tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69519982589843045322024-03-05T18:20:24.480-06:00School in the KitchenRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-918148462731992952010-08-27T12:06:00.002-05:002010-08-27T12:06:10.253-05:00I've MOVED!School in the Kitchen has moved to Wordpress; please join me here: <a href="http://schoolinthekitchen.followinginmyshoes.com/">http://schoolinthekitchen.followinginmyshoes.com</a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-24242755438904815492009-12-13T22:23:00.000-06:002009-12-13T22:23:31.407-06:00Tot School -- All About Christmas<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TotSchool.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tot School" border="0" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/carisahinson/Tot-School.gif" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(The Little Lady is 30 Months)</i><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">I was right, during my lesson planning time, to expect this week to be fun. It was a BLAST!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>(oh -- and The Little Lady enjoyed it too!!!)</i><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">The big thing this week was our use of Sensory Boxes -- a first for us. For weeks, I had debated using them. To be honest, while they looked fun, I just didn't get them. Fortunately, through the continued reading of blogs who faithfully use Sensory Boxes --and just flat out asking another homeschooling blogger how they worked -- I learned enough to try it out.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>It. Was. A. HIT!</b><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">The first sensory box was used to introduce the story of Jesus' birth, using our Nativity Set as the prop. Since I had a TON of rice on hand, I used it as the "filler." My one mistake? Not anticipating the MESS that comes from using rice and a short box. Good GRIEF -- there was rice everywhere! <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(my apologies for the first few photos in this post -- my camera's setting were messed UP)</i><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">In addition to loving the rice, she loved playing with the Nativity set and, by the end of day one, could name the different characters and knew a fact about them<i> (such as that the angel told everyone "Don't be afraid.")</i>.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">After we played with the nativity sensory box, the Little Lady made her own nativity, using foam shapes I cut for her. Since she was allowed to paint the glue on the pieces, she didn't mind that Mommy was the only one to use scissors.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">We practiced coloring in circles using a "Paint a Dot" printable from 1+1+1=1. She doesn't quite yet have the fine motor skills necessary for such detail work, but she's getting better at it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our second Sensory Box was the <b><strike>smart-mommy-box</strike></b> more general Christmas box. I pretty much copied this box from one I found on another blog -- white pom poms, mini fir trees, plastic Christmas light bulbs, cinnamon sticks, peppermint candy canes, our Nativity figurines, Christmas bells, and bows.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">She preferred playing in rice and kept asking to add it to the new box. <i>(sigh) </i> Eventually, she got used to hearing "No more rice today" and played with her new box.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We made an advent "chain calendar," and each day we've been completing an activity related to the respective verse of the day. One day, we (yes, we -- the Little Lady wanted help) colored alphabet Christmas lights, spelling out Jesus's name. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8qzAQYC00-4PxOe9qVP3n9BxBkUMKLxMSHDy_xFvF3my-7yg1SxdwR8OaHZmA150ZOEV3oYsXNgyGVxlaAlotqH1ZUzQre08521cnLzT88PFrKqJVHEH6j4rI6gZMM6krxSOmTN2qnUA/s1600-h/IMG_5968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8qzAQYC00-4PxOe9qVP3n9BxBkUMKLxMSHDy_xFvF3my-7yg1SxdwR8OaHZmA150ZOEV3oYsXNgyGVxlaAlotqH1ZUzQre08521cnLzT88PFrKqJVHEH6j4rI6gZMM6krxSOmTN2qnUA/s320/IMG_5968.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Little Lady was in a bit of a contrary mood and didn't enjoy having her picture taken on this particular day!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When we finished assembling the project and, when she finally understood the significance of the letters, she decided she needed to show Baby Jesus his name in lights!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw46mG8F-OQL2swLMKN4AnXvGPQ4a04p-wzGRPnSoC683Xee66mMG3lW144I_0DCWFm3bvYd2wB4InJdv8BRzjv-3x1miDw-T-DPgLMSlAg854UB0L_XqAFWRu4EzkFo0B9RacGvaTIPRq/s1600-h/IMG_5981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw46mG8F-OQL2swLMKN4AnXvGPQ4a04p-wzGRPnSoC683Xee66mMG3lW144I_0DCWFm3bvYd2wB4InJdv8BRzjv-3x1miDw-T-DPgLMSlAg854UB0L_XqAFWRu4EzkFo0B9RacGvaTIPRq/s320/IMG_5981.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our last main activity this week was a quick "<b>Mama Needs A Break"</b> activity -- tracing shapes. I was surprised that she enjoyed this and kept trying over and over to get her shapes just right. I need to find some more implement more such activities for her.<br />
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</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-88575140383684437222009-12-08T13:01:00.000-06:002009-12-08T13:01:49.463-06:00Need another Christnas Gift?On my personal blog (<i><b><a href="http://followinginmyshoes.blogspot.com/">Following in My Shoes</a></b></i>) I posted a tutorial for making silhouettes. Come take a look!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-36998123388377038702009-12-07T15:41:00.002-06:002009-12-07T15:59:11.510-06:00Lesson Planning for DecemberWhile we will have a few "s-thematic" lessons going on, I'm going to take a wee break from our letter focused activities over the course of this month and, instead, focus on Christmas and the story of Jesus's birth. <br />
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This month's activities have me really, really, <b>REALLY</b> excited. I found some great ideas at Hubbard's Cupboard and plan to implement many of them.<br />
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I haven't decided what books we will be reading this week; we'll be heading to the library tonight to see what we can find. <br />
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Here are a few links to specific projects we'll be working on:<br />
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<a href="http://www.dltk-bible.com/mhandsangel.html">Angel Hand/Foot Print Craft</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/christmas.html">Advent Countdown Chain</a> (listed under the Day One activities)<br />
