Home-SU-Cool

Here is how we organize our MFW materials. I leave them in the box they come in. I plan for all the activities on my computer (I'm trying hard to reduce clutter) Then when I prep for next day's activities, I take them out and put in the workboxes (yes we do use the workbox method...but...read on) After we're done with the activities, I put them up on the school board (a large poster board). I like it that we can look at the things throughout the 6 days. After the unit is done, I take them down and staple them into a file folder. (But my hubby has been telling me a 3-ring binder might be a better idea...I think so too...in the end I did use the 3-ring binder). I also take photos of every thing. After the K year is over, I might take them out and let Ian look through for fun sake and off they go to recycle. We don't have much space for storage. Now, about workboxes . I REALLY love the idea. Until I buy the separating hanging folders, I'm using this

After some discussion, we decided to finish up L-Leaf unit for this week and then take a 2 week break instead of 3. It should be doable, since we're only going to go out of town next Sat. So, here's our plan for L-Leaf week! *Pick up leaves in our area *Leaves placement (using laminating method) *leaf rubbings *Draw trees and parts *Make maple leaf cookies or simply leaf cookies Supplementary activities *Leaf sorting game (I'll show it when I finish) *Words Match for "I will live and grow in Jesus" Language/Math supplementary *Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Magnet game (Read the book [a GREAT one, btw] and let the kids put up the alphabets on tree) I got the drawing here *Math numbers sight words (I got the download here ) * L dot to dot * Tracing worksheets (for preschooler) We already got a great resource from International Paper (free posters) and also an online resource for the trees in NYC. Here's our booklist.  Why do leaves change

We'll be having a break from school for 3 weeks. HOW DIVINE. Actually I think we might miss school. But important people are coming from the other side of the globe. A very good reason to rest. We'll probably still do a lot of reading and very school stuff, just not the planned units...So, leaf unit in mid Oct!

I did most the lapbook myself, but the kids colored, or stick or played. I told the story of Goldilocks while doing the bear cards, they LOVE it! The Goodnight cards are quite fun too, pick out the things that were said "good night" to. You can see I try to cut down ink by not printing the cover in color...and I have to say I'm practicing my coloring too!! =)

The rocket head/tails match is slightly more challenging to Colleen, so sometimes she doesn't like it. You can download it here . The From Pluto to Sun Game needs a little tweaking, but it's playable. Download it here .  Just remember, they only need to answer question when landed ON a planet.

Ian did very well in his handwriting practice. It's VERY VERY difficult for him to write within the lines constraint but he tries very hard. He is getting better in cutting (his weak point) with the practice! We used the alphabet cards as a fishing game (I put paper clips on them).  Since Colleen doesn't know her alphabet, she fished the Upper Case and Ian has to fish the lower case to match.

Another unit done! For the moon unit we did -moon phases art (using sponge to color) -Rocket art (the astronaut from here ) -Lantern (to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival) -Space Shapes -Pony Beads Glow in the dark moon - Goodnight Moon Lapbook (the favorite is the bear cards) -Read and watched " papa please get the moon for me " and " Goodnight moon " and other Moon books -did a retelling of the "Little Bear" story -Learnt about the moon online -Made a moon phases calendar and watched the moon every night (will continue to do so) I wanted to do the Moon Cake, but didn't for the 1st 5 days. Maybe we'll do it tomorrow, after some time outside, or while we go on vacation. We also made up a Morning Board which I like very much On it, there is the "Days of school" (and addition of it), bible verses, weather, Today's date, moon calendar and the 100 chart. There are other stuff that people do for morning board that I l

We're going to have so much fun in this unit!  Here's my plan: 1. Get info of the moon on the web. I found a video site here and a game site here . Try the skill level 1 for easiest games to play.   2. Learn about moon phases, do a craft and a moon phases calendar (for the whole month) 3. Make a craft rocket ship (We might use the astronaut from MakingFriends )   4. Play spaceship game under the table (the kids will love this)   5. Make moon/stars (from glow in the dark pony beads)   6. Celebrate Mooncake Festival .(9/22) I'm sooo excited that smack in the middle of the unit is going to be big full moon day! So cool.   7. Moon cake (not the Chinese one) that we found on the MFW board.   Supplementary games: 1. Solar System Board Game (I'm in the midst of making it, when I'm done, I'll put it up as downloadables) 2. Goodnight moon lapbook (I love this) 3. Rocket Heads/Tails match for preschooler   4. Space Shapes (for preschooler) Lots of

