The Praying Mantis

A number of months ago I ordered seeds for our garden. In their catalog they had two beneficial insects: the lady bug, and the praying mantis. I thought I'd get them because they'd help the garden and the boys would get a kick out of them.

So I also put a mantis kit in my wish list on Amazon so we could watch a few of them grow in our home. Well, I finally ordered it (I needed my cart to make it to $25 so I could order a few arrows - that blasted add on program :). It arrived a day or so ago and has been sitting on the piano. Steve was over by the piano tonight and his eyes got all big and super excited about it. I hadn't shown it to the boys yet since our Mantis eggs won't arrive for a few weeks, but they jumped on it and CJ said, "I want to watch a movie about those!" So, enter YouTube, the perpetual teacher.

Maybe in a few minutes I'll pull out the Praying Mantis book I ordered when I ordered the eggs. I'm sure they'll eat it up.

That, my friends is how you learn without a curriculum.  It's learning for life. Take interests from life, real life, and learn to read, process math, write, grow a garden with beneficial bugs or shoot a bow and arrow.

You'll notice over the next couple of months a few changes coming to the blog.  Thursday's will boast reviews and giveaways.  Be sure to check out the "My First Science Experiments" post coming next Thursday.  There are also giveaways for a subscription to ABCmouse.com, book giveaways, curriculum giveaways, and much more coming soon.  Be sure to follow us on Facebook or by email to stay on top of all the great stuff that will be happening!

You'll also see "Nexus Academy" starting to pop up on the blog.  Nexus Academy is what I've decided to call our homeschooling adventures.  It will take us into the high school years much better than "Little Adventures Preschool" would.  So, Little Adventures Preschool, meet Nexus Academy.  Both preschool and Nexus Academy ideas will be posted here throughout the years to come.

Let me know what types of things would be helpful to you by leaving a comment below.  Together we can educate the next generation of world changers.

Happy Learning!
-Miss Amanda

August Preschool Packs

Find the Year Long Theme Calendar here and follow along with us!

The preschool curriculum that is all inclusive and provides hours of fun and engaging learning!  The "August Preschool Packs" contain 4 theme based lesson plans, a total of 136 pages of lesson plans and activity printables.  My preschooler has begged to do his "homework" because it's a wonderful time that we spend together learning age appropriate concepts!  These plans are intended to be taught in a 10 month sequence from Aug-May, though may be adapted to use individually. 

*If you work with toddlers be sure to check out the Tot School information for Tot Packs.*

You can now download the bundle of August Preschool Packs HERE, or get them individually by following the links below. 

1.Welcome and Manners {Download}
The Welcome and Manners preschool pack sets you off on the right foot to have a fantastic school year learning the basics of reading, math, science, art, social studies, music and the world around us.  There are printables to help set up a learning station for preschoolers (colors, shapes, numbers, etc.) as well as activity pages to learn the quantity of 1, what "school" will look like and the routines we will follow, how to listen for sounds and participate appropriately.

2. School Tools {Download}

School Tools introduces students to many of the tools they'll be using throughout the year.  It introduces new vocabulary words like "respect" as we talk about how you'd show respect for school tools.  I find that introducing items and having a conversation around how to use and treat them provides the students with the structure and understanding they need to be successful throughout the school year.  There are many less broken pencils and crayons as we go along as well.  We start learning the quantity of 2, talk about how to share and the difference between needs and wants and introduce matching according to color.  We get more into sorting according to variable attributes later, and matching by color is a great place to start.  Volume is a fantastic study to start right off the bat so that children can understand "indoor" and "outdoor voices" and when to use them.  We arm children with the tools they need to be a successful reader by giving them age appropriate actions and reminders for what they do when they see a letter. There are also coloring and tracing pages to go along with this fantastic set. 

3. I Am Special {Download}

This pack starts introducing how each of us have our own special talents and abilities.  We look similar in certain ways and we look different in certain ways.  No one else is exactly like you!  As we study the quantity of 3 and start learning the letter M we trace, color, match, sing and use a magnifying glass to study our finger prints.  There are also materials to make a class or family apple tree that shows why each person is special.

4. Manners {Download}
We continue our conversation about fairness and respect as we talk about Manners on our 4th day of school.  We hit on how each person's actions affect the whole group.  We can share, help and be happy when we have manners throughout the day.  There are tickets for positive reinforcement and happy/sad face puppets for a few activities throughout the day.  The vocabulary "equal" is introduced as we talk about sets up to 5 and what quantities are the same.  We continue practicing the letter M with cutting and pasting activities and tracing activities. 

