January 1. New Year’s 2. Motivation & Inspiration 3. Straw 4. Tom Thumb 5. Bean / Bird 6. Three Kings 7. Harlem Globetrotter’s 8. Bubble Bath / Argyle 9. Static Electricity 10. League of Nations 11. Morse Code 12. Fruitcake / Miss America Pageant 13. Rubber Ducky Day 14. Organize 15. Humanitarian 16. Appreciate a Dragon 17. Judgment 18. Winnie the Pooh 19. Popcorn / Tin Can 20. Inauguration 21. Hugging 22. Celebrate Life 23. Pie 24. Belly Laugh / Peanut Butter 25. Pre-school Fitness 26. Seed Swap 27. Peace 28. Bubble Wrap Appreciation 29. Freethinkers / Puzzle / Seeing Eye Dog 30. Silly message 31. Inspire with Art

BEFORE you enroll in Kindergarten...

Personal and Social Development
Approach to learning

• Shows eagerness and curiosity as a learner
• Persists in task and seeks help when encountering a problem
• Is generally pleasant and cooperative

Self-Control

• Follows rules and routines
• Manages transitions (going from one activity to the next)
• Demonstrates normal activity level

Interactions with Others

• Interacts easily with one or more children
• Interacts easily with familiar adults
• Participates in group activities
• Plays well with others
• Takes turns and shares
• Cleans up after play

Conflict Resolution

• Seeks adult help when needed to resolve conflicts
• Uses words to resolve conflicts

Language and Literacy
Listening

• Listens with understanding to directions and conversations
• Follows one-step directions
• Follows two-step directions

Speaking

• Speaks clearly enough to be understood without contextual clues
• Relates experiences with some understanding of sequences of events

Literature and Reading

• Listens with interest to stories read aloud
• Shows interest in reading-related activities
• Retells information from a story
• Sequences three pictures to tell a logical story

Writing

• Uses pictures to communicate ideas
• Uses scribbles, shapes, and letter-like symbols to write words or ideas

Alphabet Knowledge

• Recites/sings alphabet
• Matches upper-case letters
• Matches lower-case letters
• Identifies upper-case letters
• Identifies lower-case letters

Mathematical Thinking
Patterns and Relationships

• Sorts by color, shape, and size
• Orders or seriates several objects on the basis of one attribute
• Recognizes simple patterns and duplicates them

Number concept and operations

• Rote counts to 20
• Counts objects with meaning to 10
• Matches numerals
• Identifies by naming, numerals 0-10

Geometry and spatial relations

• Identifies 4 shapes- circle, square, rectangle, triangle
• Demonstrates concepts of positional/directional concepts (up/down, over/under, in/out, behind/in front of, beside/between, top/bottom, inside/outside, above/below, high/low, right/left, off/on, first/last, far/near, go/stop).

Measurement

• Shows understanding of and uses comparative words (big/little, large/small, short/long, tall/short, slow/fast, few/many, empty/full, less/more.

Physical Development
Gross-Motor Skills

• Pedals and steers a tricycle
• Jumps in place, landing on two feet
• Jumps consecutively- 7 jumps
• Balances on one foot for 5 seconds
• Hops on one foot 2-3 hops
• Hops on one foot- 6 ft.
• Throws a ball with direction- 5 ft.
• Catches a thrown ball with arms and body
• Climbs a playground ladder
• Skips smoothly for 20 feet

Fine-Motor Skills

• Stacks 10, one-inch blocks
• Strings 4 1/2″ beads in two minutes
• Completes a seven piece interlocking puzzle
• Makes a pancake, snake, and ball from playdough
• Grasps pencil correctly
• Copies: vertical line, horizontal line, circle, cross, square, V, triangle
• Copies first name
• Prints first name without a model
• Grasps scissors correctly
• Cuts within 1/4″ of a 6″ straight line on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ square on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ triangle on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ circle on construction paper
• Uses a glue stick appropriately
• Uses appropriate amount of glue for tasks

The Arts
Creative Arts

• Identifies 10 colors: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, black, white, brown, pink
• Uses a variety of art materials for tactile experience and exploration

Music/Movement

• Participates in group music experiences
• Participates in creative movement/dance

Creative Dramatics

• Makes believe with objects
• Takes on pretend roles and situations

Kindergarten Yearly Goals Preview

Religious/Moral Education:

• Understanding of sacrifice (Jesus' AND others)
• Discussion of basic doctrine / exhibiting basic morally sound social skills
• Knowledge of Bible stories / Moral Story

Mathematics:

• Understanding place value
• Visualizing Patterns

History/Geography/Social Science:

• Map skills
• Neighborhood/State characteristics
• Jobs/Roles
• Changing of times

Language Arts:

• Phonics - letter sounds and blends
• Proper letter formation
• Proper sentence structure in speech

Science:

• Hands on experimentations involving
• cooking,
• weather,
• change of seasons

Foreign Language:

• Focus on common vocabulary building in (3) languages
• French
• Spanish
• American Sign Language

Arts:

• Exploring fine arts of print work and musical compositions
• Creation of unique art and music projects
• Physical creative movement
• Development of gross motor skills
• Understanding rhythm and beat

Others:

• Life Skills
• Sorting objects
• Household chores
• Motor Skills
• Pouring liquids and small grained objects
• Making straight lines
• Folding and cutting
• Memorization
• Address,
• Telephone
• Full name

Language Arts Year Plan Preview

Language Arts – YEAR PLAN

 Student will:

 1                    Listen critically to interpret and evaluate a poem. Complete sentences orally and in writing.

2                    Identify and use complete sentences.

3                    Recognize that a sentence begins with a capital letter and end with an end mark. Write sentences correctly.

