Posts Tagged ‘preschool’
Simon and Symmetry
We’ve done at least four different activities so far from Family Math for Young Children, and we LOVE it! Simon says, "Mom, let’s do one of my math games!"
We chose "Copy-Cats" to do on Tuesday. It is a simple activity that promotes spacial reasoning and gets children thinking about symmetry (and no, you don’t have to use that word!).
You need sets of identical items (buttons, beans, shapes, pasta, etc.), glue, and a piece of paper folded in half.
Simon picked an item and put in on the paper, and then I mirrored what he did.
He picked another item, and I mirrored it again. After about 5-6 times, I picked an item and had him mirror it.
He loved everything about this: picking the item, deciding where to place the item, gluing it on, and spending time with mom! Here is our finished copy-cat picture.
I love Family Math for Young Children! The only thing I don’t like about it is trying to run around the house and grab the supplies I need to do an activity. To solve this problem, I gathered most of the supplies needed for the activities and put them all in one box. When Simon wants to play a math game, I can just flip through the book, grab the supplies I need, and go. Easy, educational, and fun!
V is for Vegetables
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Please read the information about Read to Me & ABC here
Read to Me
Our book of the week was Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert.
Alphabet Art- Valentine V
Supplies
V Pattern
cut up valentine cards
glue
Glue the card pieces to the V and you’ll have your Valentine V!
Lessons & Lapbook
I used the lessons and lapbook from Homeschool Share. We also colored and glued some of the V printables from the Alphabet Notebook to the back of the lapbook (not pictured).
Simon’s garden journal was cute. He told me what to write:
I planted little seeds. Then it sprouted. Then it became a plant. It is going to have very huge squash on it. I am going to share it and eat it.
Here is a little greenhouse I found at a book sale (yes, I find the strangest things at book sales!).
You can recreate this idea with a plastic bag. You could even use some cardboard to make a frame for the greenhouse.
You simply tuck a wet paper towel and a few seeds inside the house. Radish seeds are great because they sprout so fast. We’ve actually use this multiple times with different seeds.
Let’s Make a Memory ~ Cooking Vegetable Soup
First, we headed out to the garden to grab some of our home grown vegetables. Then I peeled and chopped and sliced and diced until we had tons of veggies.
We started with garlic, onion, and olive oil. After it cooked Simon added the broth.
And lots of veggies (celery, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, and cabbage)!
Book Basket
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Muncha, Muncha, Muncha by Candace Fleming
Stone Soup (any version)
Shopping List
~ ingredients for vegetable soup
~ seeds
~ plastic bag & paper towel (to create your own green house)
T is for Teddy Bear
Please read the information about Read to Me & ABC here
Read to Me
Our book of the week was Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom.
Alphabet Art- Toothpick T
Supplies
T Pattern
toothpicks
glue
markers
Simon colored all over the T with markers. Then I put a strip of glue on in a T shape. He glued toothpicks on the T shape.
Lessons & Lapbook
I used the lessons for Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? from Before Five in a Row. I used some of the lapbook printables from Homeschool Share and some of the T printables from the Alphabet Notebook.
Simon loves dressing Jesse Bear in his lapbook. I laminated the pieces and added some Velcro for stickability.
Right side of the lapbook with family book opened and cards out of pockets.
Playing the "Find the Bears Game" was a huge hit! We hid the cards in all kinds of crazy places. Simon never tires of this game. Here is one hiding in a row of books.
We glued this rhyme to the back of the lapbook. Simon enjoyed acting it out (with and without his teddy bear!).
Simon also had fun with his Bear Family Dress-Up Puzzle. I found this years ago at a book sale.
Let’s Make a Memory ~ Build-A-(Teddy)-Bear
Simon didn’t have a teddy bear, so we decided to make a special memory this time. Thanks so much to a kind friend who made this possible for us! 
Simon’s bear, Chocolate Chip Jesse, is on the left. Elijah’s bear, Paddington, is on the right.
Note: If you already have plenty of stuffed friends, or if a trip to Build-A-Bear is not something you want to do, you can make a memory by hosting a teddy bear picnic for your child’s furry friends! You can even invite other preschoolers to share the fun.
Book Basket
How Do You Say It Today, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Carlstrom
Happy Birthday, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Carlstrom
Better Not Get Wet, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Carlstrom
The Teddy Bears’ Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy
Corduroy by Don Freeman
A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
We also listened to A Bear Called Paddington multiple times. Both boys really like the adventures of this mischief-finding bear from darkest Peru.
Shopping List
~ toothpicks (flat are best for preschoolers)
~ Aleene’s Tacky Glue
~ treats for a Teddy Bear Picnic
Preschool Take 2
We are just a hop, jump, and skip away from finishing Read to Me & ABC. What comes next for Simon? Lots of fun!
Handwriting Without Tears — Get Set for School
I can’t wait to Hokey Pokey, bark through the alphabet, create play-doh letters, and wiggle my toes with Handwriting Without Tears. I obviously had too much fun with HWT the first time around, and I am ready for the second round.
