Things I Am Thinking About Lately:
- BYU is shutting down the Women's Research Institute. I originally heard about it from a grrrr-ing friend M on my Facebook page who linked to this. Now fMh is covering it here. And the Salt Lake Trib here.
- At the urging of my lovely friend mraynes over at The Exponent I wrote messages to President Samuelson and John Tanner regarding the above closing of the WRI.
- I get to go to California and chill with my peeps in less than 17 days. Good times,
noodle salad. - Halloween is really fun with a 4-year-old.
- E is getting so old: helmet off, first haircut, scooting around, drinking from sippy cups, having an opinion.
- M is getting taken out of preschool: it isn't a good fit for him this year. Field trips have no transportation, he does not seem to be learning much, the campus is farther away, he seems ambivalent about whether or not he likes his teacher, and I keep thinking about how nice it would be to just have preschool at home.
- Preschool at home: reading stories, learning states from our large map, learning songs from Laurie Berkner and others, doing construction paper crafts, learning the calendar, practicing writing letters and names, learning to read, and of course visiting three places on a regular basis: The Phoenix Children's Museum, The Arizona Science Center, and the Phoenix Zoo. Add some parks and some library visits and I think we will be good to go until Kindergarten officially starts next fall. Plus I can supplement materials from the Lakeshore store down the street, and for a lot less than what we were paying for preschool, methinks.
- I got a new tiny computer that I love. Especially in conjunction with the snazzy new wireless DSL setup we got.
5 comments:
Preschool ha? K...the amazing things you do for your kids!!! Really, I am constantly impressed. I did not know that pre-school was not working out...I obviously talk way too much about myself during our little visits and playdates. Just so you know, Lola took the phone into her room and is currently "talking" to Eli. Since I am not allowed in the room. I thought I would check your blog and see if I could get updated on the news. Tell me...how do you think the fit is for Miles and the dance class. I am particularly interested as I see two potental problems: 1) He is the only boy and I am not sure if this makes things weird or uncomfortable for him. 2) Lola can be a distraction, especially since she is a friend. Let me know. I will try to adapt. I wish I coul lose Lola for the hour, but I am not sure how to do this. I think things are fine, but I guess I am hypersensative as you are my friend. Though I have taught kids A LOT over the years, I've actualy never taught the child of a close friend. It is weird to me that I even care, but I do, so in the spirit of being respectful to my emotions I am asking.
Oh my hypersensitive bosom buddy! I mos def know how you feel in that regard. I'm not too worried about m being the only boy or being distracted by lola. i am working on letting m make his own decisions within the realm that i give him. i won't let him leave the classroom for example, but he can choose to participate or not. i think lola does distract him, but it might be good for him to learn how to focus. i worry more about your sanity trying to get his attention back :) i would love to have lola out in the hallway with me and e if you think it would help. as long as she doesn't run off i think we'll be ok. let me know what you think.
and yes, the preschool isn't great. i'll have to tell you more about it when i see you. tomorrow for first friday? i need to call you!
Preschool at home is fun. I think 'your school' would be even more fun than what we pulled off; I never could seem to get many projects going and those museums are fun. :)
Starfall.com has some fun stuff.
Let me know if you are looking for something specific. I have a bunch of sites bookmarked. And for these younger ages, I really like Montessori ideas. I'm not sure how far along M is, but I have a few things I can suggest in general.
I highly recommend teaching the sounds of the letters first, not the names (or at least at the same time) ...It cuts down on the confusion when starting to read.... (So aa and Ay not "A")
And since writing is something that is learned over a period of time with coordination, then tracing the letters while saying the sound is a recommended way to practice that. Andrew responded best with tracing the letter I wrote with sidewalk chalk on the back porch. It is very textile feeling and by pulling the finger across the chalk it change the line's appearance too. (Very thrilling for a little boy, even his perfectionist side felt like he was really writing; Whereas when I had him trace letters in other formats (like on paper or plastic letters) he bored quickly.)
Besides I like bringing in different ways of learning whenever I can, such as audio, visual, kinesthetic,; It really seems to make a difference in an overall understanding and application.
Hope you have fun!! I love it when my little boys learn ...they are so alive.. even later when playing they maintain a greater sense of living and awareness.
We're doing the home preschool thing too. I wanted the flexibility to do whatever Cora wanted to do, instead of forcing her into a schedule. I just love doing what she wants to do. Good for you for doing what M needs! Sounds like you do some great stuff with him!
The pic with the boys together is so cute!
Thanks for the tips and information, G. I am checking out starfall right now. Of course, I have a couple of weeks to get ready, but I am glad to start mentally planning.
Thanks, Jill! Good to hear from you. I think the less strict schedule will be a welcome change for us as well.
Post a Comment