Letter ‘a’ Sound Activities

We've started our letter sound of the week activities a few weeks ago. Vito is 18 months and based on my observation, he is ready to learn letter sounds as he started to say a few words and can mimic letter sounds as I say it to him. 

This letter of the week curriculum is basically not new.  There are a lot of variations out there on teaching one letter a week.  However, I have come up with my own activities and method of implementing it.   I have used this curriculum with Mavi and it has worked for us so I am using it again with Vito.  The order of the letter sound that I am going to introduce to Vito by default is from a to z (with emphasis on the small letter) but of course it may change as we progress depending on his needs, interest and availability of materials.

For those who are new to this, the basic idea is to focus on only one letter sound at a time (a week or more). Instead of having a specific theme that corresponds to a letter sound, we will try to use all the objects in our Letter Sound Basket in our activities to add variety. I also added tray works that introduce basic concepts like colours, shapes and numbers.

Okay some of you might ask me how we do this? Well on a daily basis here’s our schedule we work most of these in the morning, after reading books.  One to two activities a day for about 15 minutes in the morning and if he’s into it in the afternoon, then we do another one.  Afternoon activities are sometimes skipped, as he prefers playing with big brother. What is mostly achieved in the afternoon is reading books as we do it all together, while cuddling in bed.

*** I added links to all the materials we are using here so you will have an idea where to get it.  They are affiliate links, no extra cost on you if you decide to purchase them. ***

 

Letter ‘a’ craft.  I made a small letter a on a piece of cardstock and have Vito stamp it with Do-a-Dot markers.  Once dry, I cut it out and form it into an apple.  I pinned this in our learning wall.  By the way, these markers are really really good! We’ve used them in so many ways and they were still Mavi’s! Can you believe that?? It lasted for so many years without drying!

Note:  Vito enjoyed this activity so much.  He can stamp more letter a’s than I could have imagine LOLApple 1:1 correspondence.  Using the IKEA Ice Tray and Learning Resource Fruit Counters, this 1:1 correspondence teaches little ones basic math concept.  I count as Vito places a green apple in the moulder.  

Note:  This is one activity that stayed in the shelf for two weeks. Vito loves putting the apples into the moulder and putting them back again in the container.  Sometimes he would spill them and put them back again. We do this activity almost every day to introduce counting.

Alligator peg board.  Because alligator have sharp teeth, we use this FantaColor peg board to practice fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.  Can Vito really insert the pegs in the hole? Well it is a hit or miss! And that’s what’s good about it, he keeps on trying :D  Our version is the portable one that comes with a bag and with different peg sizes.  I chose this so both Vito and Mavi can use it.

Note:  As mentioned, this activity is a hit or miss. There were times he loves doing this because he can easily pin the pegs… but he gets impatient and lose interest when he can’t pin them in the hole.

Circle shape sorter.  The shape for this week is circle, since it is the closest shape to an apple.  We used our Playskool Shape Sorter  (this was Mavi’s) and we only use the circle shape. As I mentioned previously, one at a time.  So here, just the circle shape so he can easily identify which hole and will not be overwhelmed. 

Note: This technique has worked with Mavi and it worked with Vito as well. 

Gluing circles.  I’m hitting three birds in one stone here, sensorial activity while learning the circle and red colour.  We did this a couple of times, first using liquid glue and the other glue stick.  He doesn’t like both LOL But he loves putting the cut-out circle shapes in the big circle. 

Note: While doing this activity, I would say “this is a circle”, “let’s stick the red circles in the big circle”.  Mention the key words like “circle”, “red”, “stick” or “glue”. As mentioned, Vito doesn’t like the feel of blue or something sticky. But that’s okay, Mavi was like that too.  It’s part of learning right?

Eating apples.  Of course, snacks include apples!

Note: What could say? He loves eating!

Green and red colour. I’ve been introducing colours since Vito turned 1, and even though we still work on our red basket, I still include colour sorting in our weekly activities so he can differentiate the two colours.  Here I used craft pompoms to be sorted out. He doesn’t sort, I do most of it.  I’ll try first, showing what to do and let him try a few. 

