(Week 23): Adventures Week 19 - Ohio

State Studies:

We learned about Ohio this week. Treyton has known this state for a while, but he does still get it confused at times with both Indiana and Kentucky. This week we really worked on learning it’s location and I think he got it!!

Treyton loves all things football (and I mean LOVES), so whenever we introduce a new state he asks if they have a football team. Ohio has two, one that Treyton likes and one that he doesn’t, so that was pretty exciting for him. 

Tim remembered this cute illustrated story he was taught when he was a kid – something about a rabbit hiding in a log, and trying to find it by chopping the log.

He told it to the kids this week, Treyton thought it was pretty interesting.

Reading List:

In addition to our My Father’s World Studies, we also rowed the book “Lentil” by Robert McCloskey this week, it felt good to row a book again! You can read about it here. (POST TO BE ADDED)

Some other read-alouds we enjoyed were:

• Aurora Means Dawn by Scott Russell Sanders
• The Floating House by Scott Russell Sanders
• B is for Buckeye by Marcia Schonberg
• Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder 
  • We are a little behind in this book according to the teacher’s manual but we’re slowly getting through it and enjoying it, which is our priority.
• Magic Tree House #2 The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne
  • Treyton is onto the second book in the series… and still loving them.

New England Primer

We learned about what Pioneer schools were like in the 1800s and how they used the New England Primer to learn how to read. We made our own one to use and look at.  

Math: Money

In Singapore 1B, Treyton is learning how to add coins and dollars. We’ve worked on this before, and he didn’t really pick up on it, but this time he seems to be getting it. He is amazing at adding the coins together in his head – seriously, the kid is really good at mental math!!

Phonics: Compound Words & Syllable Segmenting

The last couple of weeks in his reading, I’ve been noticing him struggle with some simple compound words, and syllable segmenting. So we took some time this week to play a few games and focus on these phonics skills.

Coincidently, in his All About Spelling, we also focused on this, it was really nice that we were coming at it from both directions – both reading and spelling, I think it helped him to see the “whole picture”.

We will be focusing on this over the next several weeks, using some different printables and games I’ve found (check at the bottom of the post)

Bible:

My friend Jessica recommend an on-line game called Makaziville, that we started playing this week. Treyton loved it, but I think I loved it even more!! In this game your child “travels to Tanzania” as a missionary to build a village and to translate the Bible for the natives. This game includes daily devotions and challenges to earn coins to help build the village. I highly recommend it!!

Treyton was asking again this week about why a Bible is such a big book. Last year in MFW first grade we did this activity, but I decided to do it again. I asked Treyton how many books are in the Bible – he knew “It’s 66!” We took out 66 story books to illustrate just how many that actually is.

The kids continue to work on learning the Books of the Bible for AWANA. I have them watch it on YouTube during our daily board time, and it has really helped them. Treyton is up to Nehemiah of the Old Testament, and knows the entire New Testament.

Farmer Boy: Potato Plant

A few weeks ago, Treyton planted a potato planted, he continues to water it and take great care of it, including rotate it every day for it to get proper sunlight from our little window. It’s doing well. This week we added some dirt around the roots to help make them stronger.

Learning our Zip Code

Treyton has known our address for a while, but he hasn’t known our zip code, this week we started working on memorizing it – he learned it on the first day, I don’t know why I waited so long. :)

 

I-Pad App

I downloaded a new app this week called Jetpack it has games for both reading and math. Treyton worked on addition and subtraction facts this week using this game.

Helpful Links for Compounds and Syllable Segmenting Lessons:

Compound Words: Ice Cream Cones (from First Grade Teachers)

Syllable Split Game at Fun 4 the Brain

Syllable Printables and Games – Curriculum from FCRR

Compound Word Video and Game at Spelling City

Syllable Segmenting at Spelling City 

Letter Mm: Mice and M&Ms

This week Alexa learned about the Letter Mm. She continues to delight and amaze me with her eagerness to and ease of learning.

Read-Alouds:

• Curious George by H.A. Rey
• The Traveling Musicians
• It’s a Mice Day
• 8 Silly Monkeys

Our core remains the Explode the Code workbook which Alexa BEGS to do!! She loves it!

We worked on Confessions of a Homeschoolers M printables throughout the week for both Monkeys and M&Ms.

(Play-doh Mat)

(Audrey’s Contribution :))

(Circle the letter Ms)

(Learning to Write the Letter Mm)

(M is for Monkey Puzzle)

M says /m/ Cut-Out Page from Homeschool Creations

Mouse Paper Craft from DLTK

“No More Monkey’s Jumping on the Bed” Rhyme and Cut-Outs

(Alexa saying “No More Monkeys!!”)

