illegal. Didn't we already determine that parents can do just as well (if not better) at teaching their kids as any school system? This is just a reminder (or a slap in the face depending on how you take it) that the fight for educational choice will never end.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Visit My New Blog
I have a new blog in the works. It's called Our Money Saving Ways and can be found HERE. It's not homeschool related, but I know that many homeschoolers are interested in saving money. This blog will follow my family as we utilize certain techniques and practices to save money on everyday things. This isn't one of those get your groceries for .50 type blogs or anything like that. I think of it more as a blog that shows how we live comfortably on one and a half incomes (I work p/t from home). I hope you'll visit and share how you save money.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Valentines Day Card Boxes
Today we went over to a friend's house and worked on our Valentines Day card boxes. We've recently become acquainted with a family across the street who is also homeschooling preschoolers. I thought it would be fun if the girls got together and made Valentine boxes. Avlyn likes to make one because her brother makes them for school parties each year. And his school goes all out with some of the designs. We're talking a three story castle with a working drawbridge that the valentines fall out of. None of these staple two paper plates together, draw a heart, and write your name on it like they did when I was in school. So in lieu of all the valentine box excitement at the local elementary school,the tradition of making Valentine's Day boxes was born.
She's still at that age where she doesn't have a concrete idea for her box. She just wants to attack it with glue, glitter, paint, paper, and whatever else I give her. She wants it pretty and sparkly and for it to have her name on it, but that's about it. Her brother is working on turning a shoebox and a tissue box into a robot. I'll post pics and directions for that box when he's finished.
We started by taking a smaller-sized shoebox and covering the top with red paper. She then decorated it with pipe cleaners, stickers, paint pens, confetti, and crayons. She drew her name on the top and attached a 3-D heart made out of a craft stick and pipe cleaner. Here's the end product:
Her box has a flip top lid to add cards and goodies. Last year we used a regular shoebox with a full lid and just cut a slit in the top for the Valentine cards. We use the boxes to put Valentine goodies in for Valentines day and to keep any cards from friends organized. Next week we are having a small valentines party with the girls across the street, and will be filling up the boxes with all sorts of fun stuff. Happy Homeschooling!
She's still at that age where she doesn't have a concrete idea for her box. She just wants to attack it with glue, glitter, paint, paper, and whatever else I give her. She wants it pretty and sparkly and for it to have her name on it, but that's about it. Her brother is working on turning a shoebox and a tissue box into a robot. I'll post pics and directions for that box when he's finished.
We started by taking a smaller-sized shoebox and covering the top with red paper. She then decorated it with pipe cleaners, stickers, paint pens, confetti, and crayons. She drew her name on the top and attached a 3-D heart made out of a craft stick and pipe cleaner. Here's the end product:
Her box has a flip top lid to add cards and goodies. Last year we used a regular shoebox with a full lid and just cut a slit in the top for the Valentine cards. We use the boxes to put Valentine goodies in for Valentines day and to keep any cards from friends organized. Next week we are having a small valentines party with the girls across the street, and will be filling up the boxes with all sorts of fun stuff. Happy Homeschooling!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Need a Free Field Trip -Try the Pet Store
If you need a quick field trip idea, visit a pet store. Many pet stores will work with a large group and provide a field trip, but a small family can also benefit from a self-guided field trip to a pet store. We have two pet stores in our town. One is a family run store and one is a chain store. Both of these stores provide ample opportunities to learn about animals.
Avlyn and I recently read a book about coral reefs. Today we visited the chain pet store while wasting time until it was time to pick up her brother from a birthday party. This pet store has one large saltwater tank full of coral and sea anemones. It also has a rock fish, clown fish, hermit crabs, and snails that live in the coral tank. In smaller displays they sell saltwater fish, shrimp, and sharks. They even had one stingray they were holding for someone.
Even though we don't live near the ocean, Avlyn was able to see all the things she read about in the book first hand. Well, we didn't see a sea cucumber or a lobster. But we catch crawdads in the summer, so she's well aware of the general makings of a lobster.
While fish and sea animals are one thing you can see at a pet store, you can also visit when learning about snakes, mice, birds, and other small animals. We spent 30 minutes exploring the store and talking about the animals. She didn't even realize she was learning when she was asking me a bunch of questions. Do you have any ideas for a fun, free field trip? Let me know. Happy homeschooling!
Avlyn and I recently read a book about coral reefs. Today we visited the chain pet store while wasting time until it was time to pick up her brother from a birthday party. This pet store has one large saltwater tank full of coral and sea anemones. It also has a rock fish, clown fish, hermit crabs, and snails that live in the coral tank. In smaller displays they sell saltwater fish, shrimp, and sharks. They even had one stingray they were holding for someone.
Even though we don't live near the ocean, Avlyn was able to see all the things she read about in the book first hand. Well, we didn't see a sea cucumber or a lobster. But we catch crawdads in the summer, so she's well aware of the general makings of a lobster.
While fish and sea animals are one thing you can see at a pet store, you can also visit when learning about snakes, mice, birds, and other small animals. We spent 30 minutes exploring the store and talking about the animals. She didn't even realize she was learning when she was asking me a bunch of questions. Do you have any ideas for a fun, free field trip? Let me know. Happy homeschooling!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Transition Time
Avlyn turned 5 in December and I've noticed a transition already in her eagerness to learn. My once eager learner has turned into a hesitant, I-don't-want-to-be-bothered-with-school attitude. It could be the December break we took, or the fact that she just got over an illness that took a lot out of her, butI'm finding myself struggling to work with her.
Today she wanted to do our cooking projects, but not her reading or math. And I'm not a sit-down-and-do-your-workbook-or-else type of homeschool mom. Since we've had a long break with the holidays and then her illness, all I had planned for today was a review. Any ideas for dealing with a hesitant preschooler, or at least one unwilling to go back to 'school'?
Today she wanted to do our cooking projects, but not her reading or math. And I'm not a sit-down-and-do-your-workbook-or-else type of homeschool mom. Since we've had a long break with the holidays and then her illness, all I had planned for today was a review. Any ideas for dealing with a hesitant preschooler, or at least one unwilling to go back to 'school'?
Monday, January 4, 2010
Learning About Food with an Ice Cream Maker
I got an ice cream maker for Christmas. I love, love, love, love, it! Not only is the ice cream delicious, but we can custom-make our own flavors and not have to worry about anything getting discontinued and bumming us out. We made a batch of cookies-n-cream ice cream yesterday. This morning we made one of my favorites - strawberry.
Avlyn loves to help make the ice cream, and I used the opportunity to teach her a little about food additives. I want my kids to understand that not all foods are good for us, no matter how the company markets the food as being high in vitamins or fiber. While I know she doesn't grasp the terms 'preservatives' or 'high fructose corn syrup,' I tried explaining why the ice cream we make at home is healthier than the ice cream we can buy at the store.
Strawberry was the perfect flavor to start a discussion since it doesn't come out bright pink like the stuff sold in stores. I told her that most companies use red dye to make the pink color, and that it's not that good for our bodies. I also explained how some ice creams have gum paste and other items to give it a hard appearance and make it easier to package and sell. We went over each ingredient we put into our ice cream maker and how each of those ingredients didn't have any added 'bad stuff.' We also reduced the amount of cream in the strawberry recipe, resulting in a softer ice cream than yesterday's.
We're slowly phasing out packaged foods and taking baby steps to improve our eating habits. I think homeschoolers have an advantage since they don't need to rely on the schools to provide lunch or worry about their kids filling up on junk during a class party. Below is a picture of Avlyn stirring the milk and strawberry juices, along with the fresh-out-of-the-ice-cream-making-machine finished product. It's very soft right out of the maker, but hardens up once put in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Here is our recipe for strawberry ice cream:(use original recipe instructions if you want a richer, slightly thicker ice cream)
2 cups of whole milk (original recipe called for 1 cup of milk, 2 cups of heavy cream)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 bowl of chopped strawberries
1 cup of sugar
dash of vanilla
dash of O.J.
Add a Tbsp. or two of O.J. to the strawberries and 1/2C. sugar. Stir gently and chill for a couple hours or overnight. Mix together milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and juices created by the berries. We then pour this into our ice cream maker and add the fresh berries the last 5 minutes of mixing time, so just follow the instructions on your ice cream maker. That's it! Happy Homeschooling and happy ice cream making.
Avlyn loves to help make the ice cream, and I used the opportunity to teach her a little about food additives. I want my kids to understand that not all foods are good for us, no matter how the company markets the food as being high in vitamins or fiber. While I know she doesn't grasp the terms 'preservatives' or 'high fructose corn syrup,' I tried explaining why the ice cream we make at home is healthier than the ice cream we can buy at the store.
Strawberry was the perfect flavor to start a discussion since it doesn't come out bright pink like the stuff sold in stores. I told her that most companies use red dye to make the pink color, and that it's not that good for our bodies. I also explained how some ice creams have gum paste and other items to give it a hard appearance and make it easier to package and sell. We went over each ingredient we put into our ice cream maker and how each of those ingredients didn't have any added 'bad stuff.' We also reduced the amount of cream in the strawberry recipe, resulting in a softer ice cream than yesterday's.
We're slowly phasing out packaged foods and taking baby steps to improve our eating habits. I think homeschoolers have an advantage since they don't need to rely on the schools to provide lunch or worry about their kids filling up on junk during a class party. Below is a picture of Avlyn stirring the milk and strawberry juices, along with the fresh-out-of-the-ice-cream-making-machine finished product. It's very soft right out of the maker, but hardens up once put in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Here is our recipe for strawberry ice cream:(use original recipe instructions if you want a richer, slightly thicker ice cream)
2 cups of whole milk (original recipe called for 1 cup of milk, 2 cups of heavy cream)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 bowl of chopped strawberries
1 cup of sugar
dash of vanilla
dash of O.J.
Add a Tbsp. or two of O.J. to the strawberries and 1/2C. sugar. Stir gently and chill for a couple hours or overnight. Mix together milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and juices created by the berries. We then pour this into our ice cream maker and add the fresh berries the last 5 minutes of mixing time, so just follow the instructions on your ice cream maker. That's it! Happy Homeschooling and happy ice cream making.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year everyone! We are back in the groove starting Monday. My daughter has decided that she wants to try kindergarten at the local kindergarten center next year. I have my reservations, but pretty much all of her friends are going there and that's what solidified her decision. Our educational decisions are based off of our children's needs and wants. Homeschooling remains an open option for us at all times, but we've decided that we won't tell our kids they have to be homeschooled unless the public school system becomes unsafe or horribly underserves their needs.
My son decided to try school in first grade, and he's doing fine. My daughter, who has always been more social and active than my son, has decided she wants to be where her friends are. This does affect our homeschooling since I will no longer plan my preschool lessons based on where I want to be by the time kindergarten starts. In all honesty, I'm actually going to be doing less. I've already researched the general outline of the public school's kindergarten benchmarks, and we're already at many of those benchmarks. My biggest fear is that she'll start kindergarten and be bored like my son has been the last two years. This is the first year he finally feels challenged because he's learning new stuff.
So for the next few months I'm going to make sure she has her letter sounds down pat, a handful of sight words, and we're gonna work very hard on her speech problem. She struggles with the hard /k/ and /c/ sounds and pronounces them as /t/, /g/, or /d/ depending on what she's saying. Her math skills are already at kindergarten level. So for the blog I'll mostly be posting fun crafts and projects that we do.