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<a href="http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/recipies_a-c.html#CandyCaneCookies">Candy Cane Cookies</a> (ours will be red and white v. the green and red ones shown)<br />
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I also plan to make our first Tot-Pack (the <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/Christmas.html">Christmas themed one from 1+1+1=1</a>)for the Little Lady to "play" with during Church and when I'm busy with her baby brother, Mr. Boy. <br />
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I'm thinking this month is going to be FUN!!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>(click lesson plan image for full view)</i><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQauxfKC6hOW46YFizo2rXMFYikXetI3fMeNK0o_It0YSLH53hQCexqh9xn-m-m-O2pYhyx8IUa_7j0tPeoPLF3l5XNoEPbOauzGZY2754Mj7byQi7QXolm8LHNNtX151b4LVSTwgIvJl/s1600-h/Week+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQauxfKC6hOW46YFizo2rXMFYikXetI3fMeNK0o_It0YSLH53hQCexqh9xn-m-m-O2pYhyx8IUa_7j0tPeoPLF3l5XNoEPbOauzGZY2754Mj7byQi7QXolm8LHNNtX151b4LVSTwgIvJl/s400/Week+7.png" /></a><br />
</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-72051614611730430282009-12-07T14:02:00.001-06:002009-12-07T14:03:36.530-06:00Muffin Tin Monday!<center><a href="http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/search/label/Muffin%20Tin%20Monday" target="_blank"><img alt="Muffin Tin Monday at Her Cup Overfloweth" border="0" src="http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/tt151/vistamommy/MTM125Button.png" /></a></center><br />
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No set theme with this one -- just some things I know she'll actually eat. (although, she did decide to be a little stubborn today . . . so Mommy had to "help" her eat her lunch)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>(menu: Cranberry Turkey, Cornbread Dressing, Sauteed Mushrooms, Carrot Chips, Broccoli, and Fruit Cocktail)</i><br />
</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-68358663502963934342009-12-05T10:48:00.004-06:002009-12-07T15:53:22.904-06:00Tot School -- An Impromptu Snow Day<center><a href="http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TotSchool.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tot School" border="0" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/carisahinson/Tot-School.gif" /></a></center> <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<b><i>The Little Lady is 29 Months</i></b>) <br />
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One month.<br />
<br />
That's how long we have gone without any formal learning activities. Traveling and a couple of weeks of sickness pretty much wiped out any time for much else.<br />
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But, this week we got back into the swing of things -- thanks to a "Freak" storm here in Houston, we were able to talk about Snow and the letter S!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>This was the Little Lady's first hands-on experience with the white stuff, and she was overwhelmed with excitement. It was so much fun watching her little face, eyes sparking and dancing, as she watched the snow fall from "wayyyyyyyy up dere!"</b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Of course, a little "science" experimentation was part of our time outside -- tasting the snow flakes as they fell down!</b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I think this big, cheesy, ecstatic grin says it all!</b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we had nearly turned into icicles, it was back to to the house we went for hot chocolate. It was hard getting the Little Lady back inside -- she did <b>NOT</b> want to leave the snow. To keep her occupied, I threw together a few activities for her to complete with the help of her grandma, who happens to be visiting us this week.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Activity 1: "S is for Snow" Color/Sticker Page</b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Activity #2: Snowman Scene Craft</b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Activity #3: Decorating Snowflakes</b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Activity #4: Making Stocking and Snowflake Christmas Decorations</b><br />
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</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-71372920873546337842009-11-01T10:50:00.031-06:002009-12-07T15:53:49.902-06:00Tot School -- The Second Half<center><a href="http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TotSchool.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tot School" border="0" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/carisahinson/Tot-School.gif" /></a></center> <br />
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(<b><i>The Little Lady is 28 Months</i></b>) <br />
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We finished out our October with edible paint, counting trays, stickers and a trip to the Zoo!<br />
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Knowing the Little Lady's penchant for tasting <b>EVERYTHING</b>, I made the paint for our Orange Open Ended Art Project. I didn't follow a recipe -- just ground up rolled oats and added food coloring. Sure enough, as soon as I set it out, she decided to test it out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our next activity was simply some sticker play, using some random orange/black M&M stickers I had on hand.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I finally, <b>FINALLY</b>, found some cool trays at The Dollar Tree. I've been wanting some of these since I saw similar ones on other blogs. I wrote out the numbers 1-10 in the tray, and then set out four "pumpkin cups." My goal was for the Little Lady to work on her 1-4 counting and to work on her fine motor skills as she transferred beans. She became a little frustrated with counting -- rather than force her to do it, I let her play with the beans . . . transferring them back and forth from the pumpkin cups and the counting tray.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On Halloween, we wrapped up our Pumpkin/Orange theme with a morning at the Houston Zoo for their annual "Zoo Boo," where the Little Lady painted pumpkins, played with goats, and marveled at the groundhogs!<br />
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</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-16018882847622733222009-10-26T10:07:00.005-05:002009-12-07T15:54:36.919-06:00Tot School -- The First Half<center><a href="http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TotSchool.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tot School" border="0" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/carisahinson/Tot-School.gif" /></a></center> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<b><i>The Little Lady is 28 Months</i></b>) <br />
