Playschool Week 2

PlaySchool Week 2 

Cowboy- Currently 4yrs (50 months Old)  

Butter Currently (24 Months Old) 

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You Can read about our Definition of PlaySchool for Summer HERE!


Numbers and Counting Review

Gave Cowboy a Pot of Fuzzy Pom Poms and Number Cards and I would call out a Number he would then find the number, then place the correct amount of Pom Poms on the number. 

Calling out and Sorting Numbers with Number Bean Bags  

 Butter Sorting Glitter Pom Poms 

 Going over Colors, Shapes with Melissa & Doug Stack and Sort Board  

Reading/Letters and Sounds 

Cowboy Working on letter D on his Dry Erase Center . 

For the Summer I am trying out Hooked on Phonics- Level 1 Kit with Cowboy just as a trial to see if he progresses with it. I know that a lot of schools and parents have switched from learning to read by phonics, to learning by sight. Since I am blessed with the privilege of homeschooling, I want to know which works best according to his learning style. And if I could choose for him it would be phonics, but I want to make sure that's the way that works best for him, if not we can try a different route. But for now, he seems to like it and learning new letter sounds more and more each day. 

I have the old school cassette version Hooked on Phonics- Level 1 Kit so we just pop in the tape each day and go through all the letters and sounds as the tape guides us :P 

Building Vocabulary by Flashing Objects using Educational Insights Smart Talk Cards to Butter to encourage learning  New Words

Bible 

Psalms 23 

In the past, Cowboy has learned a bible memory verse using the ABC Scripture Cards from Icanteachmychild. To challenge him, I gave him a whole passage. I just wanted to see how he would handle taking on such a huge task. I am not a fan of drilling a child with scripture! And I am here to say, there is absolutely no need to do so. Children are absolutely amazing... their growing minds are like Computers they take in so much information. This challenge also reminded me how much children take in way more than your think they do and to continue to use caution in every area because they are able to download all TV images, Music, Adult Conversations and pick up on the things we would least expect. When I tell you he absolutely amazed me by memorizing the entire passage after a week of reviewing this verse a few minutes a day during bible time, and a few nights at prayer time.... I was in awe. I struggle in the memory department haha- But God in all his awesomeness, writes his word on our hearts, and to see and hear his word, joyfully come out of my 4 year olds mouth, was truly a feeling I can not express in words. I am so proud of my little man, and he is VERY proud of himself. 

Science Fun

We talked about how different Species have Different Life Cycles. Here he is watching a youtube video on the Life Cycle of Salmon. Here is the YouTube Link- Life Cycle of a Salmon

A friend of mine told me about a special coming on PBS about the Digestive System, so I previously recorded it. It worked out Perfect Since Lou just finished learning about the DS. So we all watched as a guy swallowed a mini camera and got an inside look at the Digestive System and how it works. Cowboy obviously, was not impressed. I don't think I can count on him pursuing a career in the medical field :P 

Life Skills

Learning to use a keyboard

Cowboy learning to identify letters of his name on a keyboard and type them in before he starts playing Blue's Clues PC Game.

As the boys get older, I am trying to set up general life habits/skills and chores that are suitable for their age. Here they are helping put dirty clothes in the hamper. They also love helping load and unload the washer and dryer. This age is so fun because they actually LOVE to help... Get it while you can Mommas!! Im sure in a few years they will not be as excited to help me :P 

Lou absolutely LOVES Whole Foods. I usually do not like to shop with all three kids because I end up spending more money and because I am VERY EASILY, Distracted... But I needed to go one day so me and my posse loaded up and went :P It was fun though and actually like a mini field trip. The boys were fascinated with the Brick Oven that they use to cook Pizza in. And of course we had to eat some!! 

