Sunday, May 12, 2013

Day 8 - Swimming

We followed today's curriculum to a T.  Well at least today's Title.  It was so nice outside we just got the pool out and went swimming.
We got out a blanket to pretend to swim on and to copy each other but it quickly turned into relaxing in the shade.
Check out those beautiful lashes.



Cheeeeeeese!
Cold water, not too sure if he is happy about being wet.
One boat is floating the other is sinking.

Around and around they go.









They played for over an hour and slept really hard!  It was tons of fun. I can't believe it has been hot enough for swimming this year in May already. 

We just did swimming lessons with the boys over the winter at our local University pool and Peter and I were in a class together.  We sang a lot of water related songs so I happened to be familiar with the Opening Rhyme for today about Tiny Tim the turtle.  I sang it to them through out the day as we played.  They looked at me like I was slightly crazy.  It's worth it though, I love all the new songs they have learned so far this May while trying out Mother Goose Time.

We also colored and stapled together the little Bilingual books.  I gave Lachlan a crayon and asked him to write his name at the bottom.  He didn't have anything to look at and just did it on his own.  He started with the L on the far right hand side and wrote it backwards, then he moved on to the other letters A and C, as he continued on he kept writing letters that also resembled A and C and were circular in shape.  He wrote from right to left the whole time.  I did not criticize or correct him but just let him go and observed.  He wrote his name exactly like this on my Mother's day card he made at Sunday school today as well.  Now I just need to do some research as to whether this is normal and how to go about correcting it.  My initial thought is to just continue showing him the correct direction of writing and reading as we work on things through out the month.  I also thought that if when I read with him I follow my reading with my finger so he can see the pattern of left to right.  In time I am sure he will figure it out, just like everything else.

Honestly, a few of the other activities we just didn't do on this day.  I didn't look ahead to make sure I had the needed supplies and did not have sand paper.  But I got some from my husband today and will cut out their letters tomorrow.  We did this once before with FunShine Express and they loved feeling the letters as they traced them.  This is how they teach letters in the Montessori method.  It's such a great idea. 

I also didn't have ribbons to use for dancing along with the music.  At least at the time I couldn't think of where some might be, but as I sit and type now I can think of some.  I love this idea and will go dig them out so we can dance with them tomorrow.

I do want to tell you about one little victory.  It's one thing to have your child recall a number or letter on their own while working on lessons.  It's totally different when they recall a number or put a number or letter to use in the real world.  Lachlan was watching a Netflix show on one of our iPods.  The battery was dying so I was pulling it up on my iPod.  He wanted to make sure I put it back on the right episode and said see Mom I am watching number 8, make sure it's on number 8.  I was so thrilled for him, that this knowledge he is gaining in "school" is becoming useful.  I of course had to use the moment to compliment him and point out how useful numbers can be.  I also mentioned to him that we can keep learning our letters and soon he will be able to read the words too! 

2 comments:

  1. Ah the sun! Love it. In Montessori everything we present no matter what it is (practical life, mathematics, anything) is always presented left to right. So I would suggest trying to layout all his activities in that direction. Tuesday just started writing her name too, it's so cute! Her s is always backwards :)

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  2. Oh good, Lachlan's not the only one. I was on the right track then. I will just keep presenting everything from left to right as I have been doing but maybe emphasize it a little more or just simply do it more purposefully. Thanks Amber!

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