Sonlight Core B (Core 1): Week 7

Hmmm - so I'm not very good at updating our Sonlight hands-on activities! Sorry. Miss Precious, though small, has caused my free time to shrink to almost nothing.

Here's what we did for week 7:

Animals of the World

• Listen to rainforest sounds
• Watch video of Anteaters
• Giant Anteaters mini book
• Walk on our knuckles: Anteaters walk on knuckles
• Try to get candy out of bottle using our tongue. Now try again with straw: Anteaters’ nose allows them to go deep into the ant nest
• Blindfold and look for something by smell: Anteaters find things by smell; eyesight is not good
• Read Soaring with the Wind by Gail Gibbons
• Do Eagles Nest & National Symbols minibooks from HSS

Houses and Homes

• Try handwashing some socks or other items of clothing like the Indian women did.
• Do the Follow thePlan activity
• Read Alphabet City and A Year in the City
• Make our own city
    

Akebu to Zapotec:

• Locate Papua New Guinea on the map. Do minibook
• Talk about how the Elkei people live in the jungle. Color some jungle pics
• Color flag and put on poster
• The country has amazing butterflies. Make a butterfly craft

Teaching Preschoolers: My Notes, Part A

I'm reading the best book right now: Mommy, Teach Me! Preparing Your Child for a Lifetime of Learning. It's got so many great thought and ideas on how to practically implement Montessori ideas in a homeschool setting. I wish I'd read this 2 kids ago! Here's some of my notes I'm taking as I read the book (only 3 chapters in at the moment) in case you're interested:

Observation is important. I need to take time, even if just 2 minutes here and there to watch my kids and ask some of the following questions:

• What does she like to do and how could we adapt it to create more learning opportunities?
• What activities help him stay calm and focused?
• What frustrates him, distracts her, makes her worried?
• What produces a feeling of accomplishment? What a feeling of discouragement?
• What brings out her best? What brings out her worst?
• What hurts her feelings? What encourages her?

My example is so important! I need to observe myself to find actions that aren’t good examples and conversely, begin to exhibit actions that are models for them to imitate.

And what about my attitudes? My children don’t need a harried, distracted, depressed and frustrated mother. They need someone that’s patient, focused and filled with the joy of the Lord (key to remember - not my joy...His.)

God gave children a drive to become independent that starts quite young! When they do something annoying, messy, etc. (like trying to pour the milk themselves), don’t react in anger and frustration. They’re not being bad and you don’t want them to feel like they are. If your child shows a desire to learn something and isn’t quite ready, find a way to get him there.

Life is rushed, but it’s vitally important that we slow down and give a child time to learn how to master things himself. “Children are born imitators.The best way to avoid spills and messes is not by keeping everything out of their hands, but by using exaggerated care in the little things they watch us do and then giving them opportunities to join.”

Find ways to encourage my children in independence. As they learn to tell time, give them a clock to let them regulate their own schedule. Teach them to make food for themselves, and then have them do it!

Need help with toddler activities?

I love my 2yo Mr. Moose. He gives the sweetest hugs, makes the cutest faces and delights his family with the funny things he says. As he's hit the big 2, I've noticed a marked change in his attention span and interest. He sits longer for books, is picking up more info like colors and numbers and wants to do more "speyschul" (special) activities with Mommy.

And that's a problem.

I'm running low on "special" activity ideas that fit his developmental stage and energy levels. We've been doing a different type of sensory bin every 2 weeks (confetti, flour, rice, oatmeal, etc.) and I've been emphasizing colors more, but other than that, it's just been a lot of trucks, trains and dirt.

That's why I was SO excited to discover this toddler curriculum tonight. For each month of the year, there are simple, theme based activities grouped by week. How fun! And these types of activities are perfect for my little guy. Not heavy on the "learn this shape, learn this number" like so many of the tot time stuff is. Just fun books, games & crafts that are theme based so that I can start introducing him more in depth to the beautiful, amazing world around us. Hope you find it useful.