Homeschool Sites and Info

I am posting this here to have it all in one place.  These were some emails that were shared between other homeschool moms.  Mostly sites that we got ideas and info from.

Here is the preschool plan we are somewhat following.  We got a lot of ideas from here, but are doing our own thing with it.  We are definitely following the letter order she suggests (Montessori).  If you scroll down on this page you will see the order.

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/RaisingRockStarsPreschool.html

I plan on making a display board like hers, but modifying it to work with what we do.  Adding calendar time to mine.  I'll send you a picture when I get it done!  I hope to do that this week!

We did order the My ABC Bible Verses book she uses for this plan.  You can see that in the Sample Lesson here.

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/RaisingRockStarsPreschoolSAMPLE.html

We definitely wanted to incorporate the Bible.  I love how this plan has a memory verse each week and the lesson follows it.  After getting the book, we decided the verses are a little long (still do-able, I'm sure).  However, we found another memory verse plan that seems much more simple.  It's called Songs for Saplings.  You can purchase a CD or download the music.  It has songs that teach the verses, rather than a book and story.  We plan on doing Songs for Saplings this year and My ABC Bible Verses probably next year.  They both look great!  You can get free printables here.  

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2012/09/songs-for-saplings-abc-bible-verse-printable-pack/

We will be using some of the Preschool Packs (themes) each week.  Melissa also has a Preschool Bible activity book that has a lesson and craft that we will pull from as well.  

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/PreschoolPacks.html

I plan on making Lucy a Tot Time Notebook.  This will give her something to do if I need one on one time helping Zac.  It is her own alphabet and number binder.  I'll slide the sheets in sheet protectors and she can color them with dry erase markers over and over!  I plan on including her as much as possible, but I think she has awhile before she can write.  Zac is just barely starting to trace, so that will be our focus this year.  You can download that here.

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/TotTimeNotebook.html

I'll also be making Zac his own binder to practice writing.  This was one thing I did purchase from the website.  For $1.25.  :)  I will also add the number pages that is in the Tot Time Notebook like Lucy's.

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2012/02/letter-tracing-printables/

Melissa also pulled the preschool recommendations for math, science, etc.  So we know what is suggested that they know each year.  We will be adding those as well.  I'll share more about that in the next few days.  I'll also work on a calendar to share with you that has our theme's each week like I told you.  And you are welcome to come over and chat anytime!  I'll send you ideas as I get them and I'd love to hear any you have as well!

We will be introducing 3 sight words each week.  I'll send you a list of the words later!

 

Here is one of many sites with a list of site words.  Melissa gave me a printed list and without matching exactly, this list of the first 110 Dolch Words looks like the list she gave me.  We plan on introducing 3 words per week.  I will hang them on my "morning/calendar board" and tell him the word and use them in a sentence, etc.  Then I will have a place to display all of the words after we learn them, so they are always up for him to see.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/dolch/

First 110 Dolch Words  (You can print the list using this link)
Print a chart of the first 110 Dolch words. You can use this chart to check off the words you know or to review the words. Words: a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for, funny, go, help, here, I, in, is, it, jump, little, look, make, me, my, not, one, play, red, run, said, see, the, three, to, two, up, we, where, yellow, you, all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came, did, do, eat, four, get, good, have, he, into, like, must, new, no, now, on, our, out, please, pretty, ran, ride, saw, say, she, so, soon, that, there, they, this, too, under, want, was, well, went, what, white, who, will, with, yes, after, again, an, any, as, ask, by, could, every, fly, from, give, giving, had, has, her, him, his.

That's a start.  I am working on a calendar to send to you.  I just realized the time and need to get ready to take the kids to their first movie in a theater!  Planes.  So excited!

 

Hi Friends!

I put together a calendar to share, so that if anyone wants to join us for field trips we can study the same themes those weeks.  Also to share ideas that we will be doing throughout the year.  For now, there isn't much detail.  I will add specific ideas and share where I got them as we go.  You can click on each "subject" for details.  The first week I have added notes in and will add more as we go.  I'd love to hear any ideas you have too!  And if anyone else you know would like to see the calendar I'm happy to share.  Just send me their email address and I will add them.  

I will be teaching Tuesdays and Thursdays and we are doing a co-op on Fridays. 

Every school day we will do Calendar time, Bible memory verse, Letter of the Week/Handwriting, Reading, Science/Social Studies, and Math.  

Tuesdays: Sight Words and either Art or PE

Thursdays: Chunk Words and either Music or Theatre (Here's an example for chunk words. A word that ends with "ap" clap, map, etc. I'll make an index card with "ap" and then a few cards with letters to add at the front to create words.)

Field Trips are not scheduled yet.  I just put them in on a random day, so I wouldn't forget to plan it if it works into our schedule that week.

I'm sure things will change often and am ready for that.  I will edit as we go.  

 

Here is a great website for fun science projects.  Most of it is super simple and you may think, "Why didn't I think of this?"  Great ideas and mostly items you have in your house!  

http://www.playcreateexplore.org/p/activites-for-ages-1-3.html

A couple that we have loved are Cloud Dough (Use lavendar baby oil!  Smells delicious!) and the Baking Soda and Vinegar mixtures (my sister has a daughter and they love making "potions" with glitter and food coloring in fun pretty glass vases).

http://www.playcreateexplore.org/2012/01/cloud-dough-is-awesome.html

http://www.playcreateexplore.org/2012/05/colored-vinegar-and-baking-soda.html

I just saw toothpicks and marshmallows!  I loved doing this when I was little!  Total flashback.  Now I want to do this and it's summer.  haha

http://www.playcreateexplore.org/2012/02/toothpicks-and-marshmallows.html

I'm also loving these letter games.  I can't wait to try them out!

http://www.playcreateexplore.org/2012/10/learning-games-with-laminated-alphabet.html

Sight Words

Here is a list of the Pre-primer (preschool) Dolch Sight Words.  I am pretty sure we thought there were 100 words, but it looks like there are only 40.  We had planned on introducing 3 per week, but maybe we will do less.  Maybe 2 a week and then review or start over mid-year.  I'll let you know what we decide.  And no particular order.  We will probably start with words our kids hear often or relate to most (me, and).  

http://www.havefunteaching.com/tools/word-lists/dolch-sight-word-lists.pdf

Math

Here is what is suggested to learn for preschool math.  For each subject I will add our ideas in the details as we go.  For the first week, we are focusing on counting objects 1-10.  We will use 3 different sets of objects to count (beans, pasta, cars, etc.).  The second week we will count objects 1-15.  A friend suggested using an egg carton to count objects (up to 12 anyway).  Week 3 we will count 1-20.  That at least gives you a starting idea.

Count 1-20

Count objects

Order (What comes before/after)

More/less

Adding and taking away objects in a set

Repeating pattern ABC

Attributes

Measurement (length (long/short), weight (heavy/light, size (big/small), and distance (near/far)

Basic Shapes (squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles)

Suggested science/social studies skills for preschool.

Emotions (happy, sad, angry, afraid, frustrated, lonely, bored) Do we really need to teach them what bored is already?  I'm skipping this skill.

Complete tasks

Participation

Objects in motion (fast/slow, push/pull, kick, roll)

5 senses

Animal habitats

Living objects (alive/not alive)

Mothers/Babies matching