Geography: Finding Wisconsin on the Map

Treyton is taking a personal responsibility in teaching Alexa her states, he’s decided that the next state, after Wisconsin that she should learn should be Maine…. we’ll see how easily she picks it up :)

Build the Letter M with Cuisenaire Rods

 

Math: Numbers 1-20 in order

  (Under Construction File Folder Game)

Reading with Treyton

I-Pad Games

Alexa loves to play games on the I-Pad, most all of the games that we have are educational. This week I downloaded ABCs of God, which Alexa has thoroughly enjoyed. (I think it was $2.99) and I highly recommend it.

Writing her Letters

Alexa loves writing the letters that she learns. It is the hardest thing that she learns throughout the week, and often times when I first introduce the letter to her, she gets a little flustered, but by the end of the week she gets it and it’s worth the extra work for her. So far she has learned the letters in her name and b, f, and m. She will often times, trace them in the air for her Dad and I, as well as on the table. We’re so proud of her!

M&M Fun: Color Sorting and Patterns

 

 

Tot School – Fun for Audrey

Mom’s Favorite:

I love how much fun we’re having with school. It takes some time to plan it all and get it ready, but it’s totally worth it when I can see this face as she’s learning!!

TOS Review: Kinderbach

Kinderbach is a video session program that uses fun characters to teach children how to play the piano, they offer their videos online, on DVD or even vieweable on your IPad. Kinderbach is set up into weekly lessons with 4 sessions per week, that your child can go through at his or her own pace. The sessions are kept relatively short (10 minutes or less most of the time). They use fun characters to introduce notes and musical concepts, and promote active participation (like clapping along or moving around) from the viewer.

In addition to the video sessions there are printable books and that some weeks have coloring pages, worksheets or games to go along with them. Obviously having such a multi-sensory approach is crucial to teaching piano skills and helping the child retain what he is taught. Kinderbach is a creative and inexpensive way to expose your child to piano and learning musical skills, recommended for ages 2-7.

According to Kinderbach’s website “The best time to learn a language or to begin playing a musical instrument is 3 - 6 years of age.”

We enjoyed playing around with this program and learning in the process!!

To Purchase:

To try a free trial go here to sign up

Monthly Online Option: $19.99
Yearly Online Option: $95.88
Single-level DVD: $40.45
DVD bundle options available as well

Kinderbach offers a NO RISK 30 Day Money Back Guarantee! Which makes trying their product out much easier.

To See What Others are Saying Visit the TOS Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary access to the video sessions as part of my involvement with the TOS Crew the opinions expressed are my own.

(Week 22): Adventures Week 18

State Studies: Tennessee

We reviewed all of our states up to this point. Alexa is working, simply on identifying and placing where Wisconsin is on the map, while Treyton is reviewing most of the states that he’s learned this year and last.

We added in Tennessee this week. Treyton already knew Tennessee which was nice, while he’s still mastering the older ones.

Eli Whitney: We also learned about Eli Whitney this week.

We placed him on our timeline, I never realized that Eli Whitney lived in/near the time of the Revolutionary war.

Coincidently, a few weeks ago my mom had given me a cotton blossom from my Grandma’s things. It was fully intact, and had seeds in it, which the kids were able to identify easily. 

Because I didn’t want to destroy my own cotton blossom, we went ahead and made our own cotton with cotton swabs and tiny pieces of paper. Treyton loved the challenge of removing the “seeds”, and was really excited about his pile of seeds Alexa however was not as big of a fan… except the cutting the paper part :)

Treyton made a notebooking page for Eli Whitney. All week, the most important thing Treyton thought Eli Whitney did was make nails. :) I kept telling him it was the cotton gin that made us know who Eli Whitney was, but I’m not sure if he ever really got it. ;)

Alexa made one, too – I obviously wrote her narration, and she drew a picture of Whitney.

Read-Alouds:

• “A Band of Angels” by Deborah Hopkins
• “The Inventions of Eli Whitney: by Holly Cefrey

Reading:

Treyton read “Daniel’s Duck” this week on his own. He really enjoyed it, and even told Tim what the book was about. He also read “Eat” – a book about different types of animals and bugs eating styles and strange diets.

Treyton is becoming a more confident reader every week, he has always loved reading to Alexa, but I am noticing him doing it more and more…. not much warms my heart more :)

Math: Subtraction to 100

Treyton strengthened his subtraction skills this week, while working on subtraction up to 100. He was not really understanding my explanation of subtraction on his own, but once he started writing the problems himself he really seemed to “get it” and just took off with it. I am really proud of him and his efforts to understand math so well.