Wendy Fidler discusses Teaching the Montessori Baby to Think in this article from Montessori Internat’l.

Michael Olaf has more resources for the 0-3 group.

Just a little admin note here. I have been under the weather and am not 100% on top of personal mail so some of my replies are ending up as post content for the sake of time and to be sure I am not missing anything.

I wanted to say that I write out of what happens here at home. If there are a number of personal conversations that begin to follow a common train of thought, I write about it. I write about whatever it is I am thinking about at a given moment because I like to think out loud. : ) This week’s entries were born out of such personal conversations and questions from moms just beginning their homeschool journey about why we made certain choices. I have no other agenda.

A very insightful letter came this morning from a woman who shared her opinion that unschooling tends to work best in families with gifted children and/or who have a particularly strong internal discipline. Further, she asserted that large and growing families, particularly those favored with many boys and/or special needs have unique challenges that make this method less workable. I think she nailed it.

I have been the one and now the other. We were once a small family with an academically gifted child and we relied heavily on strewing and spontaneity. Then we moved. Thirteen times. Then we had children. A lot of them, about every 24 mo, some of whom struggled with the academics that came so easily to their older siblings. Then we had surgeries. As many as both of those together and while those other things were happening. A more cohesive, concentrated effort was required to meet the needs of all. We adapted.

As a Christian wife and mother I also believe that it is imperative that we carefully consider and honor our husband’s vision for his children. There is a real risk that mom becomes thoroughly absorbed with online or real life support groups, discussion groups, etc and can be carried far from her husband’s goals for her home. She can become convinced that he really isn’t as well-informed as she, that he in fact is narrow minded on the subject, that it would even be detrimental to the children’s wellbeing for her to follow his lead. Not that I ever fell prey to this train of thought……

Be careful. Nothing you read here or anyplace else should ever supercede his input. As Cindy from Dominion Family so aptly put it, it was Eve who was first deceived. Dads, imo, are the ones whom God directs for the family. So even without the benefit of daunting hours on the internet they probably do know best. Trust them.

For that reason, your homeschool may not – and possibly SHOULD not – look like ours. You don’t have our children and we don’t have yours. We are discerning for ours. We did not get direction for yours. : ) I share our experiences in case you find parallels. Do not feel I am implying that mine is the one right way.

On that note, my little people are now assembled and hungry. We have a Pinewood Derby car to assemble this morning and a novel to finish. Big stuff. : ) I hope your day is as delightful as ours promises to be! God bless.

I grew up with a single mother in the 70s. Those of you who shared such a childhood probably remember the t-shirts. You know the ones that said things like, “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.” or “If you love someone let them go…” Many such sentiments of the era were conveniently summed up into a few lines preserved for posterity on cheap cotton. One such maxim was “Question Authority.”

Now don’t get me wrong. Some of those phrases were not only catchy but I actually concur with a few. Take this last one. If it translates into “Be wary of your elected officials, since they may be more concerned with their career than your best interest,” I am there. If it translates into, “Your own opinion is is law,” I am not on board anymore. I do believe there are absolutes and that obeying them is paramount to our success in life. It is a paradox that true liberty is found in obedience. We are then no longer slaves to our whims.

Obedience today is often referred to with scorn, whether it is overt or whether disobedience is cleverly disguised as virtue. Many children and adults alike hold this foundational trait in low esteem. It is sometimes pondered whether it is of any value to obey if one does not deep down wish to do the task being called for. It is implied that obedience somehow requires less from us than other impetus for action.

I would argue that it is always more virtuous to obey particularly when we do not feel immediately gratified for doing so. In our faith we call that selflessness. We consider that to be one of the ultimate proofs of selfdiscipline. Anyone can persevere when it is pleasant or when they are fulfilling their own desires. Few are they today who have developed the stamina and determination to perform as well for an outside cause. This is unfortunate for the individual because he is left to the mercilessly changeable tides of pleasure versus the lasting satisfaction gained from harnessing the will.