My son decided to try school in first grade, and he's doing fine. My daughter, who has always been more social and active than my son, has decided she wants to be where her friends are. This does affect our homeschooling since I will no longer plan my preschool lessons based on where I want to be by the time kindergarten starts. In all honesty, I'm actually going to be doing less. I've already researched the general outline of the public school's kindergarten benchmarks, and we're already at many of those benchmarks. My biggest fear is that she'll start kindergarten and be bored like my son has been the last two years. This is the first year he finally feels challenged because he's learning new stuff.
So for the next few months I'm going to make sure she has her letter sounds down pat, a handful of sight words, and we're gonna work very hard on her speech problem. She struggles with the hard /k/ and /c/ sounds and pronounces them as /t/, /g/, or /d/ depending on what she's saying. Her math skills are already at kindergarten level. So for the blog I'll mostly be posting fun crafts and projects that we do.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Quick Christmas Recipes
Here are a couple quick recipes we use around our house during the holidays. Enjoy!
Quick Christmas Breakfast Danish
1 or 2 cans of crescent rolls
Fruit pie filling (we use blueberry and cherry)
1 can of vanilla icing
Unroll crescent dough. Take each triangle and roll into a log. Braid two together and then attach the ends to form a wreath shape. Smush the middle together with an indentation in the middle. Add a tsp. or so of pie filling to the middle. Cook 375* until browned. Let cool slightly, melt vanilla icing and drizzle over danishes. For a Christmas touch, tint the icing green for cherry danishes.
Rolo's Cookies
1 package of sugar cookie or peanut butter cookie dough
1 bag of Rolo's candies
Bowl of sugar
Take off a chunk of cookie dough and roll it into a golf-ball sized ball. Push a Rolo into the middle and re-roll the ball until smooth. Roll in loose sugar. Repeat. These spread, so put at least an inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake according to cookie dough directions on package.
Quick Christmas Breakfast Danish
1 or 2 cans of crescent rolls
Fruit pie filling (we use blueberry and cherry)
1 can of vanilla icing
Unroll crescent dough. Take each triangle and roll into a log. Braid two together and then attach the ends to form a wreath shape. Smush the middle together with an indentation in the middle. Add a tsp. or so of pie filling to the middle. Cook 375* until browned. Let cool slightly, melt vanilla icing and drizzle over danishes. For a Christmas touch, tint the icing green for cherry danishes.
Rolo's Cookies
1 package of sugar cookie or peanut butter cookie dough
1 bag of Rolo's candies
Bowl of sugar
Take off a chunk of cookie dough and roll it into a golf-ball sized ball. Push a Rolo into the middle and re-roll the ball until smooth. Roll in loose sugar. Repeat. These spread, so put at least an inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake according to cookie dough directions on package.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Charity
Hi, everyone.
We have been so busy. Homeschooling is on a hiatus for the month of December which is why I haven't posted much. I always plan to do school through the month, but we get so incredibly busy. However, we have done a few charitable things that I think are far more educational this time of year than the typical school work.
We did our Angel Tree child at the beginning of the month. We had a little girl who is 7, and the kids and I had a fun time shopping for her favorite items. (Barbie and Jonas Brothers) I have done Angel Tree since my son was 2 to teach them that there are kids and families who need a little help sometimes. So this was our seventh year doing the tree.
A couple new things Avlyn and I did was singing Christmas carols at a local nursing home and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. The nursing home was okay. I think it's a little scary for small children to be surrounded by older people in wheel chairs who either want to touch them or want the kids to go away so they can go back to sleep.
She had a blast ringing the bell at the red bucket for the Salvation Army. A friend of mine does it every year and invited some of us to join her. Although I talked with Avlyn about where the money goes and what it's used for, I'm not sure she understands completely. But it's a start in the right direction. My 9 year old was a little disappointed he couldn't go with us to ring the bell. I think teaching kids to be charitable is a wonderful thing. While it would be nice if it happened all year long, we tend to foucs our charitable works during the holidays.
We're doing something for March of Dimes in February, but after that we'll probably be done until next Christmas. My greatest hope is that my children will want to continue to do things for other people even when they're older and on their own.
We have been so busy. Homeschooling is on a hiatus for the month of December which is why I haven't posted much. I always plan to do school through the month, but we get so incredibly busy. However, we have done a few charitable things that I think are far more educational this time of year than the typical school work.
We did our Angel Tree child at the beginning of the month. We had a little girl who is 7, and the kids and I had a fun time shopping for her favorite items. (Barbie and Jonas Brothers) I have done Angel Tree since my son was 2 to teach them that there are kids and families who need a little help sometimes. So this was our seventh year doing the tree.
A couple new things Avlyn and I did was singing Christmas carols at a local nursing home and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. The nursing home was okay. I think it's a little scary for small children to be surrounded by older people in wheel chairs who either want to touch them or want the kids to go away so they can go back to sleep.
She had a blast ringing the bell at the red bucket for the Salvation Army. A friend of mine does it every year and invited some of us to join her. Although I talked with Avlyn about where the money goes and what it's used for, I'm not sure she understands completely. But it's a start in the right direction. My 9 year old was a little disappointed he couldn't go with us to ring the bell. I think teaching kids to be charitable is a wonderful thing. While it would be nice if it happened all year long, we tend to foucs our charitable works during the holidays.
We're doing something for March of Dimes in February, but after that we'll probably be done until next Christmas. My greatest hope is that my children will want to continue to do things for other people even when they're older and on their own.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
How to Make a Preschool Grocery List
One thing my daughter loves to do is help me grocery shop. Unfortunately, I find myself annoyed at having to constantly tell her what we need over and over as we shop. It makes me lose my train of thought, and then I get so hung up on helping her find the one thing she's looking for I forget to grab whatever else I need from that aisle. The other day I was downloading and printing out coupons and had an idea on how to make it easier for her to help me grocery shop.
I started by looking at all the things on my list. Then I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down stuff from my list onto her list. Since she's just learning to read, I then drew a picture of the item next to the word. I put most of the produce we needed on her list because it was the easiest thing to draw. So her list would say apples and then have a picture of apples, bananas and a picture of bananas, and so forth. She ended up with about 15 items on her list. Before we left, I had her go over the list with me to make sure she knew what my little outline drawings actually were. (She thought my crescent rolls were more bananas.)
She loves this idea and now won't shop without her own list. Another way to customize the list includes cutting out pictures of the items you need and pasting them on the list. You can also give your child coupons that you're going to use and have them find that item for you. Since most coupons include a full-color picture, it's easier to find than a hand-drawn box of sugar. Now when we shop we both have a list and a pen. To make sure I don't forget what's on her list, I include it on my list with a small line through it as a reminder. Happy homeschooling!
I started by looking at all the things on my list. Then I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down stuff from my list onto her list. Since she's just learning to read, I then drew a picture of the item next to the word. I put most of the produce we needed on her list because it was the easiest thing to draw. So her list would say apples and then have a picture of apples, bananas and a picture of bananas, and so forth. She ended up with about 15 items on her list. Before we left, I had her go over the list with me to make sure she knew what my little outline drawings actually were. (She thought my crescent rolls were more bananas.)
She loves this idea and now won't shop without her own list. Another way to customize the list includes cutting out pictures of the items you need and pasting them on the list. You can also give your child coupons that you're going to use and have them find that item for you. Since most coupons include a full-color picture, it's easier to find than a hand-drawn box of sugar. Now when we shop we both have a list and a pen. To make sure I don't forget what's on her list, I include it on my list with a small line through it as a reminder. Happy homeschooling!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
How to Make Turkey Handprint Cookies
This week we made handprint turkey cookies from sugar cookie dough. My daughter saw the idea when she was watching something on TV, so we created our own.
Items needed:
One roll of sugar cookie dough
Chocolate chips
Candy corns
Colored icing
Sprinkles
Anything else you want to add to your turkey
Step:
1. Trace your hand and your child's hand on a piece of construction paper and cut it out.
2. Roll out the dough and place the handprint on it. Using a knife, cut around the handprint and put the cookie hand on a sprayed baking pan.
3. Bake the cookie hands according to package directions.
4. When cool, decorate the cookies to look like turkeys. Use your imagination and have fun.
Happy Homeschooling and Happy Thanksgiving!
Items needed:
One roll of sugar cookie dough
Chocolate chips
Candy corns
Colored icing
Sprinkles
Anything else you want to add to your turkey
Step:
1. Trace your hand and your child's hand on a piece of construction paper and cut it out.
2. Roll out the dough and place the handprint on it. Using a knife, cut around the handprint and put the cookie hand on a sprayed baking pan.
3. Bake the cookie hands according to package directions.
4. When cool, decorate the cookies to look like turkeys. Use your imagination and have fun.
Happy Homeschooling and Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
How to Teach A Preschooler to....
I just got to thinking a few minutes ago about some eHow articles I'd written in the past that would make great topics for the blog. Then I figured it would just be easier to post the links to the articles and you guys could read the ones that interest you. So in an effort to maximize my time, here are the links to some eHow articles I've written that deal with preschool homeschooling or homeschooling in general. I hope you find something useful. Happy Homeschooling!
Teach Children to Memorize Songs in Preschool
Teach a Preschooler to Use a Computer
Teach Kids About Feelings
Teach Math and Reading with Beach Balls
Teach Kids About Cavities
Teach Preschoolers Through Cooking
Teach Math with Dice Games
How to Find Homeschooling Supplies at Yard Sales
How to Pick a Homeschool Magazine
Teach Children to Memorize Songs in Preschool
Teach a Preschooler to Use a Computer
Teach Kids About Feelings
Teach Math and Reading with Beach Balls
Teach Kids About Cavities
Teach Preschoolers Through Cooking
Teach Math with Dice Games
How to Find Homeschooling Supplies at Yard Sales
How to Pick a Homeschool Magazine
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' - A Storybook Review
I love reading book reviews from real people who truly love a book. While magazines give a general idea of a book, I think when a book is truly something a family enjoys the review is so much better. Recently I read the kids a book called Thanksgiving at the Tappletons'
by Eileen Spinelli. I think it's a great story about the true meaning of Thanksgiving that both engages and delights preschoolers. Avlyn laughed at the pictures and really enjoyed the story.
Now I have read some fun stories that try to convey the meaning of Thanksgiving using cute characters like mice and bears, but this story uses a family that seems more real than some of the Thanksgiving stories we've read.
The Tappletons' Thanksgiving starts off all wrong when the milkman causes mom to drop the turkey, and it slides on the icy steps, down the yard, and into a lake. Then when dad's impatience causes him to miss out on the bakery's Thanksgiving pies, the reader knows dessert will be a disaster. But dad tries to trick mom by bringing home empty pie boxes and, *gasp*, lying to mom that the baker is known for her light pies. When brother fails to mention that he fed all the salad fixings to the bunnies in his classroom, and sister's penchant for gabbing on the phone while the potatoes are mashing in the blender, (yes, the blender) all the trimmings for the turkey are ruined.
But with everyone trying to hide their Thanksgiving goofs, no one realizes there isn't any traditional food ready for the arriving relatives. It's not until everyone sits down to eat and Grandma wants to say the prayer that they realize there's no food. That's when Grandma reminds them that Thanksgiving isn't about turkey and trimmings, but about being with people you love. Even without a table full of food, Grandma still says a wonderful prayer of Thanksgiving. It's after the prayer when mom remembers that she has a fridge full of liverwurst....
