Today was the Christmas program at co-op and the pizza party. We had a little bit of class time to discuss the role of the President. I had the craft this time so we made top hats (they say "The president must wear lots of hats"). Of course, I forgot my camera (great yearbook editor I turned out to be) but we took this photo at home and, thankfully other moms took pictures during the program. =)

Watch a Panda grow! http://www.barricksinsurance.com/panda_bear.html

It's Thanksgiving week!! Short week!! We've been enjoying our new classroom up on the third floor. We're working on lots of Thanksgiving activities this week (mostly from edhelper.com) and learning Bible verses by listening to Hermie & Friends. Miah is working on Multiplication this week. Last week we did lots of borrowing and re-grouping AND verb sheets. Since it's a short week, we will not have spelling or Bible tests this week. Davis has been doing a great job with his letter sounds. We are FINALLY making progress! His math is coming along pretty good. Today he'll be getting lots of number and shapes practice at the blackboard!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

It's been a busy week! We moved the classroom up to the 3rd floor. This is just one corner. We actually have so much more room to work and store our things now!

We had a field trip last week to Midway Village and we learned lots about the pioneering days in our hometown. This week we had co-op. We're learning about the Pilgrims & Indians. Did you know that the early Americans believed that by taking a bath they were washing off all their protection from diseases? They only bathed once a month! No wonder so many of the early settlers died.

I signed up for a membership with www.edhelper.com and it's been wonderful having so many worksheets at my fingertips. This week Miah worked on:

Math - regrouping & borrowing

Grammar - identifying being & doing verbs in sentences

Handwriting - cursive sentences

Spelling - ck/k words

Bible - Matt 22:37-38

*she also read a short story about Thomas Edison and had a quiz on that.

Davis is working really hard on letter sounds and practicing writing his letters. I talked with Mrs. Schmidt at RCS and she said that it's not uncommon for kids to go into 1st grade still not knowing most of their letter sounds. She said that boys in particular sometimes need more time and that usually by mid-year first grade it kicks in. In math, he's doing a great job with addition but oddly still doesn't recognize all his numbers. He has to use a chart. I just keep trying new things and plugging along. He'll get it.

Well, the kids were sick all last week and into the weekend. I haven't been posting but the kids have been working. Finally I've come across a site that has muliplication review worksheets based on 1x's or 2x's, etc. A sheet of all 2x's or all 3x's. Seems like there would be tons out there but I've only been able to find mixed review. She finished up Chalkbox Kid & took her test on that. She's been doing spelling words, Bible verse and plural noun worksheets.

We're making some progress with Davis' letter sounds. He can get about 1/2 way through the flash cards without hints. I've talked to a few other teachers about it but it's the general opinion that his learning style is going to be different than Miah and I should keep trying various avenues. Yesterday he used the leapfrog Fridge Phonics for the flash cards that he missed and that allows him to hear the sound from someone besides Steve & I. Starfall also has a cute little video that shows the letter sounds. I love their "learn to read" area. Davis listened & watched "Zac the Rat" today. It's helpful because it goes slowly showing the letter sounds as it reads.

Co-op was fun yesterday for the kids. We are finishing up the voting process and also the presidential challenge (for gym). Davis' class had to run around the entire bldg & parking lot 1 time and Miah's class had 2 times. It was freezing outside so it was hard!

It's Columbus Day & the kids all have colds. They are off school today but since they don't feel up to much running around anyways, I'll have them spend some time on the Garden of Praise site reading and playing "Columbus" games.

Last night Davis used the magnetic map to find states based on the first letter sound. It was a little game he made up himself. But I could definitely see some progress with letter sound recognition. I don't get it, but I see it =)

Miah says that she and Davis and Noah have all been begging for Pixos... so here's the online version. Think that will do??? (click picture to go play)

Yesterday we learned about voting while at co-op. Everybody got to vote! It was also picture day so we all got pictures taken. In Davis' class we read The Three Little Pigs & then we read The Three Little Pigs As Told By The Wolf. The kids had to vote on whether the Pig or the Wolf was telling the truth. Hmmm... I'm not sure there was ANY truth in either story but it helpped them understand about voting.

