Month: June 2020

Kindergarten Home School Week 12: Friday

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Home School 65 a

There are two weeks to go everybody! We ended on a high note, here in coronavirus home school week 12.

9-9.30: Maps. After a workbook page about directional words (behind, in front of, above), Travis wanted to recreate the campsite on the page! We quickly had a makeshift “teepee” and a fire made of craft sticks and torn construction paper. Mostly he just played in it, but I threw in a directional word or two as we built to keep up the theme.

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9.30-10: ELA. The “campsite” was the perfect place to finish ELA for the day, including a page in his Star Wars writing book, and a workbook page about letter U. He finished with Lexia in “camp”.

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10-10.30: Snack/recess. Because little sister was playing with monkeys, Travis soon had an inventive game going with them, too!

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10.30-11: Math. Travis did an addition page in his Star Wars workbook, and then we did a quick review of teen numbers, i.e. each teen is 10 plus X more.

11-11.30: STEM. We did a unit on the Sahara Desert today!

11.30-1.30: Lunch/free play.

1.30-2: Art. Travis’s assignment was to draw an animal in its habitat. He made a very inventive green ant, and got to share it on a Zoom with the art teacher.

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We wrapped up early after that, the home school equivalent of a summer Friday.

Saharan Desert

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Sahara Desert (3)

As a follow-up to cooking his first Moroccan recipe from Raddish Kids, today Travis learned a bit about part of Morocco’s landscape: the Sahara Desert!

We started the lesson with guided imagery, a nicely different pause. I even had Travis close his eyes and put his head down on the table.

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I asked him to imagine he was in the desert: What did he see? At first he reported nothing, but then details started to emerge as I asked prompting questions. It was hot, the only plants he could see were cactus, etc. I asked him if it was hard to picture a desert and he said yes, unsurprisingly since he’s never been to one! So it was time to delve deeper.

I pulled up images of the Sahara online, and he marveled at them as we read more facts together. He also watched a video about animals and people who make deserts their home.

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He was fascinated by pictures of sand dunes when he learned that they weren’t fixed, that the wind could shift them at any point in time. From here, Raddish invites kids to draw, write a poem, choreograph a dance, or otherwise portray what they’ve learned about deserts. Travis chose to make a diorama!

We used kinetic sand as the base inside an empty shoe box, and then added some of his plastic toys, like snakes and scorpions.

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He was especially interested in the idea of an oasis, so added a few trees from a dinosaur set, and a little lid filled with water to be the pond. He loved playing with this, making a rather big-kid lesson approachable even for my kindergartner. Make sure to check out on a map together where the Sahara is!

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To finish the lesson, we watched a read-aloud of The Seed and the Giant Saguaro, by Jennifer Ward.

Five Little Monkeys

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Five Little Monkeys (1)

I often affectionately call my kids “monkey” or “silly monkey” and it’s a moniker that fits giggling toddlers perfectly. Perhaps that’s why toddlers all seem to love the lyrics to Five Little Monkeys! In addition to learning numbers through this counting rhyme, there’s no doubt a thrill to the slightly naughty lyrics. Today, Veronika and I had fun with monkey games in a few ways.

We started out just saying this favorite rhyme:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed.

One fell off and bumped her head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Repeat four times, counting down one monkey each time until no monkeys are jumping on the bed.

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To make the game tactile, I pulled out a set of stacking monkeys. Veronika is still too young to balance them with any dexterity, but she loved playing with them while I chanted the song.

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And knocking them down off the bed with each verse. “Bonk!” she said.

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I found another monkey rhyme with slightly strange lyrics, but a similar idea of teaching young kids to count down:

Five little monkeys walked along the shore.

One went a-sailing and then there were four.

 

Four little monkeys climbed up a tree.

One of them tumbled down and then there were three.

 

Three little monkeys found a pot of glue.

One got stuck in it and then there were two.

 

Two little monkeys found a currant bun.

One ran away with it and then there was one.

 

One little monkey cried all afternoon,

So they put him in a plane and flew him to the moon.

The lyrics to this were complicated, but Veronika continued playing with the stacking monkeys all the while, and loved making a monkey “ee ee, oo oo, aah aah” sound.

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We found cartoon versions of both to watch online to end the fun.

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Do you have a favorite rhyme about silly monkeys? Please share in the comments!

