Homeschooling October 2013 Part 4

A cute video to begin the post with... She is saying "you're welcome" after I said "thank you" to her. Sweetness!

Art: Fall Beauty in a Frame

These are stick frames with contact paper and fake Fall-colored leaves (real leaves can be used, but we live in the desert, so no Fall colors for us).

More videos for you!

History Sentence: Week 1

Tell me about Commandments one through five:

Science: Week 1

What are the classifications of living things?

Math: Skip Count the 2s

We also learned about: 1) The Fertile Crescent.  Mediterranean Sea Mesopotamia Euphrates River Tigris River Sumer. 2) Timeline: Age of Ancient Empires (Week 1) Creation and the Fall The Flood and the Tower of Babel Mesopotamia and Sumer Egiptians 3000BC Indus River Valley Civilization Minoans and Mycenaeans If you are interested in learning more about Classical Education, feel free to check this wonderful resource by clicking here. Baby girl is getting bigger and looking less like a baby. Can't believe it!

                   

Montessori Practical Life: Folding Dish Rags

Step 1: Extend the rag.

Step 2: Fold it in half Step 3: Place your hand in the middle.

                         

Step 4: Fold on side over your hand. 

Step 5: Remove your hand.

Step 6: Fold the other side.

All done. 

Look at these beautiful Fall colors on this corn! So intricate. So special. God is such an amazing Creator!

                

Spanish: Las Figuras (The Shapes)

In Spanish, we reviewed the shapes we had learned (círculo, cuadrado, triángulo) and expanded the lesson to five more shapes (rectángulo, ovalo, diamante, octágono, estrella). For our activity, I would tell them the name of a shape in Spanish and they would draw it. I drew the shapes for those who were having a hard time, especially octagons and stars. They all did really, really well.

 

                    

Classical Education: Lapbook

From Wisdom and Righteousness. Please click here to see more details on the lapbooks she offers and to purchase. Worth every penny and very relevant to what we are studying. These photos are purposely posted small and are NOT for copying or for printing. These are merely to explain what the kids and I are learning. She did a great job! If you are interested, please purchase these from this website.

This section contains the verses on the Ten Commandments 
and Math (skip counting from 1s through 15s)

This section includes the life of Moses, Latin Cases, The Ten Commandments, English Grammar (prepositions), and Geography (The Ancient Empires).

                                 

In this section, as we talk about the topics mentioned, we 
can write things inside that are important or that stood out.

This section has History on Ancient Empires, Art and Latin.

I am sorry that the pictures are blurry. It was past 1 am when I took 
them and I thought that they looked blurry because I was so tired!

This section has Poetry and a place where they can 
draw something from the lessons that they liked.

In this section, the kids draw the events that happened 
in the ancient empire of their choice in sequence.

In this section, we have a lot of Science topics, including vertebrates, invertebrates, the classifications of living things, the kingdoms 
of living things, animal and plant cell parts, experiments 
and questions about cells and experiments.

                      

This is a timeline to be filled out as we learn of the different events in history.

                      

Bible Study: Women's Conference

This was beyond fun!

Fall treats... Acorn squash rolls! You can also make them with pumpkin, sweet potato, or any winter squash you like. Check out the recipe here.

Montessori Culture (Geography): Penpal and Postcard Exchange

K and I went to the Book Fair to buy his penpal buddy a birthday gift to mail all the way to England. He picked a cute Jack and the Beanstalk story. It was just K and me. It was just like a mom and son date. And the weather was perfect, too.

                  

Inspiration...

Montessori Practical Life and Sensorial: Changing Clothes

                

                

Montessori Culture (Geography): Penpal and Postcard Exchange

K finally, after a few weeks, wrote a cute letter to his penpal in England. He dressed up as the Transformer Bumblebee specifically to let H know that he loves Transformers.

We also included a birthday postcard and a gift because his birthday is 10 November.

                    

                    

MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) Clothing Swap

Yesterday, we had a full day (and even that is an understatement). We led/organized a clothing swap (where people donate stuff, we set it out and then anyone can come take what they need). Whew! It was busy and there was a lot of stuff. When the swap was over, we packed up what was left and took it to the battered women's shelter. Everything will be put to good use. Awesome!

Montessori Culture (Geography): Penpal and Postcard Exchange

We received two postcards this week: one from our dear missionary friends to the Philippines and another one from our dear friend, who recently moved to Georgia. Sweet!

