F Week

Letter of the Week:

• Introduce the letter of the week on a big poster. HERE
  
• Starfall HERE
• The Sign for F
• Theme words: feather, fish, foot, funny, fairy, forest, fire, farm, flag
• Rhyme: Fall
  From September to December
  What's the season?
  Fall!
  Red leaves start to
  Fall!
  Brown leaves start to
  Fall!
  Orange leaves start to
  Fall!
  Yellow leaves start to
  Fall!
  After all, it's
  Fall!
• The Foot Book and The Rainbow Fish
• The Four Friends (starfall)
  

Music (15 minutes)

• Songs: Mr. Pumpkin
  (tune: Where is thumbkin)
  Mr. Pumpkin,
  Mr. Pumpkin,
  Round and fat.
  Round and fat.
  Harvesttime is coming.
  Harvesttime is coming.
  Yum, yum, yum.
  That is that!
• Pumpkin song
  (tune: I'm a little teapot)
  I'm a little pumpkin.
  Orange and round.
  Here is my stem,
  There is the ground.
  When I get all cut up,
  Don't you shout!
  Just open me up
  And scoop me out!
• Classical Composer: Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) MINUTE WALTZ
  

Math

Fractions - now would be a fun time to divide a pie, pizza, cake, or sandwich into 1/2, 1/3, or 1/4 and teach the meaning of fractions.

Color - fuchsia

Science

Bird- flamingo (Fantasia)
Flower - forget-me-not (Alaska state flower)
Mammal - ferret
Ocean Creature - fish

Social Studies

• Learn about France: FLAG
  
• France on youtube
• What do Firefighters do VIDEO
  

Art Project

• Make a paper fan - color a design on a piece of blank paper and fold accordian style.
• Design a family flag or a flag showing many different things starting with the letter F.
• Fingerpainting
• Paper fish (staple around the edges and fill).
  

Sport/Game

Play with a Frisbee at the park, or play catch with a soft Football.

"E" Week in Review

We made an Egg carton caterpillar with Es all over it! And finger painted with green paint (several times). Lots of fun!

Friday 9/24 "E"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read (or memorize) the poem or rhyme chosen.
• Read one of the stories(the same or different).
• Sing the song you chose.
• Listen to music of the composer of the week and show the flash card, if you made one.
• Review the color of the week. (optional)

Sports/Games/Activities (20 minutes)

• Visit Evan
• Egg carton caterpillers

Review fav. activities

Thursday 9/24 "E"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read "Egg"
  
• Pomp and Circumstance.
• Color: Green
  

Social Studies (15 minutes)

• Learn about Ecuador and learn to cook Enchiladas.
  

Art Project (15 - 30 minutes)

• Ms. Glory's Storytime art project and
• Popcicle stick "E"s. and playdough "e"

Wenesday 9/22 "E"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Review on Starfall "E" HERE
  
• Read The Ear Book
  
• Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance
  
• Color: Green
  

Science (20 minutes)

• Bird- emperor penguin
• Tree - elm
• Mammal - elephant
• Rock or Mineral - emerald
• Watch and Egg hatch HERE.
  

Bible Story/Character Lesson (10 minutes)

• Review the lesson you learned on Monday.

Tuesday 9/21 "E"

Language Arts & Music (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read one of the stories(the same or different).
• Sing Everything Grows by Raffi HERE
  
• Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar HERE
  

Math (15 minutes)

• Estimating. Fill a jar with something. Ask how many are there. Count and see if you were right. I think Sam will like this.
• Color of the Week: Green.
  

Bible Story/Character Lesson (15 minutes)

• Reread The Emperor's New Clothes
  

Monday 9/20 "E"

(ONE AWESOME SITE: HERE )

E ACTIVITIES

Language Arts (30 minutes)

Letter of the Week:

• Introduce the letter of the week on a big poster. HERE
  
• Theme words - egg, elephant, engine, empty, everything
• Starfall.com "E": HERE
  
• Sign language "e": HERE
• Books to Read: "The Ear Book" by Al Perkins, "Egg" by Anca Hariton
• Reading Rainbow: About Eggs
  

Music (15 minutes)

• Composer: Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934) Pomp and Circumstance
  
• Everything Grows by Raffi HERE
  

Bible Story/Character Lesson (15 minutes)

The Emperor's New Clothes ( Tales of Virture books)

Friday 9/18/09 "D"

This week has just been CRAZY with being sick, traveling to West Virginia and Evan being born so unfortunately, we've just discussed "d" a lot in the car and practiced Monday's lesson plans for most of the week. Monday is back in the saddle!

