Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Classical Conversations Week 9 - Tutoring

Review Game: "Sticky Hands"

This game is so simple.  My class really liked this one---it got a lot of laughs.  More importantly, it got a lot of answered review questions.  Kudos to Traci at http://motherofchina.blogspot.com/ for sharing this idea last year.  It's a keeper!

-This game is kind of like 'fishing'.  The sticky hand is the 'fishing pole'.  Whatever, cards the sticky hand picks up---are the cards the student answers.
- I used the CC Memory Master flashcards.  I spread them on the ground and they got to see how many their sticky hand picked up.
- I bought the sticky hands at Target in the party supplies aisle.  I found them in the $1-$2 goodie bag toys area. 

Sis helping me practice this review game at home.



New Grammar:

Geography:  We located and labeled areas for Eastern Asia.  I also showed them visual clues to remember some of the Continents and also China.  They took turns coming up to the big map and pointing to different locations.  I'll have to post this printable soon.  I need to consolidate them to one sheet first.  If you are interested---leave me a message.

Timeline: I showed the timeline cards and explained hand motions for the new timeline grammar.  We I used the hand motions from C3 (Classical Learning Center) main page: https://www.classicalconversations.com/foundations-classical-learning-center     One of their favorite motions this week was Benedict and Monasticism (a monk robe).

History:  We learned the history sentence about the Confucius and Taoism by doing hand motions.  I also shared to scriptures with them about having ‘no other god’s’ and also that Jesus is ‘the way, the truth and the life..’.  

English Grammar: We learned the next set of the prepositions using hand motions.  The class really likes to do these motions.  I am using the motions found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj08_kRNOuY .  

Math: I have been having the students find a number on the skip counting chart to help them with number recognition. ( I have mostly First graders.) We then sang the tune for the 15’s.  You can find the skipping counting posters here: http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2012/01/skip-counting-charts-updated  I like how it visually shows the ‘skipping’ of numbers.  

Latin: I showed them the Latin pronunciation chart to help sound out the Latin noun endings.  The one I used can be found on C3:  C1 Latin Noun Declensions Picture Pronunciation Gu.pdf* Picture keywords to help students correctly pronounce the Latin Noun Endings* NoGreaterJoy5

Science: We recited the science sentence on parts of a plant.  This was a fun and simple one as the class got to pretend to be these parts.

Science Lab:

 We went on a nature walk.  Boy, did they ever have fun doing this.  I think their little eyes are pretty astute on finding critters and interesting things.  I used brown lunch bags and glued a checklist of things to find.  (I found this checklist on C3)  I also had colored pencils, clipboards and a lab sheet ready at the end of our walk.  The students were then able to draw and tape down things they found---that were not animals;)

Tin Whistle:

We discussed rhythm.  We learned a hand rhyme to remember the whole, half and quarter notes. This was pretty fun and I know we'll review this again and again.   The children then identified which of those notes were in ‘Mary had a little lamb’.   I also used the Rhythm Pizza printouts that are found here: http://susanparadis.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/rhythmn-pizza-on-foam-board/

We also went over some conducting prompts to help them know when to start playing.  I clap and then say ‘1, 2, ready and’.  That is our cue to start playing.  The class surprised us all by playing the song pretty well the first time.  I have found that my little ones can remember the song easier by learning which finger hole to cover.    (Mary had a little lamb Finger code: 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2)

Linking up to:
Half a Hundred Acre Wood CC Weekly Link Up - Wk 9

Classical Conversations Week 9 - At Home

School Week 13 CC Week 9

 We are reading and learning a little more about China this week. The History sentence and Geography locations centered around China so that is what we are focusing on. Here is a little of what we're reading and also a great unit study found on Homeschool Share.
We read 'Daisy Comes Home' last week and this week we read (re-read for Bud) 'The Story About Ping'


Sis and Lil Bear got to work on Tangrams as a part of Saxon K.  Bud wanted in on this, too.