What did we like about this book? We liked that the family made a bunch of mistakes they tried to cover up. Who hasn't made mistakes on Thanksgiving, whether it's serving a raw turkey or forgetting to bake the pies, and not wanted to cover it up somehow. We liked that the family worked together to get Thanksgiving ready, even if they did manage to collectively ruin dinner. And the kids loved the illustration of the turkey sliding across the yard and landing, "Plop!" in the lake.
We used this book to open up some preschool-aged talk about Thanksgiving. We also touched a little on what would have been different had the family been honest and told the other people what happened. But most of all we just enjoyed the fun story abou the blunder-filled Thanksgiving that still ended up wonderful.
If you can't find this at your local library, Amazon has a few used copies for cheap. But it does seem to be currently out of print for new editions. The link above will take you to Amazon if you want a used copy. Happy Homeschooling!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Leaf Feather Turkey Craft
Thanksgiving is getting closer, which means we'll soon be putting up our Christmas tree and getting ready for Santa. The last couple of weeks we've read a lot of Thanksgiving books that had to do with turkeys. I think Avlyn has the whole turkey for Thanksgiving idea down pat. This week and next we're focusing on pilgrims and indians. One activity we did after reading a story was a leaf feather turkey craft.
I printed out the template for the turkey from The Best Kids Book Site, but instead of using handprints, we went outside and gathered up a bunch of leaves to use as the feathers. It was Avlyn's idea to add spots to her turkey. I also used it to reinforce the letter T and the sound it makes. Here's our finished project:
Happy Homeschooling!
I printed out the template for the turkey from The Best Kids Book Site, but instead of using handprints, we went outside and gathered up a bunch of leaves to use as the feathers. It was Avlyn's idea to add spots to her turkey. I also used it to reinforce the letter T and the sound it makes. Here's our finished project:
Happy Homeschooling!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
What Is Phonics?
Phonics is the relationship of letters and letter sounds and how these letters and sounds combine to form words. Phonics is a cornerstone for reading and writing. It's what people are talking about when they tell kids to "sound it out." It involves consonant sounds, vowel sounds, and word families.
Studies have shown that a systematic approach to phonics is best for future reading and writing achievement. A systematic approach means that you have organized how you will teach phonics and aren't jumping from one concept to another with no rhyme or reason.
Experts will tell you that phonics instruction starts in kindergarten, but homeschoolers know that preschoolers, and even toddlers, can pick up basic phonics instruction. If you're yearning to start teaching reading, phonics should become a part of your everyday routine. Even if you only get 15 minutes of instruction in, that is something you can build on throughout the year. And homeschoolers don't really need to dedicate a 90-minute reading block like the public schools do, because the one-on-one attention means kids really learn what they need to in the first 15 to 20 minutes, at least in my experience.
Here is how our homeschool teaches phonics, with preschool focusing on consonant, vowel, and beginning letter sounds:
Consonant sounds
Beginning consonant letter sounds - focusing on the different sounds C and G can make in the beginning (cat-cent, go-gem)
Vowel sounds - with a focus on long e
Word families - ock, ake, etc...
Beginning consonant combinations - Br, Gr, Pr, Qu, Ph
Ending sound combinations - ing, ed, etc...
Happy Homeschooling!
Studies have shown that a systematic approach to phonics is best for future reading and writing achievement. A systematic approach means that you have organized how you will teach phonics and aren't jumping from one concept to another with no rhyme or reason.
Experts will tell you that phonics instruction starts in kindergarten, but homeschoolers know that preschoolers, and even toddlers, can pick up basic phonics instruction. If you're yearning to start teaching reading, phonics should become a part of your everyday routine. Even if you only get 15 minutes of instruction in, that is something you can build on throughout the year. And homeschoolers don't really need to dedicate a 90-minute reading block like the public schools do, because the one-on-one attention means kids really learn what they need to in the first 15 to 20 minutes, at least in my experience.
Here is how our homeschool teaches phonics, with preschool focusing on consonant, vowel, and beginning letter sounds:
Consonant sounds
Beginning consonant letter sounds - focusing on the different sounds C and G can make in the beginning (cat-cent, go-gem)
Vowel sounds - with a focus on long e
Word families - ock, ake, etc...
Beginning consonant combinations - Br, Gr, Pr, Qu, Ph
Ending sound combinations - ing, ed, etc...
Happy Homeschooling!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Teaching Preschool Reading - Phonics vs. Sight Words
This is just the first post in a series I'll be posting about reading instruction.
The first couple years of homeschooling involve a lot of reading instruction. I know some homeschoolers who focus on nothing but reading until their child hits 1st grade. I can honestly say that even with a BA in English and four years as a reading coordinator for a tutoring program, teaching reading to my own child was the hardest thing I've done.
I've taught other people's kids reading basics and studied different theories and methods on reading instruction, but when it came to my own kid I hit a wall. In fact, I slammed into the wall, passed out, and didn't quite know what was going on when I came to.
My son was very difficult to teach when it came to reading instruction. I focused mostly on teaching phonics, and while he did learn how to sound out words well, he just could not get down the fluency. I was frustrated. He was frustrated. I think the alphabet was frustrated. I bought the Headsprout program, hoping a different type of instruction would help. He liked completing the program, but his reading was the same.
It wasn't until I started reading instruction with my daughter that I realized where I went wrong with my son. I didn't combine phonics with sight word reading. I'm fully convinced that the best form of teaching reading is to combine phonics instruction with sight words. I call it the "sightnics" method. Just my own little term for it.
Basically Avlyn and I study four sight words at a time. The current set is the words A, An, And, The. This is actually our first set of words, and I will probably do one more set before we get busy with the holidays. After our sight word study we do a little phonics teaching. Right now we are still on consonant sounds.
At first I felt like I failed my son. But after talking to his first grade teacher a couple years ago and hearing her say that he had a wonderful grasp of phonics, I knew I did something right. I just didn't know how to put it into action so I could teach him how to put it into action. I can't go back, but I can rectify the mistakes I made with him so that my daughter is a fluent reader by first grade.
If you're a first year homeschooler, remember that you will make mistakes as you navigate the waters of reading and math instruction, but you will learn from those mistakes and continue learning all through your homeschooling adventure. Happy Homeschooling!
The first couple years of homeschooling involve a lot of reading instruction. I know some homeschoolers who focus on nothing but reading until their child hits 1st grade. I can honestly say that even with a BA in English and four years as a reading coordinator for a tutoring program, teaching reading to my own child was the hardest thing I've done.
I've taught other people's kids reading basics and studied different theories and methods on reading instruction, but when it came to my own kid I hit a wall. In fact, I slammed into the wall, passed out, and didn't quite know what was going on when I came to.
My son was very difficult to teach when it came to reading instruction. I focused mostly on teaching phonics, and while he did learn how to sound out words well, he just could not get down the fluency. I was frustrated. He was frustrated. I think the alphabet was frustrated. I bought the Headsprout program, hoping a different type of instruction would help. He liked completing the program, but his reading was the same.
It wasn't until I started reading instruction with my daughter that I realized where I went wrong with my son. I didn't combine phonics with sight word reading. I'm fully convinced that the best form of teaching reading is to combine phonics instruction with sight words. I call it the "sightnics" method. Just my own little term for it.
Basically Avlyn and I study four sight words at a time. The current set is the words A, An, And, The. This is actually our first set of words, and I will probably do one more set before we get busy with the holidays. After our sight word study we do a little phonics teaching. Right now we are still on consonant sounds.
At first I felt like I failed my son. But after talking to his first grade teacher a couple years ago and hearing her say that he had a wonderful grasp of phonics, I knew I did something right. I just didn't know how to put it into action so I could teach him how to put it into action. I can't go back, but I can rectify the mistakes I made with him so that my daughter is a fluent reader by first grade.
If you're a first year homeschooler, remember that you will make mistakes as you navigate the waters of reading and math instruction, but you will learn from those mistakes and continue learning all through your homeschooling adventure. Happy Homeschooling!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Preschool Learning Centers
Hey everyone,
My finger is healing and I'm back to writing work, which means I can also get back to the blog. I don't have my stuff ready for November yet, but I did want to share something we did last month.
Avlyn seems to thrive on the whole concept of preschool learning centers. In daycares these are usually areas dedicated to one particular learning concept. In our homeschool, these are spots on my dining room wall that cover certain concepts. Since including these 'learning centers' as part of our daily routine, Avlyn has picked up concepts without me even having to try. Part of the reason is because she loves changing the weather center, referring to the letter center when writing, counting out money at the money center, marking off days at the calendar center, and showcasing her work at the arts and supplies center.
Creating simple preschool learning centers is fun and beneficial to your homeschool. Below I'll detail our centers and what we have in them.
1. Calendar center
Here I post a printed out calendar. I used seasonal pictures from DLTK's Custom Calendar Centerto print out a calendar page for each month. Every day we review the month, day of the week, all the days of the week, the number of days in the month, and then she marks off the day.
2. Money center
Here I taped up paper coins I found at the Dollar Tree store. Above those I taped the actual coins for a better reference. She reviews the coins and how much they're worth at the money center. I will add dollar bills and a 'store' to the money center later on this year. If you don't have a dollar store nearby, you can find free money printables at Money Instructor.
3. Letter center
This is the spot on our wall where we hang our letter strips. We use these strips to review letters, letter sounds, and when handwriting.I also purchased these from the Dollar Tree store.
4. Weather center
This is one of her favorite centers because it changes everyday. I put up a sign that says, "Today's weather is". I then attached two magnets to the wall and to paper weather pictures. (Yes, Dollar Tree store again)She has pictures of a sun, snow, rain, clouds, wind, and a girl wrapped up in a scarf looking at a below 0 thermometer. I did print out the wind and cold girl since our weather package didn't have those elements.
5. Art and supplies center
This is the area where I hung a pocket folder to keep all her supplies. She also showcases her craft projects. This will soon be the art/sight words center as I'll be hanging up the monthly sight words on this wall.
And that's it. A really simple but fun way to incorporate traditional learning centers into your homeschool routine. Happy Homeschooling!
My finger is healing and I'm back to writing work, which means I can also get back to the blog. I don't have my stuff ready for November yet, but I did want to share something we did last month.
Avlyn seems to thrive on the whole concept of preschool learning centers. In daycares these are usually areas dedicated to one particular learning concept. In our homeschool, these are spots on my dining room wall that cover certain concepts. Since including these 'learning centers' as part of our daily routine, Avlyn has picked up concepts without me even having to try. Part of the reason is because she loves changing the weather center, referring to the letter center when writing, counting out money at the money center, marking off days at the calendar center, and showcasing her work at the arts and supplies center.
Creating simple preschool learning centers is fun and beneficial to your homeschool. Below I'll detail our centers and what we have in them.
1. Calendar center
Here I post a printed out calendar. I used seasonal pictures from DLTK's Custom Calendar Centerto print out a calendar page for each month. Every day we review the month, day of the week, all the days of the week, the number of days in the month, and then she marks off the day.
2. Money center
Here I taped up paper coins I found at the Dollar Tree store. Above those I taped the actual coins for a better reference. She reviews the coins and how much they're worth at the money center. I will add dollar bills and a 'store' to the money center later on this year. If you don't have a dollar store nearby, you can find free money printables at Money Instructor.