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Yes, it's a good thing I decided my plans will cover a two week period instead of one! I think we got two days of planned activities in this week.<br />
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I used "rice writing" (<i>I'm sure there is a more official name</i>) to start off our discussion of the Letter P. The Little Lady absolutely <b>LOVED </b>this activity -- she wanted to draw the letter over and over and over in the dish of rice. In addition to it being fun, I saw signs that this type of sensory play really helped solidify the letter for her. Later that night, she (<i>for the first time</i>) was able to "write" (<i>or draw</i>) her letter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxNjpoouBMRz1PfW4v73sFiZyC_qom_SNYIifSAFwSO1EhpC_bKULq1RM3zJD-_Wiso2pNLMotnN3uRkE6o_KClqYllcUGRuSP2eB_rVZ4NWWpYSRBOxk6OCS7yPtEQ3MKt9XHDAne_Yz/s1600-h/IMG_5592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxNjpoouBMRz1PfW4v73sFiZyC_qom_SNYIifSAFwSO1EhpC_bKULq1RM3zJD-_Wiso2pNLMotnN3uRkE6o_KClqYllcUGRuSP2eB_rVZ4NWWpYSRBOxk6OCS7yPtEQ3MKt9XHDAne_Yz/s320/IMG_5592.JPG" /></a><br />
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Next, we colored the letter P using dyed rice (<i>purple, of course</i>). This was also a hit, mainly because she loves using her glue sticks.<br />
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We started talking about Pumpkins, using window clings I picked up from our local Dollar Tree. Getting permission to put "stickers" on the window made her so "<b>esscited</b>!!!" Wow, she squealed a lot over those.<br />
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<b>Life School</b><br />
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Our Little Lady made a <b>HUGE</b> leap this weekend: she finally, <b>FINALLY</b> played, on her own with friends <b>AND</b> went by herself to Children's Church. This is quite a big deal for us as she normally will not let us out of her sight when we are out and about (<i>regardless of who else is there and how well she knows them</i>).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>(her favorite part of the entire day at the carnival -- PONY RIDES!)</i><br />
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</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-74354485151182669752009-10-21T10:22:00.006-05:002009-12-07T15:54:54.446-06:00Lesson Planning for Weeks 5 and 6In the past few weeks, I've realized two things:<br />
1) There are a lot of things that interrupted our scheduled "class" activities.<br />
2) I keep pushing activities into the following week.<br />
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With a new baby, errands, impromptu play dates and visits, our preschool schedule needs to be more fluid. In order to accommodate this, I've decided to let my normal one-week plan morph into a two-week plan (which, it really has been all along thanks to all of the interruptions.).<br />
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Sooooooooo . . . for the next two weeks, the final weeks of October, we will be learning about the Letter P, the Number 4, and PUMPKINS!!!!<br />
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I found a ton of great resources for all that the Little Lady will be doing. I want to give credit where it is due, so here is my list of resources.<br />
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<b>Music</b><br />
<a href="http://jitterbug.com/">Jitterbug.tv</a> (Sesame Street Video "<a href="http://www.jitterbug.tv/index.php?v=V_ONMH=Xf5">1,2,3,4</a>")<br />
<a href="http://hubbardscupboard.org/october_for_2_s.html">Hubbard's Cubbard</a> (from "October for 2's")<br />
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<b>Art Projects</b><br />
<a href="http://1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/">1+1+1=One</a><br />
<a href="http://hubbardscupboard.org/october_for_2_s.html">Hubbard's Cubbard</a> (from "October for 2's")<br />
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<b>Math Activities</b><br />
<a href="http://hubbardscupboard.org/october_for_2_s.html">Hubbard's Cubbard</a> (from "October for 2's") <br />
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<b>Letter Recognition Activities</b><br />
<a href="http://hubbardscupboard.org/bible_and_rhyme.html">Hubbard's Cubbard</a> (from "3's Curriculum")<br />
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<b>Self-Portrait Template</b><br />
<a href="http://www.first-school.ws/t/pattern/gingerbreadg1.htm">First School Templates</a> - girlRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-1659300100943757462009-10-19T15:18:00.004-05:002009-12-07T15:55:11.890-06:00Muffin Tin Monday (our first!)<center> <br />
<a href="http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/search/label/Muffin%20Tin%20Monday" target="_blank"><img alt="Muffin Tin Monday at Her Cup Overfloweth" border="0" src="http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/tt151/vistamommy/MTM125Button.png" /></a><br />
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I'm desperate for anything that gets the Little Lady to eat. To eat more than two bites. To eat more than JUST her veggies (yes, I have an anti-meat kid).<br />
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At her last weight check, her doctor still wasn't 100% satisfied with the amount of weight she is gaining in between appointments (sigh), so I have until December to get the Little Lady a little chubbier.<br />
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Our first muffin-tin meal was a hit! Did she eat every single thing? No. Did she eat most of it? Pretty much. Was she <b><i>excited</i></b> about her lunch? DEFINITELY.<br />
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Being a quisitive little girl, she pushed a dining chair up to the counter where I was preparing her tin. "What's dat?" she asked, pointing to the shiny metal tray.<br />
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As I filled each container with honey roasted peanuts, sliced cucumbers, italian meatballs, apples, oranges, and bagel bits, she became more and more excited . . nearly jumping off of the chair by the time I finished.<br />
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"I. WANT. TO. EAT. THAT!"<br />
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I loved hearing that sentence -- even if it was loud enough to wake the baby!!!!<br />
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</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-34112391957084221562009-10-18T23:46:00.002-05:002009-12-07T15:55:35.287-06:00Tot School -- 2 Weeks for the Price of 1<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TotSchool.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tot School" border="0" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/carisahinson/Tot-School.gif" /></a><br />
