When we decided that homeschooling was the way we were going to go in 2008, I bought allot of manipulatives, one of these was the Fractions Manipulatives case (I can’t find it on the suppliers website). Because Noo is a tactile and practical child, teaching fractions became a struggle, that is until I remembered that I had bought these 3 years ago. These have made a huge difference in our fraction lessons.
Here is a pic of Noo using the fractions during a lesson.
Part of Noo’s lessons this week included making Vanilla Creams. They flopped, we over mixed it, but had allot of fun making them. Noo did most of the work, I helped a little 🙂
Whipping the egg whites
Adding and mixing in the icing sugar (frosting)
We added a little vanilla essence and green food colouring
Spooning the mixture onto the baking sheet, which was put into the fridge so they could set. They didn’t set, LOL
These were disgustingly sweet, LOL, the kids loved them 🙂
Its been a while since I posted what we have planned for the week ahead, now that I have 3 “officially” schooling every day, I plan our school time together. Obviously Noo’s planning is more intense and he gets allot more time allocated to him, Koko’s is less intense, but we are building him up to having a “full” day of school (about 2 or so hours opposed to the one he currently has) and Fifi’s Tot School is essentially play based education.
Here is our planning for this week. Each child has his/her own planning sheet. I find this much easier doing it this way. I’m a list making, this works really well for us.
Noo
Koko
Fifi
Please click on the icons above to view the curricula we are using for the Little Monsters
Koko and Fifi have officially started doing school together!!! So most of my Tot School and Preschool posts will be all in one from now on 🙂
As part of their schooling together, I downloaded 2 themes, Knights for Koko from Homeschool Creations and 2 Princess Preschool packs/sets from 1+1+1=1 (currently Fifi’s favourite) and Confessions of a Homeschooler (a little more advanced, Fifi isn’t quite ready for this yet).
I made the covers for their workbooks. My kids don’t respond to lapbooks well, I find that they work better, and with less fuss, in workbook format. I think Fifi feels like a big girl with her workbook like her two older brothers 🙂
Koko’s Knight book cover
Koko’s Knight book ready for school – I put all the loose bits into a ziplock bag to prevent them from getting lost.
Fifi’s Princess book cover
Fifi’s Princess book ready for school – I put all the loose bits into a ziplock bag to prevent them from getting lost
Koko and Fifi getting ready for their school time
Koko’s writing practice
Fifi colouring
The end result
Koko dug out a Priddy Dinosours book and insisted that it be part of his school day. So we worked on fine motor control by tracing on the lines. Look at that concentration ♥
Fifi and the picture matching activity. She LOVES this activity and does it over and over again. I need to redirect her attention onto the other activities in the book ♥ She was so chuffed with herself at one stage. Here she is sitting back and surveying her work.
Here she stuck the pictures into the correct box “Is a Princess” and “Not a Princess”. I cut the pictures and put the glue on for her. She did this activity with some help.
The Princess book from 1+1+1=1 comes with a little dice you need to put together. Fifi squashed the first one, lost the second one and now the third one (LOL) is packed away out of her reach until school time. I “Fifi Proofed” it, to prevent her from squashing it by putting a styrofoam block in the centre, glueing the cut out dice template onto the block and then covering it in DC Fix (sticky plastic). Its virtually indestructible now.
Here is the finished dice. The matchbox is there to give you some indication of the size.
While the two Little Monsters are busy with school, Noo is sitting doing his school work ♥
Our current set up will change as our needs change. I may move the two Little Monster’s school time to the afternoon, depending on Noo’s time requirements with me.
After taking an extended break from blogging I’m back with allot of news.
Firstly, I’m pregnant. We found out in early January, Baby Bumble is due on September 14th, but will be born via c-sec probably on August 30th. I have Grade 4 placenta previa, so I’m on bedrest for the duration of my pregnancy. I must say, the bed rest is going better than I expected. I get more rest the days when no-one is here to help me than I do on the days when someone is here, go figure.
Secondly, Noo started Grade 3 in January and is doing really well. We are still using the Clonard Curriculum. He started reading the Beast Quest series and has finished the first book Ferno the Fire Dragon and now we are anxiously awaiting the second book, Sepron the Sea Serpent. I’ve decided that I will be ordering 3 books at a time to make sure the next one is here as he finishes a book in the series, LOL.
Here he is with his first science book completion certificate. He is so proud of himself ♥
Koko has officially started a preschool program, I’ll post more on that a little later. I’ve pooled a whole lot of resources from all over, including the bulk of which is from the 1+1+1=1 Raising Rock Stars Preschool program. The PowerPoint Presentations have made a huge difference in our school day. But more on that in a post yet to come.
“Driving” Daddy’s car before it was taken to the dealership and traded for a bigger car, Renault Grand Scenic, to make space for Baby Bumble ♥
Fifi celebrated her second birthday on February 4th, she is crazy about monkeys and I decided that was the theme we were going to go with, she loved it. She is also fully day time potty trained. She has grown into such a beautiful little girl ♥
The Birthday Girl on her birthday ♥ She had a few friends come over for cake and snacks and got spoilt rotten.
Fifi got the My Pal Violet from Leapfrog. She LOVES her puppy. She won’t sleep without her ♥♥♥
I couldn’t find a monkey themed top for her, so I painted a Monkey’s face on one of her T’s with glitter glue, unfortunately, it washed out, but it was so cute!
A very good friend made her cake (she makes all the children’s birthday cakes), isn’t it gorgeous ♥
Another friend made her cupcakes ♥
Noo is doing very well in school, we officially have 4 weeks left till he finished Grade 2. He is going from strength to strength. I’m a very proud momma
Here are a few pics of him during school
Our classroom pet, Lloyd the Locust. We let him go the very next day as we didn’t have the correct habitat for him and we didn’t want him to suffer while we waiting to get one
1 November 2010 ~ It is called A 22° halo, one type of optical phenomenon, forming a circle 22° around the sun. It forms as sunlight is refracted in hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere As the light beam passes through two sides of the prism forming a 60° angle the angle of minimum deviation is almost 22° This wavelength-dependent variation in refraction causes the inner edge of the circle to be reddish while the outer edge is bluish….
