Thursday, December 31, 2015

Bonus: Place Value Game

I have been really nervous about introducing place values, but my kids loved this game I came up with today. It's heavily colored coordinated, and I thought it might be helpful for others wanting a simple way to introduce the concept of place values.

Instructions:
-Roll a colored die for each numbers place (We added in the hundreds, but you could start with just tens and ones)
-Show the value with base ten blocks (I was so glad our dice matched our base ten blocks)
-Write each number in the correct box: hundreds, tens, ones
-Write the complete number



It also works really well with multiple children. Everyone can take turns or work on each problem together.  My two-year-old rolled the dice. My four-year-old picked out the base ten blocks. Then I counted the blocks with my two-year-old while my four-year-old wrote the numbers.

Do you have any games that help reinforce a math concept?

Monday, December 28, 2015

2015-16 Lessons 13-16




Week 13 (12/7-12/11): Paddington

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Bible
Family
Verse: “God places the lonely in families” Ps. 68:6
Story: Hannah (1 Sam. 1)
Family
Verse: “God places the lonely in families” Ps. 68:6
Story: Moses in a basket (Ex. 2)
Family
Verse: “God places the lonely in families” Ps. 68:6
Story: God adopts us (Rom. 8:15)
English
Read Paddington and learn ‘ing’ sound
Read Paddington, sing alphabet song, and spell “bear”
Read Paddington and do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets
Count bears and/or paws
If there are 24 paws, how many bears are there? If there are 12 ears, how many bears are there?
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs
Rhythm & Theory
Schubert (Look at picture of composer, learn a brief bio, and listen to music)
Science
Put train tracks all around the house and play with trains
Make trains out of boxes with round, square, and triangle wheels. Which will roll best? Why?
Pack a small suitcase (shoe box?) with marmalade sandwiches. Estimate how many will fit, then eat them for snack.
Art
The Finding of Moses” by Orazio Gentileschi 
Make trains with geometric shapes or Paddington toilet paper roll
Compare “The Finding of Moses” by Chares de la Foss and “The Finding of Moses” by Sebastien Bourdon 



Week 14 (12/14-12/18): Christmas Books

Day 1
Day 2-Field Trip to see Christmas trees
Day 3
Bible
A Child is Born
Verse: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Story: Jesus born in Bethlehem

A Child is Born
Verse: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Story: The Shepherds and Wise Men
English
Play a matching game that reviews all of the phonetic combinations we have learned


Read Christmas book and do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets

Sort stars by size or put numbered stars in the correct order.
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs

Tchaikovsky (Look at picture of composer, review brief bio, and listen portions of “The Nutcracker”)
Science
Make/look at maps from Nazareth to Bethlehem

Look at stars and discuss the constellations
Art
Compare “Madonna and Child” by Arcangelo di Jacopo del Sellaio and “Madonna and Child” by Pompeo Batoni 




Christmas Break (12/21-1/1)


Week 15 (1/4-1/8): Winnie the Pooh

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Bible
Friendship
Verse: “A friend loves at all times” (Prov. 17:17).
Story: Adam and Eve (Gen. 2)
Friendship
Verse: “A friend loves at all times” (Prov. 17:17).
Story:  The Good Samaritan (Luke 10)
Friendship
Verse: “A friend loves at all times” (Prov. 17:17).
Story: Jonathon and David
English
Read Winnie the Pooh and learn ‘ey’ sound
Read Winnie the Pooh, review ‘ey’ sound, and find letter to spell “honey”
Read Winnie the Pooh and do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets
Count honey pots
Add and subtract bees
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs
Rhythm & Theory
Tchaikovsky (Look at picture of composer, learn a brief bio, and listen to music)
Science
Try honey and look at a honeycomb
Discuss uses of bees wax and make bees wax candles
Race sticks in a stream or bathtub
Art
Intro to Pieter Bruegel and “Children’s Games
Yarn wrapped bee craft from Housing a Forrest 
Pieter Bruegel’s “Haymaking

 

Week 16 (1/11-1/15): Katy and the Big Snow

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Bible
Dependability
Verse: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Mt. 25:23).
Story: David tending the sheep (1 Sam. 16-17
Dependability
Verse: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Mt. 25:23).
Story: Parable of the talents (Mt. 25)
Dependability
Verse: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Mt. 25:23).
Story: Noah (Gen. 6)
English
Read Katy and the Big Snow and learn ‘ow’ sound
Read Katy and the Big Snow, sign alphabet song, and spell “snow”
Read Katy and the Big Snow and do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets
Make snowflakes.
Make a map of a town. Count the houses or streets that Katy needs to plow out.
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs
Rhythm & Theory
Mendelssohn (Look at picture of composer, learn a brief bio, and listen to music)
Science
Look at a diagram of an engine
Make snow cones
Shovel “snow” (cotton balls or balled up paper)
Art
Boulevard Clichy under Snow” by Norbert Goeneutte 
Make a snow-scape with white finger paint
Train in the Snow at Argenteuil” by Claude Monet 