There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.
Buddha

It is thy duty oftentimes to do what thou wouldst not; thy duty to leave undone what thou wouldst do.
Thomas a Kempis

As an adult I have found, as most of us do, that much of my day is spent doing things I would probably not have listed as personally motivating if left to myself. Indeed our happiness seems to hinge upon how we react to this reality. Do we balk? Are we resentful? Or are we peaceful, trusting that each act of sacrifice can be offered as a gift to Our Lord and those around us? Do we see obedience as inferior to our own volition? Is obedience,in fact, a critical virtue or rather just a mindless, lower form of behavior? Our feelings about this subject will determine how our children are raised and how we ourselves behave.

A great work is made out of a combination of obedience and liberty.
-Nadia Boulanger

We need a balance between liberty and obedience or we risk becoming arrogant. Scripture praises the teachable spirit. One can only possess teachability when one is humble and acknowledges that he can benefit from the wisdom of others. How to become humble? Br Ignatius Mary tells us that, “In St Benedict’s 12 Steps to Humility, the very first step is obedience. Obedience can be possible without love, but love cannot exist without obedience. Obedience is the foundation from which all other virtues are built.” Jesus Himself said that He came not to do His own will but that of His Father. He did not pursue His own agenda. Yet so often we presume that it is necessarily better for us to do so.

So yes, I do believe it is a great virtue for children to do their tasks out of obedience even if they do not always feel personally motivated. I would say the child who can do so with a happy heart is well on his way to mastering himself. Having done that, I can imagine very little that he cannot then do. Obedience does not weaken his will, it harnesses it and puts it completely within his command. It ensures that he is not driven by desire but that his actions are guided by higher principles. It inspires little exchanges like the one I overheard in the kitchen the other night when our newly 6yo, while unloading the dishwasher, explained that he was not just doing dishes but that he was putting “Hands to work, and hearts to God.” That’s what it is all about after all. We do all (obeying too) for the glory of God which is always a much better motivation than personal preference.

I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible.
Saint Teresa

To clarify – what I don’t mean to imply is that you must rule with an iron fist nor that there is not room for collaboration. Within a framework designed by the parents the students are free to make daily choices. (see Montessori here) Would they like to spend another week further exploring ancient Greece? Great. They are not free to pass over the Industrial Revolution entirely however because it seems ‘boring’. We are there to encourage, but also to provide balance.

Do they feel like starting with math or composition? That choice can happen. They are not free to declare that math is not compatible with their long term plans therefore they choose not to do it. What we have found is that the novel that began with a rough start often becomes a favorite several chapters later. Subjects that once held no appeal become quite enjoyable when the student begins to master them. Children (and adults!) often confuse boredom or dislike with frustration and lack of comprehension. Once the subject is better known to them and they experience regular success it is no longer drudgery and often becomes a favorite.

Case in point is one of our daughters and her piano lessons. Piano is a given at our house. We have a lovely teacher and a wonderful instrument. We had one child who was struggling however and begged to quit. Our policy is that they should continue with lessons at least through the jr high years, which will send them into the world proficient. We were more than reluctant to have her quit, but her arguments were compelling and we wondered if she didn’t just indeed lack the aptitude as she insisted. Our instructor asked us to persevere with this student and to practice MORE and not less as one would perhaps have been inclined to do. It worked beautifully. We came up alongside her, provided lots more support and now she often works to finish her other subjects so she can get to the piano.

Our children need not be chained to a cheerless desk. I have taught phonics to busy bodies hanging upside down off the couch. I have seen those little people later practice reading aloud to older siblings while they work a handcraft. They paint, they are surrounded by classical and contemporary music, they spend enormous amounts of time outdoors. They are able to do this when their studies and their environment are well ordered. Their responsibilities can be met easily and pleasantly, thus enabling them to have large sections of their day to call their own.

Our position is that doors should not be shut to them because they have not been adequately prepared nor shortsighted. We are obligated, imo, to see to that. Should they elect not to walk through those doors that is a viable option. They should not be forced to make that choice by default however because of childish indiscretion.

