Listen and Spell website

this is a really neat listen and spell website.

Dolch Word Games

Be sure to check out some of their other games that might work for you.

Teddy Bear Theme

This week's theme is Teddy Bears!

So much fun things you can do with this theme from all the different kinds of bears to the ones we love to cuddle with at night. Bears comes in all shapes and sizes and we love them all the same.

Song/Rhyme: Two Little Teddy Bears
Adapted from two little black birds

Two little teddy bears sitting on a hill. (Have the children show the teddy bears)

One named Jack and one named Jill. (Hold one up high then hold the other one up high)

Run away Jack. Run away Jill. (Hide one behind your back, and then hide the other one behind your back, so both are now hidden.)

Come back Jack. Come back Jill. (Bring back one teddy bear, and then bring back the other teddy bear)

Repeat.

Teddy Bear Song - sung to "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

(Child's Name) has a teddy bear,
Teddy bear, teddy bear
(Child's Name) has a teddy bear
It's brown and furry all over.
(change last line to fit description of child's teddy bear.)

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the sky.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch your shoe,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, I love you!


CRAFTS

Teddy Bear Hat

Need: a picture of a teddy bear head, Brown construction paper, Crayons, Glue, and Scissors. Have the children color a picture of a teddybear head. About the size of a 8 x 11 page. Then cut strip out of brown construction paper. Make headbands out of the strips. (Either use glue or Tape, remember no stapes near a child's head.) Cut out the teddy bear head and glue it to the front of the headband. Now the children can be teddy bears too!

Thanksgiving...

Love this little turkey and plan on making it with my kids.

Handprint Picture Frame


Bingo Dabber Art Pages




Handprint Turkey Craft with Poem


Turkey Coloring Pages




Thanksgiving Mini Book

Halloween Songs and Activities

Brown Owl, Brown Owl

Brown Owl, brown owl who do you see?
I see a White Ghost look at me
White Ghost, White Ghost, who do you see?
I see a Purple Bat looking at me
Purple Bat, Purple Bat, who do you see?
I see a Green Witch looking at me
Green Witch, Green Witch, who do you see?
I see a Black Cat looking at me
Black Cat, Black Cat, who do you see?
I see an Orange Pumpkin looking at me
Orange Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin, who do you see?
I see a Jack-O-Lantern looking at me

**my plan is to make this for felt board**

Today we are having Pajama Day!!!!

The kids are so excited to be having Pajama Day today! We are going to eat on a blanket as if we are having a slumber party. Today is going to be so much fun!!!!

A is for Apple

We are going to be doing an Apple Lapbook this month. We love lapbooking and I can not wait to get started.

My Apple Tree (PDF)

Letter A Wheel - What begins with Aa (PDF)
Apple Graph (PDF)
Apple Counting Hotdog Book (PDF) how to hotdog book (PDF)
Apple Life Cycle Maze (PDF)

more links coming later today...

Busy getting our schedule ready

I am busy getting our schedule together for homeschooling my now grade 1 daughter. How exciting is that. Below I posted the curriculum I am going to be using and I have starting using it and so far we are loving it all.

At the same time I am doing my homeschool schedule I am doing my daycare schedule as well. I want to get things all ready so we can just keep going with theme after theme for the daycare kids.

Happy learning going to post it all once I get it done here.

Grade 1 Curriculum .... all ready to go!!!

for Math:

• Counting with Numbers (Rod & Staff)
• Learning numbers with Spunky (the Donkey)
• MEP (free online)
  

for Language Arts: Pathway Readers and accompanying workbooks

• First Steps w workbook
• Days go by w workbook
• More days go by w workbook

for Phonics:

• Learning Through Sounds book 1
• Learning through sounds book 2
• Before we Read
• Climbing to Good English

for Spelling:

• 1st Spelling Book

for Penmanship:

• Pentime Manuscript book 2

for Seatwork Extras if needed:

• Everywhere we go (Rod & Staff)

Also in my possession I have:

Complete Canadian Curriculum for grade 1

• Math
• Language
• Social Studies
• Science

for History:

• http://www.lessonpathways.com/
• maps & globes
• continents
• oceans
• rivers, lakes & mountains
• Native americans
• Journey to a New World
• Colonies
• around the world
• Africa
• USA & Canada
• Pocahontas
• The Calendar
• King Tut & the Nile
• Seven wonders of the world
• so much more

for Science:

• http://www.lessonpathways.com/
• http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_1st_science_new.htm
  

I also plan on incorporating some of the CM books again this year... it just works really well for us and how we homeschool.

Added new category on the side bar....

Homeschool Forms.... if you are like me you use a lot of different forms and papers when homeschooling to keep track of various things you do in your homeschool.

I have a new list in my sidebar with various forms and resources for forms I have found online. Please feel free to take a look at them all.


Right now we are just trying to decide on what we are going to do for Grade 1. I do have a friend who has Sonlight grade 1 curriculum but she is not sure she can find it all for us to use... if she does and she can that would be wonderful. Or I will start piecing a few things together for my daughter here shortly. I do have our readers already.... Pathways Publishing is what we will be using. I would love to get my hands on handwritting without tears.... there is a sale going on locally here of homeschool stuff and I hope to pick up a few things there but that is not until late August. We shall see.

Happy Canada Day!!!!!

This is my favourite Canada Day photo ever!

Happy Canada Day Everyone!!!!

Week 5: I am Canadian/Canada Day

Canada is 143 years old this year!!!!

Canada Day is July 1st so I thought I would do the whole week on Canada.
Coloring Pages

Maple Leaf

Maple Leaf

Heart Flag

Canadian Flag

Outline of Canada

Canada Day Beaver

Canada Goose

Canada Day Crafts

Handprint Flag

Maple Leaf Medal (necklace)

Maple Leaf Magnet

Votive Holder

Wind sock

Handprint flag another one

Beaver Craft

Other Activities

Work Search

Various Puzzles
Canada Theme Units

Theme: Summer Fun

Songs

Hot Dog Song
5 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up all your fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went bam (clap loudly)
4 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up four fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went bam (clap loudly)
3 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up three fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went bam (clap loudly)
2 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up two fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went bam (clap loudly)
1 little hotdog in the fry pan, (hold up one finger and wiggle it)
The grease got hot and it went bam (clap loudly)
No little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up a fist and shake it)
The pan got hot and it went bam (clap loudly)

Summer bugs...

(sang to "do you know the Muffin Man" tune)

Do you know a Butterfly, a butterfly, a butterfly.

Do you know a Butterfly who loves a summers day!

Yes we know a Butterfly, a butterfly, a butterfly.

Yes we know a Butterfly who loves a summers day!

Continue changing butter fly to other summer bugs...
caterpillar, house fly, dragonfly, lady bug, spider, moth, glow bug etc..

Art Ideas

My kids enjoyed painting foot prints while wearing inexpensive flip flops bought at a discount store. We displayed our creations under the caption "We've Flipped For Summer!"

Let's Go Fishing! / Father's Day themes....

I love planning my week based on a theme. It looks like my summer is going to be quiet in the child care area... but I will still have themes for my daughter and due a ton of lapbooks... I am hoping a few a week.

Okay... now on to this week's theme...

Let's go Fishing!!!

I am planning some ideas... that involve our Little Tikes cast and count fishing set.

The kids love playing with this... I think I might set it up in the little pool out back...

We also made rainbow fish today....

I cut out a fish shape out of construction paper (yellow)

and they kids glued on tissue paper in various colours with

a glue stick. They had a blast making them.