Monday, November 2, 2015

2015 Lessons: Weeks 9-12












Week 9: Peter Rabbit

Day 1
Day 2-Field Trip to Arboretum
Day 3
Bible
Obedience
Verse: “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22)
Story: Saul making animal sacrifices (1 Sam 15)

Obedience
Verse: “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22)
Story: Abraham sacrificing Isaac (Gen. 22)
English
Read Peter Rabbit & learn ‘er’ sound

Read Peter Rabbit & do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets

Add and subtract carrots
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs

Beethoven (Look at picture of composer, learn a brief bio, and listen to music)
Science
Plant bean seeds or an avocado pit


Discuss photosynthesis
Art
The Swing” (1767) by Jean Honore Fragonard 

The Visit to the Nursery” by Jean Honore Fragonard 




Week 10: Story of Ferdinand

Mon
Thurs
Fri
Bible
Peacemaker
Verse: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt. 5:9).
Story: Abraham and Lot
Peacemaker
Verse: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt. 5:9).
Story: Jonathon
Peacemaker
Verse: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt. 5:9).
Story: Abigail
English
Read The Story of Ferdinand and learn ‘th’ sound
Read The Story of Ferdinand, sing alphabet song, and spell “bull”
Read The Story of Ferdinand and do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets from Homeschool Share
Count petals on a flower
Subtract petals from flowers
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs
Rhythm & Theory
Beethoven (Look at picture of composer, review brief bio, and listen to music)
Science
Why flowers smell good: pollination
Guess items based on smell
Art
Young Bull” by Paulus Potter 
Flower craft
The Spotted Horse” by Paulus Potter




Week 11: Velveteen Rabbit

Mon
Thurs
Fri
Bible
New Creature
Verse: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Story: Saul’s Conversion (Acts 9)
New Creature
Verse: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Story: Nicodemus (John 3)
New Creature
Verse: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Story:
English
Read Velveteen Rabbit and learn ‘ea’ (as in “real”) sound
Read Velveteen Rabbit, review ‘ea’ sound, and search for the letter “r” in a garden (Write letters on one side of a paper carrot. Then have the kids turn over carrots looking for “r” as in rabbit.)
Read Velveteen Rabbit and do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets
Count all the r’s that were found in the English activity
Add and/or subtract carrots (actual carrots would be a lot of fun, or you could make a worksheet)
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs
Rhythm & Theory
Haydn (Look at picture of composer, learn a brief bio, and listen to music)
Science
What makes something alive? Sort items as living or not living (avoid using stuffed animals so as not to confuse little ones)
Entropy: OrderàDisorder
  Have the kids drop anything (cotton balls, sticks, marshmallows, etc.) Before dropping them, ask the kids if they think the items will became more organized or less organized. Ask before every drop. What conclusions can they draw?
Make and play with indoor sandboxes
Art
Intro to Edouard Manet and “Music in the Tuileries Garden” 
Use cut carrots as stamps
In the Winter Garden” by Edouard Manet 




Week 12: Madeleine

Mon
Thurs
Fri
Bible
Courage
Verse: “Be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:9).
Story: The 12 Spies (Numbers 13)
Courage
Verse: “Be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:9).
Story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Aednego (Daniel 3)
Courage
Verse: “Be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:9).
Story: Moses speaking to Pharaoh
English
Read Madeleine and Review ‘er,’ ‘th,’ and ‘ea’ sounds
Read Madeleine and spell “girl”
Read Madeleine and do Explode the Code worksheets
Math
Math Worksheets
Count the 12 girls divide by two lines. How many girls are in each line?
“Twelve little girls in two straight lines” How many girls are in each line? What other ways could we divide the twelve girls?
Music
Finger Play & Silly Songs
Rhythm & Theory
Rossini (Look at picture of composer, learn a brief bio, and listen to music)
Science
See how tall you can make a tower out of sugar cubes
Look at pictures of famous landmarks and place them on a map
Make a card for someone who isn’t feeling well. Mail it or save it for future sick friends.
Art
Make Eiffel towers out of straws or popsicle sticks or sugar cubes or pretzels
Dance at Bougival” by Renoir