We have worked with colleges in different states and the military system. Reality is, except for the extremely rare Ivy League school, most colleges are very black and white about prereq’s. They just want to see so many years of lab science to include chemistry, three yrs of higher math with Alg II, 2 yrs of foreign language and so on. The military recruiter needs a very standard transcript as well. It is a disservice to mislead our children about these realities. While you can experiment with alternative daily schedules and choice of texts, bottom line is this content and these study skills are what will be required for many walks of life. Like I said, that may not end up being their walk. That should always be a choice truly made of their own volition and not because they lacked the education to pursue them.

I wish I could have included the private mail I have received. I can say with certainty there are few students who regret the knowledge they have gained. Usually if there is a complaint it was over methodology or teacher personality and not content and those are easily remedied. There ARE many who become regretful and even resentful over their limited life options when they have not been prepared properly. The argument is that one could make up for that lack when one becomes sufficiently motived. However, we never, ever have the same quantity, nor quality, of time as adults that we have as children to do this. Additionally, even if one is properly motivated, the study skills and other habits that would enable a person to forge ahead in an accelerated manner are not generally available on demand. They take consistent effort over a long period of time to develop. They are gained only at a great price when acquired later in life. I speak from experience here.

So, my assertion is that education can and should be pleasant, collaborative, and thorough. It can be all those things and well-ordered at once. We need not choose between happy or well prepared children. They can be both! My position is that the success they experience by the development of good habits, study skills, and mastery of subject content breeds far more contentment and satisfaction than 100% self-direction ever could.

We have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Door in the Wall together these past weeks. I have selected some lines for the children to make into notebook pages as keepsakes, words which I hope resonate with them as they have with me. Yesterday’s page* is one example:

This sums up my feeling about education and life in general. It has made me reflect upon the growing sentiment in homeschool circles about unschooling and child-initiated learning. Having both babies and adult children has afforded me perspective about this that I could not have imagined when we began this journey. No longer is educational theory simply an abstract, intellectual pasttime. It is a reality. One that has consequences in young people’s lives.

Early on, my foremost goal was delight. I envisioned a family united in a common endeavor. In all the literature I came across it seemed to be assumed that the one way to ensure that cooperative spirit was to follow the children’s lead at all times and to avoid coercion like the plague. My military officer husband was always more than a bit skeptical. He had experienced tremendous success with a completely contrary method and remained unconvinced that left to one’s one devices the formation of that level of discipline was likely. He had a different understanding of what constituted true satisfaction and happiness. It wasn’t ease.

Over time we have watched families of all different ideologies move from early childhood through puberty and on to launching adults into the world. What I have seen of many who proclaim the virtues of non-coercive methods is ironically a subtle, often mutual, disrespect and lethargy as time goes on. This seems particularly so when the children involved were male. Men seem to have an innate sense of authority and order. They can detect when it is lacking and this seems to breed contempt, versus that overwhelming gratitude many moms hope for when they, in all sincerity, allow the children to call the shots. For those with more compliant children there was less contempt, yet many entered adult life lacking skills, organizational and otherwise, that would have greatly benefitted them well when faced with the challenges of marriage and career life.

The reality of SATs and the level of proficiency required to achieve personal goals has also factored into our methods. The truth is, you cannot make up many years of higher math in a semester or two no matter how motivated you may be. You may own your regret, to be sure (and there is some merit to that), but in the language subjects – math, music, language – there is no replacement for years of steady, consistent effort.

It is the rare child who is able to sense the need for such sustained effort. They have not lived long enough to experience (and witness in others) an abundance of rewards and consequences. They are, well, childish. That is why they got parents. This is not to say we have carte blanche to enforce their education by brutal means. Mercy and gentle guidance are hallmarks of our faith. It is possible to plant in our children’s hearts some seeds of understanding and to ensure their cooperation, although we may not have their complete comprehension until they are much, much older.

