tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14703202785246868792024-02-18T19:14:39.420-08:00Nexus HomeschoolAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03835608338762983969noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-5752140748657123452016-01-18T10:52:00.003-08:002016-01-18T10:52:55.283-08:00Seriously Messy Fun - States of Matter - Solids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In kindergarten at our one day a week homeschool program we're spending the month of January exploring states of matter as we talk about how the world works. States of matter is easily shown through water since the liquid/freezing/steam temperatures are easily achieved in the classroom. The first week in January we explored ice, water, and steam. Last week we focused only on ice as a solid.</div>
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We made lists of attributes of a solid and played with ice all day long. We started off with an ice painting activity. This worked so well. The colors were phenomenal and the kids had a blast. I had frozen ice cubes with food coloring mixed in and then let the kids go wild. When they were done with their paintings we dabbed off the extra liquid with paper towels. The paintings dried more quickly than any of our other art has which made it easy to put away and move on to playing with ice blocks and "fishing for ice cubes". </div>
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Next week - liquids!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-57613186735337827872015-12-07T14:18:00.000-08:002015-12-07T14:18:00.175-08:00Cripple Creek and Mount Rushmore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This summer we spent time camping at different KOA's around our area. We headed up to Cripple Creek for a weekend and loved hiking the trails and learning about mining there. CJ thinks he'd like to be a miner when he grows up.</div>
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Camping and Hiking - what my boys do best.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">In August we enjoyed a long weekend trip to Mount Rushmore, or as EMan calls it, "Mountain Rushmore". We have enjoyed staying in cabins at KOA's and Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch deserves 10 stars. My boys asked if we could please just live there. The cabin was comfortable and the grounds had tons of activities to participate in. There was a swimming pool, splash pad, jumping pillow, mini golf, bicycles and gem mining (the last two had a fee, but the other's didn't). </span></div>
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Mount Rushmore was simply amazing. We hiked the trail, completed the Junior Ranger Program and explored all the museums. It has been great to reference that learning as we're working on our US History curriculum. </div>
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I would highly recommend looking into the Junior Ranger programs at each of the National Parks. It has given our family learning opportunities and direction for our visits. It is phenomenal and I never need to front load the kids with other information and work on a lesson plan on my own.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-70159497247314609422015-11-30T13:56:00.000-08:002015-11-30T13:56:00.050-08:00New Glasses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
CJ (6 years old) went to the eye doctor with me this fall for his first visit. Following in his parents footsteps he got his first pair of glasses. He doesn't have to wear them all of the time and is supposed to remove them when he's reading or playing on the computer. He reads a TON and loves his screen time so it's quite common that he goes a few days between wearing them. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-66178443541625869752015-11-23T13:19:00.000-08:002015-11-23T13:19:00.276-08:00Rocky Mountain National ParkThis year we have gone quite a few places as we have tried to explore a variety of locations around the US. It made sense to start with exploring what is nearby - the Sand Dunes, Cripple Creek, and the Rocky Mountains. We spent the weekend exploring the east side of the park hiking to Cub Lake and a few other locations. We loved the Ranger lead program at the visitors center where the boys worked on their Junior Ranger assignments as we searched for signs of animals, weather (there was a lightning stuck tree), and looking for different plants. The boys made best friends with a family from New Jersey that was also participating in the Ranger led activity. CJ LOVES making new friends at all the different places that we go. And nearly every time they are deemed "best friends" for the short time that they get to play together. I find that the dreaded "socialization" question that everyone asks about homeschoolers is bazaar. Just spend a weekend with us at any KOA and watch how quickly my kids make friends with individuals of all varieties from all places in the world. They aren't stuck in a single classroom with 30 kids to choose from where they are asked to sit quite and not socialize except for 15 minutes at recess at each day - the whole world is theirs for the taking. They are so creative in their play and exploration. Time and time again they get to practice asking others if they would like to play together. Ok, stepping off the soapbox now...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8Zqj56NubxRx2WlOHMdLnXjaOasEjtepmk6g6V5cvqV4Hc6OTGEqA-IPi9gIO_hkVWxAa7IXKyA01ms1lvxsfhBMVjGDTsC3HTw_8keTrrW7u3_t6tM5CBKSTRMJEBh2tuLpVxeNdm1x/s1600/Rocky+Mountains+Aug+2015+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8Zqj56NubxRx2WlOHMdLnXjaOasEjtepmk6g6V5cvqV4Hc6OTGEqA-IPi9gIO_hkVWxAa7IXKyA01ms1lvxsfhBMVjGDTsC3HTw_8keTrrW7u3_t6tM5CBKSTRMJEBh2tuLpVxeNdm1x/s400/Rocky+Mountains+Aug+2015+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I was very pleased with the Ranger that did the Junior Ranger swearing in with my boys at the Rocky Mountains. He spent time talking with them about how to take care of the environment and be safe in the mountains.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWr9n4dh27b6fPomfhx5B9dlRT8MMElyC99he8IfdgoitiXHs1Rrjbc0eEXOVxBX8dTYE8VvCo3eYc4ybw1G7qOAEdNnfGcocSw8nleyBIkYEd2-T7iJYKb4U3jaO_Cj53DbH_GVkHzjO0/s1600/Rocky+Mountains+Aug+2015+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWr9n4dh27b6fPomfhx5B9dlRT8MMElyC99he8IfdgoitiXHs1Rrjbc0eEXOVxBX8dTYE8VvCo3eYc4ybw1G7qOAEdNnfGcocSw8nleyBIkYEd2-T7iJYKb4U3jaO_Cj53DbH_GVkHzjO0/s400/Rocky+Mountains+Aug+2015+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We completed a number of hikes while we were in the mountains. The boys in our family love the experience. I like the idea of hiking, but don't enjoy actually doing it. On an eight mile hike over this weekend we heard non-stop from CJ about Minecraft. He developed a world as he was describing it to us. In his new Minecraft world he was going to be the emperor and we would be workers. We could go to school and get a better job and we would have to pay taxes to him. Though I give kudos to his creativity I got tired of hearing all the details. We also heard non-stop from EMan about Super Mario Galaxy. In fact, the boys ended up needing a timer to give them each an amount of time to talk. When their time was up the other child would pick up right where they left off on their chosen topic. <br />