4                    Recognize the importance of writing with capital letters correctly. To trace and write capital letters.

5                    Complete assessment on sentences.

                                                                                                                    

6                    Identify the parts of a sentence. Write complete sentences by combining a naming and a telling part.

7                    Identifying the naming parts and the telling parts of a sentence. To add naming parts or telling parts to incomplete sentences.

8                    Add sentence parts to form complete sentences. Write complete sentences about a topic.

9                    Identify and write rhyming words.

10                Complete assessment on parts of a sentence.

Year Plan Layout Preview

Week One:

Religion – Self, unique & special

Math – Counting/ Numbers to 10 (1A)

Reading – sight words, Kissing Hand

Phonics – Initial sounds (1)

English – Exploring language

 Week Two:

Religion – We belong to God’s Church (1)

Math – Counting/Numbers to 12 (1B)

Reading – sight words, Peter Rabbit, Goldilocks-retell

Phonics – Short A vowel (3)

Spelling – Short a (at, sat, cat, ran, an, man, dad, ham, bag, pass)

Handwriting – Different lines/circles (12-19)

English – Exploring language

 

Week Three:

Religion – We go to Mass (2)

Math – Graphing (1C)

Reading – The Nap/Oh Cats – story events, predictions

Phonics – Rhyming (1)

Handwriting – Numerals (19-22)

Spelling - Short a (can, map, has, ram, pan, sad, rat, lad, clap, bat)

English – Complete sentences (1)

 

Week Four:

Religion – God’s Word (3)

Math – Addition/Subtraction – Ways to make # (2A)

Reading – What did I see/I Went Walking

Spelling – Short I (it, sit, hit, pick, sick, kick, pig, wig, fig, kid – squid)

Phonics – Short i (3)

Handwriting – L, I / straight line letters (22-24)

English – Identify complete sentences (1)

Science – Senses (A1-1)

Social Studies – Families of long ago (1-1)

Planning ahead...

Always be prepared and always plan ahead when homeschooling.

I have decided to post "previews" of all my curriciulum and planning tools.

Each year I am composing or modifying an outline for the entire year for each grade level (Pre-K, Grade 1-2, Grade 3-4 and any others based on requests), split between subject areas and topics. All very broad, but helpful in planning each indiviual month and enabling scheduling of lessons.

Each month, I am composing a breakdown of monthly activities, events and even weekly themes. This will be broken down by subject area.

Each week I will lay out the specifics. A lesson for each day for each subject area, along with 2 or 3 alternate activities to teach the same skill. I will create 2 different layout options for ease of use, both covering all the general subject areas (language arts -reading/comprehension, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar; mathematics; science; history/social sciences; religion or social skills; handwriting or fine motor skills; arts - physical activity, music, computers/electronics, arts and crafts, library science;)

...More Scheduling

A traditional school year is five to six hours a day, 5 days a week for 36 weeks or 180 days.

As a home-schooling family, we could have chosen to follow the same schedule of the local school, but we chose to customize a schedule to suit our family’s needs.

According to the state of Connecticut, we do not have to do every subject every day of the school year.

I have been struggling with the amount of activities in which to enroll my children and just beginning to face the realities that I do not have to enroll my children in every class or outside activity that their/my friends do.

I have decided to enroll each child in in only one pay activity per week. Of course I will schedule play dates and the like, and invite other children to sit in some of our activities and lessons, but I do not want these things to interfere with the educational purpose of home schooling.

Our Fridays will continue to be left for field trip days whereas, Monday through Thursday will hold the highest concentration of academic study. I do however, plan on teaching some things on Fridays and Saturdays.

I am such a planner that I cannot help myself about planning out everything. Of course, I do not anticipate a play-by-play daily run-down, but I will specify subject area topics for each day.

The amount of time spent on each subject depends upon the age, small motor skills, learning style, and abilities of each child (ranges as follows: 3-5 minutes for preschoolers, 10-20 minutes for 1st -3rd graders, 20-45 minutes for 4th – 6th graders, 45 minutes or more for 8th – 12th graders). Although Jonathan is at a preschool age, his attention-span, learning style and abilities enable lessons to run approximately 10-15 minutes.

The total number of hours spent each day in one-on-one instruction ranges as follows: thirty minutes in Kindergarten (broken up into several five-minute sessions), one to two hours in grades 1 – 6, two hours or more in grades 7 – 12. Again, more can be accomplished orally than handwritten for children with handwriting difficulties. In our planning, our TOTAL home-schooling daily agenda is two hours — which conveniently is the amount of nap-time for the baby.

The remainder of our school day is spent in independent book exploration, free play activities with his siblings and friends, complete own “chores”, exploring an instrument, create an art projects, and/or participate in any other activity that can be done independently. The television and computers are not available during the school day, and are limited to ninety minutes weekly, other than for educational purposes.

Some states require an excess of four to five hours of home schooling daily, thankfully Connecticut is not one of them. However there is a difference between “actual teaching time” and “school attendance” time.

Regaining & Maintaining Attention

Give Me Five

When it’s time to begin an activity I sometimes hold up my hand and use
Give Me Five
to get the attention of my students.

Eyes are watching
Ears are listening
Mouth is quiet
Hands are to myself
Hearts are caring

Hold up 1 finger as you say each rule. You’ll soon find your students reciting these with you.

...of the Day

Each day has a theme… basically following REAL holidays: http://brownielocks.com some are a bit ‘tweaked’ or a day early or late, to be sure EACH day has a theme. My favorite themed days are: Talk Like a Pirate Day Johnny Appleseed Day Teddy Bear Day Candy Cane Day Rubber Ducky Day Tooth Fairy Day Each day has several other focuses as well:

Letter (recognizing, printing, sounds, words)
Shape (identifying, counting sides/angles, drawing)
Number (counting,naming, printing)
Color
Graph/Tally/Chart/Question (based on the theme)

Displayed each day are a series of poems or books based on the theme, often the children are able to select which will be read and shared aloud.