Note:  Again, hit or miss here.  There were times he’s doing it right, and sometimes he randomly puts them anywhere.  He loves our green and red apples the best though :D

Ambulance prints.  Vito loves paints and we do painting as much as possible.  We are using Giotto Bebe fingerpaints, which I totally love because it doesn’t have a smell! And I love how creamy the paints are. 

Note: Another favourite in the house!  He can do this for around 30 minutes uninterrupted. But be sure to keep an eye on the kids. Even if the paints used is non-toxic and washable, these still are not edible!

Recommended books that will go along with it:

My ‘a’ Sound Box

Are you an Ant?

Baby Alligator

How to make an apple pie and travel the world.

Now, see them all in action!

Don’t forget to pin this for later!

Letter ‘a’ Sound Activities

 

We've started our letter sound of the week activities a few weeks ago. Vito is 18 months and based on my observation, he is ready to learn letter sounds as he started to say a few words and can mimic letter sounds as I say it to him. 

This letter of the week curriculum is basically not new.  There are a lot of variations out there on teaching one letter a week.  However, I have come up with my own activities and method of implementing it.   I have used this curriculum with Mavi and it has worked for us so I am using it again with Vito.  The order of the letter sound that I am going to introduce to Vito by default is from a to z (with emphasis on the small letter) but of course it may change as we progress depending on his needs, interest and availability of materials.

For those who are new to this, the basic idea is to focus on only one letter sound at a time (a week or more). Instead of having a specific theme that corresponds to a letter sound, we will try to use all the objects in our Letter Sound Basket in our activities to add variety. I also added tray works that introduce basic concepts like colours, shapes and numbers.

Okay some of you might ask me how we do this? Well on a daily basis here’s our schedule we work most of these in the morning, after reading books.  One to two activities a day for about 15 minutes in the morning and if he’s into it in the afternoon, then we do another one.  Afternoon activities are sometimes skipped, as he prefers playing with big brother. What is mostly achieved in the afternoon is reading books as we do it all together, while cuddling in bed.

*** I added links to all the materials we are using here so you will have an idea where to get it.  They are affiliate links, no extra cost on you if you decide to purchase them. ***

 

Letter ‘a’ craft.  I made a small letter a on a piece of cardstock and have Vito stamp it with Do-a-Dot markers.  Once dry, I cut it out and form it into an apple.  I pinned this in our learning wall. Apple 1:1 correspondence.  Using the IKEA Ice Moulder and Learning Resource Fruit Counters, this 1:1 correspondence teaches little ones basic math concept.  I count as Vito places a green apple in the moulder.   We do this activity almost every day to introduce counting.

Alligator peg board.  Because alligator have sharp teeth, we use this FantaColor peg board to practice fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.  Can Vito really insert the pegs in the hole? Well it is a hit or miss! And that’s what’s good about it, he keeps on trying :D  Our version is the portable one that comes with a bag and with different peg sizes.  I chose this so both Vito and Mavi can use it.

The ‘circle shape.  The shape for this week is circle, since it is the closest shape to an apple.  We used our Playskool Shape Sorter  (this was Mavi’s) and we only use the circle shape. As I mentioned previously, one at a time.  So here, just the circle shape so he can easily identify which hole and will not be overwhelmed.  This technique has worked with Mavi and it worked with Vito as well. 

Gluing circle shapes.  I’m hitting three birds in one stone here, sensorial activity while learning the circle and red colour.  We did this a couple of times, first using liquid glue and the other glue stick.  He doesn’t like both LOL But he loves putting the cut-out circle shapes in the big circle.  While doing this activity, I would say “this is a circle”, “let’s stick the red circles in the big circle”.  Mention the key words like “circle”, “red”, “stick” or “glue”.

Eating apples. Of course, snacks include apples! The green and red colour. I’ve been introducing colours since Vito turned 1, and even though we still work on our red basket, I still include colour sorting in our weekly activities so he can differentiate the two colours.  Here I used craft pompoms to be sorted out. He doesn’t sort, I do most of it.  I’ll try first, showing what to do and let him try a few.  Again, hit or miss here. 

