Homeschool Preschool - Week 9

L and E are 39 months old.  This was a really good week for us, but not without its ups and downs.  There were some days when the girls were begging for more and more learning activities, and other days where they were whining and fighting so much that it didn't feel like we got anything done.  That's fine - they're only 3..  Here's our weekly summary...



Math

This week our focus was on counting by 10s.  If you haven't yet seen my post on the Magic Number Cups Game , please take a look - it has become the most requested activity in our house.  Not a day goes by without one of the girls saying "Mommy, teach me numbers!" which means she wants to play this game.

We've been following the Rightstart Math A program since the twins were 2.5 years old (but with lots and lots of repetition).  One part I was always hesitant about teaching was a different way of saying numbers.  Instead of twenty-three, you say two-ten-three (because 20 is 2 tens, same as you would say 2 hundred for 200).  It's more conducive to learning and understanding our base-ten number system, but I originally did not want to use it because I thought it would confuse the girls when they learned the read names of numbers.  So I tried for weeks to get them to say the teens and tens correctly.  Finally, after seeing the kids struggling so much, I switched over to the Rightstart way of saying numbers.  Not only did they instantly 'get it', but they understood what those numbers meant.  After 2 lessons, I could show L a multiple of 10 on the abacus, and she could identify the corresponding written number.  E is still working on the abacus portion, but she's great at identifying her numbers when I call them out.

We also started building numbers using place-value cards.  The girls have really been enjoying these math lessons lately, and I always try to cut them off before they've had enough to keep the level of excitement going for the next session.

 The hands-on play with geometry manipulatives (tiles, geoboard, craft sticks, etc..) is always fun too.

Reading & Spelling

 The girls have been practicing building words by listening to their sounds.  I usually give them the letters they need and their job is to put them in the right order to make the word.  They still have a ways to go, but they understand the general concept.  When they misspell a word by mixing up the letters, I ask them to read it by sounding out each letter and they can usually correct their mistakes on their own.

We play our Flashcard Storytelling Game almost daily, and it is always a big hit.  Other resources we use for reading include the Starfall website and Giggle Bunny.

Reading Aloud

Reading aloud to the kids is one of my absolutely favorite things to do.  We all snuggle up in Mommy and Daddy's bed and go on all sorts of adventures.  In the past two weeks, we've finished The Jungle Book (abridged) and Dr. Doolittle (abridged), and I expect we'll finish The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by the end of the weekend.  I found a bunch of children's classics at the 2nd hand store and at Target for $1-$3 each.  They are edited for kids, so the language is a bit easier, but the editors made an effort to preserve the style of each author so I think they are a great introduction to the classics for my little ones until they're ready for the real thing.

Pre-writing

I think my Preschoolers are going to be reading for writing letters pretty soon (L tries to write words already), but in the meantime I'm giving them lots of pre-writing practice with tracing and completing mazes.

I'm seeing vast improvements in their pencil grips and control, but there is still room to grow.

Seasonal Fun

 

We decorated some wooden Halloween masks ($1 at Michaels).

The girls also helped me carve a jack-o-lantern last weekend for the first time.  It was my first time making one, too, and it was a lot of fun.

Autumn doesn't last long in our state.  We got our first taste of winter weather this week with some fresh snow.  It was beautiful, and also a good excuse to pull out some winter picture books..

L knows all her picture books by heart now.  I don't know if there is anything cuter than a 3-year-old reciting a Robert Frost poem.  She even whispers the last line: "..and miles to go before I sleep".

Please 'like' Learners in Bloom on Facebook for more fun!

Linking to Hammock Tracks and  Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Recap
and 1+1+1=1 Tot School