Literature is one tool we have used. We read together regularly and discuss the merits and pitfalls we see in the characters decisions. We cheer when we see our heroes overcome adversity through sheer strength of will. We sadly acknowledge the poor choices of others. We remind each other of these when our own determination waivers.

We agree with the discouraged student that they may never use their algebra formulas in ‘real life’. However, there will be countless occasions when they will need to solve difficult problems. They may never speak latin to another living soul. They may need to dissect an argument down to its core meanings however, for which the skills learned in their studies will serve them well.

The world may tell them to ‘Follow Your Bliss’. We promise them that it is more virtuous to learn to face distasteful tasks with good cheer, thus developing their own blissful nature in any circumstance in which they may find themselves. The academic skills they hone today may not translate literally but they will definitely be applied across the board into many real life situations for which there is no substitute for resolute determination. So, yes, there is a reason and they will, indeed, thank you later.

We have rejected the notion that our children will thrive without some outside motivation. In fact we, as well as many of our peers, have grown children who now say, “I wish you wouldn’t have let me quit ____. I wish you would have insisted I ____.” They realize now they did not have the inner fortitude to push on by themselves and would have liked to have relied upon the backbone of others when their own failed them. They have come to realize that there is only one sure route to satisfaction and that is the road traversed with no small amount of effort.

I would not say we have overwhelming regrets. We do have different perspective today. We have seen that sweat equity early on pays dividends to our children later. We recognize that nothing breeds success like success. There is no better motivator! We therefore have the confidence to unapologetically set up an outside framework, to insist upon certain standards of excellence, to shoot for predetermined levels of proficiency, and to assure them that the harder it is to do something, the more comfortable we feel after we have done it. We run this academic race as if to win – together.

*Brother Luke encouraged Robin, the paralyzed boy, to brave the elements and swim in the river daily as therapy. Later, when the castle is besieged Robin is able to slip out of the grounds, cross the icy river and propel himself on crutches to get help.

I shared my binder routine in the Funschool N post. I wanted to add this postscript. While visiting my friend Cheryle the other day I noticed her kids’ schoolwork on the table. When I opened the notebooks (its ok, we have that kind of friendship lol ; )) I found that they keep one spiral-bound notebook per child going at any given time. They do ALL their homework for all subjects in that notebook. When it is full, they box it and get another started.

This idea has intrigued me ever since! Think about that. ONE notebook per child vs. a notebook for each subject. Yes, you would end the year with just as much. However, when Dad comes home and asks to see what they did that day each can bring their one notebook to share. No mountains of notebooks to overwhelm both Dad and the(hopefully clean!) kitchen.

If you use mostly non-consumable texts this is an excellent option!

N is for Noodle

ASL N and Noodle

N template and tracer pages. Make a Noodle Name N – glue alphabet pasta onto the template to make the child’s name.

Math:
Nine
Number games. Peggy Kaye’s Games for Math is a fun book. She is online now. We made up a Number Bow game card to practice addition. Kieran loved it. Read – LOVED it.

You can print number recognition cards here and here. The latter is from Jan Brett’s site which has a plethora of wonderful printables for math and language.

No printer? No problem. Use large index cards and marker. Write the numeral on top and adhere the appropriate number of stickers below. Make blank cards with just the numerals and some counters for the child to practice with. You can also make nice Number Books by holepunching the number of holes on the card, placing that number of paper clips onto the card, gluing orzo noodles to the card etc.

Montessori trays:
Noodle sort – provide a container of various shaped dry pasta to sort into a muffin tin. Noodle scoop – fill flat bucket with small pasta to pour and scoop into cups and bowls. A slightly older child could fill out this chart by counting how many of each type of noodle were found. Nuts are another N item that could be used. Large nuts still in the shell are great for transfering with tongs.

Want to include older kids? Try some activities from this Noodle Unit.

N is also for Nienhuis Montessori, the granddaddy of Montessori suppliers. They are also the cadillac supplier and cost a pretty penny. I include them here because their catalog is superb and you may be able to make your own materials more easily once you see the photos.

