Brilliant!

Kids are brilliant. 

At times their ingenuity astonishes me.

Like the other day, when, as I was cleaning up from their coloring project, I stumbled upon this...

What is it?

Why... a carefully rigged dual tone colored pencil, of course.  Lovingly designed by my 3 year old; [who by the way, has never used a double sided colored pencil.] then constructed by my 5 year old with a little tape and a bit of precision.  

I love those moments!

And while these Rose Art pencils may be slightly sturdier, and perhaps cosmetically appealing...

…I truly admire the great creativity behind my children’s home-made version.  

Curriculum Recycling Project

My mom recently purchased this work book for my 2 year old.

The assignment on the pages we completed yesterday was to circle the items of a specific color from each line.  This photo was from the "blue" and "green" pages. 

The work didn't take long for her to complete...and as I was admiring the cute illustrations, I had an idea.  I could cut out the images and we could continue learning with them.

So, here is what I did:

First, I cut the pictures out. 

This was sort of a long process, because I wanted to cut as many images as I could, but the pages are two sided.  Some of the pictures were repeated on several pages, and I only needed one of each.  So after spending too much time organizing and arranging and evaluating where to cut, I finally managed to extract all the illustrations I wanted from the book. 

I happened to have several empty cereal boxes on hand. 

I used these to attach my paper illustrations to, in order to make them more durable and also because the paper was printed on both sides. I wanted a plain back, so that my kids would not be confused or distracted by the images on the reverse side.

So I cut along the folds of the boxes and then glued my pictures to the printed side of my box. 

First I applied the glue to the cut-out images, but I later found it easier to spread a thin layer of glue across the cereal box board, working in small sections at a time, and then carefully laying my pictures down. 

I found that I needed to smooth them out once or twice while the glue was still wet in order for them to adhere without bubbling.

Once my images were in place and the glue had dried, I covered the pictures with clear packing tape to protect the surface. 

Then I cut each picture out.

Ta-da!

I store them in a plain ziplock bag, which goes in a shoebox I also keep my daughter's shapes and ABC's in.  That way I can store her learning activities all together.

So far, we have sorted them by color...

...and by kind.  [Which picture doesn't belong in the group?  Why?]

I also want to use them to group beginning and ending sounds...

[pig...pants...pansy]

...and for my older child to practice spelling.  He can write each word in a notebook and then check his spelling on the back of each illustration.

But so far, they have received the most use during playtime!  *smile*

Home

From this morning's reading from
"The Journey" [Katie's Uganda blog]:

"no matter where i am, i am always cradled in God's arms, and there i am home."

[image from The Journey]

After we finished the post, I asked my son, "Where is Katie's home?"

"In Uganda."  He answered.

"Yes.  She lives in Uganda."  I replied.  Then told him that I would read the end again and asked him to listen and try to figure out where Katie says her home is.

This we repeated over quite a few times.  His answers varied each time.  We talked about where she was born.  He suggested that maybe she likes to travel all over the world.  I was beginning to give up, wondering if maybe it was a concept he could not yet comprehend.  When I asked the question one final time, he surprised me.  With a smile and glimmer in his eyes he exclaimed, "I think I know!  Katie's home is anywhere."

"Yes!  Good job!  Do you know why Katie says her home is anywhere?"

"Yes, I think I do."  He answered.  "It is because she is cradled in God's arms."

As a homeschooling parent, my joy is doubled when I see my children beginning to understand something I've been trying to teach them in our home education.  Not only do I feel satisfaction and accomplishment as an educator...but also pride and delight as their mother. 

I become especially excited when they are able to reason and figure things out on their own, rather than simply having me tell them.  Sometimes they needs some guidance, and sometimes I do need to explain something.  But those moments when I can almost watch the gears turning in their minds or see the light bulb turn bright through the sparkle in their little eyes - oh those moments are dear to me!

We talked some more about what it means to be "cradled in God's arms".  And then I told him that we too, like Katie, are cradled in God's arms, so wherever we go, God is caring for us, loving us, holding us.

Then I asked him to pray.  And this was his simple prayer:

"Dear Lord, please take care of all the orphan children in Uganda.  Amen."

Amen!

An African Adventure

I have begun reading this blog to my children...mostly to my oldest, but my 2 year old is invited to listen in too.  She usually listens for awhile, and then plays, listens then plays.  [This is also how she likes to eat...nibble, play, nibble, play.] 