To Start Each and Every Day...

I remind the children that the “learning” will commence and usually give a “five minute wrap up play-time” warning. Throughout the ‘meeting’, I refer to the children by a different adjective (smarties, sillies, super readers) and proceed to follow the THEME of the day (in some cases week) in a short hint of what’s ahead.

Throughout the ‘meeting’, I refer to the children by a different adjective (smarties, sillies, super readers) and proceed to follow the THEME of the day (in some cases week) in a short hint of what’s to come for the day.

(ex.: balloon day — “Good Morning Aviators, we’ve got to fly through our work today so that we are able to float way up to the clouds).

Opening Circle Song:(sung to – Farmer in the Dell)

Hello to everyone, ( wave to children)

and how are you today?

We come to our circle time,
to laugh and sing and play.

And when you’re up you’re up, (hold hands in the air)

and when your down your down, ( place hands on floor)

and when your only half way up, (hold hands about chest level)

your neither up nor down. (throw your hands up and down quickly with words)

So roll your hands so slowly, (make fists with hands and roll about chest level like your punching a bag)

and roll your hands so fast, ( same action as above except fast)

give your hands a clap clap clap and fold them in your lap tap tap. (follow directions in this line)

Once the song is complete, and we’ve stretched some stretches, we take a look at the calendar, and weather and make predictions of the activities we’ll be doing for the day.

Calendar Song: (Sing to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”)

When we do the calendar
We learn the month the date the year.
Every weekday has a name
There are lots of numbers that look the same.
So let’s begin to show you how
We do the calendar right now.

Identify the MONTH of the year.

~~Month Chant~~

January,February,March,April,MayJune,July,August~~Hooray! Hooray!

September,October,November,DecemberThese are the months that I CAN REMEMBER!

Identify the DAY of the week.

~~The Today Song~: (To the tune of “Frere Jacques”)

Today is _______.
Today is _______.
All day long, all day long.
Yesterday was ______.
Tomorrow will be _______.
Oh what fun!
Oh what fun!

Weather

Weather Wheel

What is the weather the weather the weather
What is the weather like today?
(Childs name) says its (weather)(weather) (weather) (childs name) say its (weather) out today!

Once the calender and weather is completed, we do a little movement.

Form a Circle by joining hands. The children take a step
back until their arms are fully extended. Drop hands.
Say the following poem with activity motions:

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap.
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap.
One little body turns around and around.
One little child sits quietly down!

Entertaining Little Ones

# empty water bottle, put in some coins, close very tightly, and voilà -- a brand-new rattle. (Just don't leave her alone with it!)

# Create instant bathtime fun: Hand over your turkey baster as a squirt toy; add plastic funnels for scoop-and-pour games.

# Shake, rattle, and roll. Fill a few small plastic bottles half full of water and put the caps on tightly. While you check e-mail, let your child shake 'em up -- she'll love all the splashing.

# Go for color: Give your child a medicine dropper and an ice-cube tray filled with water. Add food coloring. Let him squeeze, squirt, and mix!

# A good high-chair activity while you're cooking: Take an empty tissue box, throw in a few small objects -- a washcloth, a leaf, a toy car -- and let your child reach in and feel them. Then dump them out and put in a few different things.

Toddlers on up


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# Start a pickup game: Put crayons or markers in a small pile. Kids can try to remove one at a time without disturbing the others.

# Jazz up coloring: Print out Keith Haring's imaginative artwork

# Boost ABC fun: Print out adorable alphabet coloring pages

Toddlers on up


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# Decorate balloons. Rub one until it has a static charge. Supply your child with pieces of tissue or string to put on it, and let him see what else sticks. (Just be sure to watch him.)

# Sew fun! Punch holes in an egg carton with a pen, tape on a string of yarn, and let your child thread it through the openings.

# Stay cool with ice hockey. Tip over a small wastebasket in your driveway, toss some ice cubes on the ground, and use broomsticks to see who can score the most before the ice melts

# Leaf-peep from home. Gather fall leaves from your yard, put a piece of double-sided tape on each, and let your kid stick them on the windows.

# Start a nature scrapbook. Grab a small photo album or notebook where your child can store finds like leaves and feathers.

# Grab cookie cutters and...
- Use them for stencils
- Turn melon into stars
- Cut play dough into cool shapes.

# Stamp it. Give your child things from around the house -- blocks, a wire strainer, doll's feet -- to make impressions on play dough.

# Celebrate Easter: Lay a basket on its side, line up some plastic eggs, hand your child a broom, and play huevos hockey.

# Do 3-D painting. Save up the foam blocks from your packages for your child to paint. Kids love the odd shapes.

# Make a splash! Show your child how to soak up water from one bowl with a sponge and squeeze it into another -- silly fun in the kitchen or the backyard.

# Create a love map. Draw a big heart on paper, and ask your child what's in her heart. Jot down what she says for a great Father's Day gift.

# Toss a ball in running water -- from the hose, in a shallow stream, in the ocean. Show your child how to use a small net or strainer to catch it, then throw it back and start again!

# Make a perfect valentine stamp. Slice an apple in half, then cut a "V" shape at the bottom of one of the pieces. Have your child paint the flat surface red and stamp it onto cards.

# A quick hide-and-seek game: Stick rows of Post-it notes on a piece of paper, put a sticker under one, and let your child guess where the sticker is. Then hide another!

