Why does a preschooler need reading lessons?

Because a "reading lesson" for a preschool-aged kid is really just a short daily exercise in self discipline and obedience.  Learning to read, if it happens, is an additional benefit.

b or d?

Make a bed.

A Mosquito Named Thunder

This first grade homeschool business is crazy. It is changing me.

I have never ever intentionally stored an insect in my refrigerator until last week. I have never ever been excited to find an insect inside my home until today.  In my past, the mosquito lounging on my dining room wall would have horrified me until it was flattened. Not anymore. Life is our schoolroom, right?

I did not flatten the mosquito. I hollered for Thing2 to stand still while I [ran and] retrieved our bug-catching jar out of the science lab kit. Once captured, Thing1 inspected it, concluded that it was indeed an insect (Yep. There are six legs, a head, thorax, and abdomen.) and promptly went back to his Peter Pan audiobook. However, Thing2 and I ogled it with magnifying glasses, discussed the intriguing feature we noticed, and confirmed what we had read in Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. In fact, Thing2 affectionately called him (or her) Thunder after spending about an hour with it.

It thrills me that I am not the only one in the house who appreciated a live captive mosquito.

Famous Figures of Ancient Times: King Narmer

Today we used our Famous Figures of Ancient Times, which was [one of] my non-essential splurge[s] in curriculum shopping this year, for the first time.

What I did not realize when I purchased this book of 21 movable figures of historical characters (including Moses, Aristotle, Hannibal and his elephant) is that the book includes two copies of each character: one in color and one in black and white.

Perfect! One for each kid.

Today we made Narmer, a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and each boy dictated something about him for their notebooks. We used a 1/8" hole punch and mini brads from the scrapbooking aisle at Michael's.

Making King Narmer dance occupied and entertained Thing2 for quite a while this morning.

I shy away from cluttery projects because the kids do not want to throw away something they work hard on. However, if we keep everything they work hard on, it takes about a day for the house to be overrun with cluttery projects. To store this, I put the doll and the narration in a page protector so it would fit nicely in their notebooks. I like projects that lie flat.

Ever the perfectionist, Thing1 could not finish coloring and cutting his figure before lunch time. We might have to take turns with the color and black and white figures so Thing1 is not always stuck with the coloring.

Bonus feature: There is a mini bio with a small picture of each character at the beginning of the book. I cut out the tiny picture and glued it to our timeline.

If I am able, I will buy the Medieval set and the American Revolution set when we need them, but 6 and 4 seem to be perfect ages for this. Who knows if they will still like to make paper dolls by the time we are studying American History? Making the figure sparked much more conversation about the character and his time period than just reading about him. Granted, there are ways to get the same result without spending $20, but in this homeschool, projects do not happen unless they are easy. And this is easy.

The CBD links are affiliate links, but no one is paying me to write about Ancient Figures. I like it, and I thought you might, too!

Milestone

At our school, a lot of learning is "snuck in" during dinner time, riding in the car time, bath time, pretty much any time. Lately, my sneaky lessons for Thing2 have been the blending and segmenting games found in Reading Reflex.

From the beginning he could blend sounds to make a word (I say, "c-a-t."  He says, "cat!") almost every time.  But segmenting (I say "cat."  He says "c-a-t.") was beyond his comprehension.  For example, I would ask, "What is the first sound you hear in mmmmouse?"  He would answer, "p!"  I would reply, "Not pouse! (insert silly laughter) m-m-mouse! mmmmm."  And we would try again.  And again.  And again.  We would even reverse the game and try to think up as many 'c' words as we could.  His 'c' words would often include moose, shirt, etc.

Well, I am happy to report that today, after a few weeks of the exercise described above, he actually identified some first sounds correctly!  I believe he is capable of learning to read!

Shapes and Sound Pictures

Thing2's school work yesterday was inspired by Developing Minds Through Occupational Therapy.  We thought of Aunt Jessie when we did this!

Goals:

• Drawing shapes
• Recognizing the sound pictures 'c', 'a', and 't'
• Following multi-step instructions

First I wrote c's, a's, and t's in random places on our Handwriting Without Tears Double Line Slate.

Then I made a key on plain paper and instructed him to use straight lines to make a square around the 'c' (we use sounds instead of letter names), draw a circle around the 'a' (short a sound), and a squiggly shape around the 't'.  The sounds in 'cat' are the only ones we are working on right now.  He still does not recognize the sound pictures well.

Side note:  I have ditched The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, which is a pure phonics method, in favor of the Phono-Graphix method as outlined in Reading Reflex.  I would compare Phono-Graphix to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons but with much more common sense and parental instruction.

This took a healthy dose of concentration, but it was simple enough for almost-4-year-old Thing2 to see it through from start to finish.

 

Eggshells

I recently had a little sensory play spurt that was a lot of fun while it lasted.  We played with spaghetti, cloud dough, Ivory soap, beans, and rice.  But the most unusual thing we tried was eggshells.  The idea was from Play Create Explore where you can find all sorts of fun sensory play.