Before Five in a Row
I have the sweetest memories of using Before Five in a Row with Elijah. I know Simon and I will enjoy snuggling up and reading these great books together.
I plan on using ten of the titles for unit studies with Simon this fall. We will make lapbooks for some of the books, and I have these ready to go in my brain box.
Bible & Bible Memory
We’ve been using and will continue using The Really Big Book of Bible Story Coloring Pages for Simon. He loves to color, and the illustrations are perfect for preschoolers. Each one comes with an easy-to-understand Bible story that Elijah and I take turns reading to Simon.
Simon and Elijah will memorize the same passages of scripture together. Right now we are working on Psalm 121.
Family Math for Young Children
This is something new for me to try (thanks to my friend, Wende!).
It is full of easy-to-implement mathy ideas to launch mathy thinking in little peoples’ brains. I’m hoping to use it 2-3 times a week. I will be sure to give reviews as we start working our way through it.
Read-Alouds
Hearing Andrew Pudewa speak on Nurturing Competent Communicators convinced me that I must read aloud more to the boys. Simon was having a hard time sitting through some of my selections, so I started giving him his own read aloud time. He loves it!
Here are some books on tap for Simon:
Animals, Animals illustrated by Eric Carle (poetry)
Here’s a Little Poem (poetry)
The Children’s Book of Virtues by William Bennett
Uncle Wiggily’s Story Book by Howard R. Garis
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne
Paddington books – We’ve listened to A Bear Called Paddington twice this week. The second time at Simon’s request. I must find more!
The Complete Adventures of Curious George by H. A. Rey
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot
(more) Mother Goose (for poetry memorization)
Stories from Around the World by Heather Amery
A Treasury of Children’s Literature by Armand Eisen
Other than the basics, these are the plans for Simon. I’ll post about Elijah (the soon-to-be 3rd grader) soon.
I’d love to see what you’re planning to do with your kiddos this fall. Feel free to leave a comment with a link to your blog!
X is for Fox
Please read the information about Read to Me & ABC here
Read to Me
Our book of the week was Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go by John Langstaff. Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go isn’t the perfect book for x, but it does mention putting a fox in a box. I chose it because Simon loves it.
X is a tough letter because we don’t use the true /ks/ sound at the beginning of words. I emphasized the x sound on the end of words. I also had Simon point to the x’s in the words.
Alphabet Art- X Marks the Spot
Supplies
X Pattern
white crayon
watercolor paint
paintbrush
Without Simon knowing, I used a white crayon to draw X’s all over the X pattern. I gave him some watercolor paints (we love Prang) and let him watercolor all over the X. He was delighted to see the X’s pop out at him.
This inspired more watercolor resist fun.
Lessons & Lapbook
We used some of the X printables I created for the Alphabet Notebook at Homeschool Share.
Let’s Make a Memory ~ Treasure Hunt!
I asked Elijah to draw a map of our backyard. I added some color and some words.
I buried a treasure for Simon at the X. I gave him the map and told him he had to figure out where X was and start digging.
He LOVED this. He knew exactly where to go ("Mom! The mulberry tree!"). Yes, my boys are allowed to dig here all the time which is why it looks like a big pit.
Treasure found, opened, and (soon after) eaten!
Book Basket
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack
Chanticleer and the Fox by Barbara Cooney
Green Eggs and Ham (not with a fox/not in a box) by Dr. Seuss
Shopping List
~ watercolor paints
~ treasure for your hunt! I used chocolate coins, but you can use whatever you want.
{Give Me Five} Great Alphabet Books
I want to learn my ABCs, won’t you read a book to me?
The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg
My favorite alphabet book! Quite the drama unfolds as B gets bitten, E evaporates, M melts, and U is uprooted! The illustrations are perfect.
Alphabears by Kathleen and Michael Hague
Sweet text and charming illustrations. A great addition to your home library.
On Market Street by Arnold Lobel
The merchants are opening up their doors allowing you to peruse their wares. You will find all sorts of fun things to buy on market street! Each page is devoted to one letter of the alphabet. The illustrations are clever and whimsical. This book is a delight for young eyes.
Note: Not every family will love this book because X is for Xmas trees. I simply explained to my children that some people shorten Christmas to Xmas, but we don’t. You can use it as a teachable moment.
The Accidental Zucchini by Max Grover
A fork fence, a macaroni merry-go-round, and peach pie pile. Expect the unexpected in this easy to read, fun to look at alphabet book.
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
C is for currant, corn, celery, and cucumber. Cabbage, cherry, carrot, and cauliflower. A simple book done in the bright drawings you expect from Lois Ehlert.
What alphabet books do your kids love?
Sunny Seashells Preschool Style
Simon loving his conch shells. His favorite, though, are moon snail shells.
Literature
Here are the books I read to Simon during our shell unit. For Simon, the focus was on animal homes & shells (not just seashells).
Are You a Snail? by Judy Allen
Jenny’s Surprise Summer by Eugenie
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Craft ~ Ocean in a Bottle
This is super easy (and cheap!) to do.