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As a side note: EMan, who wants to be a zoologist, cried when we went home because he was so sad that he couldn't bring "Fishy" home. "Fishy" was a small gold fish in Cub Lake that EMan watched for about 15 minutes with complete fascination. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-76752185026697499372015-11-16T18:27:00.000-08:002015-11-16T18:27:00.505-08:00Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Steve and I are not huge sports fans, but we do love going to the minor league baseball games a couple of times each year. This year the boys got to be in the kids club and run the bases after the game. They had so much fun that CJ is ready to join a baseball team now. Too bad the season is over. I guess we can keep practicing until baseball season starts up again.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-57013271876321550112015-11-09T18:22:00.000-08:002015-11-09T18:22:00.366-08:00Dance Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I have a unique family full of energy and craziness! While we were visiting in July my sister put together a dance party. Each person was assigned a character from the Wii dance game and had to show up in character. We had such a fun time dancing to all the different styles of games and earning points to see who would win.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-86861534761066569102015-11-02T18:00:00.000-08:002015-11-02T18:00:00.158-08:00Thankful for the Ancestral WalkAs our thoughts turn to thanks giving I'm reflecting upon the Ancestral Walk that I participated in with my father, brother, and in-laws this summer. It was an experience organized by my father to remember my great-grandfather Hyrum Hatton. We followed in his footsteps in a hike from Alpine, Utah to Draper, Utah. Hyrum Hatton would walk to the quarry every Monday and then walk back for church each Sunday for 5 years in the 1880's. Walking in his footsteps as closely as possible with all the construction that has happened in the last 130 years we experienced a little of what he did as we honored his service to the building of the Salt Lake Latter-Day Saint Temple.<br />
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Though I walked only a portion of the whole trip I made it 11.69 miles, 24197 steps and 108 flights of stairs (all tracked by my FitBit).</div>
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To my father who made it 24 miles and my in-laws who made it 35ish miles (the whole distance) I am awed at your dedication and thankful to you for the bonding opportunity and the inspiration of completing the task to honor both my great-grandfather and my father. I love you guys!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYSEh4RonQZAVrVTq73XN3Zilkvrt9ZWy7IJG5jaEGfulb2zdooccfjsogLOe2ziB8FdXlqD5E0JtyYvjreYdQeifaZ9G5ZWuw1k2LoXJLVlV0AkZtQAJB3vN_fajyu55rE2UrDkV_ZbT/s1600/Hyrum+Hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYSEh4RonQZAVrVTq73XN3Zilkvrt9ZWy7IJG5jaEGfulb2zdooccfjsogLOe2ziB8FdXlqD5E0JtyYvjreYdQeifaZ9G5ZWuw1k2LoXJLVlV0AkZtQAJB3vN_fajyu55rE2UrDkV_ZbT/s320/Hyrum+Hatton.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyrum Hatton</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-33685776119283766652015-10-28T17:58:00.000-07:002015-10-28T17:58:00.035-07:00Park Exploration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkgIuoiJCCz1JobQ67zKgPzuWwAgfeydxzCVaTbgM0h9gSmr6jBD7Me-ufQp7IrRhoLPxrqgs-DzgYgfX2f5eJMZcab2LNLzrCfSBy8VegyV-_IOnwP4SmTZyPtLG731VSZxE_7JeqFF9/s1600/Park+Playdate+July+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkgIuoiJCCz1JobQ67zKgPzuWwAgfeydxzCVaTbgM0h9gSmr6jBD7Me-ufQp7IrRhoLPxrqgs-DzgYgfX2f5eJMZcab2LNLzrCfSBy8VegyV-_IOnwP4SmTZyPtLG731VSZxE_7JeqFF9/s640/Park+Playdate+July+2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-21257021071621688622015-10-26T17:52:00.000-07:002015-10-26T17:52:00.212-07:00Homeschool Real Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I just have to share this photo from this summer. We spent tons of time at Lowe's with our hands full of construction projects. This picture not only documents that, but shows how my 6 year old CJ looks when he's annoyed. It makes me want to giggle :).</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-75548117236201382742015-10-23T15:53:00.001-07:002015-10-23T15:53:16.279-07:00The Body - A Kindergarten Unit of Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today was our final day studying the body in our Kindergarten Homeschool Options class. Since we only met for 4 times during this unit our focus was primarily on blood and what it does for us and how it helps fight against germs that are everywhere even though we can't see them. Last week we each had the opportunity to make a hand print on a gelatin petri dish. Over the week I let the dishes grow at home and today I shared the results with the kids. They were amazed that that many germs grew and were once on their hands. We wrote all about it in our journals, pictures included.</div>
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We then reviewed the parts of blood and what the different types of germs (mainly bacteria and viruses) are. We talked about how the different germs attack our body and make us feel sick and how our white blood cells and antibodies fight against the attack. Then we brought out the play dough and got to work recreating bacteria, viruses, white blood cells, antibodies and red blood cells.<br />