The best of our week was the subway lapbook. It's our first and I think it's very successful! The components: *Subway numbers - laminate the subways and you can use dry-erase markers to draw people, windows, wheels in according to the numbers. OR, like my son did, you can arrange them *Subway book - Ian LOVES to draw subways *Subway letters - Match the correct beginning sounds. You can add more pictures according to your child's level and interest *Map  *We have a slot for the Metrocard * I pinned up a sheet on the board and whenever Ian thinks of a word that begins with S we write it down. He thought of all the words himself! It's fun to hear him running in from the balcony and shouted a word he happened to think of Even though S is for Sun in this unit, S is for the favorite thing in Ian's life...SUBWAYS... Such a city kid. Talking about cities...because we live in the city, we can't do the sundial or some other nature things...but I guess th

What we did with our preschooler... *S dots (I used a circle paper puncher to punch out and she pasted them. She loved this) *Lacing (she doesn't like it) *tried the playdoh mat (nope she doesn't like either) *arrange the suns according to size (It's not a good day for her, she's losing interest) * Shadow match folder game . OOOhh...she LOVES this. *Match colors with objects (not successful, she likes to match peripheral colors) And we used a new workbox labels and we LOVE IT!!! Basically when they are done they turn the number over

The supplementary things we did (some with the curriculum, some on our own) *alphabet circles (we happened to have 100 chart with magnets, I use the back for alphabets) *Other worksheets in the curriculum *for tactile, we used flour to write S when we baked the Sun bread *Read books (the kids loved "Sun", "Sun Bread" and "Hurry Granny Annie" most)

We finished our S-Sun unit. It was a blast!!  Here are what we did: *Blind fold in the balcony (the kids loved it) *Making a handprint paper plate Sun craft *We baked sun bread! (according to the recipe on the book) *Macaroni Sun Art *I printed out the Chinese verse for "Jesus said I am the light of the world" and Ian learnt to write some of the words and also unjumbled them *We used a ball (with their pictures and grannies, who happened to live on the other side of the world) and the table work lamp to show how day and night work *Dot a Dot Sun  *We sang "耶穌又對眾人說" (Jesus said "I am the light of the world") and "雲上太陽" (The sun above the clouds)

Here's my plan for Sun Unit. 1. Sun hand print Craft 2. Sun Painting 3. Subway Lapbook (since it's "S" and my son's favorite thing in the world) 4. Make sundial 5. Understanding the earth and Sun with flashlight and globe Supplemental Alphabet games (computer or folder games) Preschoolers: 1. S dot a dot 2. S Magnet page (I made a Sun magnet page , using the idea from Letter-of-the-week ) 3. S lacing 4. Animal Shadow Match (Another folder game I made, downloadable here ) Books we have on hand: 1. Sun Bread 2. Hurry Granny Annie ( I LOVE THIS BOOK!) 3. Sun (the great info book) 4. Moonbear shadow

Day 7 of homeschool.  We had so much fun! Here are what we did. (Rather far from our "plan")   Basic work/Lang/Math 1. 100 chart and the 100 box (we used craft sticks and a closable container) 2. Day Chart and the Weather 3. Calendar 4. God's wisdom for little boys and girls . (and an attempt for copy work) 5. Review of the alphabet (practicing lower and upper case in the balcony using chalk, using the pockets and cards from MFW)   6. Math work (either from some folder games or the " Write and Slide " book)   Creation 1. Creation book and Creation numbers (We pasted them on the board and then into a book) 2. Tangrams (for the fish and animal days) 3. Dot to dot elephant (alphabet) 4. Chinese Creation Poem (he fills in the blanks with words he knows to write) 5. Creation Lapbook 6. Special snacks (we only did goldfish with blue jell-O, dirt cup and graham bears) Preschooler Since my little preschooler (2.5 yrs) joins in school, I try to do