Dot to Dots

Fish Dot to Dot

Fish with Gills Dot to Dot

Fish with Bubbles

Dot to Dot Alpha Fish

Fish 1 to 5 (prints clear) PDF

Coloring Pages

7 Fish on this page

3 Fish Coloring Pages

Goldfish

Fish

Letter F

Capital F

Lapbook Links

Most are from Homeschool share.

Fish Lifecycle Wheel

Cover Idea

Fish Cards

more ideas... colouring sheets ... such coming your way...

Ocean/Water Theme Week

This week we are doing water/ocean life theme.

After searching the internet and finding some wonderful coloring pages for the kids and some great crafts we are ready to go with our week.

Coloring Pages

OctopusAlligator

Dolphin

Fish

Frog

Otter

Sea Horse

Seal

Walrus

Whale

Craft Ideas

Octopus Craft

What a great blog!

An Octopus who is a real handful.

Really check out this resource it is great!!!!

Crawling Crabs with Claws

this is so cute!

Terrific Turtle

another adorable craft

Lapbook Ideas

June Themes and such....

Week 1: Bugs/Insects
Week 2: Ocean Theme
Week 3: Father's Day/Let's go Fishing
Week 4: Picnic/Beach Day
Week 5: I am Canadian/Oh Canada

Recipes:
Beaver Tails
Yeast Mixture:
1 tbsp. White sugar
½ cup warm water (120F)
1 package (or 1 tbsp.) Dry yeast
Dough:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
21/3 cups warm water
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp. White sugar
5 to 8 cups flour
Dissolve & mix together the ingredients for the yeast mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Mix other
ingredients in a large bowl (except flour), then add yeast mixture and mix. Add flour 1 cup at a time until
a smooth dough forms. Knead dough, then let it stand (covered with a tea towel) for 1 ½ hours so
dough can rise. Form dough into balls about the size of eggs, then roll flat, making ovals about 1/8 to
1/4 inch thick. Heat oil to 350F in deep fryer, pot or electric frying pan. Fry”Beaver Tails” one at a time
until light brown on both sides. Place on paper

May 17 - 21 - Theme "Community Helpers" and the "Letter C"

I am so excited to do community helpers with the kids.

Make a map of the community and start labeling where all the community helpers can be found.

Make a list of community helpers and discuss how they help us.


Monday:

• Garbage Truck craft (we will be using crayons to color the pieces and put them together to make a garbage truck)
• Go thru community helper picture book I made (print off pictures of community helpers and slip them into a photo album and go thru them with the kids asking if they know who the community helpers are)
• teach the kids Stop Drop and Roll - Fire safety
• color fire truck or fireman
  
• add fire hall to community map
• read Sparky story online
  

Tuesday:

• Bake cookies in the shape of the letter C
• Color the letter C to look like a carrot
• add library to community map
  

Wednesday:

• Take our teddy bear to the doctor
• Read Story: About going to the doctor
• add hospital to community map
• Doctor coloring page
  

Thursday:

• Make mailbox and letters for kids to deliver (we are recycling a large family size cereal box for this craft for the mailbox)
  
• add post office to community map
• Mailman coloring page
  

Friday:

• Color police badge or police car
  
• trace our hands and then ink our fingers so our finger prints only show up.
  
• add police station to community map

Theme this week Gardening and Letter V ...

Last week I concentrated more on Flowers than Gardening because of it being Mother's Day weekend. So this week... we will plant seeds.... watch them grow and do gardening activities.

Seed Story/Felt Board activity
Five Little Seeds - story and seeds

• I printed the seeds on brown cardstock and put velcro on the back to stick to the felt board for story time this week.

Printables
Letter Vv Search
What begins with V
Coloring page: vegetables and wheel barrow
Uppercase Letter
Letter Vv search

Math
Fill the wheel barrows with vegetables
Circle the correct amount of vegetables

Handwriting Worksheets
Letter V
Letter V tracing

Microwave Playdoh (I am going to be colouring it green in honour of Gardening week)

* 1 cup all purpose flour
* 1/2 cup salt
* 2 tsp cream of tartar
* 1 cup water
* 1 tbsp oil
* food colouring
Mix all dry ingredients together. Add oil, water and food colouring. Mix dry and wet ingredients thoroughly together. Microwave on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Let cool and knead. Store in airtight container after cooled and when not in use.

