Thursday, September 9, 2010

First Day of Preschool!




Eleanor began homeschool pre-K this week! We will be participating in something called Classical Conversations (which I am really excited about) one morning a week beginning near the end of this month, but Eleanor could NOT wait any longer! So I did some planning and purchasing and we began on Tuesday. I think she was made for this! When our hour is up she moans and groans - "Why can't we do preschool ALL DAY?" I am thankful for her bright mind and motivated attitude!

This is what we are doing right now:

*I sit on the couch with all three kiddos and we read a book together.
*We go to the piano - they each get to choose a song we know, and then I am working on teaching some great hymns. Right now we are singing through the first verse of "Grace that is Greater than All our Sin."
*I take the boys upstairs for "roomtime" - Jack with some toys and books in his crib, and Will in his room.
*Eleanor and I go through our lesson from "Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons"
*We do something from the curricumlum "Handwriting without Tears" - build "Mat Man" (pictured below) and draw him and sing as we go, or write letters on a slate, or color/write in a workbook....etc. She loves it.
*I get the boys, or at least Will if Jack is still having a grand old time, and Will joins us at the table.
*We do something numbers oriented....a workbook or more of a manipulative - for Eleanor.
*I have Will color or paint, or do some alphabet flashcards with me, or let him play with a barrel of little cars/trucks/planes etc for counting and sorting. The first day William was doing these and Eleanor came to get a closer look, and he said "Eleanor, don't touch these! This is my preschool!!!" *grin*
*We learn or review questions/answers from The Catechism for Children.
*Ta-da! the hour-ish is up!

I am having a wonderful time and I know this is a great thing for our family. I am so thankful to God for the opportunity!




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