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(<i>The Little Lady is 28 months old</i>)<br />
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Thanks to a family trip last week and the Baby's recent (<b><i>iNsAnE</i></b>) growth spurt, my <a href="http://schoolinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/lesson-planning-for-week-four.html">Week Four plans</a> were divided over the course of the past two weeks.<br />
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We worked on the <b>Letter L</b> with a a few ladybug and leaf activities. The Little Lady had so much fun with everything we did, as each craft and project involved going outside in some way; thankfully, a cool front came through this past weekend, so we (<i>and by "we" I really mean "Mommy"</i>) were able to really enjoy being outdoors.<br />
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Our primary book for the week was "The Grouchy Ladybug," a book she received for her birthday. As I mentioned in a previous post, this wasn't her favorite book ever -- which surprised me since "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" is still at the top of her "favs" list AND she loves, loves, loves ladybugs.<br />
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After reading the book, we did a <a href="http://schoolinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/start-grouch-ladybug.html">stART project</a> and made our own grouchy ladybug, learning about the color black and bug antennae as we made the bug.<br />
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Using ladybug stickers, my Little Lady made a sticker counting book. We're still working on counting; she has 1-3 down, so the sticker book added the numbers 4 and 5. She loves stickers and insisted, after carefully positioning each sticker, decorating her ladybug pages with a red marker.<br />
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To work on her colors, I downloaded a <a href="http://www.lapbooklessons.com/LadyBugLapbook.html">cute set of ladybug cards</a>. We're using them as flash-cards right now, but they can also (<i>and will be</i>) used as a color matching game. This picture only shows a few of the cards; there are twelve color sets in all.<br />
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We went outside to gather leaves for our "Letter L" page. She loved jumping up in front of each tree, trying (<i>so hard</i>) to reach the leaves. We also found a few on the ground, but they weren't <b>NEARLY</b> as much fun to gather as the ones on the trees. <br />
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With the remaining leaves, we made a bird-feeder. This was definitely the hit of the two weeks -- she excitedly looks for her bird feeder each time we go outside. It was so easy to make (<i>painted OJ carton, double sided tape, bird seed, leaves</i>).<br />
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The other highlight of our time spent with Leaves and Ladybugs occurred this past Friday, when the Little Lady discovered her first <b>REAL </b>ladybug. I wish I'd had my camera with me!!! She was a little intimidated by it a first, until I picked it up and showed her how gentle it was. After examining it, looking at its dots and legs, she picked out a grassy home for it in the flower-bed. It was the<b> PERFECT</b> way to end our adventure with the Letter L!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-13913763543630237302009-10-14T09:55:00.003-05:002009-12-07T15:55:55.195-06:00The Quest for Seasonal ActivitiesNow that a "cold front" (<i>and, I use the term loosely</i>) has hit Houston, I'm in the mood for the Little Lady to experience fall. Since it will be months before it looks like fall around here, thanks to our humid, semi-tropical climate, her foray into autumn will be through books, projects, and various activities.<br />
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We started this past weekend with a trip to a very fun-filled Pumpkin Patch. The Little Lady<b> LOVES </b>pumpkins, and enjoyed learning about apple picking, baby chicks, and goats.<br />
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I'm on the hunt for more ideas as to how to bring Fall into the Little Lady's world. I came across <a href="http://lifeisnotacereal.blogspot.com/2009/09/our-seasonal-activities-to-do-wall.html"><b>this post</b></a> today, which gives a cute activity display option in addition to a link to her fall activities.<br />
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If you have any great ideas or books (<b><i>ESPECIALLY BOOKS</i></b>), please share them with me! Feel free to share the link back to your blog; I'll make sure to give you credit when I use your idea. :)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-45759190433419332192009-10-09T15:58:00.004-05:002009-12-07T15:56:09.780-06:00stART - The Grouchy LadybugI found the idea for "stART" (a story + an art project) over at <b><a href="http://amommysadventures.blogspot.com/2009/10/start-stuborn-pumpkin.html">Mommy's Adventures</a></b>; Michelle started the stART meme a few months ago and I'm so glad that I stumbled across it! I absolutely love the idea of combining a book with art projects -- in fact, I build a lot of thematic, literature based art into my Tot School planning.<br />
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This week, we have been reading <u>The Grouchy Lady</u>, by Eric Carl. While it isn't her favorite book, my Little Lady has enjoyed the story and loves that we are talking about and <b>MAKING</b> ladybugs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaGIOEyzw4ibn6G2IH-BzeI4oMkBvSmLsMM-dkYXPpEiqmbGz-2MdhCMjECCErxk-Wgn7NaY0lVP0zWRKxPVAYWoGT9wQqQKpD-4GLuMXowJQXuwL-glE7mj7mYS0DewRMIH0PsBbRSa3/s1600-h/IMG_5379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaGIOEyzw4ibn6G2IH-BzeI4oMkBvSmLsMM-dkYXPpEiqmbGz-2MdhCMjECCErxk-Wgn7NaY0lVP0zWRKxPVAYWoGT9wQqQKpD-4GLuMXowJQXuwL-glE7mj7mYS0DewRMIH0PsBbRSa3/s320/IMG_5379.JPG" /></a><br />
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One of the ladybug projects she made was an actual Ladybug. This was the Little Lady's first time to use a glue stick. Oh. My. Goodness! The glue stick was a <b>HIT</b>! She would have glued things all day if I had let her. She became quite upset when the gluing portion of our project was over -- she wanted to keep going. <br />
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The only part of this project that the Little Lady did not do herself was attaching the pipe cleaner pieces and the eyes. I used a hot glue gun for those parts since I was confident her little glue stick would not hold up to the weight of the pipe cleaner and plastic eyes.<br />
