School Party!

Our lunch boxes and book-bags are packed.  We're going out to a "Back to School Party"  with some home-school friends :)

Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM!

Here's our alphabet going up the coconut tree.  It's mainly for Little Bird but Super Frog couldn't let her have all the fun.   I'm wondering what I'll do when Z goes up and all the letter go BOOM BOOM.  Maybe I'll let them tear down the whole thing in an exciting, wild frenzy.

School Room 2011

I love looking at my older posts at our "learning station."  It continues to evolve!  This year we aren't as glued to the table, which is of course very helpful for the kids.  We sit on the couch a lot, use the coffee table and the floor.   

All the things we need for the day are accessible at the table.  Here I keep our every day books, workbooks and teacher books.  I'll write more on our curriculum later.

The kids have their school boxes here, crayons, markers and stickers.  I use the small file box to have any print outs ready.  Frog picked out the pointer and we've been using it for all sorts of things.  Mainly counting and reading helper words on our word wall together.

This is our working shelf.  One day it might have work boxes on it but I don't think we'll use them this semester.  Here is Little Bird's learning board.  I switch out the toys, puzzles and books for the kids to be interested in while I'm spending individual time with the other.  I've done a few sensory bins for Birdie and some other Tot School type of activities.  She loves her new Dora house there on the floor.  She'll spend a lot of time playing with it.

This is what I spent the later part of my summer doing. 

 I love our new label maker!  I've been using a lot of these things for Little Bird and Tot School type of activities. 

Three Year Old Preschool

Little Bird joins in the fun this year a little more officially.  She has named her school Princess Preschool.  She has her own learning board.  Every week we do a different color, shape, letter, Bible Person and number.  We are also doing our own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree.  We add a new letter up the tree every week. 

She also has two or three PreK workbooks and we'll do one page out of it together a day.  She loves her coloring sheets.  It's amazing to see the change in her coloring skill, not much scribbling anymore.

It has been nice to order our days with some time working and reading together with all three of us and some individual time with each. 

Calendar Time

I've always wanted to do circle time with my kids.  That just says kindergarten to me.  In years past I've tried different calendars even a fancy magnetic one with tons of cute magnets to choose from.  I've never been very successful.  We'll do it once or twice and then it falls by the way side. 
This year I'm not doing any type of formal "circle time" but I do love the calendar, days, seasons and weather posters we bought.  So far it seems much more usable.  If I forget the kids usually remind me.   Changing the weather frog is their favorite activity.  His forecast is often changed in the middle of the day as well.  That crazy weather.  Too bad we don't have one that says earthquake or hurricane!

Kindergartener!

It's the first day of school and Super Frog is all ready.

He's been itching to go since our back to school shopping trip a week and a half ago.  He is sporting a Toy Story back pack and a Sponge Bob Square Pants lunch box.  And yes, I plan to use both of those things in some way :)
Our first day we started at 8:30 and went to about 10am. 

First Day of School

First Day of School

We're all ready!