Friday 9/18/09 "

Monday 9/14 "D"

Language Arts (30 minutes)

**Make a drum at Lowe's Build and Grow clinic on Saturday**

Letter of the Week:

• Introduce the letter of the week on a big poster.
• Teach sign for "D" here
• Starfall "D" here
  
• Theme words: duck, dolphin, dentist, dog, dance, dinosaur
• Poem: Hey Diddle Diddle
• Story: 5 Little Ducks
  

Music (15 minutes)

• Composer - Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Clair de Lune
  
• Song: How Much Is That Doggy In the Window?
  

Bible Story/Character Lesson (15 minutes)

Determination or Daniel in the Lion's Den

Art Across the Alphabet

These are taken from Art Across the Alphabet by Kelly Justus Campbell.

A: Make airplane wings. Attach to arms.
B: Make bubble prints. Use tempra paint and soap, make bubbles, blow bubbles in a pan and touch paper to the bubbles.
C: car wheel prints. Run cars through paint and then drive cars over paper.
D: Coffee filter dragonflies. Drip paint on filters, use clothespins and make them dragonflies.
E: playdough eels.
F: Fingerpainting/ Make fish (stuff paper fish with plastic bags. paint)
G: Giant games (tic tac toe, puzzles)
H: Make hats.
I: Impressions. Clay (that can be baked), make impressions of keys, forks, straws, paperclips)
J: Jack in the Box painting: Paint in baggie, add jacks, Throw jacks in a shoebox with paper.. shake. tear bits of jeans on a letter "j"
K: Kites or cut out K's and make a picture out of them
L: "line collage" with pipe cleaners, or stick in styrofoam to make line art
M: Marble art (Same as J's activity)/music painting..play music and watercolor to it.
N: Negative impressions (trace with white crayon/chalk) on black paper
O: Outside art (chalk)
P: perfect pockets: decorate pockets with fabric paint,etc./puppets/make PAPER!
Q: Quill painting (paint with a feather)/quilt making (Nana's house)
R: pet Rock/ rain painting (paint with tempera, put out in the rain, discuss)
S: Paint with sponges
T: Tissue paper town.
U: Under the table drawings. Tape paper under table. Let child draw
V: make Vipers out of Velvet, glue on paper.
W: Paint with White/watercolor/weave
X: make an X with 2 paper towel rolls.
Y: Glue down yarn in circles and squiggles
Z: Glue down zippers.



N:

"C" Weekly Review in Pictures

Yellow was the color of the week!

"C" is for cars!

"C" is for "Camping". We gathered bits of nature on our nature walk. All of these things are examples of what Heavenly Father made for us to enjoy and be responsible with!

"C" is for car wheel painting! And yellow is the color of the week

"C" is for "California" where Nana and Papa Greene live!

"C" is for "Cabin"

"B" Week Review in Pictures

Making Blueberry Smoothies

Counting Blue counting bears. Practicing "taking away" with them.

Here's our B week pictures!

Friday 9/11 "C"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read one of the stories(Very Hungry Caterpiller)
  
• Sing "C says "Ch"
  
• Listen to music of the composer of the week: Aaron Copeland Hoedown
  
• Review the color of the week. Yellow
  

Sports/Games/Activities (20 minutes)

• Saturday morning: Kick of "D" week and make a DRUM at Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic.
  

Review (10 minutes)

• Review any of your activities from the week that your child enjoyed the most.

Thursday 9/10 "c"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read one of the stories(Lyle Lyle Crocidile)
  
• "C" Says "Ch" song
  
• Listen to music of the composer of the week: Aaron Copeland's Hoedown
  
• Review the color of the week: yellow (fingerpaint with cars)
  

Social Studies (15 minutes)

• Discuss California!
  