Seriously you all need to check out this blog where most of the links were created from: Home Grown Hearts.

Theme this week.... Garden/Flowers and the letter F!

This week we are concentrating on Gardening and Flowers since it is both May and Mother's day this weekend.

Great craft idea.... for a mother's day gift or just to celebrate May!

Flowers for Mother’s Day




May Day basket... great for putting flowers in to give or just to decorate your home.


Coloring Pages:
Rose
Flower with smile
Flower
Flower



The Letter "F"

Printable Letter to decorate with cut out flowers



more will be posted later tonight....

Theme this week is .... Humpty Dumpty and the Letter E

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Coloring Pages to print:
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty (lapbook cover)

Craft Ideas:
Oval Egg for making Stuffed Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty put together and color

Puzzle:
Humpty Dumpty (color and cut puzzle from Making Learning Fun)

Lapbook Ideas:
Humpty Dumpty




The letter E printable to color or paint.

Earth Day Activities....

I came across some great earth day worksheets to use. I used page 1 for the really young ones and some of the other pages also. We discussed things that can hurt the environment and how important it is to recycle.

Earth Day Coloring Pages
Earth (with facts)
We've got the future in our hands
Recycle Symbol
Earth I plan on using this one as a painting page

National Geographic 4 Kids

We have been spending some time on this website lately. It is so much fun.

• There are lots of geography games to play.
• There is an online encyclopedia of animals, people and places. We are loving the animals one right now.
• Activity ideas and experiments are also on the site.

I think taking some time and exploring what is on this site is a wonderful idea.... did I happen to mention that it is all FREE.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Free Online Curriculum

I am not sure how I happen to come upon these two sites... the first is



Head of the Class is a free online curriculum for use covering grades Kindergarten to Second grade.


and the second one is Lesson Pathways. It's a full-curriculum for grades Kindergarten through 6th grade.

I just signed up to both of these sites to use for the rest of this year with my daughter and I plan to come back and do a review in a few weeks. So far I am really liking what I am seeing with Lesson Pathways.

Great site for practicing Math... IXL
Have fun exploring and enjoy!

2010 Olympics in Vancouver, BC, CANADA

I can not think of a better theme to do right now then the Olympics. It seems most of Canada has Olympic Fever and who can blame them. It is so exciting to watch all the athletes compete and represent their countries.




I am going to be adding links and stuff we do at our house to celebrate the Olympics in our homeland of Canada.

Colouring Pages:
DLTK - coloring pages
Activity Village - coloring pages
First School - sports coloring pages
Olympic Coloring Book
Primary Games - coloring pages
Kid's Turn Central - coloring pages

Craft Ideas:
First School - Lesson Plan
Craft Jr - Olympic Crafts
Free Kids Crafts.com
Kaboose - Olympic Torch

For craft time we are making Gold medals today. I think maybe torches on Friday. Thursday we go to a local playgroup so that eats up most of the day for us.

Letter Mm

Valentine's Day!

I love doing crafts with my daughter for Valentine's Day so while searching the internet for craft ideas and coming up with a few of my own I thought I would post a page that links to some really neat ones so it would be easy for me to access at any time and easy for you also.

Tissue Paper Heart

Sweetheart Glasses

Handprint Heart

Valentine Bracelet
Also for my fellow canadians if you just make the bracelet
red and white you can wear it to support Canada in the Olympics.

Lacing Hearts

Heart Leis

Heart Paper Collage
Love this idea but I think I would do it with pink, red and white paper only.

Valentine Card Ideas

Valentine Shaker

Woven Hearts

Heart Valentine Faces