Winter/Summer Pre-Homeschooling Chat - Page 4

[rockportmama]

Raising my hand for no/very little routine & gluten-free!! 

[Nicoleandco]

 Gluten free here too.  3 year old has Celiacs.  

Today we made bugs out of egg cartons (total old school craft).  This afternoon I have all 4 kids, so we will watch 1 Angelina Ballerina (kids can watch 1 show a week, 2 on weekends), and then...I dunno. :) I'm feeling very unmotivated today! i would really like to continue the bug theme since we've read a few bug books today and did the craft.  

Tomorrow I'm planning on doing Sink of Float with the kids (except the baby).  I think they will get a kick out of it.  

[toweringpine]

 Hi - new to the thread - starting homeschool preschool with DS (3). I love the colors of the day idea - how do y'all incorporate them into your day?

[CCJWGM]

Originally Posted by toweringpine 

 Hi - new to the thread - starting homeschool preschool with DS (3). I love the colors of the day idea - how do y'all incorporate them into your day?

Everynight when the children go to bed I write a little note on the chalkboard.  Such as Welcome to Yellow Day or Hooray for Blue Day or the like.  I then write down what day it is crafting wise and the date and whose day it is. I might draw a little picture too.  I use the color chalk for the color of the day as well.

There is a special candle for each day and cloth napkins of that color.  I am working on a table cloth for the color of the day as well.  So much time is spent at the dining room table I thought that would be a fun idea. 

Kara at Rockin Granola writes about it.  I always enjoy her blog and she uses Steiner's colors obviously.  I would use Steiner's but I'm just a ROYGBIV type of girl.   http://www.rockingranola.com/2009/06/colors-of-day.html

A note on "days."  My children each have a "day."  Everyday is a sharing day but if it is that kidlets day then they get the first turn.  They also are my special helper to set the table and whatnot.  Yes, my children actually fight over who sets the table.  Go figure. 

[LuxPerpetua]

Has anyone here considered Oak Meadow kindy and 1st grade?  I'm curious to know if it's any good.

[AdinaL]

I am considering it.  It is one of my top contenders.  I think I am going to go with it for kindy, and see how it goes, supplementing as needed.

[revolting]

I kind of gave up on any sense of daily/weekly rhythm. My daughter just really resisted, and I decided I rather have a peaceful home. Anyway, we have been full into V-Day preparation over here. What kind of valentines are your kids making?

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by revolting 

I kind of gave up on any sense of daily/weekly rhythm. My daughter just really resisted, and I decided I rather have a peaceful home. Anyway, we have been full into V-Day preparation over here. What kind of valentines are your kids making?

I've had him fingerpaint a few times. I'm going to cut out small cards (I SO need to do this soon) and put them on paper to "frame them" and write "Happy Valentine's Day. Original Art by Franklin" with the date on the back and send them to relatives.

[LuxPerpetua]

Originally Posted by revolting 

I kind of gave up on any sense of daily/weekly rhythm. My daughter just really resisted, and I decided I rather have a peaceful home. Anyway, we have been full into V-Day preparation over here. What kind of valentines are your kids making?

I'm really trying to do better about V day this year.  We have little projects going on all this week because it is so cold out that we really can't go outside.  We've been busy crafting cards for a lot of people from cardstock, glitter glue, and stickers and yesterday we made a Valentine water shaker.  We just put some leftover heart sequens and red glitter in a jar, and then filled it with water.  It is kind of like a snowglobe.  Today we're going to make heart cookies; tomorrow, needle-felted hearts; and Friday, heart-shaped light catchers from paintings and tissue paper.  I'm hoping to do a Valentine puppet show on Monday but I still need to make up my story.  Also, last week we made this Valentine book to give to dd's one special friend: http://canticlesbycandlelight.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/das-buch/  .  She is so very proud of her work and just sits and talks about how much her friend is going to love it.  All in all, very busy.

I can't wait to hear what others' are doing too!  I'm always one for stockpiling ideas! 

[Treece]

Hi! Starting pre-homeschool with my 3 yo. I was wondering how do you do it if you don't have a printer, or access to one?

[LuxPerpetua]

Originally Posted by Treece 

Hi! Starting pre-homeschool with my 3 yo. I was wondering how do you do it if you don't have a printer, or access to one?

I guess it depends on what you want to be printing.  I only use my printer for printing out pictures to laminate for puppets or for our seasonal scenes.  We don't do any worksheets at all.  I was just checking out logic puzzles and mazes for the kindy set on Amazon and they have a large selection of workbooks that you could get, if it's worksheets you want to print.  Between the library, the internet (for getting ideas), and just doing lots of hands-on living, I really have very little need for a printer.  What kinds of things were you thinking of that you needed?

