Week 6 M

Week 6 is here! I've uploaded the new and improved lesson plans for Letter M which can be downloaded here or the link below..."1st Quarter: Weeks 1-8". Here are some of my notes from the previous week:

1. We have been limiting the amount of time we spend writing in the sand. Mostly because my 16 month old decided to eat an entire tray of it while I was fixing dinner the other day, but also because my 3 year old has yet to develop the self-control to use it as an asset rather than a distraction. Hopefully your children are a little more mature than mine! :)

2. I have recently realized that I haven't made any mention to the fact that we spend a portion of cirlce time every morning reviewing past concepts (prior memory verses, artists and their works, Bible stories, etc.). I don't really plan for this, but rather attempt to connect previously learned concepts with new concepts whenever possible. I guess you could say this is more inspirational than directive.

3. Now is the time when rewards are taking center stage. The novelty is quickly wearing off and the reality is that it takes a decent number of gummy bears to keep a 3 year old boy motivated to sit and engage in a structured activity! I think one of the biggest misconceptions in education is that children are naturally inspired to learn as long as you offer them the right kind of learning environmnet and opportunities. My personal stance is this...if God sees the need to use rewards to motivate us to do his will, I don't see how it is any different with children...ESPECIALLY wiggly 3 year old boys! But all kids are different, and wherever you stand on the issue of rewards, I would simply encourage you to find ways to motivate your kids to engage in structured activities even when they aren't necessarily interested. It will benefit them for the rest of their educational and spiritual lives. (But don't just take my word for it...Hebrews 12)

4. To piggy-back off of the last note...I've also been working on picking my battles. The truth of the matter is that we aren't able to get through every single activity each week. Some days we are highly motivated and we crank out 3-4. Other days, no amount of gummy bears can get us to attempt a letter G! The teacher in me is thinking benchmarks, objectives, and demonstrated goals, but the parent in me is thinking, "Is it more important that he know how to spell God or that he know how to submit his life to Him?" I'm really working on listening to the parent more than the teacher! :)

So those are the things we're working on...take them with a grain of salt and enjoy week 6!! :)
Lindsay