Yes, I'm finally posting! I don't know how people blog on a regular basis. It requires such a commitment. And discipline. Sad to say, discipline is not something I have. But it is something I definitely want to work on and improve because I want to document all the progress and "work" (fun) that we have been having.
I think we are definitely making headway into doing some 'work.' I have all the best intentions but I am just so darn lazy. I do not think I am doing enough. I think that I should have a schedule set already and these elaborate plans. But that's all they are, plans. :( I've pulled my old plan book that I think I will follow. Of course with much tweaking. If I do indeed follow through with what I have mapped out, then TJ will have finished kindergarten when I finish with the planbook. Not too shabby. Of course, I am getting ahead of myself. Lots to do and with the baby to come, I don't know how much of my plans will come into fruition.
I am proud of the fact that TJ and I have finished reading Charlotte's Web by EB White. That was one of the goals that I have set for us. I would like to get us started on chapter books and use those as springboards for lessons. I don't exactly go into the subject areas deeply but I have touched upon different topics (maybe I should borrow books on spiders and maybe pigs) and introduced vocabulary that TJ would have not otherwise been exposed. I really liked how TJ would look forward to reading the next chapter. I liked the fact that I was able to follow up the book with the animated movie, Charlotte's Web. I might look for the non-animated version of Charlotte's Web as well.
We're currently reading Stuart Little by EB White. I am not as crazy about this book as I was about Charlotte's Web. I find the language old fashioned and feel that TJ would have difficulty understanding the story. However, interestingly enough, TJ asks to be read Stuart Little practically every night. I am so proud of him. It is weird though, he does not expect Daddy to read Stuart Little to him. When Daddy reads to him, he pulls other books off the shelves to be read.
Between the two chapter books, I did try to read a book from the Cam Jensen series. I loved those books when I was younger. I loved the main character, Cam. However, TJ thought differently. He was not interested. I had read two chapters and he didn't want to read them again. Oh well. I have to start looking into the next book. We are already half way through Stuart Little. I am going to do the same thing and followup the book with the movie. I know there is a non-animated version. Hmmm..... I wonder if there is an animated version?
Anyway I was inspired by another blog where the mom was doing a mitten series. So I thought I'd use that as a springboard and do something similar. Not the same. There is no way I could do something close to what she is doing. I thought I would do something mitten related, snow related, winter related. I've scavenged the libraries (the Big library and the Little library as TJ calls them) for books snow related and my own shelves, of course. From books like What's the Weather? and the Water Cycle to The Mitten and Dream Snow. Once I figure out this blogger site I will try to post a list of books we are reading. Yeah, high ambitions. lol
Just to go off topic for a sec, I have started reading logs for the boys. I have been pretty decent about logging the books. Daddy doesn't help. :( But again, once I figure it out, I will post the reading log. Oh, and I finally put up the alphabet in TJ's room. Yay for me! Baby steps, baby steps! lol
Anyway, on to what we've done in relation to the Winter theme. A couple of days ago, I read Why Do Animals Sleep through Winter? to the boys. Well, TJ sat and listened. LJ alternated between running around like a madman and cuddling with us. TJ learned about hibernation. And now two days later he still remembers his new big word, hibernate. I think I am going to start putting up word clouds like I did in school. I think TJ would like that and it would reinforce the words that we learn.
Today we read Water Cycle. I introduced the terms evaporation, condensation and precipitation and vapor. It most likely went over TJ's head but it's good to introduce the words to him. He is still getting a bit confused about when water turns to ice and when water turns to vapor. Something to work on.
We also read The Snowy Day and Kippers Snowy Day. Too bad it's not really snowing here. :( Then we could have acted out both stories by playing in the snow, making tracks, making snowballs, making snowangels (not that I really expect TJ or LJ to really do that) and building snowmen. I still remember the experiments we did in that workshop I attended years back. I can't wait to try them with TJ.
Then we read some more. Yes, we can't get enough of books! Next came The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt and The Mitten by Jan Brett. We did a brief comparison of the two books. TJ noted the animals that were in one book and not the other. I plan on expanding upon this.
Oh, the grand plans I have. Let's see what I actually do.....
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