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Check out this awesome Fall Learning Pack from Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations!

Tools We Use: Pattern Blocks

One of our favorite school tools is our pattern blocks.  What an amazingly versatile tool!

Pattern blocks help kiddos to:

~ build visual-spatial skills

~ increase pattern recognition

~ practice shape recognition

~ visualize how shapes work together to create new shapes

~ master color recognition

~ learn beginning math concepts

~ practice creativity

You can buy them in various forms (plastic, wood, foam, magnets) or print them out on cardstock and make a set of your own.

Printable pattern blocks

The standard selection in a set is as follows:

green triangles

orange squares

red trapezoids

blue rhombuses (or rhombi)

tan parallelograms

yellow hexagons

How we use them:

The most common way to use them, and how they got their name, is to create patterns with the shapes.  Since most sets use the standard color/shape combinations, you can find MANY free pattern printables on the net.  

Here is a good place to start:

Confessions of a Homeschooler (pictured above)

Once your kiddo has mastered basic patterning, they can move onto cooler things... animals, flowers, rockets... you know, REAL pictures! :)

Number Pattern Block Cards

Alphabet Pattern Block Cards

Pattern Block Pictures- Set 1 and Set 2

Simple Pattern Block Pictures

Safari Pattern Block Mats

Christmas Pattern Block Mats

Pattern Blocks Activity Cards

For my 8-year-old, I wanted to add a challenge.  I had her design her own animal/plant/object and then fill out this response sheet.  This had her reverse the process and use more of her critical thinking skills.

Other ways to use pattern blocks:

From SpellOutloud:

"Have children sort the blocks by shape. I folded a piece of paper and then traced a shape in each section. When sorting make sure to say the shape names (green triangles, orange squares, red trapezoids, blue rhombuses (or rhombi), tan parallelograms and yellow octagons.) Don't expect young children to know these names, but rather work on introducing the terminology to them."

From SpellOutload:

"Create color mats that match the pattern block colors. These can easily be made with pieces of fun foam or construction paper. Have the children sort the blocks by color. You don't have to do a color sort of all the colors at once. In fact, for very young children just starting this skill, having around three options for sorting is better."

Just stacking them is a great way to let your little ones explore shapes, colors, cause-and-effect and spacial relations (tall/short, top/bottom).  Those these concepts are simple, even our older ones need reminded of these skills while covering vocabulary and patterning.

Game Printable!

One of my girls' favorite games is "Action 1-2-3", a game I found on a homeschool blog some time ago.  (I'm sorry I can't find it now.)  To change it up this year, I created a new set of cards.  (We used our other set to death!)

Game directions:

1. Roll dice.

2. Pick a card.

3. Do action on card the number of times on the dice.

Example:

1. Roll dice. You roll a 4.

2. Pick a card. Your card says "Hop like a frog."

3. Do action on card the number of times on the dice. You hop like a frog 4 hops.

Great time-filler or a get-up-and-move transition game!

Let me know if you play it and how your kids liked it!

Curriculum Clean-Out!

Woohoo!  It's time for the bi-annual Curriculum Clean-Out hosted by Homeschool Creations!

For this Clean-Out I'll be giving away...

Saxon Math 1- First Grade

TO WIN:

1. Post a comment to this post.  Make sure to include your contact info!

2. Follow this site on Facebook and post back here that you do.

3. Subscribe to this site via email (see right sidebar) and leave a comment that you did.

The giveaway will end on Friday, September 30th.  Winner will be announced here and contacted on October 1st.

Hope I can bless one of you!

What my Kindergartener is doing this year...

Starting Bean in Kindergarten was a lot easier since she is following in her big sister's footsteps.  She gets to learn from my past mistakes!  Here is what we're going with for this year.

SPELLING: All About Spelling- Level 1 to make sure we've got all the basics covered thoroughly.  She could use the mastery of the phonograms so this will be a great building block for her.

HISTORY: Story of the World: Volume 1 Ancient Times- She will be doing this right along with her big sister.  She loves the story of it all.  We're also using the Activity Guide (for the maps and coloring sheets as well as some good hands-on activities) and the testing booklet (for oral review).

HISTORY READING: The Classical House of Learning Literature- There's a beginner version of her student guide!

COMPUTER: Time 4 Learning- Great tool for reinforcing the basics.

HANDWRITING: A Reason For Writing: Level B- Scripture-based handwriting practice? Yes, please!

READING: Ordinary Parents Guide To Teaching Reading- This has been on my shelf for a while, so I think I'll dust it off and see if will help build Bean's confidence.

MATH: Horizons K- Heard nothing but great reviews.  We'll give it a whirl.

SCIENCE: Basic animals.  Starting with the ones in this book.

ART: World's Greatest Artists Study- Erica from Confessions of a Homeschooler has provided yet another fantastic FREE printable curriculum!  So far my girls are loving it.

What my 2nd/3rd Grader is doing this year...

This year we decided to change it up a bit.  There were a few subjects that just weren't working last year and some that we just wanted to try something different for this year.  Here is what we came up with:

SPELLING: All About Spelling- This one is new this year, so we are starting at Level 1 to make sure we've got all the basics covered thoroughly.

HISTORY: Story of the World: Volume 1 Ancient Times- We started this last year and really liked it.  This year, we are doing it again, but definitely more thoroughly and with a bit more fun thrown in.  We're also using the Activity Guide (for the maps and coloring sheets as well as some good hands-on activities) and the testing booklet (for oral review).

HISTORY READING: The Classical House of Learning Literature- Laura Lund has taken all the work out of it for me!  She prepared EXACTLY what I was looking for.  Our literature selections will back up our history spine (SOW) and expand on those events.  One of the other benefits?  She's provided this awesome guide for FREE!

COMPUTER: Time 4 Learning- My kids love the fun and I love that they learn at the same time!

HANDWRITING: A Reason For Writing: Level B- Scripture-based handwriting practice? Yes, please!

MATH: Teaching Textbooks: Math 3- This was an area that needed improvement.  She actually giggled doing her lesson yesterday!  I think anytime an 8-year-old ASKS to do math, it's a winner!  (And the content is good, too.)

SCIENCE: This subject is still up in the air.  Any suggestions?

ART: World's Greatest Artists Study- Erica from Confessions of a Homeschooler has provided yet another fantastic FREE printable curriculum!  So far my girls are loving it.

First Day of School!

I'm going to kick off this blog with the first day of school!  After a crazy summer, we just started school yesterday.  I wanted to make sure that I had all of my plans finalized and curriculum ordered and school room rearranged and... you get the idea.  All the planning in the world and I never feel quite ready.  But, alas, I have to start sometime.

We kicked off the morning with a good breakfast and some snuggling on the couch.  It was raining and gloomy and it was so nice to be able to cuddle with my kiddos and listen to the rain.

After getting dressed (and redressed for the potty trainer), we headed down to the school room.  (I'll post pictures soon.)  They were so excited!  I'm happy I could give them some of the anticipation that accompanied my first day of public school each year.

This is my first year homeschooling 3 kiddos at the same time.  Wow.  We still have some "kinks" to work out, but I love that we all have a structure to our day.  And I love that we get to start it off praying and exploring God's word together.

Do you have any "First Day of School" traditions?