homeschool preschool

B is for Boat

Dear Sis,

Our Daily Reading

Today’s non-fiction selection was Boat Book by Gail Gibbons. It talks about all the different kinds of boats, broken into categories by how they are powered and what jobs they perform. A great toddler book… that is simply factual, without being condescending. 

Today’s fiction selection is the Golden Book Classic, Scruffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Crampton. If you don’t remember from when you were a kid, Scruffy is a toy boat that longs for adventure in the great big world. Once he has his adventure, he realizes that he is better off in his small section of the world, with the man in the polka-dot tie and his son. 

“b” is for Boat Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

  • Print b is for Boat Letter Craft by Tag Sis, You’re It, on white card stock.
  • Provide paints, brushes, painting smock, scissors, blue sheet of craft paper, and a glue stick.

Student Assembly

  • Choosing different colors for each part, paint the trapezoid boat, triangle sail, and “b” mast. Set it aside to dry.
  • Once your painting is dry, ask your grown up to help you cut out your boat parts.
  • Paste the boat parts to blue craft paper.
  • Write or ask your grown up to title, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio.

Colored Sail Apple Boat Float

Activity Materials

  • 10 different colored sheet of craft foam, cut into squares. We used red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, black, gray, and brown.
  • 10 lollipop sticks, trimmed skewers, or similar narrow craft stick, to thread sails onto.
  • 5 apples, sliced in half.
  • A dish bin, half filled with water.

Our Process

  • As your student hands you sails to poke into apples, ask them what color it is, reminding them if they forgot, and having them say the color name back to you. 
  • Have them review color names again as you place the boats into the water. Only 7 of our 10 boats were sea worthy, but that’s okay. It presented the opportunity for more practice.
  • First, we counted all the sea faring boats. Then, we counted the boats that sank and had to be docked.
  • Finally, we named the colors of the sea faring boats. Then, we named the colors of the boats that sank.

Three of our boats were not sea worthy. The first one, I accidentally pieced through the skin on the bottom of the apple. It floated for a while, until too much water got into it. The other two weren’t symmetrical enough, and tipped themselves with their own weight. William decided we should just eat the boats that didn’t work:) 

Song of the Day

We printed this lyric sheet by downloading the PDF from Children Love to Sing. We sang to our sailing apple boats before cleaning up.

Transportation Counting Puzzles

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • Lay out all the number cards at random. Counting between each addition, match the wooden puzzle numeral to the corresponding card number.
  • Using the puzzle as a reference, and counting between each addition, line up the number cards in sequence.
  • Working with shuffled transportation counting cards, ask student to count the number of vehicles on each card.
  • Then, count down the number row, and place the vehicle card in the correct location.
  • Finally, we discussed that number ten was made with two numerals… the one and zero. 

We even finished our lesson early enough to go to library story time!

Love,

b

B is for Ball

Dear Sis,

Our Daily Reading

Today both selections are fiction. A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka is a picture book about a dog who really enjoys her ball. Sadly, on an outing to the park another dog pops her ball. She goes home very sad. The following day, on her way to the dog park, the dog that popped he ball shows up with a new ball for her. She ends up with a new ball and a new friend. William loves to read this story for himself since there aren’t any written words, he feels like he is doing it right. I like that William learned, that when we break a friends toy, we have to work to make it right again.

The second book, Ball & Balloon by Rob Sanders is about a ball and balloon, who each take turns wishing they were the other. This book shows how the ups and downs of life are better with a friend. 

Basketball Shot Counting Mats

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • First, we rolled as many balls as we could out of a can of orange play doh.
  • We discussed that zero meant their were no basketballs anywhere.
  • Then, we matched the puzzle numerals with the numerals on the card. Only five cards fit on our table at a time, so we worked 1-5, and then 6-10.
  •  Next, we placed the correct number of play doh basketballs on the card, counting aloud with each addition.
  • During clean up, we revisited the concept of zero.