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We also finished up our body maps which now represent many different organs as well as bones and muscles within our body. They also show things that are most important to us and how we identify ourselves. It was a fantastic day of learning. Next up ... archaeology.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgqGZFjEKMpgVVCIZpAWcYg4-sVGXMX0dlBj0Z12E541VnuNZm9EoqR0Ohpix96St5arsqA3xlAIWaRFDaiqbT1tb4q-kQTYFHKkYHvrs3vZdayKoQsRJtmSqJPjBNWd-1y32A0XPYqCQ/s1600/Options+10-23+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgqGZFjEKMpgVVCIZpAWcYg4-sVGXMX0dlBj0Z12E541VnuNZm9EoqR0Ohpix96St5arsqA3xlAIWaRFDaiqbT1tb4q-kQTYFHKkYHvrs3vZdayKoQsRJtmSqJPjBNWd-1y32A0XPYqCQ/s400/Options+10-23+3.jpg" width="347" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-7790123692194667592015-10-21T17:48:00.000-07:002015-10-21T17:48:00.472-07:00Water Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This summer we got a pass for our local water and theme park. Quite honestly I'm not certain if it was worth it or not with the way our summer went (being stuck at home waiting on the construction crew to show up). But the handful of times that we went the boys LOVED it and had such a great time. It was fantastic to be able to go with our friends!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-90550028138908822802015-10-20T10:39:00.001-07:002015-10-20T10:39:47.728-07:00Options Kindergarten 10-17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I apologize that it has taken me so long to get this posted! We had such a fantastic time in kindergarten on Friday. We kicked off our section of the body unit about germs and had a blast doing it! We started the day with the great glitter germ experiment. Adding some glitter to my hand before shaking everyone's hands in the class caused our "germs" to spread everywhere! We all had germs on us, on the pillows, on the carpet! The glitter germs were everywhere! We read a few stories explaining about germs and then we set off writing our own stories about germs.</div>
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We spent plenty of time recreating viruses and bacteria, white and red blood cells, and playing with them to recreate what happens. There were many white blood cell play dough pieces that "ate" pompom germs! We had "blood veins" made from red rolls of paper and immediately had the good blood cells attacking the bad germs!<br />
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Using gelatin plates we made handprints of each child and I'm HOPING they turn out fantastic for us to examine our germ growth on Friday. We painted germs and wrote in our journals about germs as well.<br />
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We're continuing our "Body Percussion" unit during music time which encourages stomping, clapping, patting and snapping. That snapping is hard to do! In math we worked on counting by 10's and explored base 10 blocks.<br />
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We had a fantastic day of learning and I look forward to another great day on Friday!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-83237676937864716512015-10-19T17:43:00.000-07:002015-10-19T17:43:00.415-07:00Honey Harvest 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It has been both fun and frustrating having honey bees as "pets". A couple of years ago when Steven was really excited about the opportunity to have a backyard hive I consented to have them, however I would not participate in any of the beekeeping duties....ever. Steve now has his sidekick CJ the Jr. Beekeeper. CJ loves to help with the bees and find out how much honey there is. We use a method of honey harvest that involves crushing the wax and straining the honey out in quart jars with cheesecloth. It's a bit messy but effective.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-64602676637220260952015-10-14T15:06:00.000-07:002015-10-14T15:06:00.109-07:00US History Kick Off<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
During this school year the boys and I are studying US History and geography. We've been talking about the different places we've visited around the country and the boys are so excited to learn about American History because it involves wars :). We took the opportunity on the 4th of July to invite our friends over for a backyard camp out and US History Kick Off. We had a fantastic breakfast together and had a short and overarching history lesson about how the US was started. We also started learning the national anthem. It was such a great way to kick off our study for the year. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-88268884083879027312015-10-12T14:50:00.000-07:002015-10-12T14:50:00.659-07:00Luau! This summer our homeschool group started a monthly activity with a local nursing home. Our first activity was a Luau. It was quite a learning experience for three introverted moms to go to a new place and put on an activity where we didn't know anyone. It turned out fantastic! After this experience I realized that CJ would be the most to benefit from going each month. He talked and talked about how wonderful it was to visit the nursing home and make new friends. We had big sandbox sensory bins on 6 tables throughout the room that the kids and some of the residents engaged in playing with. Our goal was to create an environment where the kids could do something so common to them and therefore engage in interaction with people they had never met before. CJ worked at a table where three women thought he was the cat's meow. It was so fun to watch their interactions. We also did a few activities like limbo where the kids got to do it and then we walked the limbo stick around the room and lifted it over the residents who where chair bound to let them participate as well. We learned a lot and look forward to going every month.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-17915709754711224382015-10-11T16:20:00.002-07:002015-10-11T16:20:53.856-07:00Options 10-09-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We began writer's workshop in Options on Friday. We shared our ideas about how authors make books and how we could be authors, then we got busy making our first books. You should have found your child's book in their backpack. Some students did not finish as writing a book can take a long time, they are welcome to bring it back and continue working on it next week or finish it up at home.</div>
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Our second week into our body study and we're learning a ton. We continued learning about the parts of blood and what it does for our body. We also were able to finish gluing the printouts of essential organs, bones and muscles to our body maps. We'll continue working on our body maps for two more weeks adding information about germs and information about the passions of our hearts and minds.<br />
