The Mission

I can't promise preschool perfection, but I can guarantee an honest desire to walk with God through the process!








Chart Our Progress from the Very Beginning

Monday, January 31, 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

S is for Sickness

The only thing worse than sick kids is a sick husband! I'm hanging on by the skin of my teeth, but I should have Letter S posted by tomorrow.
Wishing y'all good health!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Week 20: E

Everything from Eggs to Elephants is included this week! Click Here: Letter E or on the 3rd Quarter link below. I'm not sure if I'm gonna go for the gold this week and attempt an elephant on our bulletin board, or "chicken" out and make an egg (ha, ha). Stay tuned! :)

Friday, January 21, 2011

"F"u"N"

(Nine Nickels)
(Nocturnal Animal Chart)

(Bat Drawings)

(Numbers Hopscotch)

(Numbers Book)

(Noah's Animal Match)


(Go Fish)

(Fruits of the Spirit)


Wednesday, January 19, 2011

A "N"ote...

Two things that have come to my mind halfway through letter N...

1. If you have a little girl, it might be nice to review the story of Naomi and Ruth instead of Naaman. I always gear my lessons for a little boy, but I'm sure I'll change that when my daughter goes through this.

2. I've decided we aren't ready for number flashcards (too boring and we just don't have the ability to sit still long enough to appreciate their potential). Instead, I downloaded a number worksheet from www.kidzone.com.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Week 19:N

It's been cold, gloomy, and wet around here...the perfect weather for indoor preschool activities! Here's a recap of some of the fun we've been having and you can Click here for Week 19: N or click on the "3rd Quarter" link below.
"N"-joy! :)


(Umbrella Toss)

(Sorting underwear...yes...we actually did this!)

(Reading about reptiles with Daddy)


(Handprint Rainbow)

(Wearing our Crowns of Righteousness)

Monday, January 10, 2011

"F"orgotten

Oops! I thought I posted this already. A lot of good it does me to get a jump-start on my lesson plans if I forget to post them! Click here for Week 18 F.
Enjoy!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Red Words


We are starting something new this semester and it's uncharted territory for me, so I'm not sure how it's going to go. I'm introducing "Red Words" into our morning circle time. Red Words are words that do not follow phonetic rules and therefore must be visually memorized and recognized. The use of the color red helps students in the memorization process to associate these words as rule-breakers. To introduce red words, I have written them in red on flashcards and plan to teach 1-3 words a week (depending on how easily he memorizes them) and review them in the same manner that we review letters/sounds. Because these words are visually memorized, I will simply show him the word, state the word, and have him repeat the word to me. As we progress through the week and he begins to commit words to memory, I will transition from stating the word to having him state the word.
It is important to evaluate your student(s) to ensure that they are ready for red words. For us, I felt that once my son was able to progress through the 3-part drill with speed and ease, and as he is beginning to read simple 3-letter words, he was ready for a new challenge.
There is another component to red words that involves kinesthetic movement in assisting the memorization process. I am not ready to introduce that process to my son yet, but I may come back to it if need be and address it at that time. (If you are interested in that process, feel free to email me or send a comment and I will get that information to you.)
As far as a list of red words, I plan to post a link to a list of stage one red words soon. The first six words I plan to introduce over the next two weeks are: and, the, is, he, she, said. I chose these words because they are fairly common in beginning reader books.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Year's Resolution



It's a new year...and with it comes a new fervor to mold and shape the minds of my kiddos! This, along with my husband's renewed conviction to study for his derm./path. boards, is my motivation to crank out the rest of the year's lessons long before the final crunch takes us down!
The new year also forces the acknowledgement that my 3 year old no longer naps! It's a sad concession indeed! However, we will need something quiet and structured to fill the hours that Taryn still sleeps...

...even more motivation!

Click here for Week 17: Letter R or locate the link at the bottom of this page under "3rd Quarter".

Happy New Year!!