 **Preschool packs are lesson plans intended for a small preschool classroom or homeschool.  They are not to be used individually as they follow a year long curriculum that builds upon itself.  The themes specify what the underlying topic is that we'll be talking about with literature, in our art, and any science or social studies activities.  Reading and Math activities most often do not relate to the theme and these lesson plans are heavy in the reading and math department.  Printables expand on what we're able to cover in our 2.5 hours allotted to learn the materials and are often used as homework practice. The reading lesson plans are designed to be used with all the materials from the Amazing Action Alphabet and have been proven to teach children to be successful readers.

**Each preschool pack has 3 pages of lesson plan ideas.  Each child should be introduced to activities that don't involve something you can print from a computer, such as building blocks or painting.  These first 3 pages of lesson plans have all of the ideas that match the theme in one easy spot.  The lesson plans pages are organized by subject for easy referencing.  I've linked many of the materials listed to Amazon.com to provide you with more information about products you might want to consider using.  These packs have a lot of research behind them as I am a licensed teacher with experience teaching PreK-2nd Grade for 10 years.

Setting Up a Learning Station for a Preschooler

As we prepare for a new school year I'd recommend setting up a learning station.  It is like a command post for learning.  It is a fantastic use of space even in a small apartment.  EMan (almost 3 years) is getting his own learning station this year.  CJ had a similar one a couple of years ago and will be getting a new Kinder learning space soon.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you're setting up a learning station for a preschooler.

1. Use as many visuals and printed words as possible.
2. Make the learning station personalized.
3. Incorporate all the activities that you should review every day.

I'd recommend using a large magnetic white board as your "home base" for learning activities.  Set aside some time each day (maybe a large chunk of time or a couple shorter chunks) to work on learning activities. 

Activities that should be reviewed everyday are detailed with printables in the Welcome and Manners Preschool Pack {Download Here}.

Here are some shots of how I've set up EMan's Learning Station.  It's in a super small walkway above our basement stairs.  One one side of the wall I have the alphabet chart:

 On the other side of the wall I have dry erase crayons (up high enough that I have to get them down to be played with), the list of activities I should be reviewing with him every day (from the August Welcome and Manners Pack), a calendar, a list of activities to do with the letter cards (from the back of the Amazing Action Alphabet Activity Book).

 I also have a magnetic whiteboard.  We use the dry erase crayons on the whiteboard for writing and drawing.  I've also put magnets on the back of our name cards and alphabet cards.  There are also a few magnetic pattern blocks on there for fun.  Before the official start of the school year we're just playing with the letters in EMan's name as well as identifying the people in our family.  As we work on a letter of the week that letter will go on here.  As extension pack activities come up with our preschool curriculum those will also be played on this board.

The two walls that face each other - Eman's Learning Station.

I also have a plastic hang file folder box that I store loose pieces in.  It sits nearby and makes an easy storage location for games and activities that will be introduced throughout the year. 

Make your own learning station for the kids in your home.  It makes homeschooling a zillion times easier if each child feels like they have a spot that they can take responsibility for their learning.  Feel free to link pictures of your learning space in the comments section, I'd love to see your ideas. 

Encouraging a Love of Reading

My philosophy on teaching reading is far different from many homeschoolers I’ve met.  I believe that children can learn to read at a very young age.  Children younger than 3 are introduced to letter names and sounds though aren’t expected to retain the information.

            Once children are 3 years old they have the ability to learn letter sounds and how to use them at the same time.  We focus on one letter per week.  We do not learn the letters in alphabetical order.  We learn them in an order that presents the highest number of CVC words for them to sound out.  As we focus on a new letter each week we add it to the letters we've already learned to successfully read decodable texts. 

            When you give young children this power to successfully read they are so proud of themselves.  They look forward to utilizing their new found skills in increasingly difficult books.

            We can encourage a love of reading by providing children the opportunity to be successful readers.  Giving them the opportunity to be surrounded by books encourages them to pick up a book, even if it just means looking at the pictures.

            We also encourage a love of reading by demonstrating a love of reading.  We can take the opportunity to read for ourselves as well as read to our children.

            I love using a child’s interests to encourage them to read more.  My oldest (a kinder) has a set of picture encyclopedias.  His reading lessons go as follows:

·         *He gets to browse through all the encyclopedias any time he is interested.