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<b>The end result? </b> She loved her ladybug and was <b>incredibly proud</b> of her efforts! As soon as Daddy came home, she raced to get the ladybug and showed it off. The same thing happened when her grandparents stopped by for a visit.<br />
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The supplies for her ladybug were very easy and simple to prepare. In advance (<i>aka, during "nap time"</i>), I used red and black construction paper to cut out the head, wings, body, and dots for the bug. For the antennae and legs, I used two black pipe cleaners, and (<i>obviously</i>) "googly" eyes were utilized for the eyes. I sealed everything in a plastic bag until we were ready to begin -- the way my day was going, I did <b>NOT</b> need little black dots on the loose all over my kitchen. <br />
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</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-77357202955452099472009-10-04T23:02:00.004-05:002009-10-09T09:09:28.298-05:00Lesson Planning for Week Four<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>In an effort to become a bit more "scheduled" as a family (with by two little ones, I need more structure now just to get things done!), we're getting back into Tot School. The Little Lady will also benefit from a more structured day; right now, she is getting bored and having some issues as a result. A few intentional activities and learning play-time will go along way in helping her stay focused on tasks/play (as opposed to those lovely "Terrible Two" Tantrums).<br />
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We're starting a new letter this week; actually, we started last week with a few activities involving Leaves. That's right, our new letter is "L." <u>The Grouchy Ladybug</u> will be our primary book for this letter, and the Little Lady will be doing a lot with Ladybugs as she learns about "L", learns about the color Black, and works on her counting and matching skills. Currently, Ladybugs are my Little Lady's FAVORITE bugs, which is why I chose them as our main "L-word" focus.<br />
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In addition, I am starting a new component to our week: Bible Verse Memory. Thanks to Carissa at <a href="http://1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/">1+1+1=1</a>, I purchased a CD called "Songs for Saplings." I absolutely love it! For each letter of the alphabet, a Bible verse has been selected and given a melody. The Little Lady loves music and picks up new songs very quickly. These Bible verse songs should be a GREAT way for her to learn verses/messages from the Bible.<br />
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This week's song/Verse if from 1 Samuel 16:7.<br />
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I found a ton of great resources this week for our L/Ladybug theme. When I post pictures at the end of the week, I will include the links for all of the printables/activities I chose to use.<br />
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Here is a copy of our plan for the week:<br />
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</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-28002338911003999852009-10-04T12:13:00.000-05:002009-10-04T12:13:35.774-05:00And Baby Makes FourThe Little Lady's Baby Brother made his appearance at the end of August!<br />
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So far, things are as to be expected with a toddler and a one month old: crazy! Last week, we started to get back into our school routine, which means lesson plans, updates, and pictures will soon be back!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-39854446219978450112009-08-17T13:03:00.008-05:002009-10-09T10:35:54.659-05:00Week 3 PlansWe took a break last week from structured activities. The nesting bug hit BIG time and I spent the week cleaning, washing clothes, and finishing the baby's room.<br />
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Below is what I had planned for last week; we'll be completing these activities this week. Although, I do already know of a slight change in the schedule --- our library's toddler "Story Time" starts this Tuesday morning. I'll be pushing around the activities slated for that morning to accommodate that.<br />
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Since the new baby could come any day, we're working on the letter "B" for our next two week cycle. Ellie received a new book last week, <span style="font-style: italic;">Biscuit and the Baby</span>. We'll be reading it and <span style="font-style: italic;">Brown Bear, Brown Bear</span> over the next two weeks as we explore the Letter B.<br />
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<div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">(click picture for full size viewing)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNmM9kDm_hN_u2REfpsaQQR4wue4z21QujHnUdTK04dSvCdtksouldrm8wyyh3TvHMYvuM7jFNcHRqgNpDi-4wfXBT6o7Cj4tQm23MzI81le3Mz4fwl7tY6Fs00P2yjoE4B_XIqsN1SkR/s1600-h/week+three.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370996120319892834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNmM9kDm_hN_u2REfpsaQQR4wue4z21QujHnUdTK04dSvCdtksouldrm8wyyh3TvHMYvuM7jFNcHRqgNpDi-4wfXBT6o7Cj4tQm23MzI81le3Mz4fwl7tY6Fs00P2yjoE4B_XIqsN1SkR/s400/week+three.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 309px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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</script>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-36766709176364395022009-08-03T18:53:00.008-05:002009-10-09T10:36:20.471-05:00Planning for Week 2Our first week went well, except for the fact the Little Lady and I were sick toward the end. Not feeling well and being crabby (<span style="font-style: italic;">and, yes, I'm talking about <span style="font-weight: bold;">BOTH</span> of us here</span>) didn't leave much energy for the final few planned activities.<br />
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Because of this, and because we will have guests staying with us this week, I decided to continue the themes from Week One into Week Two. While I don't expect the Little Lady to completely master each theme at the end of her school week, I do want her to have a good grasp of them. Last week introduced several different concepts and I feel that one more week would go a long way toward her really understanding these new ideas.<br />
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(<span style="font-style: italic;">In fact, I may take two weeks from here on out to ensure her grasp of the concepts to be covered.</span>)<br />