Baseball Lacing Cards

Activity Materials

Football Color Matching Puzzles

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • Sort the helmets and jerseys into two piles. 
  • Starting with the helmets, have student identify the color before setting it down. Have student say color names they forgot, once you provide the answer.
  • Repeat the process of color identification for the jersey cards.
  • Then, ask the student place the jerseys with the corresponding helmet. 

Playing Ball – Fitness Activity

We have LittleTyke T-Ball and Basketball in our back yard, but whatever you have will probably do the trick:)

Love,

b

B is for Bee

Dear Sis,

Our Daily Reading

Today’s fiction selection is, Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup. This book is a wonderfully illustrated journey through the day in a life of a foraging worker bee. It even talks about how bees communicate with other colony members, using the waggle dance, to guide other bees to the location of plentiful flowers.  

Today’s non-fiction selection is, The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner. This book covers the life cycle, tasks and hive life, pollination and honey making, body structure, and threats to bee populations. It will need some paraphrasing, but it has plenty of information on the pages your child finds extra interesting:) William wanted to know everything on the body structure and pollination pages!

“B” is for Bee Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

  • Print B is for Bee Template, on white card stock. I found this free template on Miss Maren’s Monkeys blog.
  • Cut out the template letter B, trace it onto yellow construction paper, and cut out the yellow B. 
  • Cut out the template wing, trace it twice on black and white construction paper, and cut out. 
  • The stripes are not provided on the template. I cut 3 black – 1 inch strips that were 6.5 inches long. We tucked under additional length to match the contours of the letter. 
  • Supply a glue stick, blue sheet of craft paper, 1 large wiggly eye, and a black pipe cleaner, cut in half, for antenna. 

Student Assembly

  • Paste white wings over black wings, so just a bit of the black is slowing.
  • Paste black stripes to letter “B,” folding under edges as needed.
  • Paste wings to the back of the “B.”
  • Paste “B” to sheet of blue construction paper.
  • Peel up the top of the “B” and paste antenna in place.
  • Paste eye in place.
  • Write or ask your grown up to title, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio. 

Bee Shape Craft

Activity Materials

Our Process/Student Assembly

  • Review all the shapes on the puzzle.
  • Spread out Bee Shapes and sort them. Remember the wiggly eyes are shapes too!
  • Use glue stick to assemble Bee Shape Craft, using shape and color names as you work.
    • Paste yellow body oval to white wing heart.
    • Paste black rectangular stripes to yellow body oval.
    • Paste black stinger triangle to the bottom of the yellow body oval.
    • Paste yellow head circle to top of the yellow body oval.
    • Paste black head contrast oval to yellow head circle.
    • Paste circular wiggly eyes to the black head contrast oval.

Bees in the Hive Counting Mat

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • First, we matched the number circles with the numerals on the puzzle. We introduced 10 today and placed it after nine.
  • We discussed that zero meant no bees were in the hive. We moved on to the remaining counting numerals, one at a time.
  • First, we counted on the puzzle to learn the numeral name.
  • Then, we placed the corresponding numeral circle on the hive and place 1 bee with each addition.
  • Next, we checked our work by counting the bees.
  • Finally, during clean up, we revised the concept of zero, when no more bees were on the hive.

The Life Cycle of a Bee

We printed the Honey Bee Life Cycle Printable, from Preschool Powol Packets, on card stock. We placed the chart in a page protector and cut out and laminated the two part cards for durability.

Our Process

  • With the chart in view, starting with egg, I asked William to find the picture card, in sequence, by using its proper name. We arranged them in a circle as we went. 
  • For the second phase, I shuffled the word cards, read them allowed, and asked William to place them on the correct picture cards. 

I was shocked with how well William retained Life Cycle information from our reading earlier that morning. We worked through this process in only a few minutes!