3. Letter center
This is the spot on our wall where we hang our letter strips. We use these strips to review letters, letter sounds, and when handwriting.I also purchased these from the Dollar Tree store.
4. Weather center
This is one of her favorite centers because it changes everyday. I put up a sign that says, "Today's weather is". I then attached two magnets to the wall and to paper weather pictures. (Yes, Dollar Tree store again)She has pictures of a sun, snow, rain, clouds, wind, and a girl wrapped up in a scarf looking at a below 0 thermometer. I did print out the wind and cold girl since our weather package didn't have those elements.
5. Art and supplies center
This is the area where I hung a pocket folder to keep all her supplies. She also showcases her craft projects. This will soon be the art/sight words center as I'll be hanging up the monthly sight words on this wall.
And that's it. A really simple but fun way to incorporate traditional learning centers into your homeschool routine. Happy Homeschooling!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Taking a Short Break
Hello,
I didn't want to just take off for a little bit without posting first. I need to take a few weeks off from posting. We haven't stopped learning and doing activities, but typing is very hard for me right now. I cut my finger on a broken pie dish and severed the nerve. I can no longer feel the top half of my middle finger on my left hand, and I'm left handed. So while we'll continue learning, I won't be able to share the lessons for October like I originally planned. I hope to pick up again in November. Happy homeschooling!
I didn't want to just take off for a little bit without posting first. I need to take a few weeks off from posting. We haven't stopped learning and doing activities, but typing is very hard for me right now. I cut my finger on a broken pie dish and severed the nerve. I can no longer feel the top half of my middle finger on my left hand, and I'm left handed. So while we'll continue learning, I won't be able to share the lessons for October like I originally planned. I hope to pick up again in November. Happy homeschooling!
Monday, October 19, 2009
HSLDA'a Christopher Klicka Dies.
The Homeschool Legal Defense Association's first full-time attorney has lost his fight against Multiple Sclerosis. Christopher Klicka, a great advocate for homeschooling and a parent's right to homeschool, passed away on October 12th. He was an integral legal voice for many homeschooling families. If you'd like to learn more about Christopher Klicka's life or leave a tribute, you can visit this HSLDA page to do so. It's always sad to lose a homeschooling pioneer and advocate who has helped so many families on their homeschooling journey.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Pumpkin Preschool Lesson Plan for Ordinal Numbers
Preschoolers are notorious for chanting "me first" when it's time to get something or stand in a line. But what about the rest of the ordinal numbers? Would it cause less meltdowns if kids thought they were 4th in line rather than last in line? Probably not, but it's worth a shot. Here is a simple lesson Avlyn and I did the other day, taking full advantage of fall time and pumpkins.
Objective:
Teach ordinal numbers 1st through 5th using the "5 Little Pumpkins" song and a craft.
Materials:
*Long piece of brown paper - an flattened wrapping paper tube works best, but you can staple a few pieces of construction paper together.
*Orange and green construction paper
*Crayons
*Glue
Begin by drawing a fence along the bottom of the brown paper. Let your child color the fence. Avlyn added some spiders to her fence. While your child colors the fence, cut out five orange circles that will fit comfortably on the top of the fence. Also cut out five green squares for stems. On the bottom of the pumpkins write 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Leave enough room for your child to draw faces.
After the fence is colored, review the ordinal numbers written on the pumpkins. Show your child how each pumpkin has a place based on their ordinal number. Then, have them glue the stems on the pumpkin based on their number. For example, you will say "glue the stem on the 3rd pumpkin" and so forth.
Let your child draw fun faces on each pumpkin, but instruct them not to cover up the number. Once the faces are drawn, ask your child to put the pumpkins in order based on their ordinal numbers. Review ordinals and give any help needed. Next, sing the
5 Little Pumpkins song, holding up the corresponding pumpkin.
Tape the fence to a wall and have your child attach the pumpkins on the fence in ordinal number order.
I mixed up the pumpkins and then had her pick which was 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so forth. Then we sang the song again and she pointed to each pumpkin. I also gave her a speed quiz where I quickly told her to point to the 1st pumpkin, 4th pumpkin, 3rd pumpkin and so forth. And that was our lesson plan for working with ordinal numbers up to 5. Happy homeschooling!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Halloween Songs
I have only two Halloween songs that I can remember learning as a child. They are Old Mrs. Witch and 5 Little Pumpkins. Below are the words, as I remember them, to these two Halloween songs. There is also a short song, sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" that my daughter and I made up to go along with a ghost craft. 5 little pumpkins is a great song to go along with teaching ordinal numbers. We will be doing a craft and lesson plan for the 5 Little Pumpkins song that I'll post later this week. If you and your child practice the song, you'll be all set to do the lesson plan. Happy homeschooling!
Old Mrs. Witch
Old Mrs. Witch Old Mrs. Witch
Tell me how you fly, tell me how you fly
I fly on my broom stick up in the sky.
Old Mrs. Witch (repeat)
Tell me what you see (repeat)
I see a little jack o lantern looking at me
Old Mrs. Witch (repeat)
Tell me what you'll do (repeat)
I'll fly on my broom stick and SCARE YOU! (Yell loudly)
5 Little Pumpkins
5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate
the first one says, "Oh, my it's getting late."
The second one says, "There are witches in the air."
The third one says, "Oh, I don't care."
The fourth one says, "Let's get ready for some fun."
The fifth one says, "Let's run and run and run."
Oooohh went the wind, out went the lights, and the 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
Flying, Flying, Little Ghost
Flying, flying little ghost
You're the one who scares the most
Trick or treaters walking by
As you chase them from the sky
Flying, flying little ghost
You're the one who scares the most.
Old Mrs. Witch
Old Mrs. Witch Old Mrs. Witch
Tell me how you fly, tell me how you fly
I fly on my broom stick up in the sky.
Old Mrs. Witch (repeat)
Tell me what you see (repeat)
I see a little jack o lantern looking at me
Old Mrs. Witch (repeat)
Tell me what you'll do (repeat)
I'll fly on my broom stick and SCARE YOU! (Yell loudly)
5 Little Pumpkins
5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate
the first one says, "Oh, my it's getting late."
The second one says, "There are witches in the air."
The third one says, "Oh, I don't care."
The fourth one says, "Let's get ready for some fun."
The fifth one says, "Let's run and run and run."
Oooohh went the wind, out went the lights, and the 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
Flying, Flying, Little Ghost
Flying, flying little ghost
You're the one who scares the most
Trick or treaters walking by
As you chase them from the sky
Flying, flying little ghost
You're the one who scares the most.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Christopher Columbus Coloring Sheets and Activities
..
Columbus Day is October 12th. If you live in America, you may spend some of your homeschooling time teaching your kids about Christopher Columbus. Preschool is the perfect time to build a foundation on this historical figure. While a complicated history lesson isn't necessary because it won't be remembered, and most likely not comprehended, letting preschoolers color a picture of Columbus is a great way to start. The history lessons you teach your preschooler now can be built upon a little each year. This method helps build a solid education about historical topics.
You can find Columbus coloring sheets HERE.
For a more hands-on approach to Christopher Columbus, you can help your preschooler complete a craft. My son brought home an art project he did at school for the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. (Pictured above) I think it's very basic and works for a preschooler, too. I would start by reading a book about Christopher Columbus and then proceed with the craft. Here's a suggestion for a good preschool level book:
:
I hope this gives you a couple of ideas, or at least a jumping off point for Columbus Day ideas for a preschooler. Happy homeschooling!
Columbus Day is October 12th. If you live in America, you may spend some of your homeschooling time teaching your kids about Christopher Columbus. Preschool is the perfect time to build a foundation on this historical figure. While a complicated history lesson isn't necessary because it won't be remembered, and most likely not comprehended, letting preschoolers color a picture of Columbus is a great way to start. The history lessons you teach your preschooler now can be built upon a little each year. This method helps build a solid education about historical topics.
You can find Columbus coloring sheets HERE.
For a more hands-on approach to Christopher Columbus, you can help your preschooler complete a craft. My son brought home an art project he did at school for the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. (Pictured above) I think it's very basic and works for a preschooler, too. I would start by reading a book about Christopher Columbus and then proceed with the craft. Here's a suggestion for a good preschool level book:
:
I hope this gives you a couple of ideas, or at least a jumping off point for Columbus Day ideas for a preschooler. Happy homeschooling!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Happy October
Welcome to fall everyone. It's officially gotten colder here, and I do love this time of the year. Although we live in Missouri, we're originally from South Florida, which means we're still getting used to seasonal changes and actually having to wear sweaters in October. I've decided that at the beginning of each month I'll post a rundown of what's gonna be on the blog. Hopefully, you'll see something you're interested in and come back to check it out. Of course, I'll add posts as the inspiration strikes, but I'll use my general homeschooling outline to let you know what's coming up.
Vist the blog in October for posts on:
Pumpkin painting
Pumpkin lesson plan ideas
Halloween songs
Halloween crafts - including a bat and ghost craft
Fall foods - particularly apple-filled muffins
Weighing and measuring activities using apples and pumpkins
A recap and pictures of our pumpkin patch field trips (yes, it's plural. We'll be pumpkined (is that a word?) out by the end of October.
Happy Homeschooling!
Vist the blog in October for posts on:
Pumpkin painting
Pumpkin lesson plan ideas
Halloween songs
Halloween crafts - including a bat and ghost craft
Fall foods - particularly apple-filled muffins
Weighing and measuring activities using apples and pumpkins
A recap and pictures of our pumpkin patch field trips (yes, it's plural. We'll be pumpkined (is that a word?) out by the end of October.
Happy Homeschooling!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Learn Letters With a Letter Game
Educational companies sell an endless supply of alphabet learning games. There are online programs, letter software, and a myriad of workbooks aimed at teaching preschoolers letter recognition. I've found the best games to be ones we make at home using markers and paper. One we made today was to help with recognizing upper and lower case letters. We call it "The Letter Match Game."
You can tailor this to meet your own needs, using colored papers, holiday-specific designs, substituting words for letters, etc... Here's how we make and play "The Letter Match Game."
Supplies:
Papers
Pencil
Scissors
Fold the papers so you have twelve rectangles divided down the middle with a crease. Cut along the middle crease and then cut out the rectangles. Gather a stack of rectangles and fold them in half so you have two squares. Cut in half. Write all the uppercase letters and then the lowercase letters on their own squares. Lay them out and review all the letters. Ask your child to pick if they want to be uppercase or lowercase.
Help them spread the letters out faceup on their side, in no particular order. If you're just starting letter recognition, then it might work best to put the squares in ABC order. Spread your letters out faceup on your side. Have a little scoring paper to keep points.
Rules:
The child goes first and asks if you have a match for a certain letter. They can choose any letter on their side that they want a match for. They must say the letter, not just hold up the paper. You then look for the matching letter and hand it to your child. If you can find the match within 20 seconds, (you can increase or decrease this time depending on ability) you get a point. It's now your turn to ask for a match. Your child then looks for the matching letter and hands it to you. If they find the matching letter in 20 seconds, they get a point.
If you or your child doesn't find the match in the alloted time, the person asking for the match gets a point and another turn. The letter just goes back into the mix to be used on another turn.
