Math Skills: Ordering

We have just started a new math skill: ordering. I always like using stories to teach math concepts. There is something that triggers understanding when you can see it in a book. Maybe they word it better than I can. Maybe it is the pictures. Or maybe it's because stories always make an impact on children.

So I planned a few art projects, some games, and ordered some really good books, including The Best Bug Parade and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Full list of books that I used:

The Best Bug Parade by Stuart J. Murphy

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen

How Big Is a Foot? by Rolf Myller

One Was Johnny by Maurice Sendak

Mighty Maddie by Stuart J. Murphy

Full list of games:

Game #1:

You will need toys of various sizes. We used stuffed animals. Children put them in order from tallest to shortest, and then shortest to tallest. Key words: short, shorter, shortest, tall, taller, tallest.

Game #2:

You will need building blocks (lego's, mega blocks, or wooden stacking blocks will do). Build a series of towers where each tower is taller or shorter than the next one. R likes to build stairs, so this would work too. Key words: short, shorter, shortest, tall, taller, tallest.

Game #3:

You will need stairs to climb. With each step up, talk about how much higher you are, and at the top, you are the highest. With each step down, talk about how much lower you are, and at the bottom, you are the lowest. Key words: high, higher, highest, low, lower, lowest.

Game #4:

You will need various items from your pantry. I used a jar of peanut butter, a can of peanuts, a container of hot chocolate mix, an empty mug, and a coffee tin. I picked items that were both heavy and light and where the size had no bearing on the weight. I had the girls order them by weight (estimating the weight by picking it up). Key words: heavy, heavier, heaviest, light, lighter, lightest.

Game #5:

You will need 6 Mason jars (or other glass jars that are all the same size), water, and a metal spoon. Set up tone bottles with various amounts of water and then listen to the pitch of each jar by tapping it with a metal spoon. Make note that the lower the pitch the higher the water level. Key words: high, higher, highest, low, lower, lowest.

Game #6:

Play with stacking cups, stacking rings, and Russian nesting dolls.

Full list of art projects:

Art Project #1:

You will need glue, string, and construction paper. I cut the string by inches (i.e. 1 inch, 2 inches, 3 inches, etc.) until I had 8 strings for each girl. The girls put them in order by length and then used a ruler to measure them. I had them write the number of inches by each string and then glue the string onto the paper. Key words: short, shorter, shortest, long, longer, longest.

Art Project #2:

You will need markers, construction paper, and varying sizes of round lids. Centering a lid on the middle of the page, trace it with a marker. Continue to do this for all lids so that the smallest circle is in the center of the largest circle. The child should be able to see the growing sizes of circles. Key words: small, smaller, smallest, big, bigger, biggest, large, larger, largest.

Art Project #3:

You will need varying sizes of shapes drawn on a paper, scissors, glue, and construction paper. Cut out the shapes and glue them in order by size on the construction paper. Key words: small, smaller, smallest, big, bigger, biggest, large, larger, largest.

Art Project #4:

You will need construction paper, scissors, glue, and cutouts of varying shapes. I recommend that the cutouts have a different number available for each shape (i.e. 1 circle, 2 squares, 3 hearts, etc.) Draw a butterfly on a piece of construction paper. Have the children cut out the butterfly and then glue shapes on their wings. When finished, compare the number of shapes on each butterfly. Key words: more, most, less, least.

Art Project #5:

You will need multiple toys of multiple types (i.e. 5 balls, 3 cars, 6 dolls, and 7 stuffed animals). Make a graph where you have a row for each type of toy and fill in a box for each number of that toy. Compare the lines, determining which row has the most and which row has the least. Key words: more, most, less, least.

Teaching Safety Rules: Stranger Awareness

One day two years ago, M put a plastic bag over her head, thinking it was funny. I reacted poorly, panicking, yelling. She had no clue what she had done wrong, and being hurt by my reaction, she did not listen to my explanations. Thus I learned that I need to talk to my children about safety issues BEFORE it becomes an issue.

Talk about Safety
My lesson for them have been two-fold: (1) you are important and (2) your safety is important. So I would talk about WHY we wear seatbelts, WHY we don't play with matches, WHY we don't put plastic bags or pillows over our heads, WHY we don't run into the road, and WHY we wear helmets when we ride bikes. The idea is that when they are older, they will choose to be safe because they believe they are important and that their safety is important.

Now fast forward to the present, and my girls are asking to play in the front yard. Last year, I let them play in the front yard with supervision (i.e. I weeded and planted my flower beds while they rode their bikes). I told them where their boundaries are, and I watched them listen to the rules.