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EMan in Options today. He wrote a book about different kinds of ships for writers workshop, sorted long and short vowel words and finished adding the last pieces to his body map.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-8999436200030031492015-10-08T14:45:00.000-07:002015-10-08T14:45:00.116-07:00Alligator Rescue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you ever make it down to the Sand Dunes in Colorado there is a quick side trip to the Alligator Rescue that's worth the trip (especially if you have boys!). The rescue takes in alligators and other reptiles that didn't work out as pets (duh!) or needed a new home for some other reason. We spent about an hour there. It was an hour well spent where the boys got to hold an alligator, pet snakes and a large tortoise, and see a variety of other creatures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYLxq-Zcyp9X5qzvDeZfw8NcIb-5FeJGCJEPsJmNWB0tDpvNzJ3kjounznouP8rYP-Fg0yYFxaYwdlY6h1D1f2RLe1m6F0DB1hyphenhyphen_QHL5gmqEzWIrIVI6oq7aCPww_OOVe3yojkfKzqt99/s1600/Alligator+Rescue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYLxq-Zcyp9X5qzvDeZfw8NcIb-5FeJGCJEPsJmNWB0tDpvNzJ3kjounznouP8rYP-Fg0yYFxaYwdlY6h1D1f2RLe1m6F0DB1hyphenhyphen_QHL5gmqEzWIrIVI6oq7aCPww_OOVe3yojkfKzqt99/s640/Alligator+Rescue.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-50712233579518034942015-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:002015-10-06T07:00:01.058-07:00Sand Dunes Summer Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This summer we had the opportunity to camp at Sand Dunes National Park with our homeschool group. We had a fantastic time, staying in a cabin, playing in the water and building sand castles, hiking the mountains and hiking the dunes. With the boys a year older since our last trip to the Sand Dunes we were able to hike all the way to the highest peak. I was so proud of them and SO thankful for our emergency protein bars and applesauce in our hiking backpack. It took us all day and something like 15k steps and the equivalent of 100 flights of stairs but we made it. Of course, coming back down was tons of fun and super easy. We purchased a used snowboard at the end of the season and it was the perfect "sled" for sliding down the sand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v-7YWX1_6FRUGq1bAEL57gee-SIB9dSr9ipvMrxHHl-wvLALKchr2oDN88qpK89HG0uk7j2g0AzFcEdCrtKLpHgPOwmrbWxp2od4HFwf9qtbPU_xsR8jy0JtiVQ4Yj6iOrUSUn7f_87O/s1600/Sand+Dunes+June+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v-7YWX1_6FRUGq1bAEL57gee-SIB9dSr9ipvMrxHHl-wvLALKchr2oDN88qpK89HG0uk7j2g0AzFcEdCrtKLpHgPOwmrbWxp2od4HFwf9qtbPU_xsR8jy0JtiVQ4Yj6iOrUSUn7f_87O/s640/Sand+Dunes+June+2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
If you don't know yet, the National Park System has a program called "Junior Rangers" at many of the parks. If you stop by the visitor center they have a (most of the time) free booklet of activities for children to complete to learn about the park, its inhabitants and plant life. Through this program we learned all sorts of things about the Sand Dunes. Once completing the booklet the kids are awarded a badge to wear. I love the program because it gives us an opportunity to turn hiking into an interactive brain powered adventure as we're looking for plants or signs of animals, signs to read or rangers to explain one of our many questions. I'd highly suggest the opportunity for families with kids 4-15.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-21931464414160299162015-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:002015-10-05T07:00:03.610-07:00Legos at the Denver Zoo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We spent all our Christmas money a few years ago to buy the boys TONS of Legos. In their bedroom they have Legos and they have books. At night when it's bedroom time they are welcome to read or play legos quietly before going to sleep. They also enjoy playing Legos (and reading) all throughout the day, nearly every day. The Denver Zoo has an awesome exhibit of Legos through the month of October that is worth checking out if you haven't yet. There are life size statues of animals and other objects made completely out of Legos. EMan took "Littler" his baby tiger to see all of the animals. He really loved the trip to the zoo and wanted me to take a picture of every animal we saw so he could come home and make a book of animals.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysWUwpQSn24alo5xAaXvD2SrafQsmKyA1thNEwQpsyrq3CwN55rGkSJSAIh1_r0mGK5bN7vAM7JsCExQuAqcZosjmQSecEChLbT6z6FThbce_kPSehUZC8SbM5I20_PkgF4Ab7xhX13D8/s1600/Legos+at+Denver+Zoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysWUwpQSn24alo5xAaXvD2SrafQsmKyA1thNEwQpsyrq3CwN55rGkSJSAIh1_r0mGK5bN7vAM7JsCExQuAqcZosjmQSecEChLbT6z6FThbce_kPSehUZC8SbM5I20_PkgF4Ab7xhX13D8/s640/Legos+at+Denver+Zoo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-52249268538568814382015-10-04T14:50:00.000-07:002015-10-04T14:50:41.105-07:00EMan's 5th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm doing quite a bit of blog catch up this weekend. I guess I never posted about EMan's 5th birthday party. He had a Transformers themed party with 5 great friends. The boys decorated for the party with streamers and it ended up being an obstacle course which worked out well as a starting activity for his friends as they arrived. Then we opened presents and got to play with all the transformers. It was the perfect birthday party. EMan's awesome birthday shirt is from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TugboatsAndTutus?ref=ss_profile">Tugboats and Tutus</a>, a fantastic Etsy shop who worked with me for a last minute order of a theme that wasn't even in their shop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNkr0fMBbfmYL_jvFr_QssDTOWjFxEJd18nyABSh0ofAADLkjVbcRKSonrE8vgkcRT08YLcoCUQMaPaPyz2fmagImbm0cfHS8-9APJWsFtHLPMEO1cWHSIzlxrB0X5bVMT9Kf2FoXVUdc/s1600/EMan%2527s+5th+Birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNkr0fMBbfmYL_jvFr_QssDTOWjFxEJd18nyABSh0ofAADLkjVbcRKSonrE8vgkcRT08YLcoCUQMaPaPyz2fmagImbm0cfHS8-9APJWsFtHLPMEO1cWHSIzlxrB0X5bVMT9Kf2FoXVUdc/s400/EMan%2527s+5th+Birthday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-66319785047969712502015-10-03T18:47:00.001-07:002015-10-03T18:47:25.676-07:00Homeschool Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I have a variety of journals that we use for our writing throughout the homeschooling years. EMan's writing is on the left with the larger lines and CJ's writing is on the right with smaller lines. This writing sample is from August 2015. I encourage my kids to write about things that they are passionate about or an experience they have had.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAQtowq4-jQ2ALI-uR_vFhwHWc46qLw8rUBBmtrYASTTPyXAZj3bvI041-HPg3gUNTdNcPrBtvXfZtugCgXpTWFsUyOXn9-CS7SrLOo4U7t71GXUJ78bEiPUsIR9SmACNzECrL7n4Jgo9/s1600/August+2015+Writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAQtowq4-jQ2ALI-uR_vFhwHWc46qLw8rUBBmtrYASTTPyXAZj3bvI041-HPg3gUNTdNcPrBtvXfZtugCgXpTWFsUyOXn9-CS7SrLOo4U7t71GXUJ78bEiPUsIR9SmACNzECrL7n4Jgo9/s640/August+2015+Writing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This next writing sample is from September 2015. EMan (kindergarten) has now shifted to writing in the smaller lined journal and CJ (2nd grade) is improving his handwriting as well as adding punctuation. I love this writing sample because we did it shortly after visiting the nursing home for our Lego activity with them. CJ really loves going and his passion has shown up in this writing (below right). Ethan had just visited the dentist and was writing about getting a toy monkey in the token machine at the end of his appointment. EMan's writing is also showing his passions. He has told me a number of times now that he would like to be a zoologist when he grows up. Every time he has the opportunity to get a new stuffed animal or other type of animal toy he asks if he has enough money to take it home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oRIiEq0XJ9n2lRfN4wRj3CgCxbXt27o41MFVm8ZROtC5hTjMP7e5fjz57RAILhvYV4ld0IY1PQE329479PNPhCvSte7T6sO_DFfYTH03GsBrz6TiWWlndr3hQJfDPB6-1th9LCeTGafV/s1600/Sept+30+2015+Writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oRIiEq0XJ9n2lRfN4wRj3CgCxbXt27o41MFVm8ZROtC5hTjMP7e5fjz57RAILhvYV4ld0IY1PQE329479PNPhCvSte7T6sO_DFfYTH03GsBrz6TiWWlndr3hQJfDPB6-1th9LCeTGafV/s640/Sept+30+2015+Writing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