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So, this week, we will still be talking about Squares and the Letter E. I am also introducing the color Blue and the concept of counting to 3. Last week, in following the Brightly Beaming curriculum, she was supposed to learn "1." Honestly, this was a bit redundant for her and I should have anticipated that. She can count out things by "1" and "2;" the next step needs to be "3."<br />
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To help with the Letter E, we'll be talking a lot about Elephants. Using an animal whose name begins with our "Letter of the Week," makes so much more sense to me that just assigning a random animal (<span style="font-style: italic;">like last week's cow</span>).<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's our plan for Week Two</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">click to enlarge</span>):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNWtSot17Rl68kKEnVkU44yic9DCN7ukubyRLnvdDeTPhBIsnUPSLPlFyyYAiqdXce2jlZ1sL4Z7dUtk_2r7hyphenhyphenlYAMVR1ioGQu15Rhy_1PXPm2MhZ2Iv8ZbfcH_U9PKcQuCC9P4LBriD2/s1600-h/week+two.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365892000653582834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNWtSot17Rl68kKEnVkU44yic9DCN7ukubyRLnvdDeTPhBIsnUPSLPlFyyYAiqdXce2jlZ1sL4Z7dUtk_2r7hyphenhyphenlYAMVR1ioGQu15Rhy_1PXPm2MhZ2Iv8ZbfcH_U9PKcQuCC9P4LBriD2/s400/week+two.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 273px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsropuL_OdwhmDKKBRmyM-ba8DCqOX_u0NICca3-Mnhny2ICs2FomoDRii69eMT8YvkgcKJx0IanCcbEZpBKLf8bvSclMOR2JaYYWm8zAorMJbLpNSEGT_PjwNBrNhG-oBSIUQpJFDx1f/s1600-h/Color+Key.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365892603682718530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsropuL_OdwhmDKKBRmyM-ba8DCqOX_u0NICca3-Mnhny2ICs2FomoDRii69eMT8YvkgcKJx0IanCcbEZpBKLf8bvSclMOR2JaYYWm8zAorMJbLpNSEGT_PjwNBrNhG-oBSIUQpJFDx1f/s400/Color+Key.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 70px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
It's not as jam-packed as last week's plan was --- with the Little Lady's two aunties visiting, I needed to make sure there was plenty of time for her to "play" with them!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-23475477544382094192009-08-01T17:51:00.007-05:002009-10-09T10:36:46.390-05:00One Week Down<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TotSchool.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tot School" border="0" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/carisahinson/Tot-School.gif" /></a><br />
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(The Little Lady is 25 Months)</span><br />
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To my surprise, the Little Lady's first week of school went very, very well! As I mentioned last weekend, I decided to try the first week of Brightly Beaming's toddler curriculum. I may use their activities from time to time, but (<span style="font-style: italic;">for reasons I'll discuss later</span>) I am not planning on relying solely on their lesson plans from here on.<br />
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Our week of activities ended up being cut a bit short, thanks in part to the Little Lady's two-year molars making an appearance. She was soooo miserable Thursday and Friday.<br />
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Here are a few pictures from the week. Sadly, I kept forgetting to take pictures of our activities, so I don't have good photo documentation of everything we did this week. I'll do better next week!<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Day One</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">learning about cows and the preposition "On"</span>)--<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Day Two</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">learning about squares</span>)--<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Day Three</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">learning about the Letter E</span>)--<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">For more Tot School posts and great ideas for your child, visit this week's Tot School Round-up:</span><br />
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</center>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-23294628489942079752009-07-29T15:21:00.005-05:002009-10-09T10:37:38.029-05:00Houston Parents: Family Free Night at the Children's Museum<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3tj2R4nmpiLlu4fr1TQLTnjCMRtRbRRLDZv6NNrf_2_vKKlLM5LH51uQ9UaR_FpXq0qTLKcmljYhq8zSXRyMcAwta6uUgEw1_luaBmaGGGcGJ4quxKUt5gyKjkvKG8YrDbsuHZUcBIyq/s1600-h/museum+logo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363982012027244562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3tj2R4nmpiLlu4fr1TQLTnjCMRtRbRRLDZv6NNrf_2_vKKlLM5LH51uQ9UaR_FpXq0qTLKcmljYhq8zSXRyMcAwta6uUgEw1_luaBmaGGGcGJ4quxKUt5gyKjkvKG8YrDbsuHZUcBIyq/s320/museum+logo.jpg" style="display: block; height: 117px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left; width: 204px;" /></a><br />
</div>Within the past year, the Houston's Children's Museum has undergone and extensive renovation to bring new exhibits and activities for kids of all ages.<br />
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My husband and I have talked about getting a family membership for this museum but we've just never gotten around to it. Plus, with the realized and anticipated costs of a new baby, museum and zoo memberships just aren't practical right now.<br />
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BUT!!!!!!!!!<br />
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I just discovered, via the Children's Museum Website, that every Thursday is <span style="font-weight: bold;">FAMILY FREE NIGHT</span>!!!!! That's right! Your entire family is able to enjoy the exhibits and other special events that are held each Thursday evening, from 5pm till 8pm.<br />
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I am so excited -- the Little Lady loved her recent trip to the Library. I can only IMAGINE how much fun this interactive museum will be for her!<br />
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Here is a link for more information: <a href="http://www.cmhouston.org/freefamilynight/" style="color: #3333ff;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Children's Museum -- Family Free Nights</span></a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-69099629372895497222009-07-27T13:51:00.008-05:002009-10-09T10:38:06.025-05:00Week One PlansAfter some rather hurried research, I decided to try a modified version of the Brightly Beaming lessons for two year olds. My primary changes are substituting the letter "E" for "A" and adding a Bible story, as well as implementing learning activities other than the ones the BB curriculum suggested.<br />