Today Davis worked on coloring specific numbered items... And letter sounds without their names. Miah said her Bible verse a day early and is starting on Chalkbox Kid (the books came in the mail yesterday!). She worked on making change from one of our previous links.

Tomorrow is a day off for the public schools but we will still have a few small things to finish up. Miah is going to take her spelling test and will work with Davis on the letter flashcards. Rockford Christian is having a Spirit Day so Noah is dying his hair blue for the football game!

Monday is Columbus Day - No School!

Dollar Dive at the US Mint

Miah and Davis had lots of fun doing school with their cousins last week while mom and dad were in Texas, but we're all glad to be home together again.

Sites that complimented Miah's work today are:

Vocabulary Words: http://quizlet.com/set/8069/

Grammar - Singular & Plural Nouns: http://www.funbrain.com/plurals/index.html

Math - Making Change: http://justkidsgames.com/play.php?MakingChange

Books we are reading: Just ordered Chalkbox Kid and Little Red Ant so we should have them in a few days. Current spelling and vocab words coordinate with Chalkbox Kid.

Today we learned about the Declaration of Independence at co-op! Davis got to write with a pigeon quill.

We're doing the Presidential Challenge in gym to see how many sit-up, push-ups, shuttle-runs, etc. we can do. Miah likes it so much that she wants to play school when she gets home from school.

Noah's guy - "sitting in a beanbag chair with the remote" =) Despite his apparent dream life, his math teacher said that he's working really hard and doing a great job!

Today Miah read the entire 11 chapters of A Noodle Up Your Nose and took the quiz too. She says that Kate is just like her because Kate hates to wear dresses too.

It's a slow starting Monday (we had part of last week off due to the funeral) but we're jumping back in!

The sites that complimented Miah's work today were:
Grammar: Capitalization & Run-On Sentences - http://classroom.jc-schools.net/la/activities/worksheets.html

Math: Time & Money Worksheets - http://www.mathfactcafe.com/time/timemoney.aspx
(this is a great site as it allows me to select various levels, amounts and it's new each time)

Davis is doing LOTS of letter sounds. This week we're matching letters with the picture sounds, doing more Letter Factory Games & generally anything we can think of to help with commiting the letter sounds to memory. The site for the worksheets shown here is: http://www.leapfrog.com/en/leapfrog_parents/preschool_-_grade.html (you'll need to sign-in -account is free)

Grams died yesterday. We're sad but we're happy too because she's not sick anymore. It'll be an unsual school work week but we'll try to still get everything done.

Sites that complimented our work today:
Grammar: Sentence Recognition (complete vs fragment)
http://www.worksheetworks.com/english/partsofspeech/sentences/recognition.html

Math: Place Value (worksheet using blocks)
http://www.worksheetworks.com/math/numbers/placevalue/blocks.html

Co-op was fun yesterday. Miah made 3 new friends.

Sites that complimented our work today:

Math - Rounding to nearest ten worksheet: http://www.softschools.com/math/worksheets/rounding_numbers.jsp

Links we used today:

Math (place value printable worksheets): http://www.softschools.com/math/worksheets/placevalue_worksheets.jsp

Grammar (types of sentences printable worksheets):

http://www.worksheetworks.com/english/partsofspeech/sentences/identify-types.html

Handwriting (cursive E/e):

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/cursive.html

Miah's typing! She could hardly go to bed last night because she was having so much fun learning her home row.

Sites that complimented our school work today:

Math (place value) - http://www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=496&engine=5

Grammar (types of sentences) -

1)http://www.easygrammar.com/egd211.html

2) http://www.quia.com/quiz/106467.html (this one was difficult)

3) http://www.edontheweb.com/the_ed_files_flash.asp?ModuleID=127&MovieName=Edontheweb3.swf

Buddies

Davis & Scott found each other right away on the first day of co-op!