• Printable of the state
• State FLAG
  

Art Project (15 - 30 minutes)

• Art at Storytime plus "Car tracks"--fingerpaint + matchbox car wheels = FUN!
  

Wednesday 9/9 "C"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read (or memorize) the poem or rhyme chosen.
• Read one of the stories(the same or different).
• Sing the song you chose.
• Listen to music of the composer of the week and show the flash card, if you made one.
• Review the color of the week: Yellow
  

Science (20 minutes)

Bird- cardinal
Flower - chrysanthemum
Mammal - cougar
Ocean Creature - crab

Bible Story/Character Lesson (10 minutes)

• More talk about the Creation.
  

Tuesday 9/8 "C"

Language Arts & Music (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards (cabin, caterpillar, clown, clock, cow, car, crocodile)
• Read one of the stories(The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
  
• Listen to music of the composer of the week: Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990): Appalacian Spring
• Sign for C: HERE
• Starfall.com "C" HERE
  

Math (15 minutes)

• Classify - classify objects by color (ie: set out 5 objects, 2 of one color and 3 of another, let your child separate them into the proper group by color. 5 counting bears.
  
• Color of the week: Yellow.
  

Bible Story/Character Lesson (15 minutes)

• Heavenly Father made us this beautiful Earth (continue discussion from hike on Sunday about the Creation).
  

Monday 9/7 "C"

Introduce "C" while Camping at the Cabin. Say farewell to "B" for "birthday"--it's Bryant's 30th birthday today.

Children's Storybooks online

Right here

Venturing Out: Activities for 8/31-9/4

• Monday: Park and BV Library
• Tuesday: Playgroup at Church @ 10:30 AM
  
• Wednesday: Live Storytelling IS ON SEPT. 16TH.
  
• Thursday: Storytime and Craft with Ms. Glory 10:30am @ Rockbridge Regional Library.
• Thursday: 6:30pm Party for Ethnie DeSpain.
  
• Friday: Camping at our Cabin (we're going to use B is for Birthday for Bryant's birthday and start C is for Cabin and Camping for next week a little early!).

Friday 9/3 "B"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Recite: Baa Baa Black Sheep
  
• Read one of the stories: Buckles Buckles Everywhere
  
• Sing the song (Baby Beluga)
  
• Watch: Little Einstein's Legend of the Golden Pyramid (Braham's Hungarian Dance)
  
• Review the color of the week: Blue
  

Sports/Games/Activities (20 minutes)

• Off to the cabin for the weekend! Discuss Bryant's birthday!
  

Review (10 minutes)

• Review any of your activities from the week that your child enjoyed the most.

Thursday 9/2 "B"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read the rhyme chosen.
• Read one of the stories(the same or different).
• Sing the song.
  
• Listen to music of the composer of the week: Brahams Hungarian Dance no. 5
  
• Review the color of the week. Blue
  

Social Studies (15 minutes)

• Benjamin Franklin: HERE
• Awesome slide show HERE
  

Art Project (15 - 30 minutes)

• Craft project at Storytime (theme: siblings)
  
• Theme: Brothers. Have Sam draw a picture of Joey.
  

Wenesday 9/2 "B"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read the rhyme chosen. Baa Baa Black Sheep
  
• Read one of the stories: Buckles Buckles Everywhere
  
• Sing the song you chose. (B-I-N-G-O with storyboard)
  
• Listen to music of the composer of the week: Brahams' Hungarian Dance
  
• Review the color of the week. Blue
  

Science (20 minutes)

Bird- bluebird : HERE
Flower - buttercup HERE
Mammal - bison HERE
Ocean Creature - beluga whale HERE

Bible Story/Character Lesson (10 minutes)

• Review the lesson you learned on Monday: Bravery
  
• Act out the story.

Tuesday 9/1 "B"

Language Arts & Music (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.(banana, balloon, book, baseball, bear, bird)
• Read one of the stories "Brown Bear, Brown Bear"
  
• Sing "Baa Baa Black Sheep"
  
• Listen to music of the composer of the week: Joannes Brahams Lullaby
  

Math (15 minutes)

• Before - tell your child a number and he must tell you the number that comes before. You could do this orally or with manipulatives. (ie: if you say the number 4, the answer is 3.) Use counting bears.
  