A friend of mine sent me the link several weeks ago, and after reading the first year, I decided that this girl's experience was one I would like to share with my family.  I started at the beginning [2007] and I haven't read past the first year, so I can't verify whether it's all kid appropriate or not.  In fact, you will need to decide for yourself as a parent what information to share with your child and what you may want to exclude from your reading and conversations.  [...as with anything] 

For example, in the entries we read yesterday, a man in the village across the river was eaten by a crocodile and Katie intervened during a brutal domestic attack.  These stories were not at all graphic, but the reality of it is intense whether the information is detailed or not.  I opted to read the entirety of the passage with my son.  We paused to talk about each incident and I think he handled the information well.  Had my daughter been listening, I may have chosen to omit those sentences as I read.  But I'm glad I was able to address the issues of death and violence with my son in this straightforward and simple way. 

The blog is not written for children.  I like to read adult literature to my son sometimes because he is presented with new words and challenged to think about the context and surrounding information to figure out the meaning.  We pause often as we read Katie's entries to discuss things like language barriers, what it means to be an orphan, poverty, what does industry mean, what do we use cotton for, what is a gecko, what is transportation and many other questions that arise from her story.  We both really enjoyed discovering these things together!

We spent some time studying our globe together.  We found the USA and discovered where we live.

Then located Africa...

...and then Uganda. 

He pointed out that he already knew where Madagascar was.  Which suprised me, until he explained that Dad had shown him once when they were talking about the movie.  Ah-ha!  :)

Then we learned about continents.  I am always amazed at his incredible memory.  We spent some time studying them in the morning, and when Dad came home around 8:30 in the evening, he could find and name all of them...with a little help remembering how to say "Australia".  Yay!  We used those great free Crayola coloring pages I posted about.  Here is the continents worksheet. 

He also colored the Ugandan flag using the color by number worksheet.

This upcoming year I would like use nations and cultures as the foundation of our studies.  For example, as we are learning about Katie's journey in Uganda, we can learn about the animals that live there [like geckos and crocodiles] or learn about measurements and cooking while we make beans and rice for dinner [African staples] - you get the idea.  It's also been on my heart to pray with my children for people around the world. 

I think there are so many valuable lessons to be learned through these studies beyond academics: a thankful heart for how blessed we are; compassion and concern for those who are in need, the knowledge that God is working throughout the earth and that the world is much bigger than our own lives. 

I'm genuinely looking forward to tomorrow's lessons.

Preschool Play Shapes

As I was struggling to teach my 2 year old shapes and colors last year, I came up with the idea to cut out colored paper shapes so we could play games with them together.  She loves playing with them and our shape games were exactly what she needed to motivate her to learn...
 
Our two most common games we play are sorting games.  Her job is to sort the objects by color or to sort the objects by shape.  To play by colors, I choose one shape and set all of the papers in that shape, [one of each color] out in a semicircle around her.  The remaining shapes are placed in a pile in front of her.  [When we first started playing I held the pile and handed her one shape at a time.]  To play by shapes, I choose one color, and set that color group [one of each shape] in a semicircle or line in front of her.

 

With both games, I began by telling her what each object was, for example, "This shape is RED." or "This is an OVAL shape."  Next she would repeat the object description back to me, "RED" or "OVAL".  Sometimes, I would give a full description of each object, but ask her to repeat back just the color or just the shape. For example, "This is a RED OVAL. What color is this oval?" The answer would be "RED." As she began learning, I stopped announcing the shape or color before each turn and simply ask her what it is.

 

The last part of the game sequence is for her to take the shape and place it in the correct pile, with other shapes/colors that match.  After she grew familiar with the game, I began setting the shapes out for her and then allowing her to sort them on her own.  Once she is finished, I check to make sure she had sorted them correctly and she and I discuss what each pile contains.  For example, "R., what is in the first pile, here? [I will point to the group.]"  She will answer, "RED" or "OVALS".

Another game we play with these shapes is a copying game.  I arrange the shapes into different designs. 

[a house by a tree, with the sun and clouds in the sky and a pond nearby]

[an ice cream cone...with strawberry and blueberry flavored ice cream of course]

[a smiley face]

The first part of this game is to identify the image.  I'm careful to allow her room to be creative as she expresses how she perceives the picture.  For example, if she decided that the blue circle in the first picture was a flower, we would let it be a flower.  I might explain to her that I thought it was a pond, but I'm glad she saw a flower.  Since the designs are pretty "Picasso", there is really no sense in insisting the design be interpreted in one specific way.