It only took a few days of saving and washing the eggshells (with soap and hot water) to come up with a nice bowl full.  We eat a lot of eggs.

An unplanned and interesting dimension to this experiment was that some of the eggs were home-grown (brown) and some were store-bought (white).  We found that the store-bought eggshells were thinner and easier to crush than the thicker home-grown ones.

We also found that the edges are sharp.  This is probably not appropriate work for very small people.

 It ended up being a great palm exfoliation treatment!

Expense of Experience

Sometimes I walk into a room (usually the school room) and recoil at the sight of one of the boys using copious amounts of some household item on work that does not look important to me, and I wonder why I never laid down the law about using these things without my permission.


Recently, I found a pyramid-shaped stack of skinny markers bound together with layers of Scotch tape attached to Thing1's desk.  He informed me it was a cannon.  He had to use scissors to cut it apart when he needed the markers.  There is still tape on some of our markers.

Thing2 likes to wrap gifts.  The more tape, the better.

A favorite "work" is to staple all the way around a stack of scrap paper and then take all the staples back out again. 

They used $0.50 worth of toothpicks the day they made marshmallow sculptures.  Dressed up like cowboys.

While helping his dad build a shed, Thing1 used a drill motor to screw these four boards together...With about 30 screws.  The Husband plans to have Thing1 use the drill to take out the screws so he can reuse them next time he wants to build something.  Those screws are not cheap.

I try to dwell on the benefits of their work rather than the cost so as not to dampen their industry.  Then I explain to them that getting the job done is important, but using more than you need is wasteful.

After the initial shock, I remind myself (or The Husband reminds me) of all they are learning by experiencing real life, and I write off the expense as "curriculum." 

Cloud Dough

 Pin It

Here's some fun stuff introduced to us by Flights of Whimsy via Pinterest.

It is Cloud Dough.  Simple enough for even me to make.  Interesting enough to keep Thing2 busy while I worked with Thing1.

I mixed 4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of baby oil.  It made a silky substance that formed when packed but also crumbled easily.

Don't let the mess worry you.  It's as easy as sweeping up dry flour.  After we played, we bagged it up to use again later.  To us it was definitely worth the time, effort, expense, and mess.

More Do-A-Dot Printables

I still consider Do-A-Dots worth the money.  I still bless the day I was stuck at the Learning Oasis and made the impulse purchase of our set.

Thing2 and I are gradually building an Alphabet Binder with Do-A-Dot activities.  (A, E, I, and O so far.)  Reviewing letters and sounds in the binder is fun because we are looking at his work, and he is proud of it.  Reviewing by looking at our Reading Lesson book and the index cards I made?  Not so much fun.

Free Do-A-Dot Printables We Have Used:
Letter Mazes from Tot School
Lowercase Letters from Tot School
Uppercase Letters from Tot School
Alphabet Printables from Homeschool Creations
ABC Phonics Coloring Pages from Homeschool Creations (We fill them in with Do-A-Dots instead of crayons)

Free Printables I Plan to Try:
DLTK (Alphabet, seasons, holidays, animals.)
Making Learning Fun (Lots of book themes, alphabet, colors, numbers.)

Ivory Explosion

Pin It

Another Pinterest-inspired activity from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas.

This is one-fourth of a bar of Ivory soap:

This is what it looks like after being microwaved for 15 seconds:

This is what it looks like after being microwaved for 30 seconds:

This is what it looks like after one minute in the microwave (not much different):

It feels like lightweight styrofoam and crumbles easily. It makes a slick, soapy mess when you add water.

Thing2 smelled nice and clean after this "science experiment."

Cutting the soap bar was a good opportunity for Thing1 to learn about simple fractions.  It seems like he understood.

Sensory Spaghetti

Pin It

Inspired by Pinterest:  Sensory play with colored spaghetti.

How I did it:
1.  Added a jumbo-sized box of spaghetti along with a good bit of oil to boiling water and cooked for seven or eight minutes.
2.  Drained spaghetti and rinsed with cold water.
3.  Divided spaghetti between two zip-loc bags and added lots of food coloring to each one.
4.  Shook the bags.
5.  Repeated steps 1 through 4 with another box of spaghetti.
6.  Kept it in the fridge until it was time to play.

How it turned out:
A little sticky.  All in all, very satisfying in a messy way.  It made enough for six or eight kids to play with.  Their favorite part was cutting the "hair" with scissors.

What I would do differently:
1.  A little more oil after coloring maybe?
2.  Next time I will put some newspaper under the work area so we can just throw the mess away instead of picking up tiny, sticky spaghetti pieces off the floor.

What surprised me:
Thing2 (6) liked it more than Thing1 (3 1/2).

What I liked:
As I was distributing the spaghetti, Thing2 commented on the look, the feel, the smell, and the taste.  Sensory, indeed!

They cooked snake food, cut hair, wound it around fingers, used machinery (tongs) to move mounds, and searched for monkeys (from Barrel of Monkeys) in the noodles..