Covering the shapes
I'm so proud of her! 
.....and so proud of this little guy!
more tangram shapes

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a bird or what??

Working on calendar and also showing his 'gospel beads'.  These are kind of like 'gospel fuzzies' for those that have heard of those.

Sis showing her bead wristband and working on calendar with some incentives (Tic Tacs) in the mix.
The trio busy learning and having fun!

Bud got a chance to copy and learn some Chinese words/characters. 
Chinese calligraphy printable found here: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/chinese_character_cards.htm

He loved trying to copy these. 



We got a chance to discuss how these characters only used straight, angled or curved lines.   So, that was a nice OILS tie in.

Chinese calligraphy by Bud

Before lunch, Bud found some Space books from last year.  So of course, he pulled them out and wanted to read them.  Little Bear, of course, wanted to be just like big brother.



We are back to using A Reason for Handwriting.  For Bud, the best part about this is picking out a border page and getting to choose who to give it to.  When it comes to handwriting, I'll go with whatever motivates him.



Everyone getting ready for Daddy to get home.  We heard this quote over the summer, "You get what you INSPECT, not what you EXPECT."  Sooo, he started inspecting a few areas when he gets home.  Two of those being school areas and school work.

Linked up to:
http://www.halfahundredacrewood.com/2012/07/classical-conversations-cycle-1-week-9.html

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Classical Conversations Cycle 1 Literature Selections until the Christmas Break

During the summer break I posted a list of books that have some connection to what we would be studying in Classical Conversations the previous week.  At the time, I was not even sure we would use it.  But, now 10 weeks or so into school I can safely say that we are going this route.  I had grand plans of something different before the school year started.  However, it just makes so much more sense to do as many subjects combined as possible AND to try and match things up to integrate well with the CC memory work.  I was trying to follow Memoria Press' 1st grade literature and also MFW K literature focus.  But, what I was noticing was that the books that really 'stuck' were the ones that had a great tie-in activity or a 'seek and find' memory work element to it.  Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman was the first one back in week 3 for Greek/Roman gods.  The kids got to play detective and figure out which Greek god statue was in the museum in the book.

All that to say---here is my book list from now until the Christmas Break.



week 7
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky- Connection: reproduction: eggs (Science)

week 8
Daisy Comes Home by Jan Brett - Connection: China (Geography)
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen - Connection: owl pellet dissection (Science lab) and conifers (Science)

week 9  
Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack - Connection: China (History/Geography)
Down, Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle - Connection: parts of plants (Science)

week 10 
 A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno - Connection: Japan (History/Geography)
 Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney - Connection: Parts of a flower (Science Lab)

week 11
The Crusades: Knights and Castles - Connection: History and Timeline 
Knights in Shining Armor by Gail Gibbons
Brave Young Knight by Karen Kingsbury
The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop

week 12
The Mystery Bottle by Kristen Balouche– Connection – Middle East (History)
Ali: Child of the Dessert by Jonathan London - Connection - Islam (History/ Geography)

Friday, August 10, 2012

Our Toddler Nursery Rhyme activities matched up with MFW K

Toddler Nursery Rhyme Extensions for MFW K

Sun:
Rhyme: Itsy, Bitsy Spider (out came the SUN)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        Make play dough (black) spiders with pipe cleaners and google-y eyes…need black playdough
·        construction paper/cardstock, glue and popsicle stick or straw/ paint stick

Moon:
Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle (cow jumped over the MOON)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        2 paper plates, staples, big and small googly eyes, glue, colors, printables
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
·        Tape, straws/popsicle sticks, colors

Leaf:
Rhymes: Mary had a little lamb (lamb-L)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        Cotton balls, colors or markers, construction paper or glue
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
·        Tape, straws/popsicle sticks, colors
 

Apples:
Rhymes: A tisket A tasket
Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        construction paper, pocket template, envelope, paper to make letter
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets


Nests:
Rhymes: Jack Be Nimble (N-nimble)
Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        coffee filters, markers: orange, red, yellow, water bottle, tp roll, paper plate tape
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
·        put together craft and practice jumping over candlestick like Jack

