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Dec 21, 2011

Pattern Blocks for Christmas

Simple activity for the boys plus a great tool for sharing and taking turns.

Dec 19, 2011

Favorite Books for the Season

Christmas is such a special time of year! These are great books to sit and enjoy reading for the holiday. Some are Biblical, some not. And just in case you didn't know Max Lucado has written some great children's books. The first four I recommend for older kids starting at age 5, the next few are great preschool aged books, and the last two are great for little tots. 10 books for 10 days!
I recommend this book for ages 5 and up although my 3 1/2 year old does listen well to longer stories.

Great story for daddy's with little girls but mommy's can certainly read it as well. (had this one since I was a lad-y)

The velveteen rabbits journey started as a stocking stuffer



Recommended for older kids
The animations in this book are incredible
A great book from the same authors of the Beginner's Bible
Jr. reads this one fairly well. A lot of repetition and simple words.
The little Engineer loves this one!
This one brings big laughs because animals do not wear clothes


Along with the movie this books rocks!
The tiny Queen Bees' Favorite book, now if I could just get her to stop chewing the corners.



Dec 12, 2011

An Average Week for my Kindergartener


Every week brings something new for my kinder-man, Jr. At the beginning of the year I wasn't quite sure about his readiness for kindergarten so I decided to do an integrated year between the Confessions of a Homeschooler K4 curriculum and a K5 curriculum using other books compiled together to cover all subjects. So now we're in the last few weeks of the first half of the year; and this is kind-of what a week looks like.

Monday through Thursday we follow the COAH K4. Every morning we start with prayer for the day, Pledge of Allegiance, Calendar review putting up the day of the week card, singing the days of the week song by Greg and Steve We All Live Together Vol. 4, Review Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow cards, a weather graph and card.
Days of the Week cards I made with my Circut


A simple calendar I found at Target ($1) added velcro to the cards and calendar so the the boys can add the date every day.

Weather cards and chart from COAH that I laminated

Today chart from COAH where to boys can learn about past, present and future-a very important concept for kinders.

Another weather cart visual we use to understand weather and what type of clothing we wear as well as the activities we do during the season.

A Christmas countdown that my mother-in-law gave me. Each day the boys move the little mouse over and we talk about Jesus' birthday.


















 Then we move into Jr.'s core K4 studies with COAH (which I highly encourage because it really helps set a strong foundation for early education) followed by workbooks and other teaching materials.
  • Monday: K4 Handwriting, Sight Words practice was and the, Missing Number activity, practicing Word Family Ladders: ank, KUMON Cutting (found my books at Barnes and Noble), and Reading 10 Scoops Level 1 (compiled together it usually takes about 90-110 minutes including a snack break).
  • Non-K5 curriculum materials for Monday include a lesson in the 100 Easy Lessons Book (20-25 mins), Memory Verse Practice from the Awana's book (20-30mins), Christmas Tree art activity from 50 Art Activities for Your Kindergarten Classroom by Scholastic (around 10mins), KUMON Math Skills practice (20mins, 5 pages, addition and missing numbers), LEAP PAD fun, Quest K workbook Sorting Practice.

Laminated for reuse

Each vowel is red for easier recognition




word family ank (some silly)
we practice all sight words learned this year


Kumon cutting practive

Missing Numbers
Simple buy but well worth it


Tissue Paper Craft

In this case, matching and sorting
Covers many subjects. We use this 3-4 times/week



Handwriting practice, well sorta

Daily Reading-we actually read 10 Scoops this week
                                    
  • Tuesday: Starts out the same as Monday with group time. The K4 curriculum for Tuesday included Letter Hunt J, sight words practice, Domino Math, Vowel Blend worksheet, Movement with music "The Wheels Go Round n Round" by Songs and Games for the Road Fisher-Price Little People, Reading and Science-measuring your body using stuff around the house.
  • K5 Curriculum included Kumon #'s practice, Science Inquiry, Awana memory verse, and 15min earned on my iphone playing an education game called Kindergarten TEACH ME.
Read the story and child circles the Jj's








A simple domino pack from 00 to 66



I like this exercise because its random math practice so Jr. really has to focus on the numbers also he can use the dots to assist him.

During the activity I also witnessed an "Ah Ha! moment when he realized different numbers in different combinations still equal the same number.


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