Well, last week we ended up working in LHTH for three days.  Thursday and Friday we were too wrapped up getting ready for a big tagsale we were doing with our MOPs group.  But between Saturday and Monday we did finish up Unit 3.  Off to Unit 4 today!  Horray! 

I thought I'd share some pictures I've taken since we began LHTH.  Enjoy!

This is our visual schedule board.  Each morning Noah and I set the order of events.  As we complete something he takes it off the board and puts it in the little bucket at the buttom.

This is a counting game I made for Noah to add a little Math to LHTH. 

Working on 'C'

Spelling our name and ordering the letters.

Today marks day 1 for us.  Ok, sort of.  We've been working in our Heart of Dakota Little Hands to Heaven off and on for a few weeks now.  We'll do a piece of it here and a piece of it there.  We got through several units that way.  Noah just LOVES it!

But today marks the day where I take it more seriously and we start to work it more systematically.  I decided to back pedal a couple of units and review them.  So today we started with Unit 3 which is the letter 'C' and Abraham.  Noah didn't seem to notice the back tracking. 

We do our Bible story over breakfast.  I read ahead a couple of days.  We'll read it again some time later today - perhaps at nap or at bed time.  We went through the finger play.  The finger play is designed to teach the child the sound of the letter of the Unit.  It pairs the sound with a motion.  I LOVE the idea and I love that it pairs it with a motion.  That truly helps children learn.  BUT, I don't like how the curriculum teaches the alphabet in order.  The latest research will tell you that this is absolutely not the best idea.  You end up teaching letters that are too similar too close to each other.  For example, B & D.  They are only seperated by one letter (C).  They look similar and they sound similar.  Teaching them so close together can really lead to confusion. 

Also, the finger plays leave a bit to be desired.  This week's finger play involves the child practicing the hard 'C' sound as in CAR or CAT.  But in the finger play the child goes C-C- CLippity.  I have two beefs with this.  A young child might have difficulty saying CL together.  That is a tricky tongue movement.  And I think it distorts the hard C sound.  The proper way to teach that sound is to get the child to open their mouth wide like when they say AAHHHH and then direct them to use the back of their throats to make the sound.   That is impossible to do when saying CLippity.  I might have to redo some of these finger plays.

After breakfast we have a little play time and then do our chores.  Once those are threw we begin our school work.

So far I am supplementing LHTH with www.starfall.com.  I'd like to find some great Math stuff to add to it too.  Perhaps we will start Math U See.  At the beginning of September I'll start with thematic stuff - perhaps we'll begin with Apples.  I'm not sure yet.  I have some handwriting pages we'll begin shortly as well.

Noah and I absolutely love the Bible lessons and that is the heart of LHTH.  So we'll keep it up.

Until Next Time!

Man is this summer FLYING by!  What the heck is going on?  I'm already thinking about my younger son's 1st birthday party come October.  And someone asked me what the boys would be for Halloween this year!  YIKES!

Noah has done a few units in Little Hands to Heaven by Heart of Dakota.  He does VERY well with them and loves them to pieces. The Bible lessons and devotionals are just terrific - they are the true reason I purchased this curriculum.

He already has many of the academic skills taught though and I know he is hungry for more.  So far we've been very relaxed and we've moved through things very loosely.  I think starting on Monday we'll work every day.  I'm also going to add some thematic units to his day, starting probably with BUGS as our library is having some BUG related activities.  In another month or two we might start some more systematic reading lessons.  It will all depend on him and his interest.  If the Math lessons in LHTH don't pick up in difficulty I suppose I'll add something there too.

This week though I think I need to concetrate on organizing myself and my home.  We've been on the go nd some things are being neglected.  I think I'm going to pick up a kids table and chairs set for our kitchen.  It will be a more comfortable place for Noah - and eventually Ezra - to sit and do their activities.  Eventually I need to get a hutch to store supplies and books.

One thing at a time though!

Noah is doing wonderfully!  Every day he amazes me with his language skills.  He has pretty much learned all of his letter symbols and before I know it he'll have the sounds too.  I'm very proud!  I'm thinking we'll start some simple reading excercises in the late summer or early fall.  Just about the time her turns 3.  If he takes to it... great!  If not... we'll try again later.

I'm just so proud of this guy!

Oh, and my other little guy!  I cannot forget about him!  Ezra is also doing very VERY well!  He is now scooting backwards and forward, rolling like a champ, sitting up on his own, and nearly getting from his belly to a sit all by himself! 

What a proud Momma I am these days!