Love,

b

A is for Ant

Dear Sis, 

Our Daily Reading

Today fiction selection, Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose, is about a boy who is about to squish an ant. The boy and ant enter in conversation and each argue their cases. In the end, the ants fate is up to the reader. Usually William lets the ant live; today he was less generous:)

Today’s non-fiction section, The Life and Times of the Ant by Charles Micucci, introduces the ant in prehistoric times, discusses how colonies form, work together, and communicate, depicts the body structures of the ant and how they function, and more! There is so much content, it may be more than the attention of a, 3 or 4-year-old allows, but the writing style makes it easy to pick and choose what content to read and what to skip over, based upon the child’s interest. 

A is for Ant Observation Activity

Parent Preparation

Student Participation

  • Paint honey on the letter “A.”
  • Place the honey coated A is for Ant card outside in the grass. Place a few rocks on the corners to keep it from blowing away.
  • Wait a few hours until lots of ants find the honey, then observe them with a magnifying glass.

Song of the Day

The Ants go Marching lyric printable is available on Teach Children ESL.com. We sang the song once and moved on to our counting activity.

Ants in the Grass Counting Mats

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • First, we matched the numeral puzzle piece with the numeral on the counting mat.
  • Then, we counted the number of objects beneath the numeral on the puzzle. 
  • Finally, we placed the correct number of ants on the counting mat, counting aloud with each addition.
  • To make clean up more fun, we sang The Ants go Marching song as we worked: putting away a puzzle piece, the card, and the ants during it’s respective number verse.

Ants on a Log Snack

Ingredients and Preparation

  • Spread peanut butter or cream cheese in the hollow of celery sticks, to make the log.
  • Top with raisins or dry cranberries, acting as the ants. 

Ant Observation Time

Our yard is slopped, so our honey ran. In hind site, a flat spot would have been more ideal. Also, we only put rocks in two corners, instead of four. After sitting a few hours in the grass, our page was folded in on itself a bit too much to facilitate observation. We moved our sheet to the front step to solve this problem, but in so doing, disturbed the ants. Consequently, our ants were on the run instead of feeding and interacting. Lessons learned! We’ll do it better next year:)

Love,

b

 

A is for Airplane

Dear Sis,

Today we juggled our homeschooling with a midwife visit and some shopping. Luckily, I had a freezer meal thawed for Daddy to throw in the oven for lunch!

Our Daily Reading

Today’s fiction selection, Animal Airways by Andrea Patric and Sally Hopgood, is a great count along book to practice 1-10. It also covers some geography as the plane makes it’s way around the globe. 

Today’s non-fiction selection, Airplanes Take Off and Land by Patrick T. McBriarty, covers the entire process of flying an airplane, in detail. William loves it, but it might not hold the interest of a less patient, or less aviation crazed, toddler:)

“A” is for Airplane Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

Student Assembly

  • Color airplane as desired.
  • Sponge paint the sky light blue.
  • Pull the cotton balls lightly to fluff them and glue them onto the clouds.
  • Write or have your grown up name and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio.

Song of the Day

written by Leanne Guenther

Color and Black and White Printing Options on dltk-kids.com

Transportation Pattern Cards

We used the free Transportation Pattern Card Printable by Life Over C’s, printed on card stock and laminated for durability.

Flying a Model Plan – Fitness Activity

We found a foam glider at Dollar Tree, a few months ago and saved it for this lesson. A balsa wood glider, would also work nicely. 

Model Airplane Video

Love,

b

A is for Alligator

Dear Sis,

Our Daily Reading

Today’s fiction selection was There’s an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer and the non-fiction selection was Who Lives in an Alligator Hole? by Anne Rockwell.

Alligator Cookies – Step 1

We melted some Green Candy Melts and dipped a half dozen Nutter Butter cookies. While the candy coating set, we did our letter craft.

“A” is for Alligator Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

  • Print A is for Alligator Template Printable, on white card stock. I found this free template on Miss Maren’s Monkeys blog. 
  • Cut out the template letter A, trace it onto green construction paper, and cut out the green A.
  • The teeth can be cut directly from the template card stock. The extra rigidity makes them easier to work with.
  • Supply a full sheet of craft paper, we chose brown, 2 large wiggly eyes and a glue stick.