To make sure Avlyn comes out a point ahead, I will pretend not to be able to find a match in the 20 seconds a couple times. This keeps her from getting frustrated, because there are times when she does not find the match in 20 seconds and loses her point and her turn.
Happy Homeschooling!!
You can tailor this to meet your own needs, using colored papers, holiday-specific designs, substituting words for letters, etc... Here's how we make and play "The Letter Match Game."
Supplies:
Papers
Pencil
Scissors
Fold the papers so you have twelve rectangles divided down the middle with a crease. Cut along the middle crease and then cut out the rectangles. Gather a stack of rectangles and fold them in half so you have two squares. Cut in half. Write all the uppercase letters and then the lowercase letters on their own squares. Lay them out and review all the letters. Ask your child to pick if they want to be uppercase or lowercase.
Help them spread the letters out faceup on their side, in no particular order. If you're just starting letter recognition, then it might work best to put the squares in ABC order. Spread your letters out faceup on your side. Have a little scoring paper to keep points.
Rules:
The child goes first and asks if you have a match for a certain letter. They can choose any letter on their side that they want a match for. They must say the letter, not just hold up the paper. You then look for the matching letter and hand it to your child. If you can find the match within 20 seconds, (you can increase or decrease this time depending on ability) you get a point. It's now your turn to ask for a match. Your child then looks for the matching letter and hands it to you. If they find the matching letter in 20 seconds, they get a point.
If you or your child doesn't find the match in the alloted time, the person asking for the match gets a point and another turn. The letter just goes back into the mix to be used on another turn.
To make sure Avlyn comes out a point ahead, I will pretend not to be able to find a match in the 20 seconds a couple times. This keeps her from getting frustrated, because there are times when she does not find the match in 20 seconds and loses her point and her turn.
Happy Homeschooling!!
Monday, September 28, 2009
And the Winner Is....
Jammie! Congratulations to Jammie for winning the SpellQuizzercontest. A copy of this preschool software is on its way to her and her daughter. I hope you guys get plenty of use from this spelling software program. Thanks to all for entering the contest.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Letter W Whale Art Activity
I'm finally back on track. We haven't done much school-wise the past couple weeks because I've been ill. But we're back on track this week, and I wanted to post about something we did a few weeks ago for the letter W. Avlyn has pretty much gotten over her confusion of capital W and capital M, but this is a fun project for those of you still working on these letters. This also works for those of you needing an ocean themed activity.
Items needed:
Washable paints (We use the Crayola brand, and they do wash out easily.)
Construction paper (We cut ours into smaller rectangles, but you can use a whole sheet.)
Q-tips
W for Whale
Using a marker, write an upper and lower case W on the top left of the paper. Next, write the word "whale" to the right.
Have your child use a Q-tip to paint the ocean on the bottom of the paper. Then, help them dip their thumb into some paint and make a sideways thumbprint on the paper. This is the body of your whale. Using the Q-tips, they can give the whale a more distinct tail, water coming from its spout, and a face. They can also draw clouds, fish, birds, or anything else they like on the paper. If they have space, they can add more whales to the paper. Let it dry and hang on your display wall. Here's what Avlyn's looked like.
You can see that her whale is pink and seems to be out on the ocean all alone. I tried to get her to add more stuff, but she was happy with it the way it is. Happy Homeschooling!
Items needed:
Washable paints (We use the Crayola brand, and they do wash out easily.)
Construction paper (We cut ours into smaller rectangles, but you can use a whole sheet.)
Q-tips
W for Whale
Using a marker, write an upper and lower case W on the top left of the paper. Next, write the word "whale" to the right.
Have your child use a Q-tip to paint the ocean on the bottom of the paper. Then, help them dip their thumb into some paint and make a sideways thumbprint on the paper. This is the body of your whale. Using the Q-tips, they can give the whale a more distinct tail, water coming from its spout, and a face. They can also draw clouds, fish, birds, or anything else they like on the paper. If they have space, they can add more whales to the paper. Let it dry and hang on your display wall. Here's what Avlyn's looked like.
You can see that her whale is pink and seems to be out on the ocean all alone. I tried to get her to add more stuff, but she was happy with it the way it is. Happy Homeschooling!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Two Days Left to Enter the Free SpellQuizzer Contest
There are two days left in the SpellQuizzer comment contest. By simply leaving a homeschooling, parenting, or education related comment on one of my blog postings, you're entered to win a free copy of SpellQuizzer. This program helps students practice spelling and vocabulary words utilizing an online software program. So check out my posting about Fall Curriculum Ideas and leave a comment with an idea of your own. Good luck! Contest ends Sunday at 11:59.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Preschool Fall Curriculum Ideas
Fall is upon us and it's one of my favorite times of the year. I was born and raised in South Florida, where the temperature doesn't seem to get below 70* until January. Moving to Missouri helped me see why people make such a big deal about autumn weather. Since I love the season so much, I also enjoy doing lots of fall-related activities. Here are some ideas for your preschool homeschooling fall curriculum.
* Leafrubbings- Go for a walk and collect a handful of fall leaves. Lay them under a piece of white paper and gently rub with crayons to see the design.
* Cook apple cider and other treats - An apple theme for fall is perfect, and making a batch of apple cider, apple muffins, apple roll-ups, and apple butter is a perfect way to teach cooking. I'll post a recipe for easy apple roll-ups soon.
* Create a pumpkin patch - We plant our own pumpkins every year. If you've never done it, you'll be surprised how easy it is, and how many pumpkins you get from just one or two plants. Last year we had two plants and got 18 big pumpkins. This year we planted miniature pumpkins and got 24 from two plants. Collect all your pumpkins, some straw, and a couple scarecrows and create a pumpkin patch. You can plan plenty of math activities around your pumpkin patch as your child sells and buys the pumpkins from the patch.
*Create a fall tree - This preschool project is a little time consuming, but it's fun and engaging. Using brown paper, create a tree trunk on the wall. Make the trunk as tall as your child so they can reach the leaves. Next, create fall leaves using your leaf rubbings or tracing around a leaf and cutting out the shape.
Use colored papers in red, yellow, orange, brown, and purple. As fall progresses, have your child remove the leaves. You can have some falling down the wall, some lying at the bottom of the trunk, and some completely removed from the tree. By the time winter gets here, the tree should be bare. This is a great way for a small child to track how long a season lasts.
If you'd like more fall ideas, check out this book from Amazon for a fall-centered preschool curriculum.
Happy Homeschooling!
* Leafrubbings- Go for a walk and collect a handful of fall leaves. Lay them under a piece of white paper and gently rub with crayons to see the design.
* Cook apple cider and other treats - An apple theme for fall is perfect, and making a batch of apple cider, apple muffins, apple roll-ups, and apple butter is a perfect way to teach cooking. I'll post a recipe for easy apple roll-ups soon.
* Create a pumpkin patch - We plant our own pumpkins every year. If you've never done it, you'll be surprised how easy it is, and how many pumpkins you get from just one or two plants. Last year we had two plants and got 18 big pumpkins. This year we planted miniature pumpkins and got 24 from two plants. Collect all your pumpkins, some straw, and a couple scarecrows and create a pumpkin patch. You can plan plenty of math activities around your pumpkin patch as your child sells and buys the pumpkins from the patch.
*Create a fall tree - This preschool project is a little time consuming, but it's fun and engaging. Using brown paper, create a tree trunk on the wall. Make the trunk as tall as your child so they can reach the leaves. Next, create fall leaves using your leaf rubbings or tracing around a leaf and cutting out the shape.
Use colored papers in red, yellow, orange, brown, and purple. As fall progresses, have your child remove the leaves. You can have some falling down the wall, some lying at the bottom of the trunk, and some completely removed from the tree. By the time winter gets here, the tree should be bare. This is a great way for a small child to track how long a season lasts.
If you'd like more fall ideas, check out this book from Amazon for a fall-centered preschool curriculum.
Happy Homeschooling!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
What Happens to Your Homeschool When You Have a Sick Family?
Fall and winter are the two seasons in my house when everyone starts sniffling and coughing. Sometimes they're just your run-of-the-mill cough and sniffle. Other times they turn into full-blown colds, or even worse, the flu. So what do you do when one or more of your family members are out with an illness? How do you get your homeschooling done when one is coughing, one is sleeping, and you yourself just want to crawl into bed? The answer is simple - you don't.
Being a homeschooler means you have the freedom to take a week or two off when the family is down and out with an illness. There is no reason to force a kid to sit and do school work when they aren't feeling well. And if the kids are fine but mom is under the weather, it's okay to take some time off then, too. This just happened to us recently. I suffer from the occasional migraine, and my stomach has never been my friend. I just had a bad bout of illness the last week and am still recovering slightly. Our September work has suffered because of it, but I know we'll catch up.
So if you homeschool and the germ bugs hit your house hard, take a deep breath, (if it doesn't cause you to cough all over the place)relax, and realize that homeschoolers can make up missed work on the weekends, at night, during the holidays, and on vacation. There is no penalty for taking a little R&R when the health of your family is under attack. Happy homeschooling!
Being a homeschooler means you have the freedom to take a week or two off when the family is down and out with an illness. There is no reason to force a kid to sit and do school work when they aren't feeling well. And if the kids are fine but mom is under the weather, it's okay to take some time off then, too. This just happened to us recently. I suffer from the occasional migraine, and my stomach has never been my friend. I just had a bad bout of illness the last week and am still recovering slightly. Our September work has suffered because of it, but I know we'll catch up.
So if you homeschool and the germ bugs hit your house hard, take a deep breath, (if it doesn't cause you to cough all over the place)relax, and realize that homeschoolers can make up missed work on the weekends, at night, during the holidays, and on vacation. There is no penalty for taking a little R&R when the health of your family is under attack. Happy homeschooling!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Win a Free Copy of SpellQuizzer
If you're looking for something to supplement your spelling curriculum, enter my contest for a free copy of SpellQuizzer. With SpellQuizzer you can teach spelling, letters, Dolch words, and vocabulary by recording your own voice to the program and quizzing your child.
The Rules:
The contest will run from this Sunday, 9/20/09, to next Sunday, 9/27/09. To enter, simply leave a comment on any blog post written between the above dates, or any previously written blog post on this blog. The comment must be related to education/parenting/homeschooling, and not simply a random comment or any form of marketing comment. I will keep track of the order the comments come in and will use Random.org to pick the winner. You may enter as many times as you like, not to exceed one comment per blog post.
Make sure there is an email address available for me to contact you if you win the sweepstakes. The winner will be contacted on or around Monday, 9/28/09, with further information about claiming the prize.
The Prize:
The prize is one free copy of SpellQuizzer. SpellQuizzer is a downloadable program, and the winner will receive all information necessary to download the program from the website. The current value of this prize is $29.95
The Rules:
The contest will run from this Sunday, 9/20/09, to next Sunday, 9/27/09. To enter, simply leave a comment on any blog post written between the above dates, or any previously written blog post on this blog. The comment must be related to education/parenting/homeschooling, and not simply a random comment or any form of marketing comment. I will keep track of the order the comments come in and will use Random.org to pick the winner. You may enter as many times as you like, not to exceed one comment per blog post.
Make sure there is an email address available for me to contact you if you win the sweepstakes. The winner will be contacted on or around Monday, 9/28/09, with further information about claiming the prize.