Spanish Fall Preschool Activities with FREE PRINTABLE!

Spanish: Vocabulario de Otoño (Fall Vocabulary)

In Spanish, we started with a bilingual rap. We would tap our laps and go, "one, two, three, four, uno, dos, tres, cuatro." Then we'd stand up, dance and go, "dance, baila, dance, baila, etc." Then we went, "clap, aplaude," "turn around, da vueltas." Everyone had fun, especially with the free dance part.
Then we reviewed everything that we have been learning.

Afterwards, we did our Fall activity, reviewing the colors and introducing Fall vocabulary.

Homeschooling October 2013 Part 2

Spanish: Los Colores de Otoño (Fall Colors)

This project was in another post, but wanted to post a close-up picture of the finished product. Today, we reviewed everything that we have learned in Spanish, sang songs, signed, etc. We practiced our colors and discussed Fall colors (in Spanish, of course). Then we made the Fall color craft. "Los colores de otoño son... café, anaranjado, amarillo, rojo." Everyone did really well and we had fun. It is incredible to see 
how the kids' writing is getting better and better.

Spanish: Las Figuras (The Shapes)

In Spanish, we learned about Las Figuras (The Shapes). Círculo (circle), triángulo (triangle), cuadrado (square).  We watched a 5-minute video from Preschool Prep about the shapes in Spanish. Then we played a game where each child would take turns putting their hand in a paper bag and picking a shape. Then, they'd put the shape in the right spot on the paper. It was fun. We always run out of time.

                 

                          

               

Kidz Klub

This is one of the ministries that I volunteer in at the chapel. Every week, about 35-40 children attend our meetings to learn about God, the Bible and a lesson and well as songs and games (and snacks). It is a great outreach and I enjoy serving these kids and getting to know them. They are so great!

Art: Salt Dough

For Art, we worked with salt dough, playing with different textures and tools. Caleb and Brenna experimented with making impressions, and everybody had fun with cookie cutters and chopsticks. We made a couple pinch pots and free sculptures. Everything was very chill  Next week, painting our creations, which are fully baked.

            

            

Music: Wind Instruments

Practical Life: Serving onto a Plate

Kombucha Brew: 1st Week

Looking good, Fred!

                        

Awesome Kid :)

Field Trip: Firehouse

It is Fire Prevention Week and our MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) organized our yearly visit to the local fire house. We had a wonderful time and the weather was incredible!

These red TOMS shoes (third picture) were K's when he was 21 months old (first picture) and now A is wearing them (second picture)! It is incredible how time flies!

We are beginning with Latin at our homeschool now! It is a deep breath accompanied by a big smile. :) Can't wait to learn along with the kiddos.

Ad augusta per angusta! (To high places by narrow roads!)

Play Time: Sharing a Snack with Friends

Well, Baby Girl woke up and it was snack time, except that everyone was outside playing in this gorgeous weather and I had to think of a quick and portable snack. Ta da! I had my Fall silicone baking pan and some dark chocolate chunks... score! I put three pieces in each "bowl" so she could share with her brother and her little neighbors. Cute idea, huh?

The neighborhood was safe and everyone was happy, The End

Pumpkin Patch at our church!!!

Our church puts together a HUGE and AWESOME pumpkin patch, with a pirate show and everything! During the day, they have lots of schools go there on field trips, so I volunteered to help watch the volunteers' kids while they serve the children that go. We also got to enjoy the pumpkin patch for a little bit. My kids LOVED it! I enjoyed it, too. I'm helping out again next week. My kids will love me forever for it. :) Win!

A.C.E. (Accelerated Christian Education) Coordination Development Tests

A.C.E. is one of the curricula that I am beginning to use with K. I grew up with this program and thrived in it and I feel that, considering his personality and abilities, this would be a great complement to what we do.

I purchased the Kindergarten curriculum, which is super thorough and easy to use. In it, there is the Coordination Development Tests booklet. I will show you a few of these tests on this post and the rest in the next post (stay tuned). They are a great way to pinpoint where he is now and in 6 months and in 12 months. I am so glad they included something like this! It was very insightful in some areas and very encouraging in others.

These tests discuss things like handedness, eye-hand coordination, balance, fine and gross motor skills, book handling skills, reading readiness, etc.