Student Assembly

  • Paste green “A” to the full sheet of craft paper.
  • Paste on the wiggly eyes.
  • Paste on the teeth.
  • Write or ask your grown up to tile, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio.

Alligator Cookies – Step 2

Melt a few White Candy Melts and have a grown up help you pipe eyes and teeth onto your alligator cookies.

Making an Alligator Hole

Who lives in an Alligator Hole? by Ann Rockwell, described how Alligators find a naturally occurring mucky place in their wetland environment and thrash around to create a gator hole. Then, other creatures: insects, fish, birds, plants, etc. move in to. Creatures that are necessary to the lives of various other creatures are keystone species! If a keystone animal’s population suffers, so do the connected animal populations. We referenced our book to have this discussion before and after making our gator hole.

Activity Materials/Process

  • A dish bin of soil. We used about 4 inches we dug up in the back yard:)
  • Water and a scoop. Add the water gradually. Saturate the soil, without flooding it, to simulate wetland soil.

  • Use a toy alligator, we found ours at Dollar Tree, to move around in the soil in the center to hollow out a gator hole.

William enjoyed playing in his gator hole for a while before we cleaned it up to move onto the next activity:)

Alligator Cookies – Step 3

Melt a few Milk Chocolate Candy melts and have a grown up help you pipe the centers of the eyes and nostrils onto your alligator cookies.

Alligator Dentist Counting Game

Traditional Crocodile Dentist game play passes from player to player, one tooth pressed down at a time, until someone gets chomped! We renamed it to “Alligator Dentist” for the day and counted aloud as each tooth was pressed, until someone got chomped! 

After our game, we ate lunch, so we could sample the much anticipated Alligator Cookies:)

Love,

b

A is for Apple

Dear Sis,

Today was our much anticipated, FIRST DAY of PRESCHOOL! We started our lesson with Calendar Time. Mellissa and Doug sell a great magnetic calendar, we chose for our home school routine. 

Our Daily Reading

I tried to find an age appropriate piece of fiction and non-fiction for each lesson. Today’s books were Ten Apples Up On Top! by Theo. LeSieg and How Do Apples Grow? by Jill McDonald. 

“a” is for Apple Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

  • print a is for Apple Letter Craft Printable, on white card stock
  • tear bits of brown and red construction paper
  • make a leaf from green construction paper
  • supply a glue stick
  • supply crayons

Student Assembly

  • paste torn bits of construction paper to the “a” to create stem and apple
  • find the brown crayon and draw or ask your grown up to draw some seeds in the center of the “a”
  • write or ask your grown up to title, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio

Apple Tree Play Doh Counting Mats

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • First, we matching the numeral puzzle piece with the numeral on the counting mat.
  • Then, we counted the number of objects beneath the numeral on the puzzle.
  • Finally, we placed the correct number of play doh apples on the counting mat, counting aloud with each addition.

Apple Pie Crescents

Apple Pie Bites
Yields 8
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Ingredients
  1. 2 small Granny Smith apples
  2. 2 T salted butter, melted
  3. 1 (8 oz) tube refrigerated crescent rolls
  4. 1/4 c dark brown sugar
  5. 3/4 t pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Peel and quarter apples. Toss with 1 T melted butter.
  3. Unroll crescents on a cookie sheet.
  4. Mix together sugar and spice. Spoon and spread over crescents.
  5. Place a buttered apple at the top of each crescent and roll up, tucking ends when possible.
  6. Use a pastry brush with brush tops with remaining 1 T melted butter.
  7. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool 3 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Pillsbury
Adapted from Pillsbury
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Whilst the Apple Pie Bites were baking, we did our final activity.

Apple Color Sorting Trees

Activity Materials

William really enjoyed his first day of school! I hope the rest of the week is just as successful:)

Love,

b