The Prize:
The prize is one free copy of SpellQuizzer. SpellQuizzer is a downloadable program, and the winner will receive all information necessary to download the program from the website. The current value of this prize is $29.95
Friday, September 18, 2009
Practice Spelling Words with SpellQuizzer - A Review
Every child must learn to spell at some point in their lives. Even parents who choose unschooling as their form of homeschooling need to teach their child to spell. Common practices include writing down the spelling words, writing the words within sentences, and orally quizzing the words.
I recently had the opportunity to use the SpellQuizzer software program. SpellQuizzer is a spelling program that helps kids learn their spelling and vocabulary words. The spelling program downloads right onto your computer, meaning once it's downloaded you don't need to sign on to the Internet to use the program.
The SpellQuizzer web site has pre-made downloadable spelling lists that you can download and use with SpellQuizzer. These are arranged by grade, commonly misspelled words, holiday words, and many other varieties. The spelling software allows you to download a list, save it to your hard drive and import it to the SpellQuizzer program. For preschoolers, the site offers letter lists and Dolch sight words.
My children's favorite aspect of SpellQuizzer is the opportunity to create your own spelling words. My son used his spelling list from school. The program is designed to work with a microphone. If you don't have one, you can find them at Wal-mart for around $8. After you type in a spelling word, you record the word and any sentence you choose. For example, I would say "snow" and then the sentence "do not eat the yellow snow." You do this for each word. Once the list is complete, your child can go on the program and click the "Quiz Me on a List" button. They choose the saved list and then listen as your voice, or theirs, dictates the word. They then type in the word. If the word is spelled wrong, the program shows the correct spelling and allows them a retry at the end of the quiz.
My daughter enjoyed recording her own letters and then finding them on the keyboard. After the holidays, we will start working on the Dolch sight words list provided by the spelling software. While preschool homeschoolers may not utilize every aspect of the SpellQuizzer program right away, it is a valuable practice tool for anyone looking for a fun, different way to practice spelling words.
***Check the blog in a few days for a chance to win a free download for the SpellQuizzer spelling program***
I recently had the opportunity to use the SpellQuizzer software program. SpellQuizzer is a spelling program that helps kids learn their spelling and vocabulary words. The spelling program downloads right onto your computer, meaning once it's downloaded you don't need to sign on to the Internet to use the program.
The SpellQuizzer web site has pre-made downloadable spelling lists that you can download and use with SpellQuizzer. These are arranged by grade, commonly misspelled words, holiday words, and many other varieties. The spelling software allows you to download a list, save it to your hard drive and import it to the SpellQuizzer program. For preschoolers, the site offers letter lists and Dolch sight words.
My children's favorite aspect of SpellQuizzer is the opportunity to create your own spelling words. My son used his spelling list from school. The program is designed to work with a microphone. If you don't have one, you can find them at Wal-mart for around $8. After you type in a spelling word, you record the word and any sentence you choose. For example, I would say "snow" and then the sentence "do not eat the yellow snow." You do this for each word. Once the list is complete, your child can go on the program and click the "Quiz Me on a List" button. They choose the saved list and then listen as your voice, or theirs, dictates the word. They then type in the word. If the word is spelled wrong, the program shows the correct spelling and allows them a retry at the end of the quiz.
My daughter enjoyed recording her own letters and then finding them on the keyboard. After the holidays, we will start working on the Dolch sight words list provided by the spelling software. While preschool homeschoolers may not utilize every aspect of the SpellQuizzer program right away, it is a valuable practice tool for anyone looking for a fun, different way to practice spelling words.
***Check the blog in a few days for a chance to win a free download for the SpellQuizzer spelling program***
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
HSLDA - Do You Need Legal Assistance When Choosing to Homeschool?
The legalities of homeschooling are always a hot topic. I hear comments from people wondering if homeschooling is legal, or they want to know what the family must do to legally homeschool. When it comes to homeschooling, all of a sudden we have a bunch of worried law-abiding citizens putting their noses into our educational choices. But whether or not you should consider legal "back-up," so to speak, is important.
The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is notorious for backing homeschoolers and giving them legal support when social workers or truant officers come knocking on the door. Their support isn't free, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than having to hire an attorney and go to court to prove you are educating your child. You may be asking, "Why does this concern me? I'm only homeschooling a preschooler." Well preschool is the time to decide if you feel that joining HSLDA is beneficial for your family.
I have never been an official member of HSLDA. I did take advantage of a free trial membership a few years ago, but chose not to continue with the paid membership. The reasons I chose not to join included:
1) My family was supportive of our decision to homeschool.
2) Missouri has lenient homeschooling laws, and as long as I could show documentation of hours, I was fine.
3) My little town has its fair share of homeschoolers, so I did not feel alienated by choosing to homeschool.
4) I educated myself thoroughly on the homeschooling laws in Missouri, along with my rights as a parent, so I wouldn't be bullied by a social worker or truant officer.
While I can't tell you whether or not you should join HSLDA or another support group, I would consider myself in need of legal backup if:
1) My family was not supportive and made comments about reporting me to social services.
2) The school district seemed opposed to homeschooling and demanded measures beyond the law.
3) I lived in an area with very little homeschoolers, and felt that my neighbors may report me for child neglect.
4) I did not understand the homeschooling laws of my state, and whether or not I was meeting the basic requirements to homeschool.
Those are just some points to ponder as you continue your homeschooling journey. You can click on the blog title to visit the HSLDA site. Happy homeschooling!
The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is notorious for backing homeschoolers and giving them legal support when social workers or truant officers come knocking on the door. Their support isn't free, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than having to hire an attorney and go to court to prove you are educating your child. You may be asking, "Why does this concern me? I'm only homeschooling a preschooler." Well preschool is the time to decide if you feel that joining HSLDA is beneficial for your family.
I have never been an official member of HSLDA. I did take advantage of a free trial membership a few years ago, but chose not to continue with the paid membership. The reasons I chose not to join included:
1) My family was supportive of our decision to homeschool.
2) Missouri has lenient homeschooling laws, and as long as I could show documentation of hours, I was fine.
3) My little town has its fair share of homeschoolers, so I did not feel alienated by choosing to homeschool.
4) I educated myself thoroughly on the homeschooling laws in Missouri, along with my rights as a parent, so I wouldn't be bullied by a social worker or truant officer.
While I can't tell you whether or not you should join HSLDA or another support group, I would consider myself in need of legal backup if:
1) My family was not supportive and made comments about reporting me to social services.
2) The school district seemed opposed to homeschooling and demanded measures beyond the law.
3) I lived in an area with very little homeschoolers, and felt that my neighbors may report me for child neglect.
4) I did not understand the homeschooling laws of my state, and whether or not I was meeting the basic requirements to homeschool.
Those are just some points to ponder as you continue your homeschooling journey. You can click on the blog title to visit the HSLDA site. Happy homeschooling!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Should You Have a Homeschooling Schedule?
I'm the first to admit that I'm not the best when it comes to creating and keeping to a schedule. I can create a schedule just fine, it's the whole keeping to it that causes me problems. I find the task of keeping to a schedule daunting and impractical for our homeschooling. However, I do believe that homeschoolers should have a general idea of what they're going to accomplish each day, or even each week.
Many new homeschoolers want to know how other homeschooler's schedule their time. So here is a general rundown of how a typical day goes in our home (with the understanding that this isn't set in stone, and on occasion, nothing gets done during the day but fun, playing, and some cleaning.)
7:30 a.m. - I get the kids up and my son eats breakfast and gets ready for school. He was formerly homeschooled, but asked to try elementary school and is doing well.
8:30 a.m. - Avlyn and I eat breakfast. I've just started working out in the morning, so sometimes we exercise together.
10:00 a.m. - We start any sort of 'school' around this time. This is when we will do handwriting practice, arts and crafts, letter practice, number practice, computer games, and songs. Depending on her mood, she usually has an attention span of about 1.5 to 2 hours.
12:00-12:30 p.m. - I fix lunch around this time. Sometimes Daddy comes home to see us, and Avlyn shows him her work for the day and her craft projects.
2:00 p.m. - We read stories and take a general rest. During the school year she will fall asleep when we go to pick up her brother, which means she's up all night. So I try to nap her around this time for 45 minutes or so.
3:30 - Leave to get her brother, and the rest of the day is spent playing, picking up the house, and cooking dinner.
7:00 p.m. - Homework time for Gavin, which means Avlyn usually gets out her "fun book" and does some work, too. Her "fun book" is a big preschool learning book that has all sorts of activities she can do independently.
9:00 p.m. - Bedtime
I hope this helps some of you wondering how to schedule a preschool homeschool day. Keep in mind that on Tuesdays we do gymnastics, some Wednesdays we go to playgroup from 10 to 12, and on Fridays we hit the library at 10:30 for storytime and to get our books for the week. Happy homeschooling!
Many new homeschoolers want to know how other homeschooler's schedule their time. So here is a general rundown of how a typical day goes in our home (with the understanding that this isn't set in stone, and on occasion, nothing gets done during the day but fun, playing, and some cleaning.)
7:30 a.m. - I get the kids up and my son eats breakfast and gets ready for school. He was formerly homeschooled, but asked to try elementary school and is doing well.
8:30 a.m. - Avlyn and I eat breakfast. I've just started working out in the morning, so sometimes we exercise together.
10:00 a.m. - We start any sort of 'school' around this time. This is when we will do handwriting practice, arts and crafts, letter practice, number practice, computer games, and songs. Depending on her mood, she usually has an attention span of about 1.5 to 2 hours.
12:00-12:30 p.m. - I fix lunch around this time. Sometimes Daddy comes home to see us, and Avlyn shows him her work for the day and her craft projects.
2:00 p.m. - We read stories and take a general rest. During the school year she will fall asleep when we go to pick up her brother, which means she's up all night. So I try to nap her around this time for 45 minutes or so.
3:30 - Leave to get her brother, and the rest of the day is spent playing, picking up the house, and cooking dinner.
7:00 p.m. - Homework time for Gavin, which means Avlyn usually gets out her "fun book" and does some work, too. Her "fun book" is a big preschool learning book that has all sorts of activities she can do independently.
9:00 p.m. - Bedtime
I hope this helps some of you wondering how to schedule a preschool homeschool day. Keep in mind that on Tuesdays we do gymnastics, some Wednesdays we go to playgroup from 10 to 12, and on Fridays we hit the library at 10:30 for storytime and to get our books for the week. Happy homeschooling!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Teaching Kids About Money at the Grocery Store
Preschool is not too early to teach kids about money. Both of mine knew what a quarter and a penny was when they were two. It could be because pennies are a different color than the other coins, and those candy and toy machines only operate with quarters. All I know is I didn't teach them about those coins, so it must have come from using the money.
I am using our grocery shopping experience as a learning tool about money. I think the most effective teaching happens when a child can relate what they're learning to a real-life experience. My idea started by simply asking her what the numbers were on the posted prices while I'd shop. The next time I explained to her what the decimal point meant and which side meant dollars and which side meant cents. Over the next couple of months, I'm going to create a grocery shopping game. If, after reading this, you have any ideas on this please let me know. It's just my 'rough draft' so to speak, but I'm excited to get started on it with her.
Here's my plan (your child must have their number concepts down and be able to write most of their numbers before attempting this lesson):
In the produce section at our grocery store the prices are displayed in large numbers on the sides of the produce bins. I think these are perfect for teaching because they're large, and the produce section is spread out enough that she can move around without getting into anyone's way.
