Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue

We practice and recite a nursery rhyme each week. This week we learned Little Boy Blue and did some activities. Sometimes we do a puppet show or a craft as well. You can also see our Humpty Dumpty, Old Mother Hubboard, and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater activities.

1. Watch the nursery rhyme on You Tube. There are quite a few videos on each nursery rhyme. Some are a little weird but there are some good ones too. Here is one and it will lead you to many others http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJJSRdIL158

2. Here is an 8 page mini-book for your child to read on Little Boy Blue

3. Use some coloring sheets from Enchanted Learning.

4. Act it out!

Dry Erase Activity Center

We received the Crayola Activity Center Dry Erase board as a Christmas gift and I really, really like it! It comes with 8 activity pages but what I like best is that I can print my own pages or even pull a page out of a coloring/workbook and put it into the activity board. Since I have twins I have to buy 2 workbooks or print 2 of everything, this activity board allows me to print only one and let both girls us it.
I'm not a big fan of dry erase boards since the markers often evaporate as you use them and frustrate the kids. But these markers work great as does the eraser.

Here is the plastic sleeve that you slide the worksheet into before sliding it into the activity center. There is a little green lock that keeps it from sliding out. This activity sheet was printed here

I think this will save me lots of paper and lots of ink....plus the girls think it is cool and like to use the markers and the erasers!

Beginning sounds

objective:
a. to recognize beginning sounds of 4 words
b. to point out the initial sounds that are the same

Points to remember:
1. This skill is typically a kindergarten skill and may be not possible for younger children. I am trying it with Brooke since she is beginning to notice beginning word sounds
2. Make sure the sound is the same not just the beginning letter: for example, grape and giraffe both start with "g" but make different sounds.

Lesson:
1. Set out an itsy-bitsy miniature.
2. Ask you child to name the object. "Nailpolish"
3. Say, "Yes, nailpolish begins with /nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn/. Listen to these words. Magnifying glass, octopus, needle. Which one begins with /nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn/?"

4. Before she makes a choice, I review the words and really stress the beginning sounds. Nnnnnnnnailpolish - mmmmmmmmmmmagnifying glass.
nnnnnnnnailpolish - ooooooooooooooooctopus
nnnnnnnnailpolish - nnnnnnnnnnnneedle.
5. Try again with another set of choices. Set out the milk and ask you child to say the word milk.

6. Say, "What begins with the same sound as mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmilk? Is it monkey, nailpolish, bear.
7. If your child needs some help, say the words again and stress the beginning sounds.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmilk - mmmmmmmmmmmonkey
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmilk - nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnailolish
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmilk - bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbear
8. Here we tried owl with the choices of bear, otter, and nailpolish.

Modifications:

1. If you are focusing on a letter, use that as your first item 2. Only do 3-4 the first time around so it is not an overwhelming task.

Go Togethers

objective:
a. To develop thinking and reasoning skills
b. to increase vocabulary
c. to become aware of relationships between objects
d. to answer questions about objects and reasons

Point to remember:
1. Answering questions is difficult for Brooke. We often have her sister or brother model the answer to the question.
2. Get your cards sorted and paired before you begin the activity with your child.

Lesson:
1. There are 40 cards (20 pairs) in this game. Pick out 10 cards or 5 pairs to use.
2. Set one photo on the table. Ask, "What is this?" and "What do you do with this"
3. Then set out 3 cards, one of which is the match to the first photo and ask, "Which one goes with it?"
For example,
Set out the card with the paintbrushes

and ask, "What are these?" "What do you do with these?" "Do you have these?" "Where do we keep our paint brushes?" and any other appropriate questions to get your child talking
Then, set out 3 cards and ask, "Which one goes with the paintbrushes?"

Once your child points to the picture, ask her to say the name of the object as well as point.
4. Ask your child, "Why do they go together?" Brooke has a difficult time answering why questions so this is really important to us

Modifications:
1. Use real objects or get picture cards from a memory game to create the pairs.
2. Try playing a game of Go Fish or Memory with the cards but instead of getting matching pairs, you'll collect pairs that go together.

I'm Thinking of an Animal

objective:

a. practice thinking skills

b. practice listening skills as the child listens to clues about an animal

c. promote listening to language and communication skills

points to remember:

1. Only use animals that your child knows.

2. Introduce some new vocaulary such as "paws" instead of feet and "snout" instead of nose

Lesson:

1. Set 4-5 itsy-bitsy minuature animals in front of your child

2. Give clues that helps you child figure out which animal you are asking her to pick

"I am thinking of an animal that is large."

"It is brown"

"It has large paws"

3. Your child will pick the animal

4. To once your child understand the nature of the game, try playing without any visual clues. Take away the itsy-bitsy minatures and play with just auditory skills.

Modifications:

1. This is a great game to play in the car or while away from home.

Letter Hunt Worksheets

I found these fantastic Letter Hunt Worksheets at Confessions of a Homeschooler and love them.

They fit right into our Letter of Week curriculum and help the girls to notice the letter in words. Check them out here

Read the story to your child then let your child circle the capital and lowercase letters in the story.

Marathon Certificate

I am quite proud of myself so I'm posting my Marathon Certificate!

Overall Place was 5884 out of 13536 - that is 43%

Gender Place was 2006 out of 6273 - that is 31%

Age Division Place is 341 out of 1070 - that is 31%

I rock!