Observation on Play and Learning

Before I publish my observation, I am going to clarify that my only claims to expertise are that I used to be a child and that I am a mother of two, big sister of six, and Aunt Nan to...well, it's hard to keep up with that number.  I have no degrees or certifications.  I don't even have any resume-worthy work experience in this area.  So this is just an observation, nothing more or less.

Playing is as vital to a child's future success as working is for an adult's.  Fred Rogers said, "Play is often talked about as a relief from serious learning.  But for children, play is serious learning.  Play is really the work of childhood."

When a child plays alone, he learns to be independent.  When he plays with others, he learns to cooperate, influence, share, and communicate.

While he plays, he experiments.  He learns that the steeper the slide, the faster the ride down.  He learns that the sun turns a marvelously muddy substance into a hard, dry cake.  He learns to control his body as he balances one more block on top of a tower as tall as he is.  His attention span lengthens as he follows Lego directions to complete increasingly complicated sculptures. 

I agree with Mr. Rogers.  This is serious!  When he plays, he practices being an adult, which is what he will be for most of his life.

What about the "serious learning?"  There is certainly a place for that, and it must be faced head-on with diligence and discipline, but it should not preclude play.  Play prepares him for "serious learning" and gives him experience to draw on as he works.  Handwriting is easier because of the hours he spent grasping knobs on puzzles, doing lacing cards, and manipulating tiny Legos.  Historical figures and events are cemented in his memory when he dresses up and acts out a story after hearing it.

I read in the comments of a blog post recently (I'm sorry I can't remember where), "What is learned with pleasure is not soon forgotten."  I believe that a child’s play should not only be allowed but respected and encouraged as a means to becoming a well-rounded, intelligent, and successful human being.

 

Do-A-Dot

Suddenly Thing2 wants to do "school work."  (To him, "school work" is paper work.  I can't convince him otherwise.)

For five months, I tested the waters occasionally by bringing out the letter A and asking if he remembers what it is.  Most of the time he made a point of "not knowing," so I would put the letter away and hope for the best next time.

Enter Do-A-Dot markers.

Thing2 thinks he is very privileged when he gets to "paint" with these. (I don't love paint, so painting is always a treat around here.)

Except for a couple of free-style art projects, I have only let him use the markers on letters that we have learned in his reading lessons. (Don't be impressed; we have only learned A, E, and I.)  I have found some fun free printables on Homeschool Creations, but I'm going to have to look for more.

I found these when I was stranded the other day. I almost didn't buy them because they cost nearly $16, which seemed a little steep for six markers that only make dots.  However, I have not regretted the purchase.  They are a perfect fit for three-year-old hands.

My favorite part is that they dispel frustration.  How can you mess up a dot?  Thing2 can look at his work with satisfaction that it is done "neatly," which, surprisingly, is important to him.

Miniature Tools

In this house, we believe that the right tools make all the difference.

To teach a miniature person how to do a job, it is most helpful to equip him with miniature tools.

I bought a child-sized broom and mop set (Schylling brand at Fat Brain Toys) for our preschool/kindergarten co-op class recently.  After trying it out (I must try it out on my own children before I teach others, right?), I am considering keeping it and buying the co-op another one.

A Play Date and a Bowling Tip

Pin It

Bowling tip:  Stick pieces of masking tape to the floor to mark where the pins should be set up so that the kids can set them up in the proper pyramid shape by themselves.  This has made bowling a fun and easy rainy day activity for us.

Since I just leave my tape out so that the boys can bowl anytime they want, I have had several people ask me what was wrong with my floor or why in the world I had a pattern of masking tape on it.  Oh, well.  It won't last forever.


We had a cousin over yesterday.  Because it was raining, we began a game of indoor bowling that quickly evolved into an entertaining and imaginative ping pong/golf/hockey-type game.

Later while they were playing on their own, I overheard a waiter taking orders.  One 3-year-old very politely ordered chicken with Cheetos, fresh meat with syrup, and roasted chips with salt.  (I shudder at the thought of being served meat that is not fresh, especially with syrup.)


Barnes&Noble link is an affiliate link.

Shared with Works For Me Wednesday
and

Cinnamon Critters

Thing1 and I made these Cinnamon Critters from Highlights the other day.

By the way, I just discovered the HighlightsKids website.  You can listen to the entire High Five magazines, listen to stories from Highlights, do Hidden Pictures, and a lot more I have yet to discover.  (These links are for your benefit, not mine!)

 I didn't have any dinner roll dough, so we used what we had on hand to make some biscuit dough with wheat flour.

Thing1 rolled the dough into these shapes, rolled them in cinnamon and sugar, then (again, using what we had on hand) arranged mint chocolate chips on top of the dough for eyes and spots.

After baking, this is how they came out.   They may not look like much, but Thing1 was proud to serve these at supper.

This next tidbit is not for the weak-stomached.

Of course Thing1 was more specific than "critters" when he created these.  One is a worm, one is a tick, and one is a mouse.

I warned you.