Preschool ~ The Letter Z

 Activity above found at Confessions of a Homeschooler

In our preschool, we are still continuing to follow the Raising Rock Stars curriculum at 1+1+1=1.  We even paid a small price to be members so that we have access to the powerpoint presentations and future lessons.  We are really enjoying it!

This week, we worked on the letter Z.  Here are some of the highlights from our week:

Dot Painting

Cutting and taping our weekly scripture

Coloring Cutting a picture of Zaccheus 

Writing Z

Making an alphabet letter train

and alphabet letter angels and messes

Learned about the fives senses with the big kids

Learned about the Bomb Squad on a field trip

Winter term ~ Week 2

After thinking on it over the Christmas break, I have changed up the way that we plan our school year.  I will try to share about that later.  However, the changes have changed the titles of my weekly updates.  That’s why this post is titled winter term ~ week 2.  (And there is a week 1 that needs to be written but I’m not sure it will ever get written.) {smile}

Since we have started school back after the break, it has gone really, really well.  I think the one who had the hardest time adjusting was me since I had to go from two weeks of free time back to a day spent teaching my children.  It always takes some adjusting for me to lay down my selfishness and realize that it is not all about me.  Anyway, that’s not what this post is about so I’ll move on to our week in our homeschool.  Here are some highlights from our week:

This week, the younger children were talking about the nervous system in science.  Lab #1 was about our reflexes which involves the use of our nervous system.  We would hold the ruler about and inch above the child’s hand and then release it.  The child would catch the ruler and then we would record the number.  They would try to see if they could improve their reflexes by catching the ruler more quickly.

Lab # 2 was about using our senses.  For each of the five senses, they had to guess items using on the sense that was designated.  Sometimes that was easy but they found out that sometimes you needed another one of your senses to help you to figure out the items. 

 

We are going very slowly through our American History.  We just finished the French and Indian War or the Seven Years’ War.  Next week, we will start the American Revolution.  The two older boys both had to write reports this week on a History topic.  We are still reading Johnny Tremain for our read aloud.

Everyone is continuing to advance through their lessons.  I am very proud of my children and the accomplishments that they are making with their school work.  I have reorganized the weekly work where they are more able to work on their own and so far they are doing very well with the new system.  Look for a post on that in the future. 

One of the best things about homeschooling is seeing your children learn to read.  This year, we decided to use living books instead of readers for our reading books.  The older boys both enjoy chapter books that they read and then narrate to me.  This year, our second grader is using books that are suggested by Sonlight.  She and I sit and read the stories back and forth to each other.  However, some days if I’m busy teaching pre-algebra or grammar, she will read to her younger siblings or to herself.  Oh, I just LOVE that!

This week, we also had the special treat of a field trip.  We went to our city’s fire training center.  We were able to learn about K-9 bomb detection and a robot that our city uses to handle bombs.  It was a FUN field trip.

 

 

 

 

The Snowy Day~

Evan and Abby have been reading The Snowy Day.  We live in the deep south so it is unusual for us to get snow.  Every year, we decorate our windows with snow flakes.

In the past, we have even made some snow.  See our post about our snow activities here.

I was very surprised and thankful that we did not have to make snow this year because God blessed us with this:

SNOW!

But we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make edible snowflakes.

To make, simply fold a flour tortilla into fourths and cut as you would a paper snowflake.

Fry in a little oil for a short while.  (They burn easily.) 

Then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

For lapbooking printables for The Snowy Day, visit this link at Homeschoolshare.

Views from a homeschool mom’s chair

The other day as I was teaching my oldest son, I was taking in the view from my seat.  On any given day, our homeschool looks a little like this:

~ A little learning and a little coffee ~

 

~ A little friendly competition in between lessons ~

{ and a blurry picture too…sorry!}

~ A little lot of awaiting laundry {sigh} ~

~ A little art ~

~ A little bit of the littles playing starfall.com~

(They look guilty, don’t they?  Maybe it’s that big cannister of candy they were chowing down on!)

Those were some little views from our homeschool. 

Happy Homeschooling in 2011! 

Learning the Letter X ~

Last week, during our strep week, we spent a few days learning about the letter X.   I am very thankful that it was an easy letter week because the strep made it a short week too.  Even though we only spent a few days on the letter, Sunshine Girl has it down! 

Here are a few of our activities from last week:

Playing music on a xylophone

I have been borrowing a xylophone from our church to help me prepare for teaching children’s choir.  Sunshine Girl and Baby Boy had fun playing on it.  By the end of the week, Sunshine Girl was playing her C scales and attempting to play “Chopsticks”.

 

 

We used the letter X activities from the Raising Rock Stars Preschool at 1+1+1=1.  {We are really enjoying these lessons and powerpoint shows!}  (No pictures.  Sorry!)

 

Activities for our preschool scrapbook found at Homeschoolshare.  (We did not finish these and will do so this week.  However, the link will take you to the printables.)

 

Activities from Confessions of a Homeschooler  ~ Letter X.

Sunshine Girl was so proud that she completed this color by number all by herself.  She decided on a whim to cut it out later too!

 

Map of backyard ~ X marks the spot!

 

After she drew the map, I  hid a treasure in the backyard.  ( I saw this idea here.)

Sunshine Girl used her map and found the “treasure”!

I just love this picture of how hard she is working on her treasure map.  {smile}

A Little Bit Extra…

We love starfall!

Baby Boy wanted to help me fold socks.

Sunshine Girl was playing her “piano” to the ragtime music that we heard on starfall.  (Have I mentioned how much we love starfall?)

 

Home Education Highlights

Honestly, these past few weeks have been busy and I am having trouble keeping the weekly highlights up to date.  So I’m going to call it even and just post some of the high points and then start a new at the end of this week.

The past few weeks have been filled with:

• Pioneer Heritage Days where we toured an old pioneer houses, learned how to make fire with a flint stone, and learned about nature during pioneer times.

• Visiting the pumpkin patch and participating in a bike-a-thon to raise money for missions

• Learning more about playing the guitar {free lessons here}
  
• Using the computer to draw pictures
  
• Learning about fixing leaky pipes  {the older boys helped quite a bit}
  
• Exercising at running club {they do actually run…sometimes}
  
• Visiting a raw milk dairy farm {can you believe this is the only picture that I snapped?}
  
• Helping the little ones complete their crafts
  
• Catching and observing lizards

And we can not forget:

{Math}

and

{Reading & Writing}

 

I do believe we may be {somewhat} caught up now. 

{smile}