                  

Problem Solving and Shapes 

Mighty Mind is a great way to introduce creative thinking and problem solving. The Cards that come with it are basically a design with some shapes missing. I let Cowboy Start with the easiest ones first and he works his way on up. He uses the shape pieces to make a complete picture on the Cards. He can do this alone and each time he does a card it gives him a sense of accomplishment and leaves him feeling he can complete a task on his own. It also allows him to think outside of the box and to develop his own ability of observation. I really love activities like these because he not only has fun doing it but with something so simple, he is learning so much!

Puzzle Time 

Putting together a Transformers Puzzle from the Puzzle Bin.  

Free Play

Playskool Bristle Blocks Creativity Table

Linking Up With :

                            

Tot School Tuesday Link

                           

Playschool Week 1

PlaySchool- Tot School Summer Review Week 1 - Cowboy Currently 4yrs old (50 months Old) 

Butter Currently 24 Months Old 

Learning in Grace is on Facebook! 

Come on over and Click Like

   http://www.facebook.com/LearningInGrace 

You Can read about our Definition of PlaySchool for Summer HERE!

Letter Recognition Review- 

This is simply a little activity I made up that I thought would be fun for Cowboy, and would give me a general idea of what letters he knows as soon as he sees them. I use our Letter Bean Bag Set and a basket for this activity. I simply pull a letter/number/or color bean bag from the bucket and he has to quickly tell me the letter. If he has to think longer than a few seconds about what letter it is, it goes into a pile by me. If he answers the letter correctly I quickly throw it to him and he gets to try to throw and make it into the basket. Other times we might also try him holding the basket while mommy tries to make it in just to change it up sometimes. So far he really enjoys this activity :P

He loves making a basket!! 

For the Summer, I also made these charts for numbers and letters. 

As he gets quicker with learning the letters to the point they just immediately come out as soon as he sees them, he gets a star to add to the chart. I hung these on the wall so that he sees each week how he is progressing. He also gets a small prize each week (sticker, candy etc...) for any new letters he recognized really quickly. I decided to do this because one week, he may be able to immediately recognize the letter D each time it is shown to him, but then the following week he may forget it or just might want to play stubborn. So this works for him and gives him incentive. 

What do we do with the stack of letters he didn't recognize that day?

This is when he gets his ipad time and he will go on starfall, Letter School, or ABC's of God and choose any of the letters in his stack and works on becoming more familiar with them. 

Reading Center

Each Day, after Bible, and before we start his activities for the day, Cowboy gets to go to our Homeschool Library and Fill up a Basket with as many books as he would like to read that day. Throughout the day we read all of the books together. He loves being in charge of his own reading list! 

I still Set up his trays with regular tot school educational toys. Here he is playing with 1 2 3: Sesame Street Slide & Learn Flash Cards and working on counting and numbers. 

He also does puzzles pretty much everyday of the week. This puzzle is from Discovery Toys Progressive Puzzle Pack in which I couldn't find a link on amazon for :( But here is a link directly from Discovery Toys- Progressive Puzzles

Lou, as I mentioned in our Summer Plans Post, is still working on the Human Body. Here she made a Double Helix out of Twizlers.

 And this is Lou with her Immune System Project. She made an Amusement Park explaining the Digestive System and how it works. So each ride/ or Station that you go to leads you to the next process in the Digestive System ! This Picture gives her work no justice. She really did an excellent Job on it! Super Proud of the Princess!!

Butter still loving the play!!! It really is Playschool for this little man. Here he is working on Gross Motor Skills and Matching Shapes with Fisher-Price Shape Sorter .

Counting Beads on Wooden Bead & Wire Maze Roller Coaster ~ PreSchool 

I got this little trash can from Dollar Tree, and gave him a little bucket of Plastic Ping Pong Balls. I showed him how the top of the trash can moves back and fourth and how to drop the balls into the can and then dump the out and start all over again. 

Building with Bristle Blocks. 

Cowboy Building with Foam Wood Building Blocks

Magnet Fun! Making Silly Faces with Magnetic Silly Faces on a cookie sheet.

Everyone playing Jenga but building instead of actually playing the game :P 

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