We have been working on handwriting with size of letters and location on the writing lines. Since this last writing sample we've also started a focus on making sure sight words are spelled correctly throughout the writing. I used the writing checklist from the Moffatt Girls beginning writing prompts for a few days but have since made my own. I was so thankful for her idea of a writing checklist. It is so fun to watch them grow and by having a journal it is easy to flip through and see their progress.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-25937185515637880422015-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:002015-10-02T16:29:26.666-07:00Who We Are: A Month Long Body Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had such a great time kicking off our unit about bodies and blood today! Before I get to the ooey gooey details I'll share that we're doing fantastic with our reading lessons. We learned about the sight word "the" by practicing touching our top teeth and sticking out our tongues to say the /th/ sound and then opening up the sound in our mouth to say "the". We're using the Amazing Action Alphabet mini reader books to practice blending letter sounds to read words. We're also learning about vowels and consonants. Being able to sort vowels and consonants helps us to identify them as we learn advanced phonics such as vowel teams to make the long vowel sound. (Note: each child only participated in one lesson, the letters and sight word lesson or the vowels and consonants lesson, whichever was appropriate for them.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvA3Mkw57kZQlbD_5rSSPwU9kg9HrTpEZJsCutFdz1vx2b6t_Mpdzywv3NVSsP-sMMmXL7G_XKPJbzmKhgGHWmYsaTESVoD9o6JY4KYFlRcgBLYQrjIa1nXYxhPfl5AMJOE0b9oly8ui8/s1600/Options+10-2+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvA3Mkw57kZQlbD_5rSSPwU9kg9HrTpEZJsCutFdz1vx2b6t_Mpdzywv3NVSsP-sMMmXL7G_XKPJbzmKhgGHWmYsaTESVoD9o6JY4KYFlRcgBLYQrjIa1nXYxhPfl5AMJOE0b9oly8ui8/s400/Options+10-2+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Now for the ooey gooey stuff! We had so much fun learning about blood and bodies today. We started off listing questions and curiosities about blood on our wall chart. Then we watched the video called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Futnu_6NmQo">"The Bloodmobile" by They Might Be Giants</a>. By dissecting the song we learned about the parts of blood (red blood cells and white blood cells is all this week). As each item came up I dumped our pretend version of the "blood" into our "vein" containers. We also explored the different jobs that the blood does through the song and added the foam representations to our "vein" as we learned about them. Following the introduction we got to dive in and explore the "blood"! We talked about being brave enough to touch it because it was a little ooey gooey for some of the kids. It was fascinating watching the kids play with the pieces and act out delivering the "messages" and "taking out the trash". They even had the white blood cells fighting off the germs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSW0B4C5nYASKbBe-kshyZ_VrGd4hbjDyDq0jOh3zj_OBStAUt4Fjb0xpL0q98jmktDQKQWCQ6GYAJSKeT7hUZB_8-sYBPWeAKhVGsXAoYNUb6YjcgxepUWIAa7kWPEw-M2qJDpWARe5CA/s1600/Options+10-2+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSW0B4C5nYASKbBe-kshyZ_VrGd4hbjDyDq0jOh3zj_OBStAUt4Fjb0xpL0q98jmktDQKQWCQ6GYAJSKeT7hUZB_8-sYBPWeAKhVGsXAoYNUb6YjcgxepUWIAa7kWPEw-M2qJDpWARe5CA/s400/Options+10-2+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We were then able to take the opportunity to write about what we were exploring in our journals. We added pictures (and learned how to draw people) and words to match our experiences. Each child got to sit in the teacher's chair and share their learning with the whole group. They are getting so good at sharing their thoughts loud and clear for everyone to hear. The next step in exploring the human body was to color and cut out life size organs and add them to our body maps that we've been working on. Today we added a brain, face, lungs and the heart to our bodies. We'll continue adding the other basic elements (muscles, bones and digestive system) next week. By the time we're done adding to our body maps they'll be quite elaborate and display both things that physically exist and images that demonstrate the passions in our hearts and brains.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegoOPoyMO5yUZuT-QAOPxZ2BXoi2f0bI_xd8mCqomIowvHub92sBD0Dq2Jp3OJgzbl8IRJjP5uQcKmrT6LXHkhm63hzmDFV55P22Wsd5a91Kirmjl2hDnwpToPLSW6eZDIP3EjDKyRSw0/s1600/Options+10-2+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegoOPoyMO5yUZuT-QAOPxZ2BXoi2f0bI_xd8mCqomIowvHub92sBD0Dq2Jp3OJgzbl8IRJjP5uQcKmrT6LXHkhm63hzmDFV55P22Wsd5a91Kirmjl2hDnwpToPLSW6eZDIP3EjDKyRSw0/s400/Options+10-2+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Every Kindergarten day strives to have enough time to throw in some painting :). During our math time we learned about dominoes and dice and got to play and explore with them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWphxt8b08BeI-9P5ffxmUHlFZVyEbXb5LWOEnxQ8MWtxaEwJEfoV78ZBYPaXWHW3Mf80zyfEWTh-UmjntmrYzydjalzNDKBOlOTGtsXTYOhlZcAxFsISzvMAXE3R_vl4xX1uhrpfm3kT/s1600/Options+10-2+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWphxt8b08BeI-9P5ffxmUHlFZVyEbXb5LWOEnxQ8MWtxaEwJEfoV78ZBYPaXWHW3Mf80zyfEWTh-UmjntmrYzydjalzNDKBOlOTGtsXTYOhlZcAxFsISzvMAXE3R_vl4xX1uhrpfm3kT/s400/Options+10-2+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is my own little buddy enjoying his day at Options today.