Bass Pro Field Trip

Really, it was a trip to get Papa a new fishing rod.  But, since it was technically a school day, we made it educational.  We took our local species cards and headed over to the fish tank.  At Bass Pro, you can see many of the local fish in their central tank.  So, we took out our cards and identified all the fish in the tank.  

It was not easy!  And, it was certainly helpful eating up time while Papa talked about rods to the sales guy, and talked, and talked....

Our Morning Routine

My days are simple, but explaining what I do when and why can be complicated, so I'll break it up.

One way or another, I have to be up at 8AM to get baby up.  She needs to go down for her nap at 10AM, so I can do school.  But, generally, I am comatose in the morning, slurping coffee and whisper-barking at people hush, "It's MORNING, people!"  If I have the presence of mind to go ahead and take my shower when I get out of bed, I tend to be nicer.

By 8:30, we have to get moving.  Which means they move and I drink more coffee.  Have you said hello to Jesus in your heart this morning?  Brushed teeth?  How's your room?  Any laundry to throw in the washer?  Spread up the bed.  Alright, everyone hit the tubs, get dressed.  Now go back and fix the bathrooms you just killed.

By 9:30 I need to be feeding the troops so we can get the dishes unloaded and reloaded.  After that we do some cross-crawling and sing along with School House Rock multiplication.  I know that sounds nuts, but my third grader is an auditory learner and sings his multiplication in the morning. And see THIS article about the cross-crawling.

Hopefully, we head upstairs for school at 10AM.

Coffee and delirium

--------------------------8AM-BABY UP--------------------------

8:30-more sitting, but barking orders from computer

Morning prayer

Brush teeth

Clean room

Straighten bed

Get showered /dressed

Check laundry

Check bathroom and hall

Check living room and kitchen

9:30

Eat and chores

Schoolhouse Rock and Brain Gym

Color: DIY Color Box

I've been trying not to buy Color Box 3 for ages.  I think the layout is SO PRETTY.  But since I couldn't justify it, I made a DIY version with paint samples from Walmart.  I'm not into taking big piles of free stuff from stores, but this time I made an exception, as I will likely laminate and maintain this collection, using it to choose paint over the next hundred years. 

I found that the biggest time investment is FINDING the shades in order.  It was a workout for my eyes!  I don't like the one that I can't cut off the name of the shade without making my card tiny, so I had to hand pick the colors individually.  (I think these are Better Homes and Gardens)  Then I went home and lopped off the name.

I *think* I have EIGHT of each color blue, red, yellow, green, orange, purple.  I have the browns and black but they don't have a place on my color wheel, so we put them to the side.

Since my kids are older, we mix all the cards.  They sort by color and then shade.

First we lay out the primary colors.

Then we add the secondary colors.

Full disclosure, my kids don't LOVE this activity like I do.  But after performing it a few times, I found them lining up all their markers, pencils, and crayons by color and shade and sorting them into containers.

Steriognostic/Math: Cuisenaire Chutes and Ladders

I LOVE this game. The kids quickly learn the cuisenaire values, get great sensory discernment, memorize their math facts, and learn to measure in centimeters with their hands!

It's just chutes and ladders.  The print out you see is from this free book.  You could also use a regular Chutes and Ladders board.

Instead of using a spinner, you draw rods out of the bag.  Yes, that IS a bag for crackers.  My pretty canvas bag hadn't come in the mail yet.

You may have to set a time limit on how long someone gets to root around in the bag looking for a "5" so they can go up the ladder, but I think it's worth it.

In order to master the game, there were several spontaneous "time outs" called by the short folks to line up all the rods by size and practice measuring with eyes closed.  They were worried that I wouldn't like that.  As Margaret Homfrey from Montessori World says, "You see the children doing intelligent things....and the teacher is very pleased."

Art Lessons: Inset Designs

Our Didax plastic insets from amazon are a favorite activity.  All you need is the insets, colored pencils, paper cut to size, and a hard surface.  

There are ten shapes in the series (see below.)

We use the series of lessons found at Montessori world. You can see our progression above.  

1.  One pink inset traced, colored with straight lines, picking up the pencil each time. 

2.  One shape rotated.  

3.  Trace the window, then trace the actual shape and see how close you can get.

4.  Use more than one shape.

5.  Make a symmetrical design and play with color.

6.  Move the stencil over the page evenly to fill the whole sheet.

But, of course, I just show them these lessons each time I set it out.  BUT,  I don't interrupt whatever they decide to do with it.

Carrying: Abacus...Hallelujah!

The first time my daughter and I made it through her math without fighting....

For a creative, math resistant, art-loving kid, I highly recommend a bead frame.  This one was $5 at Tuesday Morning.  To use it on normal math, you first need to do a lot of practice with her on simple addition so she can get used to "exchanging."

Example:  Put 8 on the frame, then add 4 more.  1, 2, exchange, 3, 4.  you should have one blue bead and six yellow.  

Do that until she can start bringing you the answer in another room.  "Go add 15 plus 7 and come back."

We use it for counting money, adding with carrying, skip counting, etc.

GLORIOUS.

Setting Up Centers

For the first fifteen minutes of our school day, I set out all the activities for kids not in the back with me.  I lay out the green mats on the floor of the living room and maybe tie some braiding scarves to the leg of the TV stand.

If I have something that works best in the dark, I put that in the coat closet.

But, the big action area is the table.  I typically set out four to six activities that can survive getting dripped on with ranch.