Turtle:
Rhymes: I’m a little teapaot (T-teapot)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
·        Learn song and do motions, take pic and put in binder

 

Us:
Rhymes: Little Jack Horner (senses: tasting, touching, feeling)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
Make a playdough pie and take picture to put in folder
·        Purple playdough, yellow playdough
·        Make circles and learn to roll a ball for ‘plums’
·        Learn to roll yellow playdough flat as a sheet
·        Crimp like a pie

Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets

Dinosaur:
Rhymes: Hickory Dickory Dock (Dickory Dock –D)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets

Octopus:
Rhymes: One Two Buckle My Shoe (one –O)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        Garden gloves
·        Felt pieces (red, white or yellow or brown, black or brown)
·        Hot glue
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
Learn and do hand motions or use glove puppet

Water:
Rhymes: Jack and Jill (to fetch a pail of water)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        Dixie cup, hole punch, pipe cleaner, paint
·        Water tub items
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
 
Insects:
Rhymes: The Ants Go Marching (ants- insect)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        For thumbprint ants: stamp pad, pen
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
·        Sing song and march and make ant carton ‘puppets’

Goat:
Rhymes: Here we go ‘round the mulberry (go - G)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·        Wash tub outside with mini felt clothes and then line dry them
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets
Sing song and do motions
 

Cow
Rhymes: Little Boy Blue (cow in the corn)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets

Horses
Rhymes: Humpty Dumpty (all the King’s HORSES)

Read, Recite and Find the Letter:
Coloring Page:
Arts and Crafts:
·         
Actions/Activities: hand motions and puppets


 * The following will be updated after Christmas break*

Elephants:
Rhymes: Elsie Marley (Elsie – E)
Penguins:
Rhymes: Pease Porridge Hot (Pease – P)
Kangaroo:
Rhymes: Jack Be Nimble (jumping)
Zebra:
Rhymes: Baa Baa Black Sheep (black)
Rock:
Rhyme: Ride a cockhorse to banbury cross (Ride – R)
Jewel:
Rhyme: Hush Little Baby (diamond ring – jewel)
Butterfly:
Rhymes: Little Bo Peep (Bo- B)
Frog:
Rhymes: Make new friends (friends –F)
Fox:
Rhyme: X,Y and Tumbledown Z
Vegetables:
Rhymes: Vickery, Mintery Cutery Corn
Quail:
Rhyme: Queen of Hearts (Queen – Q)
Yellow:
Rhyme: Yankee Doodle


Thirty Days hath September
Mary had a little lamb

















Curriculum Plans 2012 - 2013


Our new school year starts on Monday. (Hip hip hooray!)  The following lists our carefully thought out, over researched, and much discussed curriculum plans for the new year:

Together
Circle Time
Family Time Fitness (Dad)
Classical Conversations
 


Toddler

Together:
With Mom:
With Pre-K’er: (He won’t HAVE to do these activities, but he will be included according to his attention span.)
o 
Pre-Kindergarten
o   
          Other:

First Grade

-        Reading: Memoria Press Storytime Treasures and More Storytime Treasures
-        Spelling: All About Spelling
o   Complete level 1 and begin on level 2
-        Handwriting: Memoria Press New American Cursive
-        Grammar, Poetry, Narration: First Language Lessons
-        Literature: Memoria Press
-        Copywork: Memoria Press
  • ClassicalConverations: Weekly Presentations, Science Experiments, Fine Arts, Memory Work: Timeline, History, English Grammar, Latin, Math, Scienc, Geography
-        CC online for review
o   History: using History Highlights from c3, hands on history group with friends, and book basket list
Other:
-         Ranger Kids
-        Co-op activities
-        Draw Write Now class
-        T-Ball (Fall)
-        Hands on History class
-        Junior Bible Quiz
-        Piano 


Linking up to: Preschool Corner and  Not Back to School Blog Hop