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-23434909418740811062015-09-29T14:50:00.000-07:002015-09-29T14:50:58.159-07:00Tin Foil Art - A Change of Pace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of my favorite aspects of teaching Kindergarten at Options is that I get to think outside the box and be super creative. I'm excited to explore different forms or art and materials throughout the year. We're going to be talking all about our bodies for the month of October as we continue talking about who we are and where we are in place and time. I have so many activities set up that I decided to let one of our art projects jump to a week earlier :). First, we talked about different types of art. There are paintings and clay pots and drawing and statues. Statues was the one I was looking for. We talked about what statues are and then made our best statue poses.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8l0gZUDLNfaUp60CyGJOf-BdXjGh8Q18azUfOXgL-PrqwpuoQPrpJ72zJ7hvDjVg39PZU_hBWu_1B55pIbRBcLtRpGnufbWUbVr8ZPNZw595cwuIGUTklVWSEF4o9i8oVNkr4I_v67XVj/s1600/Tin+Foil+Art+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8l0gZUDLNfaUp60CyGJOf-BdXjGh8Q18azUfOXgL-PrqwpuoQPrpJ72zJ7hvDjVg39PZU_hBWu_1B55pIbRBcLtRpGnufbWUbVr8ZPNZw595cwuIGUTklVWSEF4o9i8oVNkr4I_v67XVj/s400/Tin+Foil+Art+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Next I showed them a pipe cleaner statue that I had made and we slowly worked through the steps together so each child could make their own statue. 1. fold a pipe cleaner in half for the legs. 2. bend and twist a pipe cleaner to become the body and turn over the top and twist to make a head. 3. use a slightly shorter pipe cleaner to twist around the body to make the arms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSqcOCH6IC3UqjxWfEkLe3BCiwxIFnmmlWlZREjqpfTkW5ZOFVHNFQfhYkNIF6bEq-Hr7UpUM0Jj73_q1npKVB-_Lp7kSCtC1pHsohpyQAHS4z2_2hwTU7Afo1f07E8b_GuujagoQFlP8/s1600/Tin+Foil+Art+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSqcOCH6IC3UqjxWfEkLe3BCiwxIFnmmlWlZREjqpfTkW5ZOFVHNFQfhYkNIF6bEq-Hr7UpUM0Jj73_q1npKVB-_Lp7kSCtC1pHsohpyQAHS4z2_2hwTU7Afo1f07E8b_GuujagoQFlP8/s400/Tin+Foil+Art+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
After our pipe cleaner statues were made we worked on a step by step tin foil statue. Using<a href="http://dolvinartknight.blogspot.com/2011/08/fourth-grade-foil-figures.html"> this precut template</a> we slowly crinkled the legs together, then the arms together, then formed the head into a ball. There were some tears as the project was rather difficult and we accidentally ripped off legs, arms, and heads along the way. Nothing a little tape couldn't fix though!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4QHL2s-TI8EVplymQIjALsf3zCIP2Ibjp9xLq5QgC7HlyLo9Z5L9MJTp8pz8oEjiKdZCCMjVUIWhX0zB54iL37uvTvYLCKNP-L48Lo_jS2KXyiBXLiiFRN7aCXUFHHb5qCVxV5kw7He-/s1600/Tin+Foil+Art+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4QHL2s-TI8EVplymQIjALsf3zCIP2Ibjp9xLq5QgC7HlyLo9Z5L9MJTp8pz8oEjiKdZCCMjVUIWhX0zB54iL37uvTvYLCKNP-L48Lo_jS2KXyiBXLiiFRN7aCXUFHHb5qCVxV5kw7He-/s400/Tin+Foil+Art+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
After the two demonstrations the kids were turned loose with the tools for the day - pipe cleaners, scissors, tin foil and tape. The creativity was fantastic! I love providing an opportunity that they may not have considered (or would not be allowed at home). So, if you haven't yet, check your child's backpack for the tinfoil and pipe cleaner villages, families, and plants versus zombies characters that were lovingly made in school on Friday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmy2UFnK35WoizCtHjJt84Xt7sUdkt4yoMo3D1lcQGT4gzTNi0_HSckzt2S8aDfL5wvlv53IlwM7_qfqudSoN2qPKt2REvDR5Ks0ZMA7jJ_HhL5cezcORWC2GEaHZJGij4m6_1bZa6Pys/s1600/Tin+Foil+Art+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmy2UFnK35WoizCtHjJt84Xt7sUdkt4yoMo3D1lcQGT4gzTNi0_HSckzt2S8aDfL5wvlv53IlwM7_qfqudSoN2qPKt2REvDR5Ks0ZMA7jJ_HhL5cezcORWC2GEaHZJGij4m6_1bZa6Pys/s400/Tin+Foil+Art+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A quick review of the rest of the day:</div>
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We're still practicing how to shake hands, playing with play dough, loose parts and toys while building friendships, practicing finding letters and reading, as well as practicing drawing and writing in our journals.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxnkeT_IBly6I8SAoAdgcHDIX82XgzEOjp17fDQUoc95aWRVj38q2YZ4lZ3Ec1eRbOM_0qRoDxOyrSt82sGsi9YBX1nGU9SCTy_O2Ti1wRIew1IpIe03PkguwyWupgYPYPv9g800mi6UT/s1600/Options+9-25+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxnkeT_IBly6I8SAoAdgcHDIX82XgzEOjp17fDQUoc95aWRVj38q2YZ4lZ3Ec1eRbOM_0qRoDxOyrSt82sGsi9YBX1nGU9SCTy_O2Ti1wRIew1IpIe03PkguwyWupgYPYPv9g800mi6UT/s400/Options+9-25+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We are so busy and having so much fun that I'm taking WAY too many pictures all day long. I tried to share with you an overall vision of our day in these 10 pictures. We continued exploring different science themes and instrument families. We did so much awesome learning!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnp6qBdz9tW77Sqs37NC6K4CQbge7hLU-TDQSJRKujmNSik1PKBLwkUqkhDZgylK3Sy-IwFTpxebtg9UWbYRyV9jApZ-ewNzFNzarCOFXgL7YEHO0Q59i-5llLqv4uHQ27EMVylffYWyWU/s1600/Options+9-25+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnp6qBdz9tW77Sqs37NC6K4CQbge7hLU-TDQSJRKujmNSik1PKBLwkUqkhDZgylK3Sy-IwFTpxebtg9UWbYRyV9jApZ-ewNzFNzarCOFXgL7YEHO0Q59i-5llLqv4uHQ27EMVylffYWyWU/s400/Options+9-25+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-83150584381130678252015-09-19T13:45:00.000-07:002015-09-19T13:45:49.570-07:00Routines and Friendships a 4 1/2 Day Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It takes Kindergartners about one month (22ish days) to make friends and get into the routine in school. At the Options School we only meet once a week for the school year, which means a mere 32 days TOTAL. I cannot stress the incredible importance of learning routines and making friends as the top goal of our first 4 1/2 days together. Our initial 6 week inquiry block is: Who We Are. Our discussions and activities are providing us with language to describe ourselves as learners, writers, mathematicians, scientists, readers, friends, bucket fillers, and so forth. We have also been discussing friendship and families with comparisons of how our families are the same and different and what we need to do to make and keep friends.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94Kz9x2bgWcxTtrS8MPwxrsJzHRDk_eXTRrVJzkAT1r4nFphyphenhyphenZiuoLMp80GXuLp3iTUl4FBjygBvhuM9vd3yMrydUBUUSX8lr9d1_cfTsdOB_DFb2oDUeW3ZM9kjS1lFGTNCspJ429nYj/s1600/9-18+Options+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94Kz9x2bgWcxTtrS8MPwxrsJzHRDk_eXTRrVJzkAT1r4nFphyphenhyphenZiuoLMp80GXuLp3iTUl4FBjygBvhuM9vd3yMrydUBUUSX8lr9d1_cfTsdOB_DFb2oDUeW3ZM9kjS1lFGTNCspJ429nYj/s400/9-18+Options+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaking hands and telling each other what color of eyes they have, practicing good reading skills, learning about vowels and consonants, and developing friendships through play with play dough/loose parts and toys.</td></tr>