Ambulance prints.  Vito loves paints and we do painting as much as possible.  We are using Giotto Bebe fingerpaints, which I totally love because it doesn’t have a smell! And I love how creamy the paints are. 

Recommended books that will go along with it:

 

Now, see them all in action!

Don’t forget to pin this for later!

Top Five Favourite Books (April)

I asked Mavi for his top 5 favourite books for this month (he keeps on brining these books in school for show and tell) and tell me why.

 

1. Follow the Drinking Gourd 

   "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions. Rich paintings interpret the strong story in a clean, primitive style enhanced by bold colours. The rhythmic compositions have an energetic presence that's compelling. A fine rendering of history in picture book format."--(starred) Booklist.

   "I like it because Peg Leg Joe became a hero by saving the slaves and bringing them to Canada for freedom".  - Mavi

2. Grandfather’s Journey

   Lyrical, breathtaking, splendid—words used to describe Allen Say’s Grandfather’s Journey when it was first published. At once deeply personal yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man’s love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captured readers’ attention and hearts. Winner of the 1994 Caldecott Medal, it remains as historically relevant and emotionally engaging as ever.  - Goodreads

   "I love it because the he and his grandfather loves to travel, just like me." - Mavi

3. The Life of Ferdinand

   A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. And he does just that, until the day a bumblebee and some men from the Madrid bullfights give gentle Ferdinand a chance to be the most ferocious star of the corrida—and the most unexpected comic hero. This cherished hardcover is perfect for those who love Ferdinand, and those who have yet to meet him. - Goodreads

   "The part where he sat on a bee makes me laugh, and because everyone thinks he's super strong but actually not.  All he ever do is smell the flower and he's really funny." - Mavi

4. Marvel Storybook

   Life stories of Spiderman, Thor and Ironman.

   "Spiderman is in it and he is my favourite superhero." - Mavi

5. The Glorious Flight

   "This book...recounts the persistence of a Frenchman, Louis Bleriot, to build a flying machine to cross the English Channel.... The text is succinct, caption-like in its directness and brevity....The paintings...add the necessary testure and tone to this marriage. This is vintage Provensen" – School Library Journal

   "Because it is the story of the first airplane to fly in France and England. The pictures are so funny too" - Mavi

The Montessori Multiplication Board

Spring break has given us enough time to work on our multiplication.  After my introduction using counters, we worked on the Montessori multiplication bead board next. 

To know more about this materials and how to use it, here are some resources I collected for you:

• How to use the multiplication bead board (video)
• Multiplication Bead Board Presentation
• Multiplication Bead Board Worksheets
• DIY Multiplication Bead Board

For our work, I made multiplication strips for Mavi to work on.  This is similar to the one mentioned in my resources except that I edited the fonts to fit my paper size.

I followed the presentation based on the Info Montessori and demonstrated it on Mavi.  When its his time to work,  Mavi chose to work the table of 6.  He says its his favourite number because that’s how old he is.

                      

For the work strips, I printed them out and glue them on a yellow cardstock.  Mavi loved how beautiful they turned out.  As an extension, I also showed Mavi how the table of 6 works when laid out using the decanomial beads.   The laying out of beads was a hit! Mavi was hooked.  Too bad though, we didn’t get to finish the work because Vito was already awake and wants attention.  (PS. We don’t do bead works whenever Vito’s around. He still mouths objects)   

Making Montessori Ours has this amazing printable Multiplication Materials Package made out for you. I suggest you check her out as well!

Don’t forget to pin this for later! You don’t want to miss this!

And that’s about it! How wonderful this method of learning is! So hands-on and visual!  We will work on the rest of the multiplication table both in bead board and decanomial beads one at a time. Anyway, this is just to expose Mavi to multiplication.  Once we’re done with all the tables, we’ll start division and it’s going to be even more exciting!

Want to see what other’s are doing?  Check out my Pinterest board for other Math ideas!

Fossils for Kids

Because Mavi is fascinated with dinosaurs and fossils, I always make it a point to include it yearly in our homeschool activities.  If you are interested learning about our previous dinosaurs and fossils lessons here are the following links:

For this year, I focused on fossils alone as I wanted Mavi to understand how they became so relevant in defining history.