Arts/Crafts:
The smallest funschooler can make noodle jewelry with little assistance. One option is to lace large dry pasta pieces onto shoelaces or yarn for necklaces or bracelets. Amp it up by letting them paint or dye the noodles first.
You can also glue colored or plain noodles onto a frame or any other hard surface as a collage. These noodle critters are darn cute.

Literature:

Strega Nona – classic Tomie tale about noodles gone nuts

On Top of Spaghetti by Paul Brett

Everybody Brings Noodles – this is a longer book for kids who can sit a bit and follow a story line.

Pino and the Signora’s Pasta by Janet Pederson

The Story of Noodles by Ying Chang Compestine – the Kang boys from the Kite week are back

Spaghetti Eddie by Ryan San Angelo

Classic Lit – The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen (link to online copy)

Science/snack:
Make several varieties of noodles this week. Think outside the box, perhaps using some of the ideas in Everybody Brings Noodles. Aside from noodles and sauce you could make spaghetti pie or sweet noodle dishes like kugel.

Songs:
On Top of Spaghetti

Character – Neatness Counts. Work on making things nice and tidy before leaving the school room or bedroom this week. (“Did you hear that, Kim?” “Why yes, I did. Thank you for the reminder!”)

It is also a good week to work on being Nice. Yes mom, you too.

Another song from this site:

How Nice I Am (Sung to “How Dry I Am”)
How nice I am; I’ve learned to be.
I raise my hand before I speak.

How nice I am; I’ve learned to be.
Sit in my chair most properly.

How nice I am; my best I do.
I use the words “please” and “thank you.”

How nice I am; try to be kind.
I wait my turn and stay in line.

How nice I am; I’ve learned to be.
I say, “Sorry” and “Excuse me!”

How nice I am here at my school.
I try to live “The Golden Rule.”

Bible:
That would be Noah of course! You can make his ark here.
Sequencing cards here.

St Nicholas – he was real.

A Note about Notebooks. What follows is how I keep my sanity teaching six at a time from preschool to high school. In the early years the notebook is composed of the minioffice pages I linked to on M week. We go over the pages several times a week and voila the early education stuff is covered. As the kids approach K-1st and beyond I use a system much like this. Penmanship pages and math sheets etc get placed into colored plastic pockets in the binder. When the children finish a page it goes to the back side pocket. There are cards that say things like ‘read with mom’ or ‘do your math flash cards’ as well. When they do that thing they move the card. When all the cards are in the back pockets of the dividers they have completed their week’s work.

I can’t tell you how incredible this is. No flipping through lesson plan books. No kids waiting on mom for the next thing. Workbooks are a dirty word in homeschool circles but I will let you in a secret. There are some extremely well-written worktext books that speak directly to the student which allows for self-teaching. They do not insult the child’s intelligence. Many of my favorites are on the sidebars – the Critical Thinking Press and Cuisenaire series are awesome. Spectrum and Modern Curriculum Press are very good too. We use excellent self-teaching worktexts for the language subjects – math, language, phonics, reading comprehension. Then we save the bigger bucks (and teaching time) for field trips, piano lessons, art supplies, and good literature which we read aloud often.

We do make traditional notebook pages ala Charlotte Mason. We do not make one for each subject each year however. Choose one area each year upon which to focus the child’s writing. That can be history, science, or religion or a special unit study. If you overshoot you may end up with several unfinished notebooks. You may also reinforce bad habits by rushing and allowing for less than the child’s best effort on each page. Realistically you cannot give your all to multiple pages per day.

M is for Me and My Mama
ASL M and Mom
M template and tracer pages.  You can make your M a Mountain here.

Drumroll Please!  I have waited halfway through the alphabet to share these.  A Mini Office is a must have for early childhood through early elementary grades.  We LOVE them!  I will talk more about this next week as well. Teachers use minioffices to teach and review the essential skills for these levels such as the colors, shapes, phonograms, left/right, phone number/address, etc We have adapted the minioffice to our notebooks to make them more practical for home use. We didn’t think poster board stood a chance honestly. ; ) Check out these links. This lifesaver project costs you only printing and binder materials. Afterwards you need no longer fret over missing some essential skill. When you begin your learning time flip through the pages like a game and talk about them.

