Week One

I realize it's a bit odd to start a "school year" in mid-February, but I think the timing will actually work out really well.  I've decided to start with an introductory preschool curriculum - preparatory curriculum as I believe it calls itself.  It's kind of like wading in the water before diving in head first.  It's a 26-week program that will nicely end just as the traditional school year begins.  The whole program is free and can be found online at Letter of the Week.

The first day, Adeline helped make her Learning Board.  She had a blast and was very excited to be "learning."  She wanted to tell everyone that she was going to be "learning in preschool."  I was glad she was excited.  We had tried this curriculum a year or so ago and she wasn't that into it.  Here is the board we made:

Each day, we added something new to the board and had activities that corresponded.  The theme this week was cows.  Adeline is fascinated with cows, so it was the perfect theme for beginning.  The vocabulary word was "calf."  The Bible verse isn't part of the Letter of the Week program - it's Adeline's memory verse from AWANA.  

I think Adeline's favorite activity this week was making the "cow" out of squares.  Before making the cow, she played around with the squares to see what else she could make.  Right away she made a pair of "pants" using a big square and two smaller squares for the legs.  She enjoyed creating the cow, too - especially the gluing part!  I'll have to make some more squares for her to play around with.   

I'm using the Brain Quest Pre-K workbook as a supplement.  One of the lessons this week dealt with picking out objects that were the same.  That was a harder lesson for Adeline.  I thought she'd breeze through it since she spends a lot of time helping me match socks in the laundry.  Guess matching socks made more sense to her!  It might also be that she could pick up the socks, unlike the pictures in the book.

We danced around the living room like cows one afternoon to the song (you guessed it!) Old Mac Donald.  It couldn't have been more perfect that the version I have starts with cows.  

I whole-heartedly believe that Adeline needs plenty of opportunities to interact with kids her age and to listen to a teacher other than me.  For this reason, she is involved with AWANA, Story Time, MOPPETS, and Wednesday morning Bible study childcare.    

As one last thing, Adeline asked to paint one day this week.  We had an impromptu study of primary colors.  

                                                   

She learned first that blue and yellow make green.  Then she added in red and made several shades of brown.

Braxton enjoyed painting, even though he still thinks paint is good for eating.  For the record, it was his sister who thought it'd be fun to have him wear the princess apron.  Luckily, he's too little to care!

                                         

And here is the finished product!

                                        

Week 2 begins tomorrow.  Watch for an update next Sunday!  :)