·         *If he’s interested in something specifically we read the encyclopedia page about the topic.  He reads the words he can read and I read the rest.

·         *If that satisfies his thirst for knowledge on the topic we move on and browse again.

·         *If he’s still interested in a topic after we read the encyclopedia we find other sources of information.  Sometimes this means visiting the library, finding books around our home, or utilizing an online leveled book library.  We find a text on his reading level about the topic of interest.  We also find a text that is much harder that we can read together.  He takes both books and highlights the words he can read (either with a highlighter or highlighter tape).  This empowers him by giving him the responsibility to discover what he can do.

·         *Lastly, we read the books together, over and over.

As we read together children are improving their reading skills and learning about ideas or reading stories on a topic of interest.

            We read things according to our interest in the topic.  We love reading because it satisfies something within us.  The stories captivate us.  The non-fiction texts empower us with knowledge.  It’s crucial to give children the same satisfaction with appropriately leveled texts and support for their current skills. 

Happy Father's Day! {Free} Printable

We had our multilingual get together with our homeschooling group this morning and our focus was on relationships.  We focused mostly on Fathers since Father's Day is this Sunday.  We started by watching 3 video clips from Signing Time.  "Mom Has A Mom" "Let's Be Friends" "In a House"  this helped us review the sign language for our key vocabulary words: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Friend, Play, Share, House, Family.

Next we worked on these cute "interview" forms about our dads.  Most of the answers at this age are enough to make you crack a smile if not laugh out loud.  Question: "How tall is your dad?"  Answer: "I don't know.  Maybe 14 18?"

 We also encouraged families to bring photo albums and we hunted through pictures to find all the important people and we practiced signing who they were.

We did hand prints for our dads as well.  This super cute "You are the world's best dad! Hands down" with upside down hand prints ended up looking fantastic!

 We also pulled out craft clay and made little stars with fingerprints on them for our dads.

 At the end of our activity time we found matching vocabulary cards and did the ASL and practiced the Spanish for each vocabulary word.

Forgot it was Father's Day or you're not prepared yet?  Don't fret!  Download the Father's Day pages that we created today and you're ready to create your own!  

Download the {FREE} Father's Day Printables at Teacher's Notebook!

Touch Math - PreK Program {Review}

My background is in education.  I hold a current teaching license.  I've spent 4 years teaching 1st and 2nd graders. I remember how my math class from college opened my eyes to how numbers work together (a groundbreaking idea to me at the time).  So, with all of this background why was it so hard to teach math to preschoolers?

2 years ago I started Little Adventures Preschool with a handful of children coming to my home twice a week.  Our math time was anything but consistent.  I bought a zillion books on math activities and things to work on, but each day was its own isolated math activity that didn't build on any previous knowledge or lead in to any big understandings.

Half way into the school year (in December) I decided to spring for a math curriculum so that I could feel confident that the preschoolers I was working with would be developing the math understanding they needed. I started asking all my teacher friends their thoughts on different programs.  Most of the programs started with a Kindergarten "level" and I didn't think twice about starting there until I looked through the TouchMath PreK Program.  Start with kindergarten?  What was I thinking?  There is SO much more to learn about math in the preschool years than I even realized!

Let's start with counting and number sense.  Not just rote counting, but being able to count objects with one-to-one correspondence (not counting to 10 while pointing to five objects).  Number sense is the idea that each number represents a quantity or a set of items.  It is logical that children need to understand the vocabulary of the numerals and that they represent a quantity before they memorize the written number.  Though logical, it was an idea I hadn't put into practice yet.  I love starting with the TouchMath PreK Module #1 because it sets the foundation for math understanding and we are able to continue working on it all year long.  It's easy to differentiate for young learners to match their current understanding.  Children who are working on recognizing sets up to 3 work on sets up to 3.  Children working on sets up to 20 can work on sets up to 20.

Reading "The Napping House" to introduce a quantity of 1.

Making Equal Sets

Identifying Ordinal Numbers (an introductory topic not meant for mastery)

Module #2: Comparing and Classifying is one of my favorite modules to teach. It always reminds me of the clip on Sesame Street where they sing "One of these things is not like the others". We compare items by size, length and color.  I love using attribute blocks for the module!  We increase our vocabulary by talking about locations of objects like "above the table" and "below the table".  We also have oodles of fun dumping out my silverware drawer and talking about which object doesn't belong (classifying according to type of utensil).

