Preschool and Tot School

This last week I started a new preschool program with my daughter.  My friend, Bess, is the one who introduced me to it.  I was resistant at first because the website is a bit difficult to navigate and not organized as I would like, but the content is spectacular and it is FREE.  The website is 1+1+1=1.  She has a "Raising Rock Stars" program and the home page is here so you can get a description for what it is about.  She starts with the letter "L" and tells you why:


You will notice a bit of Kumon inspiration in the program also, which is why the letters are presented out of order.  I want my son to learn to write the letters, so we begin with the letters which are easiest to write {straight lines}.


She introduces you to the unit and tells you how she does things.  I basically followed her format with a little bit of my own stuff added in.

I organized it by the workbox method as she does.  I did not buy the book so I am sure I am not doing exactly right, but it seems to be working for us.  Miss M wakes up excited to see what is in her first workbox.

I even set up workboxes for homework help for my older son.  He has to complete 4 a night and it includes going over his spelling words and his sight words.  When he does 2, I give him a fun activity to do such as play the Wii and then he finishes the other 2.

I bought the stick on letters and the poster board at the Dollar Tree.

This is the set up for now, but I will be making a more sturdy board soon.

And you already know about my scary lion.

 

My daughter is definitely more into school than my son was.  She likes doing all of these things.  She got very good at "reading" her little book.  She already knows all of her letters and sounds but she doesn't know her numbers as well or the lower case letters.  She loves crafts and she likes to cut.  So because of this week she now can recite (with slight help) Matthew 5:16 and she can tell me what the big L and little l is and the L sound.  She knows the number 1 and the sight word "see".

 

If you are thinking of doing this program, she has a "Members Only" section where everything is organized and directly links to the lessons.  It is only $12.00 a year and I did end up joining when it was $10.  She has made a PowerPoint for each lesson that the kids can navigate through.  It is really neat.

It inspired me to make my own PowerPoints.  I have one for my son's sight words so he can do them whenever I ask him to, even if I am making dinner, he can do them while I am right there.

I also made a numbers one.  It was actually fun making it.

Tot School

I also started doing a little bit of Tot School with my little one (not so little anymore though).  Really I just did more intentional and purposeful play with him but I hope to get even better next week.

We sorted the dominoes by color.  We did easy puzzles.  I went over Baby Einstein cards with him.  He especially liked the train and car cards.

We just kept it simple and fun.

I am excited to put together next week's plan.  Now that I have done it once already it shouldn't take me quite so long to plan it all out.  Hope you get a chance to check out her site.  There is a lot of great information on there.