M is for Math and the Mathsmarts series from Stuart Murphy. (he cooperated so well in the name dept didn’t he?) The books are grouped by levels and introduce various topics like time telling, more/less, even/odd, etc in a very elementary manner. You can try Circus Shapes this week to review shapes.

Another favorite concept author is Bruce Macmillan. He uses photography to illustrate his topics such as The Alphabet Symphony and What the Classroom Mouse Saw

One of my favorite math resources for this age group is Mathematics Their Way.  Mary Barrata Lorton is a hero of mine. You can ck out the blackline masters for the program here. Some great ideas for this week would be the More and Less cards

We’re Making Breakfast for Mother

Does a Kangaroo have a Mother Too?

Are You My Mother?

Lyle Finds His Mother  (my kids remind me that I should have introduced Lyle last week as well – my bad)

Is Your Mama a LLama?

If you give a Moose a Muffin – not a mom but still an M

My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World

Mother Goose – Every child should be familiar with these rhymes and we try to introduce new ones each week. If you haven’t purchased an anthology you might wish to this week. DLTK has activities here.

Science – animal babies and their mothers.  Match pairs of pictures of babies with their mama’s and learn the proper names.  This is a fun drill to practice that skill.

Magnets – Magnet Discovery Bottle

Art:

Marble Painting – tape a sheet of paper to the bottom of a large flat box. Dip marbles in cups of paint, drop them into the box and tip the box gently side to side.

Felt mittens – if you are interested in a "real" craft you could trace pairs of fleece or felt and lace them together.  I am told 100% wool felt works best for sewing through.

Memories – Create an All About Me book  such as these

Songs:
Five Little Monkeys

Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the Dr and the Dr said
No more monkey business jumping on the bed.

Tomie De Paola’s Mother Goose anthology is very nice.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

Saints/Bible stories:
Miracles of Jesus
and
Mary, Mother of Jesus Two more favorites by Tomie

L is for Ladybugs.

ASL L and Ladybug

L Template holepunch and ‘lace’ around it

L tracer pages

Colors – red and black

Shape – circles

Literature/Science:

The Grouchy Ladybug – another Carle favorite

The Very Lazy Ladybug

Ladybug Ladybug – the familiar verse

The Ladybug and other Insects – be sure to get some life cycle books like this

Ten Little Ladybugs

Ladybug Moves Home

Are You a Ladybug

Listening Walk – L is for Listen too

L is also for Love which makes this the week to be sure to read Love You Forever.  If you don’t cry before it’s over then we can’t be friends. ; ) You really must own this one. Another classic is Guess How Much I Love You   You know, I have to add an aside here. My second son has been reading the Funschool posts (he lives in an apt) and was saying he enjoys these most of all. He said it reminded him of growing up and all we did. That makes me happier than I can say. They WILL learn to read, write and do math eventually. Make sure you are making happy memories along the way. : )

Montessori trays:

L is for Landforms (pic from site).  These are models that demonstrate complementary pairs such as island/lake, peninsula/bay. You can make your own using flat square Ziplock plastic storage containers and self hardening plasticine. Traditionally the land is painted brown and then blue water is used to pour into the trays by the student doing the exploration. Alternatively you can print the cards and/or make a more kinesthetic set by brushing glue over the land parts and sprinkling sand over.

Flashlight – preschoolers cannot get enough of this one. Get an inexpensive plastic flashlight and disassemble it.  Keep the parts in a large plastic box. Self-checking – the students have succeeded when they can get it together and shine the light. LOTS of fine motor and critical thinking involved here! Throw a blanket over the table and allow them to make shadows when they finish.

Light/heavy – sort cards of light items like toothbrush, feather, sock and heavy items like bricks, car, oven into appropriate piles.