1) They stayed out of the street.
2) They did not go past the light post to the right or the street corner on the left.
3) They kept their helmets on while they road their bikes.
4) They yelled at the other kids for riding bikes in the road and not wearing helmets.

I learned that I can trust them. They have proven that they are safety conscious and are willing to listen to the rules. That kind of responsible behavior should be rewarded with trust and expansion of boundaries.

Build Autonomy One Small Step at a Time
I read this article from Free Range Kids, and I gotta say I agree 100%. Except that my kids are still too young to roam free. My oldest is only five. And I also gotta say I have felt so safe with our backyard fence. I know where they are, and I like that. It will be scary to say, "Okay, you can ride your bike around the block." I dread that day, but someday they will be off to live life on their own. Someday, they need to know how to survive without me.

However, you can't just keep them safely by your side one day and then send them off to face the world the next. There is preparation. So slowly, I expand their boundaries as I see that they have learned the lessons I have taught. Now that they play in the front yard unsupervised, I have added an important lesson: dealing with strangers.

Isn't that what scares us all?

Roleplay Dangerous Scenarios
So, we roleplayed scenarios while we sat around our dinner table. I am the stranger, and I say, "Hi kids. What's your names?" So they tell me their names, and I offer them candy. They say, "No thanks." I offer them a ride in my car, and they say, "No thanks." I say "No, now is the time to run away screaming. A stranger should never offer you a ride in their car."

So we played through many scenarios, including being lost, being offered candy, being offered a ride in a car, being invited into someone's house, or being touched by a stranger. And of course, there were good strangers too, ones that did not offer candy or invite them into their houses.

We also talked about trusting our emotions. My husband told them, "If you feel scared, then maybe there is a reason. You should trust that feeling." We got to illustrate this for them when my husband felt a little concerned about someone who was watching our kids play. He said to me, "Something did not feel quite right. Should I warn the girls?" I said, "Yes." So he told them what he saw and how he felt about it. So they learned that even daddies can feel scared and it is okay to trust that feeling.

The other important lesson I wanted them to learn about strangers is to stay with other children and to watch out for each other. Safety in numbers. If M & R are together and they are with their friends, slimeballs will stay away. So I talked to them about this too, that they watch out for their sisters.

To R, just turned 4 years old in March

Sometimes you get lost in the shuffle of our busy household. Sometimes you just need to be cuddled, and my arms are already full. You so love to please, and you are devastated when you disappoint us. So many times, I just want to take you in my arms and tell you how much I love you.

I have watched you grow from a shy little girl into a little lady with a beautiful smile. Lately, you have blossomed. I notice you walk with just a little more confidence, and I know that you finally feel safe and loved in this home. I love to hear the stories that you tell, and I like to see how pleased you are when I stop to listen to your words. I love to carve out special moments for me and you to share because I know how much that touches your heart. And touching your heart is what touches mine.

There is no little girl like you in this whole world, with your deep brown eyes and soft brown hair. No one has that special smile that shows the softness of your nature. No one has that soft voice or that special sparkle that makes you who you are.

Building a Puppet Stage

We took a tall, narrow cardboard box and cut large squares into each side, and the girls had fun painting it. Then we made sock puppets, and M & R put together a show with butterflies and dragon puppets, snails and moths.

Here is R, proudly painting her puppet stage. You can see K in the background, thumb in her mouth, looking a little tired.

M, busily painting her side.

And finally here is K, painting with her feet. And you can see the evidence that she painted her mouth. Again.

How to make Sock Puppets

Below you will see a striped dragon with pink wings and a butterfly.

What you will need:

old socks

googly eyes

felt

buttons

pom poms

pipe cleaners

glue gun

needle and thread

I am not going to give specific instructions because every different puppet we make has something different in the way it was designed. Most of the work must be done by the adult since the glue gun and the needle could be safety hazards, depending on the age of your child. However, the girls are the ones who design them. They have a big hand in deciding what they want (whether it is a butterfly, dragon, bat, or snail) and what colors they want it to be.

One time, M made a bat with green wings, a pink and purple polka-dot body, and a big red nose. It looked like a clown.

Putting on the Show

Telling stories with a real plot line is actually a very advanced skill. The child needs to be able to recognize story structure, including conflict and resolution. So I suggested that they make their show one of the Go, Diego, Go! episodes (basically, someone is in trouble and needs rescued). So they made various stories where their puppets were falling or in trouble and needed saved by the other puppets.

Foamie Door Hangers

All right, I admit this picture is very sideways, but I think you can still see the general idea: a door hanger decorated with flowers.