You need:
water, a plastic bottle, baby oil, blue food coloring, glue, and shells (I found some fun crafting shells at Hobby Lobby)
Fill the bottle 1/2 full with water. Add baby oil (we probably used 3/4 cup). Drop in small shells.
Add some food coloring (just 1-2 drops or the color will be too dark).
Add some glue around the top edges and screw the lid on.
After the lid dries, give your bottle a shake, shake, shake! Hold it on its side, and you’ll see waves, foam, and bubbles–irresistible for any preschooler!
Lapbook
His lapbook is based on What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld. You can download the lapbook templates & instructions.
Completed Lapbook
Left Side
/sh/ accordion open
Seashells t-book open
Middle of lapbook with a few of the books open
Right side
decorated snail
Animals Living in Shells hotdog book open
Simon also had fun playing our shell matching game, baking & decorating cupcakes, helping paint our tablecloth, and learning the names of shells. You can read more about his adventure (and his big brother’s adventure, too!) in this post.
Watercolor Resist
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." ~Picasso
Simon and I did some watercolor resist for one of our alphabet art things this morning. After it was done, he was completely fascinated that the paint didn’t stick to the waxy crayon area. I asked him if he wanted to do some more, and he was all for it.
Crayon resist art is easy, and lends itself to process art. I decided to post about it in all its simplicity since I wrote that post about process art last week.
All you need is a set of watercolor paints (we used Prang for this project), a paintbrush, a jar of water, paper, and crayons.
Draw on the paper with crayon. White is especially nice because you will get a "surprise" or "trick" (as Simon would say) when you start painting.
Then you just watercolor all over the crayon. The effect is really need and super satisfying for a preschooler. Simon loves contrast, and it produces that quickly and easily.
I recommend that you sit and paint, too. You won’t regret slowing down for 30 minutes to share a few messy art moments. You might even have a few laughs like we did when I dipped my paintbrush in my coffee instead of the water jar.
L is for Ladybug
Please read the information about Read to Me & ABC here
Read to Me
The book of the week for Letter L is The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle.
Alphabet Art- Leafy L
Supplies
L Pattern
brown paint, paintbrush
glue (we used Aileen’s Tacky Glue)
fake leaves
Paint the L and let it dry. Glue the leaves to the L.
Lessons & Lapbook
Simon mastered his letters and sounds a few months ago, so we are no longer making the letter lapbooks. We will simply stick the letter art pages in his ABC binder to fill in the gaps.
However, if we were making a lapbook, we would use the Grouchy Ladybug lessons & lapbook as well as the L mini-books from Homeschool Share.
Let’s Make a Memory ~ Leapin’ Lizards!
I gathered up the boys’ plastic lizards and set up three bowls on the table. The goal was to get those lizards to leap into the bowls.
Simon’s victory pose can only mean one thing. . .
. . .all the lizards are in the bowls!
Let’s Make a Memory ~ Ladybug Land
I splurged this time and purchased Ladybug Land for Simon. I knew he’d love it, and he really does. He spends time each day observing the little larvae. He can’t wait to see the pupas!
Arrival of the ladybugs!
Learning about the ladybug’s life cycle with these little guys. I picked them up about five years ago at a homeschooling convention. It’s sweet to see Simon learning with the same things Elijah used!
Book Basket
Are You a Ladybug? by Judy Allen
Is Your Mama a Llama? By Steven Kellogg
The Little Lamb by Judy Dunn
Tawny Scrawny Lion by Kathryn Jackson
Shopping List
~ fake leaves
~ brown paint
~ glue
~ plastic lizards
~ Ladybug Land
Process not Product
Preschoolers and art. Art and preschoolers. I think Mary F. Kohl is smart about these two subjects. As I’ve learned more about keeping my hands off of my son’s art, I’ve come to agree wholeheartedly with Kohl’s philosophy:
"Art is a process, not a product."
I want my kids to be creative thinkers. When it comes to art, I’ve realized that giving them models (your finished product should look like THIS), doesn’t leave much room for creative thinking.
Simon creates 5-15 self-inspired artworks each week. Since he was about 2 1/2 years old, he’s had various art supplies available. He does not have to ask permission to start his work. He simply gets what he needs, goes for it, and (usually) puts things away when he’s finished.
His bucket of art supplies currently contains these items: stencils, colored pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, Do-A-Dot markers, regular markers, paper, and stickers.
He does have a few supplies he has to ask me for– watercolor crayons, oil pastels, tempera paint, finger paint, and his box of sequins/beads (for collage making).
He also has access to an entire drawer full of play-doh, cookie cutters, rollers, and scissors that he is allowed to play with as long as the dining room table is clean.
I want to encourage you to let go of the product and just let your kids enjoy the process. If you don’t, you might eventually end up with kids stressed out by the blue-print and not willing to attempt the process (ask me how I know this to be true!).
Will we still do an occasional cute craft product-based thing? Yes, we will. We do. You know we do because you’ve seen them on my blog, but I want the bulk of Simon’s master pieces to truly be his and to be FUN for him. I want them to be about the process and not the product.
Note: None of the pictures on this page are a result of my "planned" projects. They are all Simon’s own projects–from start to finish.