Arroz Verde con Frijoles Negro

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Arroz Verde (1)

Rice and beans are a match made in heaven, with so many variations to keep kids from getting bored. This recipe gets its beautiful green color from fresh spinach sauce. Use brown rice in place of the white rice, if you prefer.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water, divided
  • 2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can black beans
  1. To prepare the rice, combine the broth, 1 cup water, rice, and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the spinach sauce: combine the spinach in a blender or food processor with the remaining 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, and garlic. Process until smooth.
  3. Add the spinach mixture and black beans to the rice, stirring to combine.

This is delicious on its own, but even better wrapped up in a tortilla!

Arroz Verde alt

 

Pom Pom Drop + More Pom Pom Fun

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Pom Pom Fun (8)

After recent fun playing with pom poms to develop fine motor skills, Veronika enjoyed a few variations on pom pom play today.

First up was a classic: a pom pom chute! I had a mix of empty toilet paper rolls and empty paper towel rolls, so taped these to the wall almost in a maze.

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Some of them were straight up and down and others I taped at an angle so she could experiment with the different ways this made the pom poms fall.

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Some were high, and some were low…

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…and all were a delight to watch a pom pom disappear and then fall through.

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For variation, we also tried pushing through cotton balls. These were fun because we could stuff a few into the tube before they all fell out the bottom, almost like puffy snowflakes.

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As she played with the pom poms, Veronika frequently named the color of the one she was holding, so I thought it might be time to see if she could sort!

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We played two variations on this. First, I gave her one size pom pom, but in all different colors. She named each color as she moved them into bins I had set out, although she didn’t always place like with like.

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Next, I gave her all one color (only blue) but in three sizes: big, medium, and small. I used a big deep voice when placing a big pom pom in a bin, and a tiny high voice for the small ones.

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I didn’t expect her to ace this, but the concept is coming along, little by little!

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As the day went on, I simplified the game so it qualified more as toddler busy play, leaving just one chute and a container at the bottom. I might leave this taped to the wall for several days, so she can return to it at her leisure.

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Kindergarten Home School Week 12: Thursday

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Home School 64 b

I confess that home school felt a little mundane today; should I have planned something more elaborate? On the other hand, it meant the day felt easier and smoother than most!

9-9.30: Morning circle. We’ve gotten away from the routine of morning circle and songs that Travis was used to from his classroom. Luckily today’s workbook page on letter S was a good reminder to review! For example, after writing September we sang his months of the year song. Sunday and Saturday likewise prompted singing Days of the Week, and Spring was a reminder to go through the seasons. Plus it was sunny, and we began a belated weather chart for the month of June.

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9.30-10: ELA. The second workbook page was on letter T. We took the time to tap out syllables and sounds for all the words on the page, something else we’ve neglected to do recently. Then he did Lexia for 15 minutes.

10-10.30: Recess/snack. Travis wanted to play inside but little sister was out hunting for frogs in the grass!

10.30-11: Math. After Star Wars droid math problems, Travis wrote a full math story about it and drew a picture to boot! He struggled but was ultimately so proud of his work. A high point on the day.

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11-11.30: STEM. Travis designed a pom pom maze, an activity we tried with marbles about a year ago. Then he used his hands as measurement tools to find items that were shorter/longer, heavier/lighter etc.

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11.30-1.30: Lunch/free play.

1.30-2: Social studies. Taking inspiration from a page in Highlights magazine about Gallant kids, Travis learned about life skills and disaster preparedness, including a funny video on how to use a fire extinguisher.

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Highlights was also great for some quiet time puzzling over the Find It page.

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2-3: Specials. For Music, Travis recorded himself saying chants fast (hare) or slow (turtle), For Spanish we listened to a beautiful song on la luna (which arguably interested little sister more!) and then enjoyed a Zoom with the teacher.

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3-4: Outside. We took a nature walk with a family friend, who taught Travis about new plants, flowers, birds, and bugs. I didn’t have a camera to capture the beautiful moment, but sometimes that’s for the best.

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Pumpkin Bread

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Pumpkin Bread (3)

This easy pumpkin bread is full of sweetness, spice and veggie goodness. A slice is perfect for breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 heaping teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
  2. In a second bowl, whisk together the almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and the pumpkin puree to the applesauce mixture, stirring just until combined.
  3. Spoon into an 8×4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, pressing into the batter slightly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes.
  4. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing.

