Friday, May 2, 2014

Explore the Pond - This and That

Baby Adam was born March 7th and a week or so later the boys were asking about doing school.  So I opened up March's theme box, which was Explore the Pond.

Having a new baby has changed some things up around here.  So instead of moving forward with the next theme in April we stuck to Explore the Pond.  It's a bit harder to find time to do our Mother Goose Time with the boys but we did get to some in the last couple of months.  I even caught a bit of it on camera.

MGT had us use some matching cards to set up on the world map.  Then we cut out Lily Pads to cover the picture of the animal.  The other card, of the matching set, was sitting in front of Peter.  He would choose one to look for on the map. 
When he found it, I would ask him, where in the world did he find it?  Then we would look at the map and I would tell him the name of the continent. 
 Just having a snack and practicing our pattern powers.  This was a cute, duck and duckling pattern.

Next we colored coffee filters with our water color pencils to make the flower on a water lily.  First they colored and then they painted over the coloring with water. 
I am trying to get better at having Lachlan work in the workbook on the correlating day, there is a work book page for each of the 20 days provided in each box. In the past we have just gotten the work books out here and there and done a bunch of pages at once, when Lachlan was in the mood.  Now that he is 5 I would like a little bit of workbook time incorporated into each day. 

This was a letter P page.  He actually let me show him how to follow the arrow guides in order to write the letter in the correct order.  In the past, when I actually tried to "teach" him something or give instruction, he would shut me down and say "I know, I know."  He has learned, everything he knows now from just "playing" or interacting with things in the amazing way that Mother Goose Time does it.  So, for him to allow instruction, is a big deal, and a big sign as to his maturing. 
He really enjoys cutting exercises and they are so good for him.  His fine motor skills are improving more and more.  The other day he was drawing, just for fun, and he was holding his marker perfectly.  I was so proud!
This was the last page of the little book that came in one of the day bags.  We use these books to develop their ability to find and recognize site words.  They were looking for the words He and She in this one.  On the last page it asks, what they find in the pond?
Lachlan found and drew an alligator.
Lucy came for the day!  We had so much fun.  Amongst all this chaos on the table we were working in our My Little Journals and learning about the letter P.  They each wrote a big letter P on the page and then turned it into a dragon fly by adding eyes and some wings.
 Peter is pretty good at writing the letter P, it is his letter after all.

And just for fun . . .
What Lachlan has been learning the most about the last few months - How to be super amazing big brother to a baby boy named Adam.  His heart is overjoyed at the site of Adam, he often can't help himself and hugs and kisses him often. 
He has learned, however, that baby brother doesn't like cold hands.  He requests to be present for every dirty diaper, because according to Lachlan it's just too gross but also too cool to miss.  He also knows that although his head is hard, baby brothers is still soft and he must be careful. 

Lachlan has always been a loving little man, but it is so much fun to watch his capacity to love, grow even more. 

1 comment:

  1. All awesome.. And I can't believe you didn't mention his pencil grip, it looks amazing! I think I just got lucky with Tuesday. Bennet has been doing this fist grip thing that is driving me crazy!

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