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I decided not teach the Little Lady her letters alphabetically. My purpose with teaching letters is for her to be able to recognize letters -- I think the best way for this to be achieved is to start with letters that she has shown an interest in. I'll be using the letters of her name, her baby brother's name, our names, etc., to begin letter introduction. My husband and I had already started working with her on her name, resulting in our Little Lady being able to recognize (<span style="font-style: italic;">most of the time</span>) the letter "E." This week, I'll be trying to reinforce "E" with her.<br />
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As far as the Bible story goes, my husband and I have been wanting to find a good way to introduce the Little Lady to Old and New Testament stories, as well as reinforce the stories she is learning in Sunday School. We are going to follow the method some of our good friends shared with us; we'll be focusing on one story each week, reading that story every night before bed. During "Tot School," I will use art projects and songs to help her remember the story.<br />
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Here is an example of what I'm planning for this week (<span style="font-style: italic;">click on the images for full-size viewing</span>):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAU2Cie62RXM9priddDD8_IZrjfWufC2pH4VwRBZAg0582n5vgqjEb6qGKFlKK8onMR3RWNaqARb8OjV8qqMVikmjema1y9O7inPzqtF2hTSHIu7YiXyKTTaxd_Y3hYPsyhNc6mfSiiZf/s1600-h/Color+Key.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363218123595600258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAU2Cie62RXM9priddDD8_IZrjfWufC2pH4VwRBZAg0582n5vgqjEb6qGKFlKK8onMR3RWNaqARb8OjV8qqMVikmjema1y9O7inPzqtF2hTSHIu7YiXyKTTaxd_Y3hYPsyhNc6mfSiiZf/s400/Color+Key.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 70px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwvmUA5CkNKyjylY7MstYLth6Upa2TCETa2_IQ_I4BG0THSjcZOZDPx81DIAIOaMvvRFF044SBb8aydIuRr0g4PycL3Ou98WFNsJ5D8wgZTsM7xCIL7dqW9XwN6XbCRsa6V5JxjvTskoq/s1600-h/Week+One.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363218267305135826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwvmUA5CkNKyjylY7MstYLth6Upa2TCETa2_IQ_I4BG0THSjcZOZDPx81DIAIOaMvvRFF044SBb8aydIuRr0g4PycL3Ou98WFNsJ5D8wgZTsM7xCIL7dqW9XwN6XbCRsa6V5JxjvTskoq/s400/Week+One.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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I did <span style="font-weight: bold;">NOT</span> include any "times" with this lesson plan. I intend to keep "Tot School" very fluid and playful. I don't want my Little Lady to feel as though this is a chore. There is a lot of story time, song time, game time, art time, and play time because those are things she likes. I am not planning on really using work-sheets or drilling flashcards. The Little Lady likes to be active; she doesn't respond well to static instruction.<br />
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We'll see how this week goes; I will continue to research other at-home preschooling mamas for ideas. If you have idea or website suggestions, PLEASE let me know!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-8408091593173884632009-07-26T07:00:00.005-05:002009-10-09T10:38:45.198-05:00A List of Suggested Skills and ConceptsI came across the following list on the <a href="http://www.universalpreschool.com/how-to/teach/cognitive_development.asp">Universal Preschool</a> site; based on Piaget's cognitive stages of development, these concepts are what educators have agreed that little ones (<span style="font-style: italic;">2-5 years old</span>) should be able to learn and master.<br />
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To be perfectly honest, it has been awhile since I've studied Piaget; that college course was a loooooong time ago. It was good to have a little refresher and remember <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">how</span> it is that toddlers and preschoolers learn. Furthermore, it was wonderful to get an idea of what the Little Lady should be learning over the next few years; I feel a bit less stressed now, having a concrete list of objectives <span style="font-weight: bold;">AND </span>knowing that these concepts aren't ones that she must master over the next 6 months. There's plenty of time . . . plus, there are several skills that she has already mastered. Yay for the Little Lady!!!<br />
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According to information at Universal Preschool, planned learning and play activities should help toddlers/preschoolers to:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Understand Size:</span></span><br />
<ul><li>Big and Little</li>
<li>Long and Short</li>
<li>Match Objects Based on Shape</li>
</ul><h3>Identify Colors and Shapes:</h3><ul><li>Recognize and name primary colors - red, yellow, blue, green, white, black.</li>
<li>Recognize and identify circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles.</li>
<li>Match objects based on shape.</li>
<li>Copy a shape on paper.</li>
</ul><h3>Identify Numbers & Count:</h3><ul><li>Recognize numbers from 1-10.</li>
<li>Count to ten.</li>
<li>Count objects in one-to-one correspondence.</li>
<li>Understands more and less.</li>
</ul><h3>Reading Readiness Concepts & Skills:</h3><ul><li>Has been read to daily.</li>
<li>Has own books.</li>
<li>Looks at books and magazines.</li>
<li>Uses left-to-right progression.</li>
<li>Pretends to read.</li>
<li>Understands that print carries a message.</li>
<li>Recognizes some nursery rhymes.</li>
<li>Looks at pictures and tells a story.</li>
<li>Answers questions about a short story.</li>
<li>Knows what a letter is and is familiar with the alphabet.</li>
<li>Remembers objects from a given picture.</li>
<li>Pronounces own first and last name.</li>
<li>Identifies own first name in manuscript.</li>
<li>Prints own first name.</li>
<li>Identifies other children by name.</li>
<li>Expresses self verbally.</li>
<li>Can repeat a sentence of 6-8 words.</li>
<li>Can complete an incomplete sentence with proper word.</li>
<li>Tells the meaning of simple words.</li>
<li>Identifies parts of the body.</li>
<li>Identifies objects that have a functional use.</li>
<li>Knows common farm and zoo animals.</li>
</ul><h3>Listening and Sequencing:</h3><ul><li>Follows simple directions.</li>
<li>Listens to a short story.</li>
<li>Listens attentively.</li>
<li>Recognizes common sounds.</li>
<li>Can repeat a sequence of sounds.</li>
<li>Can repeat a sequence of numbers.</li>
<li>Retells simple stories in sequence.</li>
</ul><h3>Position and Direction:</h3><ul><li>Child should understand: <br />
<ul><li>up and down</li>
<li>in and out</li>
<li>front and back.</li>
<li>over, on, and under</li>
<li>top, bottom, middle</li>
<li>beside and next to</li>
<li>hot and cold.</li>
<li>fast and slow</li>
<li>full and empty</li>
<li>day and night</li>
