I am a Christian and a wife and mother of three trying to live out God's purpose for my life. Our homeschooling journey was not a typical beginning. My husband and I had attended public school and had planned for our children to attend there as well. My oldest had attended a pre-k program at a Christian school to get him ready. It had been a bumpy start but he finally settled down and got used to it. When time came to tour the elementary school that our son was zoned for (which was known to be the best one in the county) we decided it wasn't for us. I was floored at what they had planned on teaching them in kindergarten and the learning environment was not inviting. We therefore decided to leave him at the private Christian school he was at and that is where he stayed until 3rd grade. By that time my middle child was ready for pre-k and I signed him up that year as well. Things went pretty well for him but my oldest through the years was bored and didn't want to go. He almost always got perfect scores and never studied. I tried talking with the teachers and they said there was nothing they could do until he got into the upper grades just to be happy that he was bright and "didn't need help." I was tired of paying big bucks for my son to sit and not be challenged so that is the year I took the plunge and pulled him out. It has been a learning road and I have spent many hours studying and learning what is best for my children. Everyone has a story and what works for their family. This blog is what has worked for mine. I hope that what I write will help others who are beginning or those who are always looking for things to help deepen their children's learning. Blessings!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Example Toddler Schedule


Tot School Week:  7
Theme:  Moon & Stars                   Book of the Week:  Goodnight Moon 

Latin:  review – moon/luna, stars/stella, sky-caelum    Phonics:  Days 12-15 (OPGT Reading)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Bible/Memory verse:
Revisit creation Gen. 1:14-19
Jacob’s Lie Gen. 27:  1-45
Jacob’s Lie Gen. 27:  1-45
Jacob’s Dream Gen. 28:10-22
Jacob’s Dream Gen. 28:10-22
Proverbs 20:11
Proverbs 20:11
Proverbs 20:11
Proverbs 20:11
Proverbs 20:11
Language/Song:
Make up day
Vocabulary –sticky note new things p.32
Vocabulary p. 32 renaming new things
Speaking in sentences p. 33
Speaking in Sentences p. 33
Winnie the Pooh   ch. 6
Winnie the Pooh   ch. 7
Goldilocks 3 bears & W the Pooh ch. 8
Winnie the Pooh   ch. 9
Goldilocks & Pooh ch. 10
Review
Lesson 12 Letter J
Lesson 13 Letter K
Lesson 14 Letter L
Lesson 15 Letter M
Song – ABC Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
NR- Hey Diddle
Song – ABC Twinkle Twinkle Little Star NR- Hey Diddle
Song – ABC Twinkle Twinkle Little Star NR- Hey Diddle
Song – ABC Twinkle Twinkle  NR- Hey Diddle
Song – ABC Twinkle Twinkle NR- Hey Diddle
Math:
Balloon coloring book – review colors
Before and after pg. 32
Before and after pg. 32
Goodnight Moon memory game
Goodnight Moon memory game
Counting
Counting
Circle wheel  paste
Counting
Counting
Sensory/Art/Craft:
Make oatmeal “mush” breakfast


Paint black sky and put stickers on
Hey Diddle match pasting
Practice writing name
Practice writing name
Practice writing name
Practice writing name
Practice writing
name
About 3 book pg. 16
Kumon –cut pg.
About 3 book pg. 17
Kumon – sticker pg.
About 3 book pg. 18





Practical Life/Virtue:
Make up day
Dependability discussion
Read story on loyalty Virtue book
Discuss taking care of eyes pg. 33
Read Paul Showers Look at Your Eyes
Science: 
Discuss animals in the book
Moon- make moon wheel discuss phase
Moon – review wheel and read books
Star-read books listed below
Star- at night find  & moon & read books

Books to Read with Theme:

·         Look at Your Eyes – Paul Showers
·         The Moon  - Bredeson
·         Goodnight Moon – read along
·         I Took the Moon for a Walk – Curtis & Jay
·         The Moon –Landau
·         First Big Book of Space- National Geographic
·         The Moon Book- Gibbons
·         Circles-Lorbiecki
·         Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Toddler Favorite Books 2012-13




Title
Author
Genre
Notes
Jesse Bear What Will You Wear?
Carlstrom
Fiction

Yellow Ball
Bang
Fiction

Ask Mr. Bear
Flack
Fiction
Loved this book!!  Recited and learned a lot
Blueberries for Sal
McCloskey
Fiction
Didn't like at first but 2nd time liked it
Goodnight Moon
Brown
Fiction
Read a lot when little then introduced again
How do I Put it on?
Fiction
Loved this book!!  Recited and learned a lot
What's Opposite?
Swinburne
Fiction

When We Were Very Young
A.A. Milne
Fiction
Learned and quote many
Duck in the Truck
Shaw
Fiction

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
Seuss
Fiction
Early love
One Duck Stuck
Root
Fiction

Policeman Small
Lenski
Fiction

Duck and Goose Books
Tad
Fiction

Spot can Count
Hill
Fiction

Little Quack & series
Thompson
Fiction

Dear Zoo
Campbell
Fiction

I Love Trucks
Sturges
Fiction
Memorized this one :)
My Car
Barton
Fiction
Loved this one!
The Cow Who Clucked
Fleming
Fiction

There's an Alligator Under My Bed
Mayer
Fiction
A must memorized and adored!
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Martin
Fiction

Big Cats Small Cats
Rubinger
Fiction
Not sure why he loved it so but he did!
Big Bear Small Bear
Fiction
Memorized this one :)
Wheels
Cobbe
Fiction
Memorized this one :)
Hot Dog
Coxe
Fiction
Memorized this one :)
A First Book of Fairy Tales
Hoffman
Fiction

Just a Little Sick
Mayer
Fiction

Just a Thunderstorm
Mayer
Fiction

Pete the Cat
Litwin
Fiction
Loved this so much!
Have you Seen My Cat
Carle
Fiction

Tick Tock Clock
Cuyler
Fiction
memorized a lot of this one!
The Alphabet Book
Eastman
Fiction

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way
Schertle
Fiction

Caillou Puts Away His Toys
Fiction
Loved Caillou books :)
I Know Shapes Weekly Reader

Fiction

Tugga Tugga Tugboat
Lewis
Fiction

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo
Lewis
Fiction
memorized a lot of this one!
Goodnight Construction Site
Rinker & Lichtenheld
Fiction

Bible for Me
Holmes
Nonfiction

Bedtime for Baby Bop
Cooner
Fiction

Twilight Verses, Moonlight Rhymes
Joslin
Fiction

Bedtime for Frances
Hoban
Fiction

Thomas and the Shooting Star
Awdry
Fiction

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
Alexander
Fiction

What Your Preschooler needs to know
Hirsch
Both
Really loved all that was in this one!
My Thank You Book
Landis
Fiction

Let's Discover
Null
Fiction

God Gives us Color
See
Fiction

Trashy Town
Zimmerman
Fiction

Freight Train
Crews
Fiction
Memorized early - great for colors
A Boy to Help
Zimmerman
Fiction

Lots of Feelings
Rotner
Fiction
Memorized the whole thing!