# Declare your floors "hot lava." Your child can move around the house only by hopping on "islands" (paper taped to the floor).

# Liven up a springtime walk. Give your child a colorful lightweight scarf to hold out of the stroller and fly like a streamer in the wind.

# Make pizza cookies. Give your child lumps of cold pizza dough so she can flatten them with a potato masher. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top, bake, and serve.

# Play mix and match. Give him a few empty plastic bottles or jars and their caps, and let him figure out which go together (just keep an eye on him)

# Have a race: Use chalk to draw a curvy course on your sidewalk for an instant trike path.

# Play laundry basketball. While you sort, hand your kids rolled-up socks and an empty trash can, and promise a kiss for every "point" they make.

# Make "movies." Create a flip book

Preschoolers and up


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# Launch far-out fun. Let your child play Shuttle Tac Toe, Space Bounce, and other games at NASA Kids' Club

# Keep car trips fun:
- How high can your kids count before the next traffic light?
- Decide who'll listen for the words "new" and "old" on the radio. Whoever counts ten of her word first wins!

# Test her memory. While you do laundry, log your child on to Playkidsgames.com -- she'll have a blast clicking on lights on the turtle's shell as they come up.

# Get in the St. Paddy's Day spirit: Cover a piece of shamrock-shaped cardboard with double-sided tape. Have your child stick on green paper, leaves, and other stuff.

# Print out a Dr. Seuss game from Seussville.com

# Kick off a buggy summer! Your child can design a cool virtual insect with wings and antennae at Build-a-Bug

# Engage in fowl play. Turn an orange into a turkey: Use toothpicks to attach a cherry tomato head, raisin eyes, a baby-carrot beak, and lettuce feathers.

Summer Reading Kick Off Party

Our Last Science Class...

Today at science class we did some pond and pond creature exploration. We began in the classroom with an explanation of what we might see, how to catch it and how to return it to the water once our "examination" has completed. Little man totally loved wandering the pond and "catching sea creatures" in his net as well as examining them in his mini microscope/para-scope. Unfortunately, with summer approaching faster than ever... it means an end to our Nature's Classroom Science classes for awhile. Although we will continue to visit the nature center on occasion throughout the summer, it seems that we will not attend anymore structured home-schooling science classes. While we are enjoying them immensely, and Jonathan seems to be gaining some science knowledge from the classes, we need to transition into something different.

ALMOST anytime activities

Easy things to do, to keep the little ones busy and develop skills! 40 activities for homeschoolers or educationally minded parents.

1. Rice/bean bins. All you need is a bin, some rice or beans, and some scoops or cups.

2. Water bins/tables. These require a nice day and a deck...smile... but are great. Again, fill up a tub with water and provide scoops, bowls, and a few fun trinkets (some that float and some that sink) and let kids play 'til their heart's content. Add a few drops of food coloring for extra fun!

3. Paint with water books. Still a great way to get some exploration going with less than half the mess of the full-fledged version.

4. Puzzles. Use the manufactured variety or try making your own by cutting up pictures your child (or a sibling) has drawn.

5. Special Play Boxes. The idea is that you only take these special boxes of toys out when you are with another child. These are special treats. Change them up every few weeks or so depending upon your younger child’s interests. Here, my youngest daughter is playing with matchbox cars as I work with her brother.

6. Stickers. On paper, on clothes, on favorite bears...

7. Number Wheels. Print a color wheel and ask kids to place the corresponding clothes pin on the wheel. If your child isn't ready for numbers yet, try putting colors onto the wheel and colored dots on the clothes pins for kids to match. If your child is really young, try just giving them clothes pins with a variety of things/materials to attach them to.

8. Legos and blocks. These are great all by themselves, but can also be used in conjunction with props like dolls, cars, shoe-boxes and paper towel rolls.

9. Tweezers and pom poms. Provide some multi-colored craft pom poms and ask kids to sort by size or color. If the child is still very young, take away the tweezers and give them a yogurt container with a small hole cut in the top to stuff pom poms through. When they are done, open the container and start again.

10. Toddler sewing basket. Activities like re-wrapping yarn, lacing, etc.

11. Pipe cleaners in containers. This is a variation of the pom pom suggestion: cut several small holes in a yogurt or coffee container and ask the child to stick pipe cleaners into them. For added challenge, color hole-reinforcers (like you use in three-hole-punched documents) and ask the child to match the pipe cleaner color to the hole reinforcer color.

12. Magazine scavenger hunts. Really young kids can just rip up the pages, but slightly older toddlers can search through pages to find items you ask for, like pictures of smiles, flowers, a Mommy, etc.

13. Alphabet or picture tracing sheets. This is as easy as laminating an alphabet practice sheet and providing dry erase markers. Wipe and start again.

14. Egg cartons filled with plastic colored eggs. Fill these eggs with little trinkets that will make noise in the eggs. This is enough for young kids. For slightly older kids you can ask them what they hear in the eggs, then have them open the eggs on their own to see if they were correct.

15. Play-Doh filled balloons. You never know what a child is going to create with these, but the sensory experience is the major boon.

16. Pool Noodle Stringing. Cut up pool noodles and provide yarn for little kids to string together.

17. Magnetic Magazine Face-Making. Cut out eyes, ears, mouths, noses, etc. from magazines, laminate, and adhere to magnets. Then, provide your toddler with a magnetic surface to rearrange faces.

18. Lacing boards. These can be made with leftover cereal boxes, or can be purchased. You punch several holes along the outline of a shape, and ask your toddler to weave shoestring in and out of the holes. Don't expect perfection unless you are giving instructions- just let them do it on their own.

19. Felt Face-Making. This idea can be adjusted to fit any theme you're working on with just a little forethought. Just create one large, major shape and provide lots of smaller shapes to adorn the large one.