[Treece]

Originally Posted by LuxPerpetua 

Originally Posted by Treece 

Hi! Starting pre-homeschool with my 3 yo. I was wondering how do you do it if you don't have a printer, or access to one?

I guess it depends on what you want to be printing.  I only use my printer for printing out pictures to laminate for puppets or for our seasonal scenes.  We don't do any worksheets at all.  I was just checking out logic puzzles and mazes for the kindy set on Amazon and they have a large selection of workbooks that you could get, if it's worksheets you want to print.  Between the library, the internet (for getting ideas), and just doing lots of hands-on living, I really have very little need for a printer.  What kinds of things were you thinking of that you needed?

Mostly just stuff for him to learn to write. I'm leaning towards D'nealian. He may not even be "ready." But I want him to have it to practice.

[LuxPerpetua]

Originally Posted by Treece 

Originally Posted by LuxPerpetua 

Originally Posted by Treece 

Hi! Starting pre-homeschool with my 3 yo. I was wondering how do you do it if you don't have a printer, or access to one?

I guess it depends on what you want to be printing.  I only use my printer for printing out pictures to laminate for puppets or for our seasonal scenes.  We don't do any worksheets at all.  I was just checking out logic puzzles and mazes for the kindy set on Amazon and they have a large selection of workbooks that you could get, if it's worksheets you want to print.  Between the library, the internet (for getting ideas), and just doing lots of hands-on living, I really have very little need for a printer.  What kinds of things were you thinking of that you needed?

Mostly just stuff for him to learn to write. I'm leaning towards D'nealian. He may not even be "ready." But I want him to have it to practice.

I have a 5 yo and she just writes a lot on her own--she sees me writing and making lists, so she likes to do that.  Making valentines, writing letters to grandma, etc., all get her good practice.  If you could buy a laminator or even using packing tape to laminate you could just write some words yourself on pieces of paper, laminate, and then let your child trace with a dry/erase pen.  You could also do a chalkboard where you write the letter and then let your child "erase" it with a wet paint brush. I think Handwriting Without Tears does that along with using a Magnadoodle.  Just some options that are very un-printer-friendly.

[Treece]

We have a printer now!! My wonderful mil gave us an all in one. She's great!!

[rockportmama]

So, y'all say Valentine's is coming up?  I'm not so good about holidays. Or decorating. Or crafts.  We'll get out some pink construction paper today.

We homeschooled without a printer for a long time. Then when we finally got a printer I printed out reams of stuff I'd been wanting. Now, not so much.

I started back to work (2 PT jobs -- doing taxes and teaching a class at a local junior college). I decided I was seriously gonna need a good routine, and worked it all out. The kids can go along with it, but I can't.  I guess I'm not a routine person? My kids seem OK with it either way. And my only real concern was me getting enough sleep. But I discussed with the kids, and it seems to be working out OK for now....

And in kid news...

I'm so proud! Yesterday my 5yo DS spelled out "BUM" (our family's term for a rear-end!) with refrigerator magnets! He thought it was hilarious! He still refuses to write with anything other than a dry erase book, but he's putting things together anyway. We've played with a few "learn to read" programs, but almost all wanted him to write. Which he didn't wanna do. So we dropped it for a while. He's starting to separate sounds out of words "I want some w-w-water" & so I've been writing those words he's sounded out down for him to see. This kid could recognize and name individual letters at one and knew all the letter sounds at two. We thought sure he'd read at three, but he just wasn't there yet. Maybe now!!

And yesterday, 2yo DD started clutching at her diaper fussing "Pee-pee! Pee-pee!" So I dropped her diaper, and when I realized it was dry I tucked her (naked) under my arm like a football and sprinted her to the bathroom. She thought that was hilarious! So she peed in the potty and got her same clean diaper back on. I praised her up, down, and sideways!! I'm so proud!

All in all an excellent day at my house yesterday!

[CCJWGM]

Just a note that everyone should check out http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/  today (the 14th).  It is 101 Activities To Do With Your Preschool Child.  Pretty good list too. 

Like Momma Aimee and Lux Perpetua I have been busy with Kindy stuff here.  On top of that I'm sick.  I'm excited to share all my plans but that will have to wait until I'm slightly less tired.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by rockportmama 

So, y'all say Valentine's is coming up?  I'm not so good about holidays. Or decorating. Or crafts.  We'll get out some pink construction paper today.