Sometimes I create a picture with the shapes, but not always.  A simple rectangle on top of a circle on top of a square provides a similar exercise. 

The goal here is for her to identify the shapes, choose similar shapes and arrange them together to create the design she was given to study. 

Still another game we play with these paper shapes is "Finish the Pattern".  I create a pattern of either shapes...

...or colors.

 And then request that she complete the pattern.  This is also a game I play with my older son, with more complex patterns.

If you have a toddler and enjoy paper crafts, you may want to add this fun and simple project to your "to do" list.  I have really found these simple, colorful shapes to be a valuable tool as I teach my daughter.  They don't take up much space, they are fun for her to play with, they are versatile...and I often use them as an "independent project" like the one I mentioned in my last post. 

Here is a list of what you'll need to make your own:

scissors, paper trimmer [optional, but helpful!], clear packing tape [again, optional...I use this to "laminate" the paper], a cutting system, with circle and oval templates or circle/oval stencils to trace from, a pencil, and various colors of cardstock or construction paper.  

I chose to use black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, white and brown.  You could choose whatever colors you would like. 

Basically, you determine which shapes you would like to make, and what size. 

I used ovals, triangles, squares, rectangles and circles.

If you choose to use the tape to laminate, then you will need to be sure your shapes measure within the width of the tape [or you can just double the width of the tape when you cover the shapes later].  Then, cut out your shapes, at least one each of every color.  It would be fun to have more if you want to take the time to make them. 

You can then play with them as they are, however, they will easily break unless you take another step to protect them.  You could use a laminator, or if you're cheap like me, you can follow these steps. 

First, lay out a strip of tape on a hard flat surface [like a table or countertop] with the sticky part up.  Next, lay your shapes on top of the tape, making certain you leave just a small space between each shape.  [Hint: laying out the same shapes together usually helps to minimize wasted space on the tape.]  Finally, lay a second strip of tape over the top of the shapes, sandwiching them in-between the tape.  Once you've created your shape-tape strip, you can cut the shapes out and throw away the excess tape. 

Now all that's left to do is play!...Um, I mean, learn.  ;)

Interviews With My Kids

Several months ago I read a note that a friend of mine posted on Facebook. It was an interview with her child. I thought it was a great idea, but it took me awhile to finally do it myself.
I gathered a pretty extensive list of questions, so we conducted the “interview” in several sessions. I found some answers to be sweet – others brutally honest, and a few were funny...

After reviewing their answers, I have noticed a few patterns that are interesting with each of my children, and give me a glimpse into how they think and reason. My 5 year old answered most of his questions with either several answers or an explanation along with the answer. My 2 year old answered quickly, and simply. Mostly short, single word responses, or a blunt, “I don’t know.” And when I pressed her to guess, she would become slightly frustrated and just repeat, “I do not know.” My son [the 5 year old] would almost always take a guess without my encouragement. He would start with “I don’t really know,…but maybe” and then give his summary of thoughts. I find these differences interesting.

My son enjoyed the interviews. He was thrilled that I wanted to know about him and was excited to share his answers with me. My daughter was mostly indifferent. She wasn’t thrilled to do it, but she didn’t hate it. It was just what we were doing and as long as I could keep her attention, she was willing to comply. Once it became boring, she quickly checked out.

This was a fun and insightful project for me, and I think they liked it too. I know especially for my son, seeing that I was taking an interest in him, in what he likes and feels and knows, made him feel special and he enjoyed that.

Here is the list of questions I asked the kids.  As you can see, it’s a fairly long list for preschool-age children. You could, of course choose a few you like or come up with your own if you decide to interview your own kids. If you think of others please share them!

I plan to ask theses questions at least once a year and compare their answers. Here are a few of my favorite questions and answers from each of my kids:

From my 2 year old daughter’s interview:

 When is your birthday?
When we have a princess party
 What makes you feel sad?
When I go on the alligator, I was sad when I goed on the alligator [a statue at the zoo over a year ago]
 What do you like to eat?
Peanut butter and jelly
 What food do you not like?
A fuzzy [A fuzzy??? I promise I do not feed my children “fuzzy” food!]
 What is your favorite thing to do?
Play
 What does your Mommy do?
Um, do tricks. [“What kind of tricks?”] Um…backflips. [I do NOT do backflips…or any other “tricks”]
 What does your Mommy say?
“No.” [Sadly, I do say “no” quite frequently.]
 What is the most special thing about Mommy?
She is my favorite. [LOVE!]
 What does your Daddy do? 
Go to work.
 What do you like to do with Daddy?
Play outside, squirt gun [My husband told me that the last time he remembers playing with squirt guns was last summer!]
 What is the most special thing about Daddy?
Oh, Daddy’s have beards.
 How old is Grandma?
She’s two. [I asked several times and Grandma was always two.]
 How old is Grandpa?
I don’t know. [Also asked several times and she never knew.]
 What does Grandma do?
Oh she does some tricks, tricks on the trampoline. [I, for one, am bitterly disappointed that I have missed out on seeing said tricks.]
 What does Grandpa do?
Play video [I’m not sure if I have ever seen my Dad play video games, and only occasionally my husband’s Dad. Is she voicing her opinions on what she thinks we should be doing?]
 How do you make cookies?
I don’t know... Oh you make it with a fridgerator then you make it when it's hot
 What is gravity?
I don’t know what gravity is.
 Where did your sisters/brothers come from?
Um, the doctor place
 Where does electricity come from?
Tricity??? I…I don’t know tricity.
 What is your favorite place?
This home
 What is your favorite Bible story?
Um, Jesus love me
 What is your favorite cereal?
Breakfast
 What is your favorite vegetable?
Peanut butter and jelly
 What is your favorite color?
Red. [I] Mean, no…the very color that’s Lightning that’s have red on him [Lightning McQueen from the movie “Cars”. When you have a big brother, you play with cars and all the dolls are referred to as “guys”.]


From my 5 year old son’s interview:

 When were you born?
I don’t remember, but I know I had a burn. [He did have a burn. One of the hospital staff burned him just before we would have been discharged…a sad story for another day.]
 What is your birthday?
My birthday is fun.
 When is your birthday?  
[Gave the month and day] [Finally…we have successfully communicated!]
 What do you want to be when you grow up?
I don’t know. I think um, maybe I’ll want to sleep and do everything that has to be done and help my kids.
 Where would you like to go on vacation?
On a big hill
 Where do you want to live when you grow up?
At a bigger house
 Who is your Mommy?
My Mommy is you…right there, holding L. [my 6 week old] in your arms.
 What does your Mommy do?
She takes care of the baby and holds the baby and maybe snuggles with me.
 What does your Mommy say?
“R., I really want to snuggle you.” [He explained that this is actually what he wants me to say, not what I say. Apparently, he needs more affection from me.]
 Who is your Daddy?
My Daddy is the one at work, at [named where Daddy works].
 What does your Daddy say?
“Hello, R. I missed you.”
 What do you like to do with Daddy?
Play outside, play video and maybe take turns with playing computer and doing the Toy Story Legos – eating breakfast
 What is the most special thing about Daddy?
That, um, he has fun with me and I love him, that he plays video with me and maybe that he plays outside with me. I don’t remember if he does, but if he does that I know its fun. [So, do you think that maybe, perhaps, it has been too long since Daddy played outside with him?]
 How old is Grandma?
I think she is 40. [He guessed about a decade younger.]
 How old is Grandpa?
Maybe 60 [About a decade older…]
 How old is Mom?
Hmmm…20 [I’m 27. But I'll go with 20. ;) ]
 How old is Dad
30 [He’s 31. Pretty close!]
 What does Grandma do?
Brings things to our house sometimes [“What kind of things?”] Toys for us
 Where do babies come from?
Mommies’ tummies
 Where does electricity come from?
Ground. Maybe it’s from the ground.
 How much does a house cost?
I think it costs one dollar. ["One dollar?"] Maybe three dollars
 How much does a video game cost?
I think it’s 20 or maybe 30. I don’t know how much, but maybe that.
 What is your favorite game?
Video game and games that you can play outside or inside and board games and computer games...and well, all kinds of game, well, not ALL kinds of games and movie games...all kinds of stuff of games [He may not fully comprehend the definition of the word “favorite”.]
 What is your favorite animal?
A cool dragon
 What is your favorite vegetable?
A yummy bean, I think they’re called green beans
 What is your favorite thing to drink?
Juice and milk
 What is your favorite color?
I don’t really even know, but maybe if I get a thing that’s all the colors then I could see what color is my favorite.

I also thought [after I had already asked the questions] that it would be interesting to write down what I thought their answers would be first.  Maybe next time. 

Ok...now go find out about your kids.  I need to go and snuggle with mine.  ;)