Two weeks ago I got a hair brained idea to start homeschooling our toddler Monkey. Did some searching for some lesson plan ideas and found Letter of the Week/ and even better it’s free. I love using their suggestions and spring boarding from there. I am a scattered brain child. I hate to admit it but it’s true. I get these fabulous ideas and they fizzle out just as fast as they come to me. I feel for The Man having to put up with it along with the kids. Sadly I think my scatteredness has rubbed off on them in little ways. I am trying to fix it but really thirty years of trying to ‘break’ a habit is HARD.
Back to the subject at hand, last week was trying but worked out great. Another confession; I’ve let Nick,Jr. take up too much time in our house when I’m trying to do laundry, make dinner, work with the other kids, etc. Nick Jr and Disney have preoccupied my TV so much that I don’t even watch the morning news like I used. Horrible I know. I am trying to make a change in that as well. So last week was difficult in breaking him from the TV and focusing without a tantrum over the TV being turned off. But we made it. This week feels like 5 steps backwards. We spent an hour trying to go over the letter B before he finally ran off, crawled into bed hiding under his blankets where he is now fast asleep.
I need to find patience in changing this routine to work out for us. Monday while dropping off some bags of clothes to the Salvation Army; I spotted out of the corner of my eye a cute little red, blue, and yellow desk. Got out to check it out, it was perfect and best of all CHEAP. Went back to the truck and borrowed $3 from Lil t’ has I didn’t have any cash on me, brought it home, and cleaned it up. It fits Monkey PERFECTLY. He likes it some moments and others he wants nothing to do with it. I am hoping as long as I keep reinforcing him to sit down when we work on his letters and numbers that he will fall in love with it.
He’s such a sharp little guy I will admit it’s aggravating when I know he knows what I’m asking and pretends not to hear me, give me the wrong answer, or talks to me as a cat. His obsession with being a cat or a Soldier hunting zombies drives me bonkers. It was really cute at first but going on a year of constantly saying “meow meow meow” and licking me is just too much sometimes.
We went to the library last week but didn’t make it this week. Need to get on our local library’s website to find the books that will go with the next 2 weeks lesson plans, along with trying to find some more ideas on getting him more involved.
Ideas/things to do…
- Cut out 10 strips of construction paper, write # at the top, make dots to correspond with the number on each strip.
- Keep the egg cartons for caterpillars, bees, bugs
- Print out the entire alphabet to point at each letter when singing the song.
- Find circle, squares, triangles (possible cookie cutters) to dip in paint and press on construction paper
- Pick up some extra pasta shapes for necklaces, gluing, counting. **glue pasta over letter outline to make letter**
I think after having more time tonight to sit and look up some more ideas we will repeat letter B next week and go over A again. I’m thinking of focusing on 2 letters, one each week and then repeat both on the 3rd week along with incorporating the previous letters learned. Today at Monkey’s uncle’s house when I dropped them off to run to the court house; Monkey kept telling him about A and B. He’s showing he’s learning what I’m teaching I just need to find ways to channel his energy and attention for the little lessons we do together. I will add more to my list as I look for more ideas to do.
♥ ♥ A Muddy PAW ♥ ♥
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