20. Soda bottle filled with glitter, oil, and water. Grab a two-liter and fill it with these ingredients for fun. Roll them, shake them and put them into containers. Remember to glue the cap on before you give this to your child!

21. Button Snake. Tie or sew a button onto a piece of ribbon and provide felt scraps to thread onto the "snake."

22. Clothesline Play. String up a pretend clothesline and provide a few socks, some felt clothes cut-outs, a few scarves, etc. plus a few clothespins and let younger kids have fun hanging up the wash.

23. Bathtub painting. Let a squirmy toddler paint in the bathtub with washable paint. Just strip them down and let them go to town, then use the shower head to rinse it all down the drain.

24. Ziplock bag painting. Fill a bag with paint and tape it up to a glass surface.

25. Giving babydolls a bath. This isn't so gender-specific as you may think. You might be surprised at how many boys enjoy a small tub of water, plastic baby doll, towels and soap.

26. Stamping. Ink pad, paper and a variety of stamps.

27. Color scavenger hunt. Give your child a paper bag with a color scribbled on the front, or a colored bag, and ask them to run around the house until they find items of that color to put in the bag.

28. Bottles and cap matching. Take a bunch of used bottles and let children match the caps to the bottles. Added bonus? This is a self-correcting activity, so when they get to the end and all the caps don't match, they know they've made a mistake and can go back to find it.

29. Rubberband/shoebox guitars. These are fun to play, and fun to make. Just a couple of shoeboxes with rubber bands around them create music (but not too loud) and lots of opportunity for exploration.

30. Give them "work." Give your younger child the same worksheet you give your older child and see what they do with it! The more authentic and identical the worksheet, the better.

31. Pudding/Yogurt finger-painting. Tools like spoons and paintbrushes only add to the fun.

32. Cutting practice. While themed printables are fun, you don't need anything that fancy. Just draw some wiggly lines across a page and ask your older toddler to cut the marks you've made.

33. PlayDoh prints. My kids will play with Play Doh but they're especially intrigued by anything that makes a print in the soft dough (think Legos, sporks, beaded necklaces, cookie cutters and little truck wheels).

34. Sorting. Colored pasta, old keys, nuts and bolts.

35. Balloons. They don't even need helium- just blow them up and provide a pool noodle for hitting, or tie them up with a bunch of ribbon and let your kids try to keep them in the air. Try giving kids a straw and having them blow their balloons around the room.

36. Water transfer. This can be done with pipettes and small bowls of water, or with small pitchers. The key here is small amounts of water. Colored water is extra exciting.

37. Chalk. It's versatile- if you have a chalkboard that's great, but chalk can be used on black construction paper, on driveways and sidewalks if you're outside, on rocks, on felt...

38. Masking tape obstacle course. You can tailor this to meet your child's needs- put down a straight line and ask your child to walk/hop/skip along it. Create squares they must use to jump between, even adhere tape to the walls in a hallway and tell your child to try to go below the lines you've put up.

39. Pattern Blocks. The idea is to use a set of blocks and ask your child to create the same patterns with the blocks that appear on a form.

40. Shadow dancing. Can be done in the dark with flashlights or just by mimicking each others movements.

To school or not to school?

I have been researching like crazy to determine what will occur this fall for Jack. Obviously, like any parents, Matt and I want to make the absolute best decision for him regarding his education, much like anything else. The thing is, we NEVER planned on homeschooling, we just sort of FELL into it. Mainly because being a teacher is in my blood, and I just couldn't give up this part of me if I tried! (Not that I wanted too... I like it). In any event, the district in which we currently reside is going through a serious transition, (budget cuts, schools closing, programs ending and GOOD teacher's being laid off) not something we think would be the best for our children's education. I scoured the internet doing all the research I could on local school districts that are established, with no signs of immediate, devastating change in the near future with homes for sale at reasonable prices... I was ASTONISHED to see which districts made the "grade" and which did not... Needless-to-say, no longer an option. With two option gone: (a) local public school (b) moving to receive a public education elsewhere We were left to explore other options: (a) local private schools (b) continuing to home-school To me, there are clear benefits to both of these options, and I needed to sit with each one and really own it. I took Jack's to look at one school, VERY close to home... Unfortunately - It too is currently undergoing a transitional period... (recent merger with another school 3rd principal in 3 years and staff and parent upheaval). So I looked a bit further away and nearly ALL the private schools within a FIFTEEN mile radius were booked solid WITH waiting lists!!! Except ONE school...so I scheduled a visit for the three of us to go and look... Part of me is glad we did, and part of me is terrified. The school is fantastic... I like the combination of Faith in Education - I AM thrilled the private schools system are freed from the public schools’ restriction regarding the separation of church and state—both private. It allows for the opportunities for prayer and worship are incorporated into the school day. I AM thrilled that holidays, traditions, and rituals are practiced, discussed, and included with other school activities and functions, just like we were at home.... Class Size Another area in which homeschoolers may find themselves with a similar view to private schools is in ideas about class size. Private schools may choose to operate with a small class size as one of their distinguishing features, separating them from the too often overcrowded classrooms of public schools. In either case, the child has both socialization opportunities, but also the benefits of a great deal of teacher attention. And of course, the opportunity for the teacher to get to know each student is increased when there are fewer students in the class. Special Curriculum Private schools and homeschools take advantage of some of the same curriculum products and services. The differences between home-schooling & private schooling. Instructors in private schools more often have professional teacher training than home-schoolers, EXCEPT, when the mom (like me), is a certified teacher, with several years of experience...AND licensing requirements for faculty at private schools are different and less stringent than the requirements for public schools. The private schools generally have more extensive resources—including buildings, supplies, books, materials, and equipment—than we, like most home-schools can afford. Other Areas Private schools with small class sizes may be able to have extremely flexible schedules, and more flexibility about location (because of smaller costs and less planning required) than public schools, but homeschools—when funding is not an issue—are still likely to have more flexibility in both areas. And private schools are likely to offer more opportunities for large group activities (even if the large group is smaller than what you would find in a public school) than homeschools can, due to larger enrollment. Looked at a different way, homeschools may be able to offer many of the benefits of private school without what are in some cases tuition charges. Private school tuition can run up to $40,000, and for far less than that, one could have an absolutely fabulous homeschool experience, provided one has the commitment and ability to do so. In fact, by taking advantage of free or low-cost resources, both those available for the community at large and specialized resources, supplemented (if desired/necessary/affordable) by private tutoring, lessons, and activities, one can create an exceptional homeschooling experience for far less than $40,000 per year. Of course, if a parent is forgoing work in order to homeschool, that is an important cost to factor in. And in the end, the choice between private school and homeschool is a very personal one, that will depend on the factors mentioned here, and others that are particular to your family situation and your particular child’s needs. So.... we decided.... HE is enrolled. We plan to home-school through this summer, and most likely all the summers in the future... Take vacations at will, and pick up ANY slack left in the school educational system. We also plan on sending him to Sunday School and some other programs offered in the area to maximize the ease of transition and allow him to make more friendships.

