Monthly Book List

I wanted to start a monthly book list at the beginning of the year, but due to time constraints I just haven't pulled one together yet.  Well, May is as good a time as any to get the ball rolling!  So here is our list for the month:



Mr. Popper's Penguins by: Richard and Florence Atwater (to wrap up our Antarctica study)
(I also grabbed the Literature Unit from Confessions of a Homeschooler for some added fun!)
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by: Patricia MacLachlan
Antarctica: Journey to the Pole by: Peter Lerangis (another one I found for our Antarctica Study)
I Will Rejoice by: Karma Wilson (a springtime favorite!)
Barnyard Song by: Rhonda Gowler Greene
Book! Book! Book! by: Deborah Bruss
The Children of the King by: Max Lucado
Hugs and Kisses by: Christopher Loupy
Love Your Neighbor: Short Stories of Values and Virtues by: Arthur Dobrin
Library Lion by: Michelle Knudsen
The Kissing Hand by: Audrey Penn
The Emperor's Egg by: Jane Chapman
Seashore Animals by: Michael Chinery
What is a Marsupial? A Bobbie Kalman Book
Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by: Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (hoping to do some planting this month!)
Time for a Hug by: Phillis Gershator
I'm as Quick as a Cricket by: Audrey Wood
Hush, Little Ones by: John Butler
Bless Me by: Grace Maccarone
Hush Little Baby by: Sylvia Long (I LOVE this version!)

Math Fun - Part 2

My Fact Family Houses post has continued to be a very popular post.  As it has also continued to be a popular activity here in our home.  So, I decided to come up with a more permanent set up for making fact family houses.  Something that might help keep the focus on the actual fact families. 




Fact Family House File Folder Kit

You can read the original Fact Family Houses post here.
 

This file folder kit comes with:

a front cover sheet, title strip, & directions for playing the file folder game

the house page

a set of number tiles

a description of how to construct the file folder game



Math Fun - Part 1

Basic math facts are a key component of early math.  Later math learning will be so much easier if the basic math facts are down pat.  Yet, learning math facts can sometimes be a struggle.  Some kids take great to the flash card method.  Others "see" math better though manipulatives.   Others might find songs to be a help in getting those math facts drilled in.  And sometimes a variety of concepts is need before these facts are committed to memory.  The great thing about math is that there are so many fun ways to practice these math facts.

 

Our newest practice is these Addition Charts.  My goal with these charts was to help my children "see" the numbers and how they work together. 

 

The charts were made to be cut apart, so that only one sum is focused on at one time.  Then, the child can work with manipulatives, finger counting, etc. to fill in the chart with all the possible addends for that sum. 

Binder Organization

I bought each of my kiddos a 1/2 inch binder this year.  I had seen some ideas about having a daily notebook to use almost like a "calendar time" in a binder.  So I was going to give that a try this year.......well......it didn't really happen for us.  You know how some things look like great ideas, but then your realize there's only 24 hours in a day! 

So the binder idea morphed a bit.  First it became kind of a daily planner for each of their checklists and a few other whatnots.  But it started to seem like one more bulky item in their stack of books each day.  When it dawned on me.....Get rid of the stack of books!

Actually, I wanted to do this for several weeks before I finally took the plunge.  I was concerned what I would do with all the loose worksheets when they are finished.  Nightmares of drowning in papers.......well.......maybe I should just keep their workbooks intact.  But no, the idea kept pestering me.  I knew there was a better system for us.  My solution....another binder - hahaha! 

OK, so here's how my new system works:

We now pull their worksheets from their workbooks and put them in their daily binders. 

No more stack of books!  Simplicity!  I love it!

 

I found some Post-Its labels that I added to the checklist pages, turning them into subject dividers. 

The Jellybean Prayer for Easter

This is a repost of an Easter project we did last year.  With Easter quickly approaching - only about 3 more weeks! - I thought it was a great time to revisit this great activity.

 

Original Post: 3/27/12

Our first Easter project finally took place.  And it's definitely one of my favorites!  The fact that jellybeans are involved might sway me a bit toward this project.  However, it's really how the jellybeans are used to share the message of Easter.