I swear if anyone ever asks me about homeschooling and socialization I probably won't be able to contain myself.  In recent weeks we've seen 3rd graders plot to kill their teacher, teenagers beating each other to death and taping it, plots to blow up the school, students BEATING on teachers etc etc etc.  Yeah, I want my kids "socializing" in an environment like this!

Please, don't ask me whether or not I am concerned about my kids be socialized!  My answer would be... YES that is why I am HOMESCHOOLING!

A new week begins. We will start a more systematic approach to letter recogintion and letter sounds this week.  Noah and I have been working on this skill for about ever in a very relaxed and fun way. He has foam letters he plays with in the bathtub.  We sing the ABC song a lot and I made up a song for letter sounds.  When we are out and about or even around the house I point out letters that are in his every day world.  He has picked up a LOT by doing these kinds of activities.

In the third month of HOH 2 year old curriculum you start studying a letter a week.  I have a lot of mixed feelings about this.  My own education and experience has taught me that some times kids need a day for a letter, other times they need a month!  I also know that teaching letters and letter sounds in ABC order is not the most appropriate method.  There is a lot of research that backs up teaching them out of order.  For example, teaching b and d too closely together can cause confusion for little ones.

BUT, since my goal isn't exactly totaly memorization of all the letters and their sounds I decided to follow the curriuculum and teach them in order.  I'm still really just trying to wet his palette I guess.  Give him an idea and let him run with it.  We'll see what he takes in and what he doesn't.  Then when he is 3 or 4 I'll probably follow my own plan that is more research based.

On another note, after laying a bit low last week and putting away some of my supplemental activities I found we are both much more refreshed this week.  Today Noah was eager to do some of our folder games and writing activities.  He was eager for the stories and such as well. And I was too.  We'll probably follow that pattern... a few weeks gung ho and then a week that is more laid back.  It just might work for us!

In the three weeks since I've been working with Noah in HOH I've seen some GREAT things.  First off, he has finally finished up some great but basic skills.  He now has a strong grasp of colors, most shapes, and number symbols up to five.  He has pretty much had most of these for a while but they were all still sort of shaky.  He's also begun to memorize letter sounds and he's picked up quite a few letter symbols as well. 

He is definately listening to our daily Bible stories.  He can ask and answer BASIC questions about what we are reading.  He also talks about the stories at various times even two weeks after we last read it.

These are all very exciting things to me.

This week I've backed off a bit.  I was adding a lot of activities to the ones in HOH.  He loves them and it was working well.  But I don't want to burn him or myself out.  So this week (week four) we are just doing the basics.  Also, his Daddy has jumped in and taken over a few things in the evenings for me.  One of our activities this week was focused on science and the air in balloons. They did that one together and it seemed they had a GREAT time.

Since I started HOH in Mid year and I'd like to get through as much as I can by the fall when I plan to either start the 3 year old version or move on to something else I have decided to skip the second month in the curriculum.  I flipped through it and I feal confident that Noah has the skills.  The third month begins letter recognition and such.  We'll start that next month.

So, that's us for now!

The other day I wrote about the Handprint Noah made using that interesting recipe from Hands On Homeschooling.  It has dried for nearly a week now.  I am very VERY pleased!  This is how it came out!

It tried nice and hard.  It'd be nice to have been able to put a hook in the back to hang it.  I'm not sure how I could have managed that.  I do think we'll paint it at some point.  Michelle asked me if we could put food coloring into it.  I don't see why not!

I think we'll put it in the basket we keep papers in.  It'll make a fine paper weight!

So, there you have it!

Today we made a handprint.  It is a receipe from Hands On Homeschooling.  I was intrigued.  I LOVE to make all kinds of home made doughs and playdoughs.  This one was new and very simple.

1/2 Cup Water, 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstartch. Mix it together and warm it over the oven until you get a thick bread dough like consistency.  Then roll it out and press your child's hand into it to make a print.

Now, I LOVE to make GOOP for my little ones.  That is a mixture of about 1 part water and 1 part cornstartch.  Goop is a funny thing.  If you let it sit still it turns into a runny liquid.  But if you roll it in your hands it turns more solid.  So I couldn't imagine how this receipe would turn out.  I thought it might not hold the print. At first it didn't.  But after it had a few moments to harden it held the print just fine.  Now the blob is sitting out for a few days to dry.  I'll have to see about posting a picture.

This particular receipe is awesome because what you end up with is very VERY white.

I'll let you know how it dries.

Yep, it's that time again.  The rush and the fun and the excitement of yet another holiday has passed by and I'm left the day after feeling much like a hang over must feel like.  It is time for the post holiday blues. 