Essential tools for school-age boys

Whether your a teacher, a home-schooling mom or just a loving parent, there are a few things EVERYONE with boys should have!

1. Blocks. A good set of wooden, unit-based blocks can be expensive, but they’re oh-s0-worth it! A set of blocks will inspire your sons’ imaginations for years. They also lay a firm foundation for the study of math and geometry.

2. Tools. Every boy should have access to a hammer, nails, scrap wood and tape measure. Also useful: screwdrivers, screws, wrenches, sandpaper and safety goggles. Working with tools is a great way for young boys to develop fine motor skills (try handing your preschooler a large bolt and some nuts). It’s also another way to bring math into the real world.

3. Play-dough. Whether you make your own or buy it in a can, play-dough provides infinite hours of educational fun. Your boys can experiment with color mixing or create various shapes to see if they’ll float in water (both science!). They can practice writing in play-dough or craft letters (language arts). They can create sculptures (art). Working with play-dough is a great way to strengthen the small muscles of the hands too and therefore improving fine motor skills.

4. Maps and globes. Want your boys to learn with almost minimal input from you? Hang a map in your bathroom. Or just place a globe in the living room, kids WANT to ask questions and WANT to learn!

5. Cardboard boxes. In the hands of a young boy, a cardboard box can become anything.

6. Playing cards. Want your son to learn his numbers or the value of numbers, break out a deck of cards and stick to the tradition of playing the classic card game, War. A simple deck of playing cards can be used to reinforce basic math skills as well. When the boys get older, War can get harder. Play two cards; whichever player’s cards added up to a higher number won the hand. Card games also teach critical thinking, memory and basic statistics. Some boys love to build with them too.

7. Dirt. Give boys a plot of dirt and the freedom to play and explore, and watch your budding scientist or earth-mover get to work. And they’ll create all sorts of ponds and streams and dams — real-life, real-world experiments.

8. A library card. Get your son a library card as soon as possible, and let him check out books of his liking. Don’t set too many restrictions, either. Some kids are ready to check out books from the adult section. Your sons can also access all kinds of music, DVDs and ebooks at the local library.

9. A computer. It is possible to educate your son without a computer. However, I’d argue that you’re doing him a great disservice. Computers are here to stay, and odds are good that your son will need to interact with a computer almost every day as an adult. Computers, like library cards, are also a window to the world. (Do I have to convince you? You’re reading a blog, online).

10. A loving, caring adult. This is THE single most important item on the list. With a loving, caring adult nearby, a boy can learn anything. Listen to your son. He’ll tell (and show you) what he needs. Pay attention to his interests, and do your best to nourish them. If you know nothing about his chosen area of interest, hook him up with other people who do. Learn with him. Love him! A boy who is loved and supported is able to learn and explore.

Stuck Indoors? What to do!?!