This is a simple, easy project that we did with even our littlest 2 year old. In fact, the one displayed here is hers. By the way, she picked out her own pieces and placed them herself. The only help she needed was to peal the stickers off the back.

Things you will need:

sheets of foamie (or foamie door hangers)

foamie letters

foamie shapes (flower & friends or trucks & cars)

Instructions:

1) If you opt for sheets of foamie, cut your door hangers to desired size and shape.

2) Cut a hole on one end, big enough for the door knob

3) Peal the paper off the backs of the shapes and stick them on the hanger.

4) Turn the hanger over and decorate the other side (suggestion, put the child's name on one side).

5) Hang it up!

Pictures

This is Mother's Day 2005, before K came along.

~ M, 2.5 yrs

~ R, 1 yr

Here are pictures of all three girls in Summer 2006.

~ M, 4 yrs

~ R, 2.5 yrs

~ K, 6 mos

This is February 2007.

~ M, 4.5 yrs

~ R, 3 yrs

~ K, 1 yr

Unit Study on Birds

Sometimes I wonder if I am doing enough. It is hard to keep everything balanced between the different subjects. I do not have a curriculum like many other homeschoolers. We really could not afford one. I use my imagination and the library. We have a science curriculum and math workbooks. Everything else is resources that I found useful.

So I worry about holes in my plan. And it often seems as though I lose track of something. Like it has been a long time since we did science, although we did lots of writing and math. And other times, it seems like weeks since we pulled out our math workbooks. Now that is not to say we were not doing math as I used my own creativity to teach M adding and both M & R the concept of odds and evens.

On top of that, I am a working mom. A working mom who is about to lose her job to outsourcing. So I have been investing extra time in writing and in art, hoping to find a lucrative way to work from home. Can I find a way for my hobbies to bring in an income? Will it be big enough to support the family?

Then something happens like it did last night: my husband TJ pulled out one of our library books. TJ has taken over science lately, and he had decided to do a unit study on birds. So we all sat down on M's bedroom floor (well, K was already asleep), and we began to look at the pictures of different kinds of birds. The books were organized by category (wading birds, predator birds, large birds, flightless birds, etc.)

Now M has a crazy imagination, and she frequently makes up stories about animals that don't exist. Like hole hogs. Hole hogs are imaginary animals that have tales like beavers, antlers like a deer, and big ears like a rabbit. They are as big as bears and they build large underground dens. I went through weeks and weeks of detailed descriptions of hole hogs and all that they do, including how they take care of their babies, how they build their houses, and how they trapped snakes to eat them.

So when we began the unit study on birds, we started by tossing bird seed out by our back door. The winter birds flocked to our yard, and the girls got to watch them all day long. Then my husband got at least 25 books from the library, everything from field guides to story books. With the new topic of birds, M started making up a story about a "sweet sweet" bird that has fur instead of feathers. We were frustrated because she refused to accept facts over her imaginary world. How do you teach a child that all birds have certain characteristics (feathers, wings, beaks, etc.) when they make up an imaginary animal to defy all logic?

The book that TJ picked up last night was called DK Guide to Birds. And when we opened the book, M started telling me about a bird that does not have wings. (OK, here we go again!) Well, actually, there is a bird that does not have wings, and in fact, it has fur instead of feathers too. It is called the kiwi bird.

Surprise! Surprise! These bird books have sat in M's room for several weeks, and it looks like she has actually been reading them! She started flipping through the books, telling us about the different birds. We noticed a blue-footed boobie, which is a grey and white bird with bright blue feet. TJ said, "Look at this bird. He has funny blue feet!" M said, "Oh yes, he waves them at his mate to say hello." Sure enough, that is exactly what the text says.

We talked about partner birds, parasite birds, predator birds, extinct birds, endangered birds, big birds, little birds, flightless birds, and strange birds. M had so many questions, usually centered around the word "why." She was particularly moved by the extinct and endangered birds, and I had to explain why seabirds were harmed by oil spills. Of course, I also had to explain what oil spills were.

So after we left her at bedtime, she sat on her bed looking through the books. She has become so familiar with the books that she knows what books have which information, and which pages to go to in order to find what she is looking for. Her knowledge of birds has far exceded mine.

Some of the books she enjoyed most:

Birds

DK Guide to Birds

You Can't Lay an Egg If You're an Elephant

About Birds

Falcons Nest on Skyscrapers

I especially liked the Falcons Nest on Skyscrapers book because it is more story oriented. The book explains why falcons are endangered and what pains have been taken to restore the falcon population. Then it tracks two falcons who build a nest on the windowsill of a skyscraper. The office employees get to watch the two falcons raise their young through the glass.