Easter is a favorite holiday for us.  There is the usual rushing around to see everyone, friends and family alike.  Then there is the cooking and the eating of all the yummy foods.  We also do the traditional Easter Egg hunt thing with the kids.  Noah got quite a few M&M's and some great new toys for outdoor play.

Now it is the day after and I feel BLAH!  My house is a DISASTER as I find it impossible to keep up with the usual chores.  But then we came and went so quickly and so often this weekend that we'd walk in, dump a pile of stuff, grab other stuff, and run out the door again.  Add that to my son's thrown off routine, candy, missed naps, etc.  Oh, AND he was spoiled to no ends all weekend by grandmas and great grandma's. I wouldn't change any of it as it is all very fun and the stuff of memories.  But today, oy!  His attitude needs a serious adjustment!

So today, I have a cranky todder, a very messy home, a ton of STUFF that I now have to find homes for, a mountain of laundry, a kitchen full of dirty dishes... yeah it all adds up to the post holiday blues.

That's ok, in another day or two life will be back to normal.  I think we'll try to get out for some fresh air later today. 

One thing I insisted on was that we keep up with our regular routine today.  So over breakfast we read our Bible story and afterwards we did our games and such.  I'm hoping this helps us all break out of the funk!

http://z3.invisionfree.com/amhomeschool/index.php

My curriculum... Hands On Homeschooling.... arrived this past Monday.  I ripped that box open and dove right in.  I REALLY liked what I saw.  My experience and education told me the activities were age appropriate.  I felt like there are just enough for each day, not too much and not too little.  The Biblical teachings are perfect for my son's age.  So, first impression... GREAT!

Now that I've spent a week with it I want to say more than that.  Many of the activities are extremely general.  Now, depending on your point of view this can be good or this can be bad.  For example, one of the music activities this week was clapping to the beat of any children's music.  That is quite general wouldn't you say? But I'm pretty sure that's a good thing.  You don't have to rush out and buy a certain CD, just use what you have.

From MY perspective this is AWESOME!  I have a TON of children's CD's including movement CD's.  So now, when I see a very general activitiy like the one I described I'll just us it as a jumping off point to go look for something cool in my stash.  But on the flip side, for someone without the stash that I have after teaching preschool for years, the activities are all very doable.

In order to make this curriuclum work you really need a children's story Bible.  I picked one up off of Amazon.com.  I chose Egermeier's Bible Story Book as the author of Hands On Homeschooling suggests.  Every day you read a story to your child and discuss it.  There are often activities to go with the story.  So this week we started a new ritual.  Every morning I read the story of the week to my son over breakfast.  Since Bible Story Books have very few pictures keeping his interest was difficult.  But reading to him while he eats or draws works well.  He is able to move and such while listening.  By Wednesday he was answering my questions fairly well.

We also started doing a memory verse every day.  You get one memory verse for the entire month.  I think my DS is catching on already.

So, during the first week we learned the Story of Jonah and the Big Fish.  We colored a Big Fish.  We made a collage of squares, and a life sized puzzle of my DS.  We counted and danced to music.  We made squres in shaving cream.  And probably more that I'm forgetting.

So far, so good!

On to next week!

Hello All!

I've decided to write myself a Homeschooling Blog.  Here is my first entry to get things a rolling!

Let's see.  Ok, my oldest son isn't even 2 and half yet.  I also have a four month old.  So what the heck am I doing starting a homeschool blog?  I mean seriously, in my own honest opinion these boys aren't even close enough to be considered "homeschooled."  Right now my focus every day is to just to encourage them to experience life, play, and soak up the world around them.  That being said, I do think conciously about their day and I do consider myself their teacher.  Plus our plan is to school them at home.  So... why not start thinking ahead.

I am a former special ed preschool teacher.  I worked for public schools for quite a few years.  I loved teaching preschool and I wrote my own theme based curriculum.  I have dreams of having it published or compiling it for sale on the web.  Maybe some day.  So I plan to continue that tradition and work in themes with my own children.

My downfall though?  Encorporating Biblical teachings into the every day.  As a public school teacher I was never able to do that.  I feel ill equipped to do it.  SO I went ahead and purchased Hands On Homeschooling the other day.  I am eager for it to arrive.  Reviews tell me that it takes quite a bit of prep work and may not be for moms who don't like messes.  I LOOOOVVVEEE messes.  If there isn't a mess then we didn't learn, or have fun.  I'm nervous about the prep work though.

I'll report back when it comes in.