Posted by Cindy on April 9, 2010
I’m planning to get my act together with preschool during summer break. I’ve found it really hard to add Eli into the schedule and his time has suffered more than I had hoped. We still manage to do fun things, just not quite as often as I’d like. Here are a few things we’ve done to celebrate spring so far.
Sorting marshmallow bunnies into cupcake holders was very simple for him.
Graphing the marshmallow bunnies was a little harder, but placing the bunnies one color at a time on the graph and then eating one as a square was colored make it excitingly yummy.
Sponge painting with spring sponges was m-e-s-s-y, but worth it.
He used a paintbrush to paint glue all over the egg shape and simply placed tissue paper pieces all over the glue.
These coffee filter butterflies were very easy. I let him use an eye dropper to place water that I had colored with food coloring on the coffee filters. Once dry, we just crimped them with clothes pins and hung them.
Eli loved making this wind chime and still blows at it every time we sit at the kitchen table where we hung it on the light fixture. He placed foam stickers on a long piece of construction paper, then we turned it over and taped streamers to the back. I taped the paper strip into a circular shape and added a pipe cleaner hanger.
Posted by Cindy on April 8, 2010
ALL planned unit studies for the 2009-10 school year are finished! To wrap up the school year by the end of April, we’ll be completing plans and texts for all of our other subjects and adding in a few fun writing, science and art lessons. While the kids work, I’ll begin the process of putting together end of the year portfolios and start reorganizing the school room for next year!
I’m looking forward to spending more concentrated time with Eli and his preschool fun this summer as I start planning for our next school year.
As promised, here are some pictures of the completed Overview of the 20th Century lapbook from A Journey Through Learning.
Below are the books we used to round out the century.
1970′s, 80′s, 90′s to Present
Also, I just posted a review of Legends and Leagues over at The Curriculum Choice. It’s a fun mapping curriculum for early and mid-elementary children that uses a literature book and workbook to teach several map skills.
Posted by Cindy on April 6, 2010
For well over a year, Caleb scrimped and saved every bit of money he could in his little money box. He made calling cards for family members telling them he was available for any kind of work to earn cash. He shredded papers for one grandma, washed cars and fish tanks for the other grandma, used the weed eater for his dad and cleaned horse stalls for his grandpa. Why was he so diligent to work and save more than $200?
A Wii.
He was so cute at Walmart the day he purchased his Wii. With his entire money box in tow, we rushed back to the electronics department. I went to find an associate while he went straight to the aisle to find his Wii. Before I knew it, he and an associate (that he had already found) were headed toward the associate that I was waiting to talk to. His face held an expression of woe.
His associate was asking mine if they were out of Wii’s. Oh my. Out of Wii’s?? They couldn’t be! He had waited far too long and the suspense of the day was already killing him!
My associate said she believed they did have some in the back. Joy! He could hardly contain himself as I said, “Buddy, don’t get your hopes up. If there aren’t any left, we might have to wait a few days, okay?”
Before long, here comes the associate with a cart full of Wii’s. Caleb looks at the box and realizes it’s a special bundle with not only the Wii, but the Sports Resort pack as well. His face falls again as he tells her that he only has enough money for the Wii. He goes on to tell her that he really wants the Sports Resort game, but that will take lots more extra chores to earn the money.
She says, “Honey, this is a special bundle. It means you get ALL of it for $200.” Caleb looks at her and says, “Really?? It only costs $200? You know I only have $200, right? I worked for almost two years to earn this money and I don’t have any more.” The excitement is rising in his voice with every new sentence he speaks.
“Yes, honey, you get it all for $200.”
Then another thought enters his mind. “Do I have to have any special remotes? I don’t have any extra money for special remotes.”
“No, honey, everything you need is in the package.”
“Really? Everything I need is in here?”
“Yes, how about we go pay now?
As we get to the counter, another lady rings us up. Caleb has opened his money box in the mean time and I watch the cashier’s eyebrows rise as she sees all the coins.
She asks me if I’d like to purchase the warranty for $20. When I tell her yes, panic strikes Caleb again. “Mom, I don’t have money for the warranty! I only have enough for the Wii and the tax!” After I tell him the warranty is on me, he relaxes and starts counting out his money.
The line behind us is growing and the cashier isn’t nearly as excited about the purchase of the Wii as Caleb is, so when he reaches all the change in the bottom of the box I tell him that I’ll take care of the rest. He’s relieved that he doesn’t have to count all that change (over $10 worth), the cashier is VERY relieved he doesn’t have to count all that change and I hear sighs of relief in the line behind us as well.
Needless to say, the Wii has been a great addition to our house. I don’t think it would’ve been treasured quite so much without the hard work, though! 
And speaking of money boxes… We were sitting around the dinner table the other night talking about a possible vacation to the beach this summer. Just to taunt the kids, my husband says, “I don’t know, we’ll have to see if there’s any money available for a vacation.”
Immediately, Eli (who’s three) gets up from the table and heads to his room. We’re all wondering what he’s doing as he returns with this.
His money box holds about 79 cents and he was willing to give it all to his daddy to help with a trip to the beach.
Posted by Cindy on April 1, 2010
I continue to be impressed by the materials Prufrock Press sends me for review. Believe me, if I didn’t like something, I wouldn’t post about it! And if I don’t actually use it in my homeschool, I won’t post about it either!
Hands-On Geometry is a book we used in our school once a week for the last seven weeks as part of our out-of-the-textbook learning time. It was awesome for the 5th grader, 7th grader and ME!
Using only a compass and a straight edge, the seven chapters of this book take your children through geometric 2-dimensional constructions. They learn how to correctly create perpendiculars, parallels, kites, triangles, quadrilaterals and more. And all I had to do was copy the worksheets!
Each chapter consists of four to seven worksheets that include step-by-step directions for completing one of the 2-D constructions. The directions were so clear that it didn’t matter that I never remembered doing this even in high school geometry. Man, if only geometry HAD been this “hands-on” in high school, I might have enjoyed it more! But this isn’t even intended for high schoolers! It’s written for upper elementary and middle school children.
I’ve been asked many times where I find living/fun/logical/hands-on math to do on “the other two days” of the week when we step away from our Saxon textbooks. Here’s a perfect example!
If you’re interested in learning more about our living math days, you might read this post. Also, under the “Categories” section in the right sidebar, click on “Living Math” to find several related posts.