I'm going to start by giving her five cards with different prices on them. (I will do my research beforehand and make sure I have five prices actually displayed in the produce section.) Then, as we're shopping, I will ask her to match the prices on her cards to an actual fruit or vegetable with that price. For example, if apples are on sale for $1.25 a pound, I will help her write the word apples on her $1.25 card. To expand the lesson when we get home, we will draw or paste a picture of apples on the $1.25 card. I plan on doing this for a month, which equals about four times since I shop once a week.
After she has that skill down, I will give her five cards with a picture of a certain fruit or vegetable. Instead of matching prices, she will find that item and write down the price. I will include the $ . on the card so she knows where to put the numbers. I also plan on finding pictures of some of her favorite foods, such as Trix yogurt, and having her find the prices of those items.
For a more advanced grocery store game, and to teach the concept of less and fewer, you can date the cards and then compare prices from September to the prices found in February to see if it cost more to buy apples in September or February.
This grocery store game is easily adaptable to older children, and I plan on using it with my 3rd grader. You can give older children ten cards with an item printed on it, such as oatmeal, and have them find the prices. You can make it a real challenge by having them write down all the different prices for the various oatmeals and comparing how much you can save by buying one brand over another. You can also have them factor in coupons, once the price comparisons become too simple. Happy homeschooling!
I am using our grocery shopping experience as a learning tool about money. I think the most effective teaching happens when a child can relate what they're learning to a real-life experience. My idea started by simply asking her what the numbers were on the posted prices while I'd shop. The next time I explained to her what the decimal point meant and which side meant dollars and which side meant cents. Over the next couple of months, I'm going to create a grocery shopping game. If, after reading this, you have any ideas on this please let me know. It's just my 'rough draft' so to speak, but I'm excited to get started on it with her.
Here's my plan (your child must have their number concepts down and be able to write most of their numbers before attempting this lesson):
In the produce section at our grocery store the prices are displayed in large numbers on the sides of the produce bins. I think these are perfect for teaching because they're large, and the produce section is spread out enough that she can move around without getting into anyone's way.
I'm going to start by giving her five cards with different prices on them. (I will do my research beforehand and make sure I have five prices actually displayed in the produce section.) Then, as we're shopping, I will ask her to match the prices on her cards to an actual fruit or vegetable with that price. For example, if apples are on sale for $1.25 a pound, I will help her write the word apples on her $1.25 card. To expand the lesson when we get home, we will draw or paste a picture of apples on the $1.25 card. I plan on doing this for a month, which equals about four times since I shop once a week.
After she has that skill down, I will give her five cards with a picture of a certain fruit or vegetable. Instead of matching prices, she will find that item and write down the price. I will include the $ . on the card so she knows where to put the numbers. I also plan on finding pictures of some of her favorite foods, such as Trix yogurt, and having her find the prices of those items.
For a more advanced grocery store game, and to teach the concept of less and fewer, you can date the cards and then compare prices from September to the prices found in February to see if it cost more to buy apples in September or February.
This grocery store game is easily adaptable to older children, and I plan on using it with my 3rd grader. You can give older children ten cards with an item printed on it, such as oatmeal, and have them find the prices. You can make it a real challenge by having them write down all the different prices for the various oatmeals and comparing how much you can save by buying one brand over another. You can also have them factor in coupons, once the price comparisons become too simple. Happy homeschooling!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
How to Make Your Own Book or Magazine Holder
We have a handful of workbooks that we use for preschool. I was keeping them up in my supply cabinet in the kitchen, but it was impractical since Avlyn couldn't reach them. I saw an idea in Family Fun magazine where a mom turned cereal boxes into book/magazine holders. From the pictures sent in, it looked like she used tape to fold in the edges and left the design the cover of the cereal box. I liked the idea, but wanted to avoid using a bunch of tape and wanted a cuter box.
Project: Homemade workbook holder
Cost: Used supplies we had on hand, but you could factor in that the cereal cost around $2.
Time: Around 30 minutes
Using a large cornflakes box, I started by cutting the the top off the box. Then I traced an angled line from the top corner to the bottom corner and cut off one side of the box I repeated this on the other side, trying to make the sides as equal as possible.
While I was busy cutting and measuring, the kids decorated pieces of white paper with their own creative drawings.
Once the box was cut it looked like this:
I used clear tape to adhere the kids' drawings to the outside of the box, like this:
We now keep our homemade book holder in the center of our dining room table. It turned out quite nicely, and the kids are proud to have their artwork displayed for all to see. It's also a more practical location for Avlyn's school supplies. Not only do we keep her workbooks in it, but we also keep her crayons, colored pencils, glue, and scissors in it. Happy homeschooling!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Teaching Letters with Cereal
I always review during the first month of school by reteaching letters and numbers. When I did a review of the alphabet with Avlyn, I noticed that there were a handful of letters she still struggled to recognize right away. These included: M, R, T, and W. After working with her, I realized that she is confusing M and W, and just needs a little practice with R and T.
I'm starting with M and W since I think she'll pick up R and T rather quickly. We have done coloring sheets, practiced writing M, printed out a letter M book that we read daily, and today we made a cereal M. You can find free letter printables at:DLTK
While I don't recommend wasting food, and know that a lot of homeschoolers are thrifty folks, using cereal or any other familiar food is fun for preschoolers. Not only does working with ceral or macaroni help teach letters, but it also helps with motor skills. If you really have trouble using food for projects, just use the crumbs that collect at the bottom of the cereal box or broken pieces of macaroni. Put the crumbs or pieces in a bowl, and let your child sprinkle them onto the letters. We did this with the little m, as you can see in the picture. You will need white glue for this, as a glue stick just won't adhere the cereal. Happy homeschooling!
I'm starting with M and W since I think she'll pick up R and T rather quickly. We have done coloring sheets, practiced writing M, printed out a letter M book that we read daily, and today we made a cereal M. You can find free letter printables at:DLTK
While I don't recommend wasting food, and know that a lot of homeschoolers are thrifty folks, using cereal or any other familiar food is fun for preschoolers. Not only does working with ceral or macaroni help teach letters, but it also helps with motor skills. If you really have trouble using food for projects, just use the crumbs that collect at the bottom of the cereal box or broken pieces of macaroni. Put the crumbs or pieces in a bowl, and let your child sprinkle them onto the letters. We did this with the little m, as you can see in the picture. You will need white glue for this, as a glue stick just won't adhere the cereal. Happy homeschooling!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Preschool Homeschool Voted One of the Best
Just wanted to say that The Preschool Homeschool was voted one of the best blogs for homeschooling moms by OnlineEducation.net So a big thanks to the folks at OnlineEducation.net for recognizing all the homeschoolers and for giving a great list of resources.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Make Your Own Flower Crown
I am a happy subscriber to Family Fun Magazine, but sometimes I find the activities either too expensive or time-consuming for our family. But I'm challenging myself to find at least one activity out of each issue that is neither expensive, nor too tedious to put together. I plan on doing the activity and blogging about it with step-by-step pictures. Avlyn and I started today with the wildflower crown from August's issue. You can join in this challenge by leaving a comment about any fun project you do that doesn't cost a lot or require a whole day to put together. It doesn't have to be a Family Fun idea.
Cost: none
Time needed: Approximately 1-hour total, but we picked the flowers in the morning and created the crown in the evening.
Steps:
1. Take a walk and find some sturdy, long-stemmed wildflowers. I'd love to be able to tell you the names of what we used, but I have no idea. We used a couple types of grasses that had fuzzy stuff on the end and then some flowers we found growing along the edge of the national forest we live next to. The grasses have the sturdiest stems, so I used them to get the crown started. After washing them to get rid of bugs, this is what we had:
2. We let the flowers dry while we ran errands. The crown only takes about 10 minutes to put together. Starting with a sturdy long-stemmed flower or grass, hold the stem horizontal. Using another piece, loop it around the first stem and tie a knot. Lay the flower or grass flat and repeat. If you can't tie a knot, just loop the second stem around itself like this:
3. Now repeat the process, holding the stems together while you loop and knot. Once the crown is long enough for your child's head, feel free to go back and loop some smaller stemmed flowers into the crown. That's what we did with some small white flowers Avlyn wanted to add. Tie all the stems together with a loose knot to close. When we were done it looked like this:
While I think this is a great craft to do for together time and helps kids learn the basics of weaving, you could use it for a nature unit or flower unit, too. I have three other projects we're going to try from this same issue. I'm excited to try them and share them with you. Happy homeschooling!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Free Ebooks for Kids
Today is our first official day of school and I'm online printing out some templates to work on the letter M. While I'm busy doing this, Avlyn is busy following along with an E-book from Tumblebooks on my laptop. The Santa Clara City Library offers this program for free from their website. Just click on Tumblebooks in the sidebar and let your child pick a book. Some of the older books just show the illustration, but some of the books are animated and more engaging.
This is a great option for families who live far from a library or don't have a library card. You can find tons of books on here to enhance lessons or just enjoy a little story time. Click on the title of my blog post to get to the site. Happy homeschooling!
This is a great option for families who live far from a library or don't have a library card. You can find tons of books on here to enhance lessons or just enjoy a little story time. Click on the title of my blog post to get to the site. Happy homeschooling!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Free Handwriting Printables
Preschool is the time to start teaching handwriting. A friend sent me a great file related to the Handwriting Without Tears program that gives ideas for teaching kids how to form letters. If you'd like to try utilizing these letter formation ideas into your curriculum, you can check out the files at http://www.scribd.com/doc/18372778/Handwriting-Without-Tears-Chart
My suggestion for beginning writers is to avoid the structured handwriting tablets frequently sold in stores this time of year. I focus on using the tablet once my child has the basics for each letter down pat. I use a dry erase board and markers to teach letter formation. I prefer starting with a dry erase board and letting them free form their letters by using letters I've written as a guide.
After the Christmas break, when they have all their letter formation and recognition down pat, I move on to the structured writing tablet. I also like the dry erase board because it's just fun. We have a large one that allows us to lie on the floor and write together. Another idea is to buy small dry erase boards and write in your lap. You can even play a game where you call out a letter to draw, hide the board while you're writing the letter and then flip it around to show each other your letter. Kids like this because it has an element of surprise. Happy homeschooling!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
We're Back
Well the family is back from vacation and getting ready for school. My son starts third grade on the 17th, and my daughter will be starting her official year of preschool on that day, too. This week I'm going to blog a little about school preparation and how to prepare for that first week, or at least how we prepare for that first week.
The first step to preparation is organization. I cleaned out the cabinet where I keep all the supplies for learning and fun and took an inventory of anything I needed. A basic list for homeschooling preschoolers includes:
Crayons
Blunt scissors
Construction paper
Glue
Handwriting tablet
Paint
Glitter
Brown lunch bags
Paper plates
Markers
Cotton balls
Pipe cleaners
Feathers
Googly eyes
Coins - fake or real
Counting manipulatives
Not every family will use all of the things I mentioned, and some will need added materials to teach. As you can see, I didn't mention workbooks because I think every family should decide whether or not they want to go the workbook route. I do have a couple workbooks I picked up at yard sales, but most of our activities I print off the Internet or create myself. If you're not sure what to use some of the mentioned materials for, feel free to ask and I'll share some ideas. Happy homeschooling!
