Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Eleven: Letter K and Number 11

I have started to include a lot of the pictures you will need in the printable version of the lesson plan to make life easier for you! Make sure you click on the printable version and check out what I've added! 

Here is the printable version: Letter K and Number 11 Lesson Plans

Links found in the lesson plans:
"Kookaburra" YouTube Video
Letter K Worksheets
Number 11 Worksheets
"Masquerade: Waltz" YouTube Video

Remember that the "Facts about..." pages and other extras are not included in the blog text, but they are included in the printable version. Some of the ideas in these plans came from Brightly Beaming Resources. Each daily session of "School Time," as my son calls it will last about half an hour. Adjust the lessons for your child's age and level of education. Enjoy!

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Ten: Letter J and Number 10

I have started to include a lot of the pictures you will need in the printable version of the lesson plan to make life easier for you! Make sure you click on the printable version and check out what I've added! 

Here is the printable version: Letter J and Number 10 Lesson Plans

Links found in the lesson plans:
"John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" YouTube Video
Letter J Worksheets
Number 10 Worksheets
Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" YouTube Video
Jellyfish Images
Jellyfish Coloring Pages
Images of Japan

Remember that the "Facts about..." pages and other extras are not included in the blog text, but they are included in the printable version. Some of the ideas in these plans came from Brightly Beaming Resources. Each daily session of "School Time," as my son calls it will last about half an hour. Adjust the lessons for your child's age and level of education. Enjoy!

Children's Book of the Week: "How Do Dinosaurs" Books

How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?
by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
Lincoln's Pick (my three-year-old)

Why He Loves It: He loves to see the different dinosaurs and learn what they are called (each picture of a dinosaur has its name next to it). He also loves to see how the dinosaurs do things, which is the point!

Why I Love It: I love the illustrations and that my kids are not only seeing cool pictures of dinosaurs, but they're learning what the different dinosaurs are called. They also learn valuable lessons about how to do things, like cleaning, staying safe, and saying "I love you."

This is the only one of the books from this series that we own, but I wish we had all of them! They are frequently borrowed from the library and we love reading them! We currently are reading How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe? These books are fantastically illustrated and they make learning how to do things so fun for the kids! 

The picture I've used is a totally beat up copy of How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? It was gifted to me at a baby shower when I was pregnant with my first son and the woman who gave it to me had three boys, I think it was. She said they all loved it and my boys love it too! 

I definitely recommend this one for boys, but there's no reason why girls wouldn't love it too. They are double awesome because the kids love them and they teach how to do things properly, without being too preachy or boring. Check them out! They will definitely be at the local library, but I would absolutely recommend buying them because they will be read over and over again and become a loved part of your at-home collection.

  

Rowley's Red Barn Fall Fun and Pumpkin Patch

I love going to Rowley's Red Barn at time of year because it is adorable and they have delicious food and ice cream. But the first time we ever went was in October when they had their fall festivities going on and we loved it! There is a price for admission, but it is well worth it. You get to enjoy a hayride, pumpkin patch, corn maze, apple cannons, giant slides, race tractors, a hay pyramid, a tractor train, and a giant sand box. Fall is the time to go to Rowley's! But then go again later because it's awesome.

Hours: April 1st – October 31st: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM 

November 1st – March 31st: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM 

Location: 901 S 300 W, Santaquin, UT

Cost for Admission: $8/person 2 and older, 2 and under are FREE, $35/family

Website for Fall Activities: https://www.rowleysredbarn.com/events/rowleys-red-barn-pumpkin-patch/

General Website: https://www.rowleysredbarn.com/

Toddler-Friendly: YES!!

Baby-Friendly: Yes!

Kid-Friendly: ABSOLUTELY!

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Nine: Letter I and Number 9

I have started to include a lot of the pictures you will need in the printable version of the lesson plan to make life easier for you! Make sure you click on the printable version and check out what I've added!

Here is the printable version: Letter I and Number 9 Lesson Plans

Links found in the lesson plans:
"I'm A Little Teapot" YouTube Video
Letter I Worksheets
Number 9 Worksheets
Gioachino Rossini's "The Barber of Seville - Overture" YouTube Video
Iguana Images
Iguana Coloring Pages
India Images

Remember that the "Facts about..." pages and other extras are not included in the blog text, but they are included in the printable version. Some of the ideas in these plans came from Brightly Beaming Resources. Each daily session of "School Time," as my son calls it will last about half an hour. Adjust the lessons for your child's age and level of education. Enjoy!