Fossils by definition are organisms or objects that indicates former presence of an organism which has been preserved in any natural deposit in or on the earth’s crust.  We examined the fossils we have on hand:  Safari Toob Fossil replicas, coral fossils and the animal impressions that we made.

There are different types of fossils.  One famous type of fossil is the preservation of insects found in resins, now known as amber.   Another are moulds of animals or plants; trails or tracks of animals and dinosaurs from thousands of years ago.

With this we made our own animal impressions using Safari Toob animal figures.  They all end up so pretty!  From this impressions you can easily identify what animal it is. Making animal impressions in a clay is one of the easiest way to recreate a fossil.  Another is embedding an animal or object in an ice or clay.

These are coral fossils which we got from our latest trip to the Philippines.   Mavi described the difference between moulds and cast fossils like those of coral cavities that were filled with mineral substance. Then we examined each of our Safari Toob Ancient Fossils and identify them.  (Source: Safari Toob Fossils)

1. Eurypterid.  A sea scorpion called Mixopterus was discovered in Norway.  They ranged from 5 inches to over 7 feet long.
2. Fossilized Fish.  This is a Diplomystus specimen, typical of a surface feeding fish.  The Green River limestone deposits in Wyoming, USA have beautifully preserved all the fine details of these fossils.
3. Dinosaur Skin.  This is a famous fossil “mummies” of a duck-billed Hadrosaur which became entombed in a sandstone after its death.  The real one can be found in North Dakota, USA.
4. Tyrannosaurus Rex Tooth.  This tooth was found in Montana, USA. The T-Rex, one of the greatest predator possess the largest single teeth of any dinosaur.  They used these double edge, serrated blades to slice off huge pieces of flesh.
5. Dinosaur Foot.  The discoveries of dinosaur tracks and footprints are grouped into similar types and they are given generic names.  Anchisauripus prints were from a small plant-eater found in the state of Connecticut, USA.
6. Velociraptor Claw.  Velociraptor are very efficient hunter because of these large sickle-shaped claws that grow on each hind foot.  This claw was found in Mongolia in Central Asia.
7. Ammonite.  This is an ancient mollusc with a spiral shell.  These marine animals existed for more than 135 million years.  This species is known as Peltoceratoides  and was discovered in Russia.
8. Giant Crabs. Did you know that crabs evolved from lobsters during the Jurassic Period? This original specimens from Washington state, USA are among the finest preserved crab fossils having been buried in sand, soon after their deaths.
9. Trilobite.  They are one of the most important groups of early animals and their unusual appearance and age, make them appealing to fossil collectors worldwide.  They first appeared in the early Cambrian period and become extinct in the Permian, 320 million years ago.
10. Fossilized Frog.  This fossilized species of frog is fully articulated and possibly the ancestor of the modern spade foot toad.  This was collected in Wyoming, USA.

And the best part of a studying fossil is experiencing how these Palaeontologist dig and discover fossils!  Materials used in the tub:

• Learning Resources Fine Motor Tool Set
• Oatmeal
• Random magnifier glass
• Paint brush
• Safari Toob Ancient Fossils

Be sure to pin this post for future reference!

Its time for the 12 month and now i would.like to sgare with you our study of the plant kingdom. Last year we worked on the animal kingdom and it help.Mavi blsh blsh. For the plant kingdom, i decided to bring mavi to

Airplabes

Last week I made an airplane nomenclature card for Mavi to explore the diff parts of an airplane.  My son loves airplanes and if you've been.iwing me.jn IG ive been.posting pics of his lego.planes.

Now that it was part of our home achool, he got really excited. He loves using the cards! He enjoyed discovering the parts and.describibg how it works.

To help us more with our study we have these books to read.

Our favourite one.and I hig l y recoomend.iy.is the the.  It presents the history of the airplanes and the different types of aircrafts we use these days.

Airplane

We looked.into.airplanes a.few.days ago in line with our The Glorious Light row. Feel.free.to.download your copy. Mavi loved.using this and made a LEGO airPLANE OUT of these cards.

I b suggest that. Before wheb using this, prepare some.airplane books to read witb or your kids. This wi hlthen

Here are the bookswe read.

I highly recommend,