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Every "project" that involves writing, drawing or creating is given ample time in the first 4 weeks to be shared with the whole class. EVERY child gets a chance to share their work EVERY TIME. Through the school year we'll shorten our sharing time and rotate who gets to share each week, but for now, every child, every time is the golden rule.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkUI2wGpTMQ9qjjnLswtIU4Uv5njS2o2DWZm6K-AYWUWcVBx0CFljAXCga-Aae2Mvy9dd1RpZCqoM2YCXpQi03ZR_DDnfUrhyphenhyphenvRCxz9SRP79x1S3nVWIlG9T2TKfM8cWFsSrJQOmvUA7Z/s1600/9-18+Options+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkUI2wGpTMQ9qjjnLswtIU4Uv5njS2o2DWZm6K-AYWUWcVBx0CFljAXCga-Aae2Mvy9dd1RpZCqoM2YCXpQi03ZR_DDnfUrhyphenhyphenvRCxz9SRP79x1S3nVWIlG9T2TKfM8cWFsSrJQOmvUA7Z/s400/9-18+Options+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Utilizing a "How to Draw with Simple Shapes" book we drew pictures of some of our favorite things and then shared with the class.</td></tr>
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Many of our group lessons start off with a children's book read aloud to the whole group. With rich text and captivating illustrations I can quickly give children the language to discuss a concept and develop a starting point for kids to tackle their projects and learning in their own way. I am also modeling how to share and lead the group, a skill we'll be adding to our days as the year progresses.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpDX39OPwJ1hrX49WCVlghavOHkCDsl7A4n4fQX9HfASnBkXjUM8VLRBt79ylezXL_K7Yuo2tI0vd0G2cICYimLmp8duaVX-crRegU08YHDB0Nm4sRY0bv5PQ5gJt23hcZeRti6Of616i/s1600/9-18+Options+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpDX39OPwJ1hrX49WCVlghavOHkCDsl7A4n4fQX9HfASnBkXjUM8VLRBt79ylezXL_K7Yuo2tI0vd0G2cICYimLmp8duaVX-crRegU08YHDB0Nm4sRY0bv5PQ5gJt23hcZeRti6Of616i/s400/9-18+Options+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing about our families and science explorations aid in developing friendships and language to describe ourselves.</td></tr>
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Painting is an amazing activity for kids. As a form of expressing creativity, children who have the opportunity to paint learn to think with an open mind and to look at situations creatively. They make decisions on their own from the beginning of the project to the end. They can use a paint brush or their hands. They can mix all the colors into one color or selectively mix to create art. They can express themselves without the limitation of words. And, they have a blast while doing it. We will try to paint every single day in Options this year. If your child doesn't have a paint smock in their backpack please consider donating an old adult shirt for their cause. Just leave it in their backpack each week and it will get plenty of use!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOu5XGJ1N-jwxMsnhlHjD2GlI6J2BQp_RYEW4wuT6oMaHkfoTnR82waVo2e1VgM5fsXpj6E5D7OwZO4qIqEc7pOPvuOsS6PkmrM3GmsrNdAyLU9gTYSXM94e1KdQ2T1cJUYtidHnWKVtLB/s1600/9-18+Options+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOu5XGJ1N-jwxMsnhlHjD2GlI6J2BQp_RYEW4wuT6oMaHkfoTnR82waVo2e1VgM5fsXpj6E5D7OwZO4qIqEc7pOPvuOsS6PkmrM3GmsrNdAyLU9gTYSXM94e1KdQ2T1cJUYtidHnWKVtLB/s400/9-18+Options+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing pages for our Class Numbers Book and spending time painting.</td></tr>
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Though it can be quite challenging to have my own son in my Kindergarten class, it is also a ton of fun. I get to see him grow and learn and participate in the awesome activities that I prepare for the class. It feels a little sad when I create something awesome and then can't share it with my own children (which is why I very often repeat activities that I've done with the preschoolers with my own kids).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1UZ9arV_3rmmmvhsXwBt4rhxVDsoAV4K6nFUuInRTedMB3akIHzDK8ZkUZuCi70dXkMIKumrART_AglCgMbtOjLs4qU-s1BsMe2Disw4mXMbPH7uQsHuroRwKcCApgcjZ1ucieVdJODH/s1600/9-18+Options+EMan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1UZ9arV_3rmmmvhsXwBt4rhxVDsoAV4K6nFUuInRTedMB3akIHzDK8ZkUZuCi70dXkMIKumrART_AglCgMbtOjLs4qU-s1BsMe2Disw4mXMbPH7uQsHuroRwKcCApgcjZ1ucieVdJODH/s640/9-18+Options+EMan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am having a blast creating and exploring, teaching and learning with this group of Kindergartners.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15632502887047672020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470320278524686879.post-91855461226468647302015-09-11T16:38:00.000-07:002015-09-11T16:38:49.872-07:00What Kindergarten Should Look and Feel Like<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Please forgive the very picture heavy post. We had such a fantastic day today that I ended up with 200 photos and it was way too hard to pick just a few.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXYxh2dht1e3eBrmeaJGcy6T-5qbJkEXOzXu1Jc6-Wcq5l9l9FOeHHDK9VjKewARQFhc9dSiMXchyphenhyphenbNAnWjJCe48QXK2BXX3SXFwQRk6S2g5VgxDoK53AvsV63P2c6EvrhsIc8fiiLIlN/s1600/Options+-+The+Way+We+Act.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXYxh2dht1e3eBrmeaJGcy6T-5qbJkEXOzXu1Jc6-Wcq5l9l9FOeHHDK9VjKewARQFhc9dSiMXchyphenhyphenbNAnWjJCe48QXK2BXX3SXFwQRk6S2g5VgxDoK53AvsV63P2c6EvrhsIc8fiiLIlN/s320/Options+-+The+Way+We+Act.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We read "The Way I Act" and created this poster to remind us all year long.</td></tr>
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Today was the type of kindergarten day I hope we have each week, all year long. It was full of laughing, excitement, reading, light bulb moments, friends, hugs, dancing, painting, math, writing, and sharing. I love singing our welcome song with ASL, it is such a fantastic way to start the day. Maybe soon I'll film it and share it with you so you can join in the fun. After a little discussion about which hand is right and which is left we tucked our left hands behind our backs and practiced shaking hands and introducing ourselves and sharing about our favorite animals. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24K3EqYPLsRfZZ9OevxMO4CMUXaND0RvEtQ2qc2bKmKQamzsmud249Yu6ujjos4dRNUhMuQpvO86M6xydt09zsi97Ses0vHO02r6L8LvJen1DYl_P8QGl53zfRH3D5le2wa8DzBXHU3zj/s1600/Options+9-11-15+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24K3EqYPLsRfZZ9OevxMO4CMUXaND0RvEtQ2qc2bKmKQamzsmud249Yu6ujjos4dRNUhMuQpvO86M6xydt09zsi97Ses0vHO02r6L8LvJen1DYl_P8QGl53zfRH3D5le2wa8DzBXHU3zj/s400/Options+9-11-15+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We had a most fantastic group reading lesson today. I LOVE sharing with kids a few key strategies to help them learn to read. Today we talked about the things good readers do. I talk about this ALL THE TIME over on the <a href="http://littleadventurespreschool.blogspot.com/search?q=good+readers">preschool blog</a>. I encourage kids to LOOK at the letters, POINT to the letters, make the letter SOUND, and LISTEN to the sound they're making. It is SO FUN to watch their eyes light up as you tell them that all they have to do is follow those instructions and it will immediately make them a reader. Many kids came home with the <a href="https://seeheardocompany.com/xcart/product.php?productid=6&cat=6&page=1">Letter M book from the Amazing Action Alphabet</a>. We'll be working our way through her mini reading books throughout the year with the appropriate group of students. Share in their joy by having them read their new book to you at home!