Running "Near" and "Far"

Which item doesn't belong?

I love how the TouchMath PreK program builds upon itself.  I no longer feel like kids are learning ideas in isolation.  Rather, they are building skills and will have built a successful foundation for future math skills.  We take the knowledge we've already learned in the first two modules and applying it to the next one: Module 3: Sorting, Classifying, Graphing and Patterning.  These very basic introductions start conversations and interactions with kids that get them thinking about the world around them.

2D shapes, 3D Shapes and Coins are all introduced in the TouchMath PreK program.  One of the aspects of utilizing the printed curriculum is that it came with Touch Shapes.  These are fantastic little shapes of varying colors and sizes that are sized perfectly to work with the TouchMath workmats.  Workmats are interactive printable pages designed to supplement lessons (150 workmats in total with the PreK program).  Along with the workmats comes a Module Guide.  I love the module guides (6 total in the PreK program).  They are clearly organized with pictures and complete instructions.  Even if you didn't know anything about teaching math to preschoolers you'd be able to pick up this program and do a fairly good job.   Workmats are divided into sections throughout each module.  Each section has it's own set of introductory activity ideas, sample dialogue and instructions on how to utilize the workmats with the kids.  There are also differentiated instruction ideas, real world connections, book lists, parent letters, and assessments with tracking forms. It truly is a comprehensive program that won't leave you with any holes to plug but gives you the freedom to tailor and create wonderful real life lessons.

Toward the end of the school year, in Module 6, we begin representing quantities with numerals.  I love utilizing the TouchMath Texture Cards in this module.  The 45 cards (each with its own texture and theme) display the numerals 1-9 with textured touch points.  They're so engaging!  We also love our Touch Numerals which are large foam numbers with base 10 dots.

I have loved teaching math with the TouchMath PreK Program.  I feel confident that it covers all the building blocks of math and sets kids up for success in future math programs.  I'd highly recommend looking into the TouchMath Programs and materials.  They've fairly recently come out with Homeschool specific versions of their programs that are downloadable files for single household use.  These programs are significantly cheaper than the classroom alternative.  They've really got their bases covered with a PreK program and homeschooling specific options.  Way to go TouchMath!

*I have been given the TouchMath Kindergarten Homeschool program in exchange for a review of the PreK program (which I purchased) and a review of the Kindergarten program in a year after using it with CJ.  All opinions are my own.  I truly believe that this curriculum is phenomenal and I look forward to utilizing the PreK program for a few more years in our preschool class and the Kindergarten program with CJ as we begin Kindergarten in our homeschool.

2013-2014 Calendar and Plans

Does everyone spend their summer just as busy as the school year in planning and preparing, or is that just me? I've always spent my summer more engrossed in making the next year better than the previous one and now that I'm homeschooling it is hardly any different. In fact, I'm on vacation right now, but instead of relaxing by the pool or catching up on much needed sleep, I'm curriculum planning for next year. If you are heading into toddler years (tot school) or preschool years you can follow along with us for the 2013-2014 school year and consider your curriculum planning already started! Win for you! (or as my gamer husband would type: FTW!) 

What's even more awesome this time around is that the calendar is EDITABLE!  That's right.  If you don't want to follow exactly along or perhaps you need to switch a few items around you have the ability with this file to change the theme text on each date!


Download the calendar for free here:
http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/LittleAdventuresPreschool/2013-2014-tot-school-and-preschool-theme-calendar-editable-file

With my calendar in its completed state I'm ready to start working on pulling together lesson plan extensions. Find a list of Tot Packs that I have completed for the 2013-2014 school year here. This year I'll be adding extension packs to the preschool curriculum throughout the year.  Find the current version of the Preschool Curriculum here. As files are updated to include the extension packs you'll be able to re-download any previously purchased files to receive the updated version.

I'm also starting CJ in Kindergarten this fall.  If you've read through my Philosophy on Education you know that I believe in starting in a very structured environment and then slowly releasing the control to the student.  Last year CJ did "Preschool B" where he started to take control of certain aspects of his learning.  This year  CJ will be doing TouchMath Kindergarten, ABCmouse.com, readinga-z.com book studies, and attending a weekly Homeschool Cooperative Learning Experience (a post about setting that up is coming soon!).  He will have more control about when, where and what he will study.  I intend to continue providing him with the opportunities and resources I see as beneficial.  This morning he asked if he could play with trains by asking this: "Can I play with this big box of trains?  It would be a GOOOOOD life experience."  Yes, I use that vocabulary with him and hope that he'll make judgments on what he'll be learning according to what is a "GOOOOOOD life experience".  I still hope that through the next few years CJ and I will become a team that takes learning very serioiusly, but much less traditionally.  I'll keep you posted on how it all goes!  