<li>time - such as morning, noon, night</li>
<li>knows age and birthday</li>
<li>Can identify a calendar</li>
</ul><br />
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</ul><h3>Motor Skills:</h3><ul><li>Child is able to: <br />
<ul><li>run</li>
<li>walk a straight line</li>
<li>jump</li>
<li>hop</li>
<li>alternate feet walking down stairs</li>
<li>march</li>
<li>stand on one foot for 5-10 seconds</li>
<li>walk backwards for five feet</li>
<li>throw a ball</li>
<li>paste objects</li>
<li>clap hands</li>
<li>matches simple objects</li>
<li>touches fingers</li>
<li>button a garment</li>
<li>builds with blocks</li>
<li>completes simple puzzles (5 pieces or less)</li>
<li>draw and color beyond a simple scribble</li>
<li>zip a zipper</li>
<li>control pencil and crayon well</li>
<li>cut simple shapes with scissors (handles scissors well)</li>
<li>copy simple shapes</li>
</ul><br />
</li>
</ul>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-54386923190636255142009-07-25T08:30:00.003-05:002009-10-09T09:53:06.288-05:00BrainstormingEven though I'm eager to jump in with both feet and introduce the Little Lady to "school," I've realized I need to put a little more time into researching and planning for the skills and knowledge I want my daughter to acquire.<br />
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I did come across one site, <a href="http://www.letteroftheweek.com/index.html">Brightly Beaming Resources</a>, that offers a complete curriculum -- mapped out week by week. There are a lot of things I really like about this particular site, one of which is the fact that their various curriculum is sorted by <span style="font-weight: bold;">AGE</span>! I haven't come across many sites that do this -- most toddler and preschool activities/lessons are simply lumped together in a hodge-podge list. That may work for some, but it doesn't for me. I do not have time to go through each activity to find ones that will work for a 25 month old.<br />
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On the other hand, I'm not sure about accepting a premade curriculum. I guess its the independent, obstinate side of my brain, but I'd like to have a little more of a hand in developing the weekly lessons for the Little Lady. Of course, I understand that I can take or leave activities, lessons, or modify the suggested ones. I just need to take the time to do it!<br />
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I *think* I've decided that I'd rather start slowly, with one or two concepts a week, to help gage how quickly the Little Lady will progress. But, as I've mentioned in my first post, what the heck do I know about teaching pre-schoolers? <span style="font-weight: bold;">How does this work for you? Do you focus on one or two things a week . . . or do you a little bit of everything throughout the week?</span><br />
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Here are the objectives that I want to focus on for the first several weeks (<span style="font-style: italic;">possibly months, depending on how things go once the baby arrives</span>):<br />
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<ul style="color: #ffffcc; text-align: left;"><li>Colors</li>
<li>Shapes</li>
<li>Counting<br />
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<li>Letter Recognition</li>
<li>Personal Name Recognition</li>
<li>Bible Stories (ongoing lessons)<br />
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Actually, that is probably enough for a few months, now that I look at the list. Now, if I could only decide on how many objectives to have per week!!!!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951998258984304532.post-9495164610323823282009-07-24T15:56:00.006-05:002009-10-04T12:14:28.202-05:00It's Time to StartSince turning two, the Little Lady seems to be even more energetic, loud, and active than before. Of course, it could just be that my pregnancy hormones (<span style="font-style: italic;">you know -- the ones that are short and frayed</span>) cause me to notice the changes more acutely.<br />
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<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/rachellacy/IMG_5043.jpg" /><br />
(<span style="font-style: italic;">Introducing . . . The Little Lady</span>)</center><br />
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Regardless, she is definitely at a point where she needs more structured, focused play and learning time. Whereas 4-6 months ago I couldn't get her to sit still and hold a crayon (let alone refrain from eating it), now she daily asks if she can color, "write" her name, read books, etc. She seems to thrive on intentional activities with Mommy, leaving her calmer, happier, and less prone to temperamental outbursts.<br />
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In my former days as a high school English teacher, I knew that my students needed daily, structured, and intentional activities to support their learning. If I gave them free reign or even free time during class, they would quickly become loud, out of hand, and, simply put, did not use their talents and skills for learning. But, if they were presented with literature and student-centered activities that forced them to use their brains and their academic vocabulary, they became model students.<br />
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Sheesh -- who knew the same is true at the toddler/pre-school level? I certainly didn't! I've had no training in Early Childhood Education, but the same skills and knowledge I used as a high school definitely applies to helping my daughter learn her colors, letters, how to write her name, and, well, the list goes on!<br />
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I loved lesson planning when I was teaching (<span style="font-style: italic;">I can't help it -- I really am an organinzing nerd at heart</span>), and have decided to start this blog as a way to help me plan lessons for the skills and knowledge I want the Little Lady to learn. In addition, pictures of the activities and the results of each lesson will be documented here. . . .I know I'll need this if I want to repeat these lessons 2-3 years from now when the Little Lady's brother is ready for his own schooling!<br />
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Since I don't have a wealth of preschool activities and educational tools in storage (<span style="font-style: italic;">but, I do have fabulous lesson plans for To Kill a Mockingbird, Mythology, and Romeo and Juliet . . . if you're interested</span> <i>(lol)</i>), I will be relying heavily on websites and blogs for inspiration. If you know of a site that I need to view, PLEASE pass it on! I promise I'll love you forever and like you for always if you do. :)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01591364514811329859noreply@blogger.com0