I am NOT a fan of being stuck inside during rainy or stormy days NOR am I a fan of spending a lot of money... So I made a short list of things to do inside when those wretched days occur! 1. Have an indoor picnic. 2. Build a fort out of blankets (use chairs, couches, yarn- anything to hold up the blankets!). 3. Make sock puppets. 4. Finger paint with pudding. 5. Play dough- use rolling pins and cookie cutters. 6. Dance PARTY–dance to your favorite songs (or turn on the Wii). 7. Have a tea party. 8. Read nursery rhymes. 9. Make your own indoor hopscotch with masking tape on carpet/wood. 10. Pedicures. 11. Play school–have the child be the teacher. 12. Make a letter book. Let the kids take a picture of something that starts with each letter of the alphabet. 13. Look at photo albums. 14. Make a movie of yourselves, then watch it. 15. Paint with water colors. 16. Play Barbies. 17. Play with matchbox cars. 18. Play board games (my kids love Candy Land, and Yahtzee!). 19. Color with crayons. Take off the wrapper and see the different ways you can color with them. 20. Make paper bag puppets. 21. Watch a movie and eat popcorn. 22. Go on a treasure hunt. 23. Bake cookies. 24. Play dress-up. 25. Make paper hats. 26. Make a healthy snack. 27. Make a relay race or obstacle course in your house–be creative! 28. Play hide and seek. 29. Indoor snowball fight with socks. 30. Build a fort out of cardboard boxes and duct tape. 31. Make plans and invitations for a party. 32. Play tic-tac-toe. 33. Make your own puzzle out of poster board or card-stock, color and cut it out. 34. Make your own matching game. 35. Swim in the kitchen–put down a tarp, fill up a little kiddie pool with warm water and let them play for hours! 36. Make Valentine's décor (or ANY seasonal decor). 37. Make a car track all around your house with masking tape. 38. Play "Monster in the Middle." Pillows are “safe” the carpet is the “lava.” Jump from pillow to pillow and if the monster touches you, you are in the middle. 39. Apple stamps. Cut an apple in half horizontal and use it as a stamp using washable paint. 40. Make lacing cards with their favorite cereal boxes. 41. Learn a new song. 42. Create a giant dot-to-dot with poster board. 43. Make homemade Valentine's (get well's thank yous or happy birthdays). 44. Make a necklace with yarn, beads or Fruit Loops. 45. Have a talent show. 46. Cut paper snowflakes. 47. Make a paper countdown chain to Valentine's Day or an upcoming birthday by cutting strips of paper and stapling them together. 48. Hard noodles, Elmer’s glue, and paper… need I say more? 49. Marble racing. (Take 2 of your swimming pool water noodles and prop them on the stairs. Race marbles down the middle of them. The hole is a perfect size for a marble.; or an old pizza box and toilet paper tubes) 50. Sculpt clay, let it dry, then paint. 51. Play paper dolls. 52. Write letters to Grandma and Grandpa. 53. Play with magnets. Cut up colorful pipe cleaners into 1 inch pieces, put them in a glass jar, put a magnet to the jar and see what happens! 54. Make an advent calendar for Valentine's Day or an upcoming holiday. 55. Make princess/king crowns. 56. Manicures. 57. Take silly pictures and e-mail them to Dad/Mom at work or other relatives. 58. Make big cars out of a cardboard box. Have the kids sit inside the boxes, cut holes for their legs and let them use their feet as wheels to move around. 59. Play red-light, green-light. Play this with #58. It is so fun! 60. Toilet paper a room in your house. 61. Make a super hero costume out of household items. 62. Pillow pile. Collect all the pillows in your house and jump into them. 63. Dress up in Mom or Dad’s clothes. 64. Plan a date for your child and you (or spouse) that makes them feel special. 65. Cream painting. Put shaving cream and drops of food coloring in a cookie tray and then mix it all around with a paint brush. 66. Make a story book out of paper. Have them make it up and draw the pictures. 67. Watch old family videos. 68. Make and frost sugar cookies. 69. Make paper airplanes. 70. Toilet paper trail. Give them each a roll and have them make a trail all around the house. 71. Read their favorite book to them. 72. Start a journal. If the child can’t write, have them tell you what to write or they can draw and orally explain on video. 73. Make a time capsule of their favorite things and open it next January. 74. Make flash cards (letters, sounds, addition, etc.). 75. Make homemade paper dolls. 76. Make cupcakes and let them do everything themselves. 77. Plan a family vacation. 78. Teach them to sew. 79. Do an exercise video with them. 80. Rearrange the furniture in their room. 81. Hot cocoa bar. Chocolate covered spoons, marshmallows, whipped cream, Andes mints. Get creative! What do you put in your hot cocoa? 82. Make a bird feeder with toilet paper rolls. (Put peanut butter on it and roll it in bird seed. Hang it with yarn outside and watch the birds come). 83. Make little pizzas. (Use English muffins, tomato sauce, cheese and any toppings you want. Cook at 350 degrees. Watch until cheese melts). 84. Put on a play. 85. Make an Ice Sun Catcher. Take a pie tin and fill it with water, leaves, pine cones, and yarn so it can hang. Then put it outside and let it freeze. When it is frozen, take it out and hang it on a tree. 86. Color the snow. If it isn’t too cold outside, fill squirt bottles with warm water and food coloring. See what designs you can make in the snow. 87. Let them use your makeup to give you a makeover–this one is HILARIOUS! 88. Let them pick and print out coloring pages online–there are TONS! 89. Make a piñata and fill it with yummy (or healthy) treats. 90. Have a campout in the front room… tent and all. 91. Play doctor. We do this a lot at my house! 92. Mummy wrap. Have your kids work together to wrap you, or another child, up in toilet paper. 93. Practice your fire drill. Stop, drop, and roll. What is your plan and your meeting place? 94. Ball toss. Have a few different sized buckets and have kids throw balls into them. For older kids, fill the buckets with water almost to the top. It is a lot harder than it seems. 95. Put lipstick on your kids and have them make a kiss Valentine for Dad or grandparents. 96. Read a book then act out the story. 97. Indoor bowling. Stuff socks into toilet paper rolls and line them up. Roll a ball into them and you have your own bowling alley! 98. Fill up the sink! Add some dish soap, cups, spoons, bowls and anything else that isn't breakable. Just make sure there are a couple of towels under their chairs. 99. Play grocery store with items from your pantry. Let them check out with plastic bags! 100. Take a bath! Put in toys you usually don’t let go in the tub (that are still waterproof) and they will play forever! 101. Chores. Kids don’t always have to LIKE the activity! 102. SING songs from when you were a child. 103. Teach them some yoga. 104. Go on a scavenger hunt for random things around the house. 105. If it is not too cold, DANCE outside and get soaked!!! Jump in the puddles too!

Flawless homeschooling...

Firstly I do not believe there could EVER be such a thing as ANY kind of schooling being FLAWLESS...

1. Wake up before your children. Getting a head start on your day works wonders. You don’t necessarily have to get up at 5:00 AM, but arising at least one hour before your children do has many advantages. This early morning time can be used for personal thought, personal grooming, laundry, exercise, computer time, cooking breakfast, planning your day, and gathering any necessary supplies for your school day.