Enjoy, and happy learning!

-Miss Amanda

Preschool Summer Curriculum {FREE Download!}

Wow! It is with great amazement that I came online this afternoon to find that Little Adventures Preschool has over 600 votes in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Homeschooling Moms contest. I am so thankful for your support in this adventure! If you haven't swung by in the last 24 hours, please stop by Circle of Moms and click on the heart next to the Little Adventures Preschool logo to vote for us. This contest goes for 3 more days!  If we can make it into the TOP 5 I have an awesome giveaway up my sleeve.  Share about us with your friends and family to make it happen!

Since you all are so awesome I wanted to share with you the NEWLY COMPLETED Preschool Summer Curriculum! 

There are 6 different packs: Summer Bugs, Gardens and Plants, Bubbles, Safari and Camping, Summer Fun, and Wheels.  Each pack has numerous activities to expand your lesson plans and activities based on the theme.  Each pack also contains a list of books to read and oodles of printables to play with your preschoolers!  Each pack focuses on 4 letters and 1 math category.  They're intended as a review for 4 year olds that just finished a year of preschool, but would be a great introductory for 3 year olds that are starting this fall or a review for 5 year olds that are getting ready for kindergarten.

Some of the activities include:
Left and right sorting
Alphabet activities
Large motor games
Numeral activities
4th of July activities
Songs
Patterns
Graphing
Shapes
Coins
Sequencing Events
Ordinal Numbers
Comparing and Classifying Objects

I don't have pictures yet because I just finished the set as I was typing up this blog of awesome.  Swing by Teacher's Notebook and download your free copy today!

PreReading Books {FREE Download} for Toddlers-Kindergartners

Dearest Friends,

It was with such delight that I woke up this morning to discover that Little Adventures Preschool had reached 500 votes on Circle of Moms Top 25 Homeschooling Blogs.  I am so amazed at the positive influence I'm having on so many wonderful homeschooling families.  When our Summer Tot Pack giveaway ended and I read through all of the entries you all sounded so lovely with such wonderful children that you're trying to spend intentional time with.  Thank you for your support and helping raise a wonderful generation of life long learners.

For the handfuls of new readers to my blog, please feel free to check out my philosophy on education and field trips.  In short, I believe that we can teach children while still young the basic building blocks of reading and math and then move into a more child/youth led educational environment with more success.

I run a formal Tot School (2 year olds) and Preschool (3-5 year olds) out of my home through the school year.  My oldest son CJ will be starting kindergarten this fall (homeschooling of course).  I will also be participating in a homeschooling cooperative learning experience.  Through the next year on my blog you'll be able to follow the homeschooling ideas that I've found successful for 2 year olds, 3-5 year olds (who end the year reading) and kindergartners.  There will be free resources throughout the year and updated curriculum that I've created for you to download at TeachersNotebook.com.  As a full curriculum you will need to look no further to supplement anything, and if your teaching philosophy falls in line with mine you will have a successful learning experience through this year and years to come.

As a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all of my readers who've swung by and clicked on the heart next to Little Adventures Preschool I've created some pre-reading books that are a fantastic tool for toddlers-kindergartners who aren't reading quite yet.  There are details and instructions so you know exactly what to do with them to improve your child's understanding of text and reading. Play with them all summer and gear up to be reading in a year!

To download your free copy of the first 5 pre-reader summer books just head to TeachersNotebook or click on the images above.  If you use them with your little one I'd love to hear how they're received and utilized, just leave a comment here or on our Facebook page! 

And, don't forget to head on over and click the heart by the Little Adventures Preschool Monkey, we're #6 today!

 Enjoy, and happy learning!

-Miss Amanda

Multilingual Pets and Bugs

During our summer we're picking back up our multilingual activity days.  It's a review from last summer but fun and engaging for all our little minds.  We'll be doing these multilingual activity days almost every Thursday through the summer with our homeschooling group.  Hopefully our pictures will inspire you to start an activity day of your own!

 My friend Katrina and I took a course called FLTI - Family Leadership Training Institute that was offered in our area last spring.  The goal was to empower parents and community members to be actively engaged as advocates for children, youth and families within the community.  Each participant learned the ins and outs of how the community and local government works.  Through our growing and learning process we were also to develop a community project.  Katrina and I worked together to create an English, Spanish and American Sign Language class to bridge the communication gap we found in our community.

