O week: Thursday

I haven't been posting daily lately. We've been pretty much doing what was planned. And we haven't skipped a day in the past few weeks! I had a good friend ask for input on setting up her own preschool like this with a friend and it was so fun to sit down and write out my ideas. My inner teacher was so happy to have a moment to shine. I really love being a teacher, especially sharing the teaching and learning process with Connor.

Today I set up an obstacle course for Connor to do for our letter O movement activity.

Here's what he had to do:

play the xylophone










then go under the bar on the upside-down coffee table










clap three times (the picture took after he finished clapping)










run around the ottoman










jump three times on the pillows










wheel the stroller over to the chair










then sit on the chair to finish










Connor was so into this idea of obstacle courses and continued to think of ways to add to what I'd set up to make it even more fun. Fun times!

O week: plans

Here are the plans for O week:

word cards: octopus, ostrich, octagon, olive, opposite
poem:

Octopus

The arms on the octopus number eight:
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!

All curled up, then pointing straight,
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!

In the ocean, octopuses wait,
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,

For clams and crabs to put on their plate!
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!

Monday (social studies): occupation. What is an occupation? What are some different occupations and what do those people do? Fireman, Policeman, Mail Carrier, Art Director, Lawyer, Doctor, etc.

Tuesday (math): shapes, including octagon.

Wednesday (scriptures/Gospel): Opposition in all things. I know, this is a grown-up concept. But it's really just opposites. We'll talk about how there's being nice and there's being mean. Which is better? Which is what Heavenly Father wants us to do?

Thursday (movement/music): obstacle course. We'll build and challenge each other to obstacle courses.

Friday (art project): Octahedron. I found a template to make an octahedron. Not that I think it's important for Connor to learn this three-dimensional shape, but I think it would be fun to make a cool new shape. We'll color each side a different color and then put it together.

Other O words that might come up or spark ideas for activities: on/off, over, opposites. (I also have an opposites coloring book (from enchanted learning also) that we'll work on coloring throughout the week.

A few books:
Oscar Otter by Nathaniel Benchley
I Have an Olive Tree by Eve Bunting
Emily and the Ostriches by Dan Bernstein
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall
An Octopus Followed Me Home by Dan Yaccarino
Paul Bunyan and His Blue Ox by Patsy Jensen