This week, we’ve been really busy with homeschooling! – (Among other things)
I thought I would try using a REAL lesson planner with Lala’s lessons. I know it’s only “preschool,” but I feel like I’ll be more accountable if I have my plans and ideas written out. PLUS, I love the idea of writing down FUTURE references or ideas as she gets older…things that may not apply now. And then, there’s also the idea of keeping track of things that appeals to me, being able to know when I did what and what I did when. So, I ordered The Homeschooler’s Journal. For only $8.95, it’s a great planner and record keeper and can be used for more than one child but was made specifically for homeschoolers with lots of room to write! It’s been great!
This week, we focused on the letter A and “apple.”
The printer was broken, so I couldn’t make a copy of the worksheet I had planned to. Instead, I just drew the letter “Aa” with a permanent marker and an apple. Lala practiced identifying the letter A and coloring and tracing it.
Then, we washed apples, practiced using a mandoline to slice the apples, laid them on a baking sheet and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. We baked them at 250 degrees F, turning them over ever 30 minutes for about 2 hours. Lala was able to do pretty much everything but put them in the oven. She helped eat them too! So yummy!
We borrowed a few books from the library as well…actually we borrowed several, but these 3 were our favorites. The common theme (if you haven’t already guessed ) was APPLES! The Apple Pip Princess, The Apple Doll, and Pepo and Lolo. We borrowed these from the library (and will be returning them this weekend), but the links work if you’d like to buy them.
In the apple doll, we read about a little girl who made a doll out of an apple, so we thought we’d have a go at it.
We peeled an apple and then carved a little nose out and made eyes and a mouth. We covered the head in lemon juice that had been mixed with 1 T salt and let set for 30 minutes.
This last picture is what the little apple looks like today after a couple of days of drying. In about a week, she should completely be dried! It’s fun to watch the process and Lala will have an apple she can keep!
We’ve been talking about apples and their colors (brown, green, yellow, red), shape (circle), and different things you can do with them. But, we’ve also been learning the difference between BIG and SMALL, and Lala has gotten pretty good at identifying big toys versus small toys.
Life skills that we’ve been working on: Picking up after herself. Baking. Using the Mandoline. Washing fruits. Rinsing dishes.
Next week will be extremely busy as I prepare for a large event, SO I’m hoping we can accomplish a decent amount. I’m really excited about starting the letter “B” and exploring new things with Lala.
Welcome back!
