Homeschool Classroom/Playroom Setup

Inspiration...

Classroom/Playroom Setup

Front view

We have our reading material, his project display, and puzzles.

 Left View

We have a table with a storage bin, magnetic easel (whiteboard and blackboard), mirror, storage bins with toy animals, play tools, and legos.

Here, you can also see the soft mat (with alphabet and numbers) that 

makes it the perfect spot for Circle Time, Reading Time, and it works 

great for overall safety.

He has a train track table in the middle of the room. It seves as a room divider (sort of).

 Right View

Here we have our Calendar and number chart. He likes the real 

pictures instead of cartoon-like pictures.

Underneath, he has a car track table.

UPDATE (Nov 2013): Our homeschool room has come a long way since then. To check out what we've done, click here!

First Day of Homeschooling Eve

Inspiration...

Well, here we go, folks! It's the night before we officially start the homeschooling adventure. I'm excited and nervous and overwhelmed and did I mention excited? :D
I am ready, the materials are ready, the lesson plans, the schedule, etc, etc.

The Pros:
+ I can take it as slow or as fast as I need/want
+ Learning takes place at home, which is a safe and loving place
+ We make our own schedule, so there's no stress in "getting behind"
+ K is already very advanced, so any headway we make is already "the cherry on top"
+ K really loves learning, so it shouldn't be too hard

The Cons:
- My baby girl, A, is only 5 months old, so her schedule is unpredictable at times (I really hope she cooperates and gets into a groove that supports K's homeschooling)
- K is very strong-willed and can be very stubborn (plus, he's 2.5, so it's common for his age to be testing limits), so that makes me nervous
- We want to tackle potty training during these summer weeks and that is a challenge in and of itself

My Top 10 Goals for K this year (2012):
+ Learn the alphabet (met)
+ Learn the letter sounds (met)
+ Read 500-800 words (met)
+ Read in complete sentences of at least 5 words (met)
+ Memorize 3-5 Scripture verses
+ Count to 100 (he can already count to 40)
+ Learn Odd and Even numbers
+ Count by 10s, 5s, 2s
+ Spell own name (getting close)
+ Familiarize himself with calendar, including months, days, weather, etc.

My Top 10 Goals for A this year (2012):
+ Learn to take a bottle with expressed milk
+ Learn to drink out of a sippy cup (met)
+ SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT
+ Sleep in her own room
+ Begin eating solid foods
+ Sit up without support
+ Crawl, scoot, whatever
+ Clap and play games such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
+ Pull up to a standing position and cruise
+ Start feeding herself

I'll revisit these goal every few weeks to make sure we're on track, especially with A because these are important developmental milestones. If they're met with K, great! If they're not, it's not a huge deal, we'll keep working on them until they're reached.

Inspiration...

Remove container print for reuse

Remove container print with nail polish remover and a scrubby sponge! Dude, I'm not trying to be cheap, I'm trying to save the world while my containers are reused and look pretty. I do confess, though, that I mostly use glass containers for everything.

Lesson 1: The Power of Life in Nature

Lesson 1: The Power of Life in Nature

My son, K, is 2.5 years old and I have been teaching him many things at home since he was born, but I call this "lesson 1" because it is the most basic of concepts.  The words Power, Life, and Nature go hand-in-hand in my mind because they were all created by God and we are privileged to stand in awe at how marvelous His world really is and how He makes it works so perfectly.
In this lesson, we spoke about seeds (how different seeds produce different plants, flowers, food, etc), what they need to "wake up" (soil, sun, water, care), and what they will turn into. K was very eager to analyze the seeds, he tried to eat/taste them, like the boy that he is, he loves balls, so he tested the seeds' "bounceability," and finally enjoyed hiding them in the soil.
He loves to go outside every evening with me.  He waters his beans with a tiny metal watering can as I water our organic fruit and vegetable garden.
Today, I was almost moved to tears when we went outside to water our plants and when he looking into his pot, he yelled, "Mamá, they wake up!" His seeds had sprouted! He would not take his eyes off of his precious seeds! He looked and looked, almost in amazement at how they had opened up.
I can't wait for him to see them get bigger and taller, with leaves and everything. :D

BEAUTIFUL!

MOLD KILLERS

MOLD KILLER

1. Use a glass (amber or blue) spray bottle. I like the 10 ounce ones because they are not too big or too small.
2. Fill it up 3/4 of the way with spring water.
3. Add 10-20 drops of tea tree (melaleuca) essential oil.
4. Fill up the rest of the bottle with white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide or a mixture of both.

Shake.
Spray.
Do not rinse.
Do not spray on fabric if you put hydrogen peroxide in the bottle. It has bleaching properties.