Colors

• Teach the color listed. You should be able to find the color in a 64 or 96 pack of crayons.
• Take an index card and color it the color listed.
• Write the color word on the other side.
• Show the flash card a few times each day for the rest of the week.

Character Lesson (15 minutes)

• Review the lesson you learned on Monday (Bravery)
  

Monday 8/31 "B"

Language Arts (30 minutes)

Letter of the Week:

• Introduce the letter of the week on a poster "B b"
  
• Teach both the name and the sound it stands for. Only one sound at a time!
• Show both upper and lower case letters.
• Color and put the poster in the bathroom.
• Discuss the sign for B HERE
• ABC's HERE
• Starfall.com "B"
  

Theme Words:

• Theme words: banana, balloon, book, baseball, bear, bird
• Make flash cards of them
  
• Put flash cards in pocket chart after showing them to Sam.

Color of the Week:

• Blue: fingerpainting with Blue.
  

Poetry & Rhymes:

• Choose one rhyme to memorize for the week: Baa Baa Black Sheep.
  

Read Aloud:

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
  

Music (15 minutes)

• Listen to a music selection of the composer listed: Johannes Brahams "Lullaby"
  

Song:

• Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

Bible Story/Character Lesson (15 minutes)

• Discuss Bravery. Sometimes it's hard giving up things you love and you may be a little afraid, but if you are BRAVE you will make it through! ex: giving up Binkie last week.
  

Week In Review 8/24-8/28 in Pictures

Sam's first spooning with dried Garbanzo beans

Practicing writing A and a in shaving cream

"A" is for Africa!

Let's pretend we're going camping!

Apple-printing and finger painting with the color of the week: Red!

Simply Montessori

This is a really fantastic resource site for Montessori at home. I do believe I'll test the waters with a few spooning activities with Sam.
http://simplymontessori.blogspot.com/2009/06/spooing-activities.html

Research: Child doesn't like to color

I'm getting frustrated with "I can't do it" when it comes to coloring with crayons with Sam. I know he's young. And I know the crayons are the skinny crayola kind so dexterity is an issue. However, most activities involve coloring already. So, it's time to go to Google University and see what I can dig up to help Sam enjoy coloring. He can scribble... but this is already a marked improvement from... Monday.

• Pencil grips are also called Crossover grips
• Advice from OT: break crayons to make them easier to use.
• Bryant and/or I need to color in front of Sam.. casually. Maybe while he's playing in the living room one of us should color and show that it's fun. MODEL.
• Fine motor activities: here

Well-organized Alphabet activities

RIGHT HERE

Friday 8/28 Short "A"

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read the poem chosen: Animal Crackers
  
• Read one of the stories: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
  
• Sing the song you chose. (Listen To The Short A Sound)
  
• Listen to music of the composer of the week and show the flash card, if you made one. (Leroy Anderson: The Waltzing Cat)
  
• Review the color of the week. RED (review hong se, rojo and rouge)
  

Sports/Games/Activities (20 minutes)

• Decide on an activity and make the day fun!
• I think we'll make a "tent" in the living room and pretend to go camping and piggy-back on the library's theme of the week. If we're lucky, we'll be able to go back to a cabin in the next few weeks!
  

Review (10 minutes)

• Review any of your activities from the week that your child enjoyed the most.
• We may do the shaving cream again. It was a BIG hit. Near the end of the lesson, Sam was really able to make uppercase and lowecase A's.
  

One awesome site!

This is such a cool site!

http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/preschool-themes.html

Mental note: Ask Mike to print this out:
http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/support-files/writingworksheetsa-z.pdf

Thursday 8/27 "Short A"

First 30 minutes, same as yesterday.

• Writing the letter "A" and "a" in shaving cream on the table.
  

Social Studies (15 minutes)

• Continue discussion about Africa.
  
• Color map of Africa
• Look at Africa on the web.
  

Art Project (15 - 30 minutes)

• Storytime: Camping. Imaginative play: "pretend" roasting marshmallows with "witches' brew" cauldron with fake flames. Sam LOVED it.
  