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKts6agMU9rJiKOGAYFlIq4lqMPeTj3cUVQDBwFPFKcDB6Q6P5sAIgFdAHv7_F7D_iIZQF_QV2rQGP9Bgu3cPXQpDLhJeE6yksJ9hHx-Z_-kqYdf-6aVnlOVEvLsrcfgKfsaU21gfcChjt/s1600/Options+9-11-15+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKts6agMU9rJiKOGAYFlIq4lqMPeTj3cUVQDBwFPFKcDB6Q6P5sAIgFdAHv7_F7D_iIZQF_QV2rQGP9Bgu3cPXQpDLhJeE6yksJ9hHx-Z_-kqYdf-6aVnlOVEvLsrcfgKfsaU21gfcChjt/s400/Options+9-11-15+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqDCtrtV1QaBFvP3fNkXvPhIksmgzLTO6Z2rL790uLyzsWtYKQLWyZjw2rlPsW5lJVoZ0gkJnTsYU-vwqvoMS_jzBRDKzrs2Qgs0_BzGPQgBWuGibDWfqF8RqJcOhYyOBbnmVFvzJPstg/s1600/Options+9-11-15+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqDCtrtV1QaBFvP3fNkXvPhIksmgzLTO6Z2rL790uLyzsWtYKQLWyZjw2rlPsW5lJVoZ0gkJnTsYU-vwqvoMS_jzBRDKzrs2Qgs0_BzGPQgBWuGibDWfqF8RqJcOhYyOBbnmVFvzJPstg/s400/Options+9-11-15+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play dough with loose parts and the toy center during our reading time.</td></tr>
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Every day we spend time drawing and writing in our journals. Then we share our journals with the whole group.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHvihddjrXiuR2xdLqVyCOZOYJLgj9V-vRXUGSO0LOx4w21u6Y5qeY5iCml3bdVqep_KaxNO740SpvJ8xoN44PIKm7vX3e6SfqVERYoMEQ51nr0Nv5adDyTIJWFXf-ftBzrsiUeFLVizh/s1600/Options+9-11-15+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHvihddjrXiuR2xdLqVyCOZOYJLgj9V-vRXUGSO0LOx4w21u6Y5qeY5iCml3bdVqep_KaxNO740SpvJ8xoN44PIKm7vX3e6SfqVERYoMEQ51nr0Nv5adDyTIJWFXf-ftBzrsiUeFLVizh/s400/Options+9-11-15+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After writing comes science, and it was another AMAZING time of our day. Today we talked about archaeologists, magnets, and color. This month we're exploring our year long main topics in short spurts during our science time. We'll get more into these concepts throughout the year. Today we repeated magnets from last week and introduced color blending and archaeology. We had a big table top sand box with dinosaurs, scoopers and paint brushes at the archaeologist center. The color center was a HUGE hit. There were color mixing jars to shake, color wheels to paint, and shaving cream color mixing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx5wREz0jYENEvn6d9C3DDFdEJ_vqjeQv737APS9TGIKOtdZ-7Y3VMdlwCB3lPJy__YWA7Xx5HvFtfHf7mf5GIV0FaduG511-r-YPvQysy5Eqip1LBpvjaGcGUaBX6DJ2Po5bd55A-7Dj/s1600/Options+9-11-15+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx5wREz0jYENEvn6d9C3DDFdEJ_vqjeQv737APS9TGIKOtdZ-7Y3VMdlwCB3lPJy__YWA7Xx5HvFtfHf7mf5GIV0FaduG511-r-YPvQysy5Eqip1LBpvjaGcGUaBX6DJ2Po5bd55A-7Dj/s400/Options+9-11-15+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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By the time we were done with science there were a few of us covered to our elbows in either shaving cream or sand. In some cases: both.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpcRWxz1hNTIfS53WLgJ5qWub2XoBB3dw6VOm-9ru3mTb1jdg5PDpd_AONpuNM9ZQB63IViIlqCfRsoos-yEhjA8V6UlV8mHdWP9QWoawWkqxnK1EQPn3ILx6QfqpZoxsdE5pknKUCXKy/s1600/Options+9-11-15+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpcRWxz1hNTIfS53WLgJ5qWub2XoBB3dw6VOm-9ru3mTb1jdg5PDpd_AONpuNM9ZQB63IViIlqCfRsoos-yEhjA8V6UlV8mHdWP9QWoawWkqxnK1EQPn3ILx6QfqpZoxsdE5pknKUCXKy/s400/Options+9-11-15+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgYhPvKpF9YrN0RtfzpmBQ8bC9msezqZJQFxnOdHQAY6ZvEhB10ZWQZ6uMCIEN8oaDvXkZEN59WxMzBnOB8g_6yYvZ7FFNuu6vSTlgqnP2KIY0mFRqg7BFB2vbg03awVz_WCPnT1r17ZL/s1600/Options+9-11-15+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgYhPvKpF9YrN0RtfzpmBQ8bC9msezqZJQFxnOdHQAY6ZvEhB10ZWQZ6uMCIEN8oaDvXkZEN59WxMzBnOB8g_6yYvZ7FFNuu6vSTlgqnP2KIY0mFRqg7BFB2vbg03awVz_WCPnT1r17ZL/s320/Options+9-11-15+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick art lesson about glue. Draw a speck, a dot, a puddle and a lake. Talk about the size of each. Then on one piece of paper demonstrate a speck of glue, a dot of glue, a puddle of glue, and a lake of glue. Through a little discussion kids can come to the conclusion that a dot of glue is the appropriate size of liquid glue to use for a project.</td></tr>
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We continued our conversation about how families and friends are important and help each other during our art time. Many of the children were able to bring family photos and some even had a list of people in their family. Thank you to the parents for supporting that! We then were able to share about our families and make our own family trees.</div>
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Our first lesson on identifying instruments and the sounds they make was amazing. It was fantastic to hear from kids who could identify orchestra instruments and how to play them (in the air). Many have siblings that play an instrument that we explored today. As we listened to the instruments we also practiced air playing them. Then we danced around to a variety of operatic scores.</div>
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Subitization is a fancy word for being able to recognize a group of objects as a number without needing to count. Think about how you look at the roll of a die. If it lands with 5 dots on top I'm quite certain you don't count the dots every time. You just know that that arrangement is 5. That's what we're going for in kindergarten right now. After we played some subitization games each child received a piece of paper to draw and write all the different forms of one number that they possibly could. Then we shared our work with our class. As we share our work and discussion of numbers and their representations we increase our mathematical vocabulary. </div>
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As this is my personal blog and I am a homeschooling mom I like to highlight the fun things that EMan did during his Options school day. I don't get to see much of CJ during school (he's in the second grade group) but EMan I have direct access to for this school year :).</div>
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I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Happy learning!</div>
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