 It was wonderful watching families come together to practice non-native languages and build friendships across the language divide.  We learned so much and exposed our children to experiences that they otherwise wouldn't have received.

There were so many great things that we learned from this experience and therefore wanted to repeat the experience for our children.  Here are some of the things we discovered:

Why learn a second language?

• improve confidence and self esteem
• support spelling skills
• improve reading ability
• encourage an interest in books

Benefits of creating an activity day:
Attending activity days provides motivation to continue practicing each week, which increases the likelihood that participants will be consistent in their efforts to use Spanish and ASL regularly.
Having other parents to exchange information with and offer support can be helpful and build friendships and community.
Attending activity days also provide a regular occasion for quality, face‐to‐face interaction between caregivers and their children – something special for the family to do.

General benefits of utilizing Sign Language:

Wonderful bonding – this is face‐to‐face communication. You must look at each other to use signs!
Having an alternate way for children to communicate can help a child who may not be comfortable verbalizing something they want to say, such as when they are upset or embarrassed.
Children learn in different ways. Some learn by hearing, some by seeing, and some by doing it with their own hands.  Tactile and kinesthetic learners may thrive when sign language is introduced to their learning environment.
The physical component of signing can make learning feel like play. Children naturally use their body language to communicate.
Sign helps children link symbols (signs) with concepts (the meaning of the word) and with the spoken word. This incorporates many levels of learning.
Helps with temper tantrums during the “terrible two’s” – especially those tantrums that stem from not being understood.
Parents can communicate with their child before the child has developed the skills to speak - some children may have limitations with aspects of the spoken language and some parents do not want to miss what the child is trying to communicate.
Parents may want their children to know a second language and even if they don't master it today, if they want to pick it up when they are older they will have an easier time accomplishing that task.

Why Learn Spanish?
High use language - Spanish is a popular second or third language: with some 400 million speakers, it's the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world (after English, Chinese and Hindustani), and according to some counts it has more native speakers than English does. It is an official language on four continents and is of historical importance elsewhere.
Family and friends may speak - Spanish speaking people live throughout the United States.
Travel could be made easier in Spanish speaking countries.
Bilingual opportunities are available.
Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will find as you study Spanish that you have a better understanding of your native vocabulary. Similarly, both Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, so their grammars are similar.

 We utilize SigningTime.com and their fantastic videos to introduce the vocabulary that we want to focus on for the day.  This Thursday our focus was on Pets and Bugs so we listened to "I'm a Bug" and "The Pets I Love".

 We had set up a couple of activities around the room so that kids could explore what appealed to them at the moment.  I find this a key strategy to be actively engaging all kids.

 There were art activities, small motor activities and math activities that all went along with the theme.  We'd emphasize the vocabulary words through the activity and encourage signing and use of Spanish.

 We read a few books and learned some new facts.  Do you know what a lady bug looks like before it's a beetle?

 We also explored some dramatic play with puppets and masks.

 A little reading lesson popped up when we pulled out the Pets Tot Pack.  We talked about initial sounds in words and categorized animals into "Animals that are good pets" and "Animals that should live in the zoo".

 We also had a lot of fun when we learned how to play "Go Fish!"  To modify Go Fish for younger preschoolers we set the cards in front of us so they were easy to see and then we asked the whole group if they had a match for one of the cards we had.  It was a fantastic way to encourage the use of language in all forms.

 This is a great picture of the first formal instruction on how to use a magnifying glass.

 We took our magnifying glasses outside and played with all sorts of toy bugs and pets.

I'm really thrilled with how this first activity day went.  We learned so much even though the vocabulary was a review.  The activities were engaging and kids were having fun as they practiced using language.  Next week we'll be talking about relationships and making a Father's Day craft.  If you're in the area (zip 80013) and are interested in joining us you can check us out at LEARN.

Be sure to stop by and click on the heart next to the Little Adventures Preschool logo on Circle of Moms Top 25 Homeschooling Blogs.  There are just a few days left and we're holding spot #7 with over 450 votes!

Also, don't forget about the Amazing Action Alphabet giveaway and discount code.  Enter to win here! 

Be sure to check back again soon because I've just created a set of Summer Beginning Readers for all the little preschoolers out there.  The FREE download should be posted by Monday!