The first step to preparation is organization. I cleaned out the cabinet where I keep all the supplies for learning and fun and took an inventory of anything I needed. A basic list for homeschooling preschoolers includes:
Crayons
Blunt scissors
Construction paper
Glue
Handwriting tablet
Paint
Glitter
Brown lunch bags
Paper plates
Markers
Cotton balls
Pipe cleaners
Feathers
Googly eyes
Coins - fake or real
Counting manipulatives
Not every family will use all of the things I mentioned, and some will need added materials to teach. As you can see, I didn't mention workbooks because I think every family should decide whether or not they want to go the workbook route. I do have a couple workbooks I picked up at yard sales, but most of our activities I print off the Internet or create myself. If you're not sure what to use some of the mentioned materials for, feel free to ask and I'll share some ideas. Happy homeschooling!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
E-books for Homeschooling
An e-book is an electronic book available for immediate download. There are e-books available for every imaginable topic, with e-book authors creating new books every day. Living in a rural town, I can understand how not everyone has a good library or bookstore at their fingertips. Thankfully, the assortment of e-books available can replace the need for a hard copy by providing homeschoolers with information on their computer. One example of a good e-book for preschool homeschoolers is: Little Kid Crafts
While crafts are available all over the Internet, having a book already sectioned off for easy craft retrieval can help cut down on craft research time. I know sometimes my daughter asks to do a craft and it takes me 30 minutes or so to find something online that's engaging and age-appropriate. If you haven't checked out e-books as a form of curriculum, you're missing out on a whole other area of homeschooling curriculum.
While crafts are available all over the Internet, having a book already sectioned off for easy craft retrieval can help cut down on craft research time. I know sometimes my daughter asks to do a craft and it takes me 30 minutes or so to find something online that's engaging and age-appropriate. If you haven't checked out e-books as a form of curriculum, you're missing out on a whole other area of homeschooling curriculum.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Learning Ideas for the Beach
Pretty soon me and the kids will be on a plane to visit the grandparents in Florida. One thing I'm looking forward to is the beach. After moving to Missouri, getting to see the beach is exciting again. I'm also excited because there are so many learning opportunities that happen naturally at the beach.
Preschoolers can practice their building skills by planning a sandcastle community. I'm always amazed at my children's natural critical thinking and analyzing skills when we play sandcastles. They plan bridges, moats, roads, and castles, including the design and decoration.
Seashells bring out all sorts of questions about the colors, types, and styles. Searching for seashells provides the opportunity to search for shells based on color, shape, or texture. Kids will also learn about sea animals and sea glass when taking a seashell walk.
One of my favorite learning activities, and one that gets me just as excited as the kids, is exploring a natural reef area. In south Florida, we have one particular beach that has a handful of natural reefs. The kids can find hermit crabs, snails, fish, sea cucumbers, mollusks, and coral all at one beach. Having a digital camera handy for your beach adventures is a great way to record memories and print out picutures so you can make ocean-themed books. Happy homeschooling!
Preschoolers can practice their building skills by planning a sandcastle community. I'm always amazed at my children's natural critical thinking and analyzing skills when we play sandcastles. They plan bridges, moats, roads, and castles, including the design and decoration.
Seashells bring out all sorts of questions about the colors, types, and styles. Searching for seashells provides the opportunity to search for shells based on color, shape, or texture. Kids will also learn about sea animals and sea glass when taking a seashell walk.
One of my favorite learning activities, and one that gets me just as excited as the kids, is exploring a natural reef area. In south Florida, we have one particular beach that has a handful of natural reefs. The kids can find hermit crabs, snails, fish, sea cucumbers, mollusks, and coral all at one beach. Having a digital camera handy for your beach adventures is a great way to record memories and print out picutures so you can make ocean-themed books. Happy homeschooling!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Signs that Your Preschooler Wants to Read
My daughter has shown signs of wanting to read independently for a couple of months now. It's my fault she's not reading better, since everything is so busy I just haven't sat with her and practiced putting sounds together. But the signs are there, and I'm excited to start working with her after our vacation is over. If you're wondering whether your preschooler is ready to learn to read, here are some signs to look for:
- Constantly asks what sounds letter make
- Asks what words say and tries to sound them out
- Shows an interest in writing, especially their name or other familiar words
- Recognizes words on signs and tries to read them
- Sit independently with a book and tells a story
- Remembers parts of a story read together and repeats the story at the correct parts
Once you start seeing some of these signs, your preschooler is ready for some beginning reading instruction. We like using Starfall and Bob Books for beginning reading. Another idea for beginning readers is to turn the closed captioning on during their favorite T.V. shows. Happy homeschooling!
- Constantly asks what sounds letter make
- Asks what words say and tries to sound them out
- Shows an interest in writing, especially their name or other familiar words
- Recognizes words on signs and tries to read them
- Sit independently with a book and tells a story
- Remembers parts of a story read together and repeats the story at the correct parts
Once you start seeing some of these signs, your preschooler is ready for some beginning reading instruction. We like using Starfall and Bob Books for beginning reading. Another idea for beginning readers is to turn the closed captioning on during their favorite T.V. shows. Happy homeschooling!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
How to Set up an In-Home Grocery Store
If you're using this summer to prepare for a preschool homeschooling adventure next year, consider dedicating one part of your house to an in-home grocery store. Grocery stores are a wealth of learning activities, with all the opportunities to learn about colors, counting, foods, textures, and money right at your fingertips. An in-home grocery store provides the same fun learning activities, without having to drive across town to the store.
Start by saving boxes, plastic containers, egg cartons and plastic shopping bags. You can also buy some fake foods and a shopping basket to enhance the experience. Once you have a handful of food item containers and boxes saved, use tape to close them up and make them sturdy. Stock the groceries on a bookshelf or other area in the home. If you have enough room, you can use two small bookshelves designating one for fresh foods like produce and the other shelf for boxed goods and snacks. For really young children, prices aren't necessary. Just the experience of shopping is fun. But for older preschoolers you can begin to teach about money by labeling the foods with whole dollar amounts. For example, 1.00 for ice cream and $2.00 for laundry detergent.
You can also teach older preschoolers how to shop by looking at prices located on shelving, rather than on the product itself. I have many times where I tell my daughter to grab the ketchup that is .97, pointing out that it's 9-7, and the label is on the shelf below the item. You can create a checkout area on the coffee table or anywhere the kids can reach and slide the items. For a more realistic check out, use a large piece of butcher block paper and tape it to the ends of the table. Use fake money or fake credit cards when checking out. Keep those GEICO or other plastic cards that come in junk mail to use as credit cards.
If you use a corner bookshelf, you can keep your grocery store up 24/7 without it cluttering up the house or getting in the way. If you don't have a lot of room to spare, make up the food items and store them in a cabinet or other area and bring them out during grocery store time. A really fun group activity is to get three to four preschoolers together and give them a shopping list using pictures. The first kid to find all the groceries gets to be the checkout person.
Below is a picture of the kids shopping at a fake grocery store at the museum. Gavin is pretending to get attacked by the 'fresh' lobster. Have fun!
Start by saving boxes, plastic containers, egg cartons and plastic shopping bags. You can also buy some fake foods and a shopping basket to enhance the experience. Once you have a handful of food item containers and boxes saved, use tape to close them up and make them sturdy. Stock the groceries on a bookshelf or other area in the home. If you have enough room, you can use two small bookshelves designating one for fresh foods like produce and the other shelf for boxed goods and snacks. For really young children, prices aren't necessary. Just the experience of shopping is fun. But for older preschoolers you can begin to teach about money by labeling the foods with whole dollar amounts. For example, 1.00 for ice cream and $2.00 for laundry detergent.
You can also teach older preschoolers how to shop by looking at prices located on shelving, rather than on the product itself. I have many times where I tell my daughter to grab the ketchup that is .97, pointing out that it's 9-7, and the label is on the shelf below the item. You can create a checkout area on the coffee table or anywhere the kids can reach and slide the items. For a more realistic check out, use a large piece of butcher block paper and tape it to the ends of the table. Use fake money or fake credit cards when checking out. Keep those GEICO or other plastic cards that come in junk mail to use as credit cards.
If you use a corner bookshelf, you can keep your grocery store up 24/7 without it cluttering up the house or getting in the way. If you don't have a lot of room to spare, make up the food items and store them in a cabinet or other area and bring them out during grocery store time. A really fun group activity is to get three to four preschoolers together and give them a shopping list using pictures. The first kid to find all the groceries gets to be the checkout person.
Below is a picture of the kids shopping at a fake grocery store at the museum. Gavin is pretending to get attacked by the 'fresh' lobster. Have fun!
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Lying Phase
My daughter is going through her lying phase. This is the phase where you as the parent know they're lying to you, but they think they're getting away with it. We have been dealing with little lies here and there over the past few months. We started our handling of this by explaining to her what a lie is and why it's wrong. Once she grasped the meaning of a lie, it was like she went out of her way to make sure her lies were believable. Strike one, mom and dad.
Next we tried the time out method, which of course brought a lot of tears and shrieks over the unfairness of life when you're four. However, she has a knack for lying between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00, which means a crying time-out only exhausts her and she falls asleep. This means a later night for me because she slept for an hour. Strike two, mom and dad.
Today we were getting in the car and I noticed she had something in her mouth. "Avlyn, what do you have in your mouth?" I only asked because I thought she might have picked up some old candy off the ground or something. "Nuffin" she said. Of course, she's saying this with her cheeks puffed out and her tongue rolling around something in there. So I ask again. Same answer. I ask, "You have something in your mouth, don't you?" "Mm-uh-mm-uh" was pretty much what the answer was. So I told her to spit it out. Now I know I said this in perfect english that she comprehends very well. She looked at me and did nothing. "Spit - It - Out - Now!" Nothing.
Okay, time for me to play mean mommy. "You are not going to your baseball game tonight." That declaration was followed by a lot of screaming and crying and sounds of "I'll spit it out when we get home!!!!!" While I hate for her to miss baseball, just because I enjoy watching her so much, I knew it was the most effective discipline. I'll have to see it if worked over the next couple of weeks, based on whether or not the small lies increase or decrease. Sometimes education doesn't involve books and pencils, but heartache and tears.
Next we tried the time out method, which of course brought a lot of tears and shrieks over the unfairness of life when you're four. However, she has a knack for lying between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00, which means a crying time-out only exhausts her and she falls asleep. This means a later night for me because she slept for an hour. Strike two, mom and dad.
Today we were getting in the car and I noticed she had something in her mouth. "Avlyn, what do you have in your mouth?" I only asked because I thought she might have picked up some old candy off the ground or something. "Nuffin" she said. Of course, she's saying this with her cheeks puffed out and her tongue rolling around something in there. So I ask again. Same answer. I ask, "You have something in your mouth, don't you?" "Mm-uh-mm-uh" was pretty much what the answer was. So I told her to spit it out. Now I know I said this in perfect english that she comprehends very well. She looked at me and did nothing. "Spit - It - Out - Now!" Nothing.
Okay, time for me to play mean mommy. "You are not going to your baseball game tonight." That declaration was followed by a lot of screaming and crying and sounds of "I'll spit it out when we get home!!!!!" While I hate for her to miss baseball, just because I enjoy watching her so much, I knew it was the most effective discipline. I'll have to see it if worked over the next couple of weeks, based on whether or not the small lies increase or decrease. Sometimes education doesn't involve books and pencils, but heartache and tears.
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