4th Week, 1st Day

We are already entering into the last week of the first month. How crazy is that!? Time is definitely flying. This week I've decided to start doubling up lessons when I see it fit.

Today, I doubled up Math because it was recognizing certain two-dimensional shapes. Babe was easily able to do it with the specified shapes - square, oval, triangle, and rectangle. I then had her draw each one, something else she was very easily able to do. After she completed her worksheets, Math was done.

We did Reading Comprehension next with "The Gingerbread Man." I read the story aloud and by the second chaser of the cookie, she was reciting along with me the famous saying, "Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the gingerbread man!" After reading the story and free-playing for a few minutes, she was able to recall details and basically retell the whole story, even with the correct order of cookie chasers!

Next was the fun part - decorating gingerbread cookies!!! It was a little weird decorating these specific cookies at the end of September, but it goes right along with her Science lessons, so I guess it makes sense.

I set up each kid's station to minimize the mess as much as possible. Then I let Bubs and Z go to town, but had Babe decorate five specifically.

The first one I wanted her to decorate was the one described in the story, so I asked her if she remembered what the little old lady used for his eyes, nose, and buttons. She remembered perfectly, except we didn't have cherries for his nose, so we used a Red Hot!

She added a green mouth and a brown skirt afterwards.

I then had her decorate each member of her family, using candies to show hair and eye color.

Here she is working on her dad, who has brown hair and eyes. She did very well for the remaining members of her family, but I slacked on photos today...so no pictures...

Z and Bubs were having just as much fun as Babe was.

Here is an example of Z's cookie designs, which is pretty much the gyst of how Bubs decorated hers. Lots of random candies and other edible things piled on top.

Overall, I think they decorated about two dozen cookies. And I have never eaten so much sugar in one day in my entire life.

Tada!!!

This activity took up the rest of the morning, so we waited until after lunch to continue.

I did a quick run through with her on beginning sounds. I had her sort some picture cards by beginning sounds and she did that with ease. After her Checkpoints, it was time for an introduction on "naming words", or nouns.

I showed her that each picture on the picture card had a name, a word that goes with it. I then told her that anything she can point to and name is a noun. So we practiced. We used the cards, then she eventually went around the dining room and kitchen pointing to things and naming them. I used both terms, noun and naming word, while describing them.

We did this activity while transitioning to Science, which was a review on body parts. I taught her the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and how we point to each part.

"So these are nouns too?"

Wow. Yeah, she caught on much quicker than I thought she would with nouns.

We sang the song a bunch of times, getting faster and faster with each turn. Then I asked her which two body parts in the song rhymed. It took her a while to remember which parts were in the song, but she finally yelled "NOSE AND TOES!" It was pretty funny. Then I asked her which two parts in the song had the same beginning sounds.

Without much thought, she said, "nose and knees!"

Awesome.

She had a bit more time left before dance, so I had her catch up in her Reading practice book, which has the student write each letter on specified pages. If you are reading this and are using Calvert Kindergarten home school, I have not been doing the Reading Awareness lessons in Theme 1. She knows all her letters and how to write them, so whenever we have down time, I just have her catch up to the day's letter.

And that's that! She sang "You're a Grand Old Flag" in the car on the way to dance, officially ending today's school day.