2. Have a meal plan each day. Know what you will be serving as soon as breakfast is over. You may like to plan your menus one week, two weeks, or even a month at a time, but just make sure that you plan. List your nightly meals. Each morning check to see if there is something you need to thaw, chop, or prepare early in the day. Having a plan prevents kitchen chaos at 5:00 PM, and shopping sales makes the planning easier.

3. Create a routine. Doing the same things in the same order each day gives both you and your children a sense of security. The more tasks that are routine, the less you have to stress about. In our home, our school day routine flows like this: breakfast, free time, morning meeting, reading with older child, while younger child completes independent activity, reading with younger child as older child works independently, math cooperatively, lunch, nap and rest time with independent reading, flexible activity. Even if you don’t create specific time slots for each aspect of your day, you can create an orderly routine to follow.

4. Tidy your school area each day. When the day’s schoolwork is done, take some time to prepare for the next school day. Have your children gather all of their schoolbooks and various supplies and store them in a specific spot. Erase your whiteboard. Tidy the work spaces (tables, floors, etc.). Put away all games, puzzles, and other activities that your younger children played.

5. Tell your children the “Plan for the Day”. As part of our morning routine, I tell my children our plan for the day. This simply means that I remind them of any routine appointments like karate or play-dates, and the time we will have to leave for these appointments. I mention any visitors we may be expecting, any errands we need to run, and any extra chores or activities I may have for them that day. When we know the plan for the day, we can make the necessary adjustments to our normal routine if needed.

6. Avoid answering the telephone and email. During school hours, I do not answer my phone unless it is my husband, or something super important. Phone calls usually take more time than you intend them to, and children usually get off task when Mama is on the phone. I check email, read blogs, and blog before school begins, and I avoid getting back online until all of our schoolwork is done. I use my answering machine, and I return phone calls after our schoolwork is complete during nap time.

7. Have your children’s schoolwork planned. Spending time in the summer, once a month, once a week, or whatever works for you, to plan your child’s schoolwork has numerous benefits. Trying to tell multiple children at once what to do while the toddler is dumping out the contents of the kitchen cabinets can make for a stressful day. I make checklists for my children four weeks at a time. I used to plan out an entire semester in one sitting, but then the plans would get all messed up when someone got sick, or we had an unexpected outing. I usually spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon about once a month to create plans for my children.

8. Serve snacks daily. Eating a mid-morning snack (and a mid-afternoon snack) makes everyone feel better. My children LIVE for snacks and it also gives me a moment to clean something or set up the next activity.

9. Allow for structure. Too much structure will not be a good thing, so be flexible too.

10. Smile. Hug your children and smile at them often. A happy, loving attitude will make every school day flow more smoothly!

Our 25 MUST reads!

1.

A story that is not only a MUST but a less obvious must, and seemingly hard to find when you are looking! 2.

NO collection is complete without some Dr. SEUSS! I have NEVER met a child that did not love a little rhythmic FUNNY tales with made-up words! 3.

I STRONGLY believe Jamie Lee Curtis is an under-advertized BRILLIANT children's author. I have two of her texts, "Today I Feel Silly" and "I Like Me". Her messages are clear and concise AND easy for even the youngest child to understand. 4.

Brings back the true value or imagination. 5.

Truly funny tale, to bring perspective to the whine we have in our home. 6.

PERFECT tale of being different and overcoming differences, a true MUST have for any classroom or home collection. 7.

A truly beautiful story of a parents unconditional, undying love for their child. I cannot get enough of these! 8.

Brilliant author and illustrator combination for this unlikely collection of children's readers. ALL can bring out the imaginative nature in every child and parent to boot! 9.

Everyone should have this in the bookshelf! 10.

So far I have found 3 Llama, Llama books and we like them all. A predictable rhyme is always a favorite for a child, talking animals are a win too!

11.

I was introduced to this book, by my favorite person, and the story is one that reaches my heart deeply. It has an unbelievably beautiful message of the way love multiplies with children. 12.

A cute African set story of a father's love, REALLY great gift for a new dad or father's day gift. 13.

A cute story to open a feelings conversation with little ones, preschoolers and early elementary students, especially those who are having difficulty using words to express how they are feeling. 14.

A lovely story to share with any stinky face in your life, AND an unconventional way to express the love that is shared unconditionally parent to child. 15.

I love tales that are written from the point of view of another culture that have the universal message of love. 16.

"The Kissing Hand" and it's sequel "The Kiss Goodbye" are great, sweet stories to read to a child when something new is happening or the parent or loved one (or even the child) is going to be away for a short period of time. 17.

Truly ANY story with the ideal that a parent loves their child for no reason other than they are their child is a book I want in my home. 18.

Heart-warming story, it makes us all smile!

19.

No bookshelf is complete without a silly collection. I am partial to all the "There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a ...." Kids love the traditional Fly tale, but I think they seek comfort in the jump from tradition using the predictable rhyme in the tales of the 'Chick', 'Bat', and 'Snow'. 20.

Does a SUPER awesome job at showing a child the UNDYING, UNCONDITIONAL love a parent has for a child. 21.

A great bedtime story for winding down a little one. 22.

My favorite bedtime story, it is one so far that I think has truly captured a mother's love in child's language. 23.

No MUST READ book list would be complete without "The Giving Tree", a true tale of giving of oneself for the good of another. 24.

One of TWO, that I have found... I wish there were MORE! I have never met a child or parent who was not captivated by the bright illustrations or creative story-lines... a MUST read with a pirate lover at home. 25.

An imaginative story to create predictive skills for even the youngest readers.

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