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Want more veggies in your baked goods? Try carrot cookies or sweet potato pie!

Stab That Shape Foam Trays

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Stab That Shape (5)

Veronika has shown an early interest in shapes and can now readily recognize triangles, stars, hearts, and circles. We’re working on squares and rectangles next!

To foster her interest in the topic, I made this easy shape recognition tray for her today, using a leftover foam tray from the grocery store. I simply drew 4 shapes, three that she knows well, and one less familiar (the square).

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I then handed over the tray and a plastic fork. First she just loved stabbing at the tray!

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It was a tougher than I thought for her to poke the tines of the fork directly down, so the game was great practice for fork skills at the dinner table, too! Soon she started to get the hang of it.

“Can you poke the heart?” I asked her. Yup! She also easily followed directions for the circle and triangle.

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When I asked her to poke the square, she just played around aimlessly with the fork, which reinforced my sense that she doesn’t know the word yet. But she still was having lots of fun!

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Older toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy this tray, too. Encourage them to “stab” along the lines of each shape so it is covered in dots, a precursor to tracing.

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Meanwhile, Veronika had fun stabbing the tray all over. The dots feel bumpy once the tines of the fork have poked through, and she carried the tray around happily for a while.

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Frog in the Grass

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Frog in the Grass (10)

Here’s an adorable game to play outside with a toddler, one that involves both imaginative play and observational skills. We used frog toys because the green camouflages perfectly in the green grass, but any green animal toy would work equally well, or even green beanbags. To wit, we also added a snake and a centipede.

Veronika spotted the frog toys before we headed outside, excitedly declaring, “Froggie, froggie!” so I knew she would love the game. Once we were outside, I scattered the frogs in the grass while Veronika watched, curious. Older toddlers can be asked to close their eyes while you scatter the frogs, making it a true hunt.

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“Frog in the grass!” I yelled, once all four had been ‘hidden’. She was confused until I led her by the hand to toddle over to the first frog. Then it seemed like the most exciting errand in the world!

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After that she was off and running, finding a frog in the green grass, bringing it back to the patio, and then returning for the next one.

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Then we also hunted down the green snake and centipede.

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Once everyone safely made it to the patio, I tossed them back into the grass. “Frog in the grass!” I yelled again. This time she thought it was hilarious, and went scampering over.

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You can add animal learning to the game by making the corresponding noises and motions. Veronika loves to say “ribbit”, and I encouraged her to leap like a frog.

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Next thing I knew, she had two of the frogs kissing on the patio, unprompted!

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We’ll have to see if one of them turns into a handsome prince.

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Kindergarten Home School Week 12: Wednesday

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Home School Day 62 a

Following up on yesterday’s success, we started with a “fun” activity before diving into the more academic. As a result, we mostly had good spirits all day!

9-9.30: After a workbook page filling out some of our family’s favorite things, I pulled out old family photo albums. Travis – and little sister, too! – loved looking at baby pictures of themselves, spotting pictures of “young” mommy and daddy, and pointing out other relatives.

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9.30-10: Travis did a quick workbook page on subtraction problems, and then we played Go Fish with a twist…Go Make Ten! Instead of asking for a pair (i.e. a 2 for a 2) you had to ask for a card that would make yours equal 10. So if he had a 2, he asked for an 8. This was tricky for Travis, the first time he was doing sums in his head instead of counting objects on a page.

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10-10.30: Snack/recess. And dropping rocks on the patio!

10.30-11: ELA. Travis did a workbook page on letter R, and we searched for digraphs on the page (sh, ch, and th words). He did Lexia to round out the half hour. I asked him if he wanted to do some of the digraph worksheets his teacher had sent home. You can see the resounding no in his posture here.

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11-11.30: Art. We made friendship bracelets! This was great not just for fine motor skills and creativity, but also thinking about others.

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As he worked he decided which friend or relative each bracelet was for. Little sister was happy with the beads, too, and I was happy working alongside them both!

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11.30-1.30: Lunch/free play.

1.30-2: Class Zoom. This was the toughest part of the day and we’ll leave it at that.

2-3: Cooking. We reset with a favorite activity, and today we cooked Moroccan food!

3: Outside. We played hopscotch with teen numbers, then drove around town to leave the friendship bracelets in friends’ mailboxes. A heart-warming good deed to end the day.

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