Wenesday 8/26 "Short A"

Yesterday went so well! Sam was thrilled with painting with apples and loved sitting at the table and trying to write straight lines. Here's today's overview from letteroftheweek:

Language Arts, Music & Math (30 minutes)

• Review the theme word flash cards.
• Read an A Poem:

Animal Crackers
by Christopher Morley
Animal crackers and cocoa to drink,
That is the finest of suppers, I think;
When I'm grown up and can have what I please
I think I shall always insist upon these.

What do you choose when you're offered a treat?
When Mother says, "What would you like best to eat?"
Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast?
It's cocoa and animals that I love the most!

The kitchen's the coziest place that I know:
The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow,
And there in the twilight, how jolly to see
The cocoa and animals waiting for me.

Daddy and Mother dine later in state,
With Mary to cook for them, Susan to wait;
But they don't have nearly as much fun as I
Who eat in the kitchen with Nurse standing by;
And Daddy once said he would like to be me
Having cocoa and animals once more for tea!

• Sing "Short A" from Starfall.com ("Short A Makes this kind of sound "Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah", the "ah" in cat, the "ah" in rat" makes the short A sound, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah Ah!")
  
• Listen to music of the composers of the week. (Leroy Anderson: Typewriter song)
  
• Review the color of the week: Red. Discuss apples can be red. Red in Chinese: hong se (learned from Ni Hao Kai-Lan:Celebrate with Kai-Lan).
  

Science (20 minutes)

Bird-albatross : HERE Large seabird.
Flower - aster HERE
Mammal - antelope Slideshow at San Diego Zoo
Ocean Creature - abalone (Dirty Jobs: Season2 Disc 1: Seaweed Harvester/Abalone farmer)

Great link to enchantedlearning.com: Animal Coloring Pages
Here's just a page of African Animals: HERE

Character Lesson (10 minutes)

"Every job on a team is important" ((learned from Ni Hao Kai-Lan:Celebrate with Kai-Lan (DVD). When Kai-Lan's friend Rintoo refuses to help carry a huge dragon costume, Kai-lan must convince him his job is important.

Week One: Short A

Monday/Tuesday/Weekly Overview:
Introduce short A.

• Print out Aa poster: Sam then colored the poster and we put it up in the bathroom (lol)!
• Discuss ASL "a"
  
• Starfall.com: Short A song and ASL "a"
• Practice writing: Horizontal lines: WORKSHEET
• Practice writing: "a" wipe off/on board.
  

Theme Words:

• apple, alligator, astronaut, animal, alphabet, ambulance, acrobat on flash cards and in the hallway pocket chart. I've also added "Sam" as a card. We review these cards often throughout the day. I just flip through the cards, and naturally, Sam repeats. If he doesn't repeat, I don't make him.
  

Music:

• Tomaso Albinoni (1671 - 1751): Adagio in G minor (discuss violins)
• Leroy Anderson ( 1908-1975): The Waltzing Cat
• Introduce the Lap Harp

Art:

• Apple-printing with finger paint.
• Apple Match file folder game (to work on color matching) as a free time activity.
  

Science/Geography:

• Ocean Creature: Abalone. Watch Abalone Farmer episode of Dirty Jobs
• Plant apple seeds and watch them sprout
• Show Africa on the map/play globe. Discuss animals that live in Africa.
  

Math:

• Abacus addition/counting

Movement:

• Act out animals
• Grow up tall like an apple tree
  

Why this blog is being madeMy

This blog, more or less, is to help me keep track of my homeschooling curriculum and sources that I find online.

I am a brand new homeschooling mother to my 3 year old preschooler, Sam. We also have a 6 month old boy, Joey who, of course, will be helping us learn as we go.

We're choosing to homeschool Sam for at least his first "year" of preschool to give him a jumpstart on schooling. Sam is a very bright little boy who loves to learn new things. We've unschooled up until now but, with the beginning of the school year for traditional schools it seemed like a great time to start him on his slightly more formal education.

We're going to primarily using Letter of the Week (.com) as our curriculum foundation. We're also blessed to have as superb public library in Lexington, Virginia with an entire resource room for preschool readiness to use as we need.

So, here we go!