Lacing cards. Another early childhood mainstay. Easy to make by laminating old calendars or cards and hole punching the outside edges. Provide shoelaces.  Christmas cards of the Holy Family are especially nice.

Art/Math:

L is for Landscape.  Landscapes by Scholastic is a children’s introduction to this classic art form. This little book is spiral bound with plastic covered pages that lend themselves to lots of handling. Transparent overlays add a way cool dimension.  Very simple text introduces famous artists and some of their landscape paintings and asks some engaging questions.  I really enjoyed this one! Don’t limit your children to ‘crafts’. Be sure to include fine art in your lessons.

Make a ladybug – trace and cut out two circles, one in red and one black. Cut the red circle in half and spread it apart slightly before gluing over the black. Glue googly eyes and black string for antennae. Double this craft by using it with black beans for…..

Ladybug Math-  It is important to provide lots of opportunity and incentive to practice the basic math operations in a very noncoercive, no-stress manner in the early years. This week, use black bean counters and place varying amounts on each ladybug ‘wing’ and add them together. A small chalkboard such as from the craft section of Walmart or a craft store is ideal for these games.

Alternatively your Funschooler can paint large dry lima beans red and use a black marker to make dots and a line on each. Cut a large leaf from green cardstock and count how many ladybugs land on the leaf. Take some away and recount. 

Be sure you are mentioning LEFT and RIGHT when putting on shoes and socks and pant legs etc. Reviewing songs from past weeks like the Hokey Pokey is another painless way to bring in this concept.

Songs/fingerplays:

London Bridge (Peter Spier has a book by the same name that works well this week)

Looby Loo

Ladybug Ladybug fly away home, Your house is on fire and your children all gone. Coloring page for this verse here.

Five Little Ladybugs

Five little ladybugs, climbing on some plants,
Eating the aphids, but not the ants!
The first one said: "Save some aphids for me!"
The second one said: "These are tasty as can be!"
The third one said: "Oh, they’re almost gone!"
The fourth one said: "Then it’s time to move on!
The fifth one said: "Come on, let’s fly!"
So they opened their wings and flew through the sky.

Snacks: lemonade, licorice, Ladybug Rice Cakes – spread rice cake with red jelly and add raisin dots

Bible/Saint:

This is a good week to learn or review the Lord’s Prayer. There are Catholic and Protestant versions here with lots of nice manipulatives to make puzzles and mini-books for the notebooks. Tasha Tudor has a beautiful little book called Give Us This Day which is perfect for this lesson.

We are reading about St Louis as well. In addition to our Alphabet of Saints we are checking out Amy Welborns Saints book.

L is for Library – be sure to visit with your child this week : ) 

L is for Lapbooks

This is a good week to answer some of the lapbook questions I have gotten in recent weeks. First off, what IS a lapbook?  Its a file folder that is opened flat and refolded to look like a closed set of window shutters. Inside, a series of small folded booklets are pasted to the folder. They are usually built around a theme. They provide a 3D presentation format which is appealing to reluctant writers and hands on kids. Especially nice for science fairs and other table top presentations.

You can find how to’s here, here, here and most especially here at the Lapbook Ladies site. Dinah Zike was an original designer of the lapbook concept. Tobins Lab ran with it and eventually copyrighted the term. There are lapbooking egroups at Yahoo with photo share files to peruse.

We have made several in our day. We do more notebooking than lapbooking at the moment but it served us well with some of the kids who took longer to warm up to writing. We have adapted the Lapbook techniques to work on notebook pages.  Specifically – we enlarge a miniature book fold to 8×11 size and use it alone on a notebook page. You can find some of our lapbooks here.

Lapbooks can be made independently by older kids or by mom for youngers. They can be a representation of info learned OR they can be used as a teaching tool to relay information.  Dinah’s subject specific books are ideal for the latter purpose. The best purchases to get started would be the Ultimate Lapbook Handbook and Dinah Zikes Big Book of Books and Activities. 

Ok, off to shop for wheelchairs! I will post the rest of Funschool L on Friday. : )