teaching a mover and shaker

For those who know Josiah, either in person or via this blog, it will come as no surprise to hear me say that he is a little boy who loves to move.  We started our kindergarten year with a curriculum I had pieced together by borrowing from friends and family.  Our days had a nice rhythm and routine, and we eased into "real school." 

 

Shortly after the beginning of school, a friend mentioned the name of a curriculum I had never heard of before.  I love looking at curriculum and seeing what's out there, so I sent for a catalog, thinking it would eventually end up in a drawer just like all the rest.

 

Well, I was wrong.  I looked at it, looked again, scoured the internet for reviews, looked up the website, and read the message board.  And then, when my little boy repeatedly fell out of his seat during fine motor activities and squirmed his way through a stack of stories that were above his comprehension level, I talked to Eric and we prayed.  Finally, the week after Christmas break, we switched.

 

What a switch.

 

We are in week 3 of Little Hearts for His Glory by Heart of Dakota.  I love that we have not lost anything at all by beginning mid-year.  The guide is for 5-7 year olds, and we can pick it up right where we left off when we start school next fall.  (Assuming we do put it down for the summer!)  We have Bible, dramatic play, artistic expression, science, and history planned out with an open and go, use-whatever-you-have-around-the-house format.  Story time is still a favorite, but readings are short enough to be savored and discussed, even acted out if we want.  I can add in my own phonics, handwriting, and math so we have lost nothing there.  But we have gained a child who is engaged in his learning.

 

 

After the lesson on Noah, we made a couple of boats out of aluminum foil.  The first one sank after adding two teddies, the second was a keeper!  How many teddy bears can float on it?  A lot!!!

 

 

Making the boat move without touching it...how's this for wind?

 

Say the memory verse before the Kleenex touches the ground!  Rachel looking on...she keeps asking me about what fun things she will be doing next year as we plan to switch her eventually, too.

 

For the lesson on the Tower of Babel, we had to pack a suitcase to leave.  I showed Josiah how to fold his clothes and put them in his suitcase.

 

Socks are tricky!

 

The best part?  He was talking complete gibberish because our language was confused!  The first thing he did was ask me a question in Spanish, but from there it turned into something I truly could not understand.  We loaded up the camel...then I left Josiah alone to play it out while I worked with another child.  He ended up somewhere in Japan, used his credit card, and stayed on the sixth floor of the motel. =D

 

Seatwork is exactly the same but somehow Josiah is finding that part more tolerable.  We are still adding in extra science because that's his thing.  But last week when I said something about school going great, he corrected me.

 

"No, Mom.  It's awesome!"