Wool, Weave , Baaaa!

1. Book
We are currently rowing (reading five days in a row) Ask Mr Bear. A book to go along, we used Charlie Needs a New Cloak.

It is about the process of sheep shearing, weaving and making a cloth.

2. Practical Life Activity
Something as simple as weaving can have several benefits:
  - Development of fine motor skills, manual dexterity and manipulative skills
  - Development of concentration
  - Building self-confidence

We were aiming to weave a new cloak, we weaved a bracelet instead.

3. Art & Science
Dye a cloth.

4. Field Trip

See some Sheep , watch a sheep being sheared, or watch someone who is looming.

Be creative and make it fun, that is the time children learn most.

Make Believe!

Pretend play has a vital role in a child's developing mind.
Encourage your child to use his or her imagination, sail the seven seas, create a theme and live the story.

1.Book & Music: Rupert the Wrong Word Pirate

   Language: Practice making your own rhymes, play a game when in the car or waiting.

   Music: Listen and move to the same theme, it is easier for them to remember.

2. Math: Counting 1:1 correspondence
Count slowly and making sure that you count one item at a time.
Start with left to right to prepare the child for reading sequence.

I would suggest get real coins not a digital one.

3. Listening and Imitating
Since the book is about pirates, do some pirate languages for the child to say after you.
Ahoy there, Matey!

4. Science: Animal to See at the Sea
Show pictures and toy of sharks and whales, better yet, visit an oceanarium or go penguin watching.

5. Pretend Play
From Pirates to Princess, here is a craft activity. We made our own crown, pretend play has never been so sparkly!

See you in the land of make believe! :)

Children are Fascinating Authors

Children are witty, funny and thinks with no bounds. They have creative stories that we could record and recall later on.

Most of the days, my daughter and I pretend to be animals, like a kangaroo and a joey, which was inspired from last week's book Katy no-Pocket, but today is different. My daughter said she is an author with a pseudonym named Margaret Wise Brown.

In case you are wondering, George is a monkey,
 he is at the center, being held by two firefighters

I intended to write all her ideas and make some illustrations, but she took the initiative and drew, while referring to the cover of Curious George.

I was her secretary, she was telling her ideas, I write it down. I made some sketches in a separate paper as she renders her own version of it in her 'book'.

The monkey George is sitting in a vine up the tree

Well, the book launch was a success because my daughter assigned me as the 'buyer' of her book. She'll be making more she said --for daddy next time.

Read to your child, it inspires them in many ways. :)

Book: Katy No Pocket

We are using Before Five in a Row (bFiar) as our curriculum, we read the book five days in a row, do some activities with it and read some books related to it.

1. Book: Katy No Pocket

2. Science: Animals
We played pretend and called her my joey for several days and hopped around. I showed her my picture with kangaroos.
There are more than twenty animals in the story, we identified and discussed what makes them unique.
Some animals that had special interest for my daughter, we talked more about it.

3. Geography: Australia
We located the home of the kangaroo.

4. Math: Counting animals

5. Craft: Sock kangaroo

5. Experiencing it: Riding in a carrier 

6. Character Development
We discussed about generosity and read some bible verse about it.

Hapy hopping everyone.

Introduction to Geography

As June started we became a little more strict on our home school schedule. My daughter is ready for geography since she took interest on origin of places, flags and 'travelling' through our books.

1. Show a globe and relate a map, describe its difference.

2. Identify land and water.

Color and separate land from water

3. Identify seven continents, we are adapting Montessori's method of mapping the continents.

We cut out felt paper and color coded the continents, which we will use for the next lessons

4. Relate the continents to their interest, let them see the relevance of this place.

Use something that matters to them, this is how we relate it:

books which we import, slippers that she uses everyday, cheese & crackers for afternoon snack, animals in the jungle, polar bears and penguins which she finds cute,  milk to drink, and a house to go home to, these are the things that make her interested in mapping it out

5. Bible Story
We talked about God's creation and read the bible.

Start reading, go around the world with stories, travel if you can, experience what the world has to show

An Applause to Dads!

It's daddy's day. 

We started the morning with a greeting and a hearty breakfast.

The day before, we made our father's day craft and discussed a lesson or two. 

1. Fine motor skills- cutting

2. Math- sizes 

We compared her feet with her little brother's, and also her hand.

3. English
After cutting all the letters we were making the sounds of each letter and rearranging it to make the right word.

4. Science
My daughter was awed learning about light projection and color projection. (we used her blue sunglasses to project blue). 
We learned about shadow and the distance of light from the object affects it's size.

5. Theater

Her dad had a funny mini "show" from the cast of Star Wars.  While watching, my smiling and ecstatic daughter said "Daddy you're the best!"

Independence Day

We are celebrating Independence Day by talking about Flags and Geography.

1. The Philippine Flag
Flags were distributed for independence day celebration, and that inspired my little girl to make one of her own.

To be able to draw it, I made dots for her to follow.
With the original flag on the side she drew and matched the colors,.

2. Philippine Archipelago
The first time my daughter recognized the Philippine Archipelago is through the puzzle map she was using when she was less than 2 years old. She continued to point it out in every place she sees and especially our shirts.

3. Philippine Map
We got her a Philippine Map, we pointed at the places we've been to, her grandmother's province and where we are.
We also color coded Luzon Visayas Mindanao.

To end it, I told her that we are celebrating the time we are free. And she answered me, but mommy I am free. :)

I hope we continue to think like a child and be free.