Children's Book of the Week: Zoomer by Ned Young

Zoomer
by Ned Young
Makadie's Pick (my 3 year old)

Why she loves it: She thinks it is funny and makes her laugh.

Why I love it: The illustrations are so fun and tell more about the story than just reading the words.

When Hooper, Cooper and Zoomer, three brothers who also happen to be dogs, wake up in the morning, their dad tells them to get ready for school.  The twins,  Hooper and Cooper, start with their morning routine.  Zoomer, on the other hand, declares he isn't going to school and proceeds to build a giant brontosaurus in the sandbox, launch a rocket and attempt to break a world record.  The illustrations in this book, also done by the author, are so fun to look at and my daughter loves pointing out the silly things Zoomer is doing.  My son is entertained by the pictures as well, which are bright and engaging.  There is a funny surprise ending that my daughter laughs at every time and I'm sure your kids will too.

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Eight: Letter H and Number 8

I have started to include a lot of the pictures you will need in the printable version of the lesson plan to make life easier for you! Make sure you click on the printable version and check out what I've added!

Here is the printable version: Letter H and Number 8 Lesson Plans

Links found in the lesson plans:
"If You're Happy and You Know It" YouTube Video
Letter H Worksheets
Number 8 Worksheets
Franz Joseph Haydn's "Surprise" YouTube Video
Hippo Images
Hippo Coloring Pages
Hawaii Images

Remember that the "Facts about..." pages and other extras are not included in the blog text, but they are included in the printable version. Some of the ideas in these plans came from Brightly Beaming Resources. Each daily session of "School Time," as my son calls it will last about half an hour. Adjust the lessons for your child's age and level of education. Enjoy!

*Note that the math lesson on Monday is intended for Tuesday instruction. I will go back and change it when I get a chance. Sorry about that!

Children's Book of the Week: Jerry Seinfeld's Halloween

Halloween
by Jerry Seinfeld
Becky's Pick

Why I love it: Jerry Seinfeld. He wrote a children's book. Also, this stand-up routine is so good and the book comes with a CD of it so you can experience the full Jerry delivery. Or watch it below!

I don't think I really need to explain much about why this book is awesome. It just is. It basically consists of one of Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up routines about Halloween. It's totally clean and totally hilarious. Admittedly, some of the jokes will be over your child's head. But the book is about Halloween, candy, and superhero costumes, so my sons are totally in! They love it and I love it because I think Jerry Seinfeld is hilarious and I absolutely love Halloween! Our apartment was decorated a week ago and we already have a supply of candy and my kids' Halloween costumes ready to go. We get excited around here. :)

12 Fun Ways to Teach Your Child the Alphabet

One of the first songs I remember singing to my daughter was the alphabet song.  I'd sing it while changing diapers, in the car, during bath time, waiting for dinner...pretty much all the time.  When she was about 20 months, she started singing the song on her own with a little help here and there.  By the time she turned 2 years old, she knew the song and could recognize some letters (mostly the ones in her name).  Currently, she is 3 (turning 4 in January) and she knows all the letters by sight, can write about half of them, and knows 3/4 of them by sound.  I'm not telling you this to toot my horn or say that I'm a great teacher when it comes to letters.  But there are some tools I've used that have proven to be successful for my daughter, and my son is starting to catch on as well (he is 18 months).  Check out the list below and see if anything catches your eye!

Sing the ABCs
I mentioned this one already, but I wanted to include it as part of the list.  This is the simplest way to expose your kids to the alphabet.  Most babies and young children like songs and music and catch on quickly.  Even if you only sing the ABCs anytime you change their diaper and they'll hear it at least 5 times a day.

Watch Sesame Street alphabet videos
Say what you will about letting small children watch tv, but it was something that I allowed my daughter to watch for maybe 10-15 minutes a day when I needed to distract her while I got dinner ready or used the bathroom or straightened up the house.  I wanted to make sure that any exposure she had was educational, so I simply subscribed to the Sesame Street channel on YouTube and let her watch alphabet videos and other songs.  Before long, she'd ask for the "elemeno" song and would try to sing along.