LOL That's how I feel! I was going to make Valentines (Well, have DS fingerpaint them) and it never went anywhere...
 

[Treece]

Yeah we got our VDay stuff last night. And we're making valentines today for all of his important people: Daddy, both g-mas, 3 g-g-mas, and 1 g-pa. Lots of grandmas, but only 1 grandpa. Some will have to be mailed.

[revolting]

So, what did you do this morning? I'm going through a bit of a period of doubt about keeping my daughter home. What we did today was this: She went to bed later than normal last night, but her body still woke her at her normal waking time. She had a bit of a tantrum until I could redirect her towards breakfast. Then, we began the very slow process of getting ready to go a fun weekly program we go to at the conservatory near our home. Unfortunately, my car refused to start, so we went back inside. I tried to distract her with a carnivorous plants terrarium that I had found at bargain books, but unfortunately as we read the instructions together, I realized that we needed distilled water. Oops! She starts whining that she wants to play with the mandolin her grandfather handed down to her this weekend, but since she woke the baby too early in the morning, the baby needs to go back to sleep but doesn't really want to go back to sleep and is fussing. I don't trust her with the instrument unsupervised. (I would love ideas for making the instrument accessible to my almost four year old while still protecting the instrument; I love her budding interest in music, but she still has rages where she throws things, writes on walls, etc... right now, I've limited her access to when I can closely supervise; with a 12 month old, that's less frequently than I'd like since she wants to play it for 10 minutes here, five minutes there about every half an hour!) We go through the library books and magazines that we got from the library yesterday while she goes back to eating. After she finishes, we do some yoga. First about a half an hour with a movie (I know all you waldorfy mamas are shaking your head here!) which she wanted to do with me, but that baby kept crawling all over us making it almost impossible to do, and then we also got an adult book on yoga that's mostly artistic photos that we paged through, my daughter tried to mimic, but mostly we just imagined. She then went to her dress up bin and grabbed her princess outfits. She wanted me to dance with her, but the baby was crabby. The computer was even running too slow for me to set up music/youtube ballet videos for her, so despite her begging me to dance with her,  I brought out her weaving project, so that I could get the screaming baby down for a nap. She ate oranges and weaved until the baby went to sleep, and then we finally got a chance to get out the mandolin. She played for a little bit, and then I had to take a phone call (someone getting back to me about helping me get my car started), but while I was on the phone she started hitting me with the broom, probably due to lack of stimulation/needing more attention. I get off the phone and read her a book for nap time and turned on The Adventures of Raggedy Anne that we downloaded from LibraVox for her to listen to while she fell asleep. That's about the first six hours of our day, and it's a pretty typical day: a lot of things not happening or getting messed up because of my disorganization and inability to figure out what to do with my little while I try to assist my daughter, a lot of waiting for my help and attention... I try to be organized, but most of the time I'm just overwhelmed and exhausted by trying to keep everyone from crying, the house from being a complete sty (I'm not talking about super clean, but picked up enough things aren't getting broken), and everyone fed. Maybe I'm not the homeschooling type? Maybe I should think about investing in a curriculum, so that a lot of the organization is done for me? Thoughts?

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by beezer75 

Just a note that everyone should check out http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/  today (the 14th).  It is 101 Activities To Do With Your Preschool Child.  Pretty good list too. 

Like Momma Aimee and Lux Perpetua I have been busy with Kindy stuff here.  On top of that I'm sick.  I'm excited to share all my plans but that will have to wait until I'm slightly less tired.

 please share them, i am excited to see as many plans as i can.

DH adn I had a looong talk -- amazing -- at breaskfast Sat about kindy here, i have met with the gifted teacher and we have settled on dual enrollment.  he shall be the first DE at the gradeschool level so there is no SOP -- so either i get to write my own ticket (:) ) or they are gonna be a PITB.  Dh made me feel great when he said "well you can certainly produce anything they might ask for, you are going great, i am not worried about it at all" 

Pre-school oges on -- DE also -- as DS2 is still on a speech IEP.

I am  drafting out 'scope and sequence" for Kindy -- for our family -- and we are going to plan on READING / PHONICS MATH / NUMBERS BIBLE  as our 3 core subjects; Social Stuides is going to be compraised on read a louds about stories of diffent times and places; Science will piggy back on math and on nature; adding hopefully tumbling and trying to be more dedicated to our Yoga DVDs

still a work in progress.

:)

I am intrested to see Little Brother as Big is doing more and more ...