I keep telling myself I am not going to combine days anymore but the lack of sleep really catches up!
A DIY project that I am quite proud of is the Boredom Book I created for the Littles. I don't know if this idea is already floating around somewhere or not but I have not seen one or heard of one yet so this is a rare occasion in which I am claiming this as my own. The little poem on the cover is something that I thought up quickly so it isn't anything too special I just wanted it to be catchy.
The purpose behind me creating the Boredom Book is that Gage and X were constantly wanting to do more worksheets. I was going through ink and paper faster than we can afford to replace them so I printed off a couple of workbooks, inserted the pages in plastic sheet protectors and now let the Littles use wet erase overhead pens to complete the worksheets. When they are finished I clean the sheets off and put them back in the book. This currently just a temporary solution because Gage and X are flying through these worksheets and I am not even sure if they are retaining the information they are supposed to. The Boredom Book is equivalent to the busy bags I made a while back just for older kids. If the two older boys are getting to be to wild or out of hand I sit them down in a quiet place and have them work on the worksheets while I try to get things done with the other Littles. It definitely serves its purpose.
'A' week day 2.
As of day 2 of 'A' week Gage and X were pretty much able to complete the worksheets on their own. I still have to guide A and R but they are getting it. On day three both A and R were able to write a "Big A" all by themselves. After helping each of them trace only two they were then able to complete the rest of the tracing with very minimal help. I think some of the help was them not wanting to put forth too much effort in trying but they didn't get away with that!
When the boys are working on their sheets I have mine up on the overhead projector and I make them watch me do it first so that they can see how to write the letters. For 'A' as I write I tell them "Make a line down, then another line down, then over!" Then as they write theirs they all say the same thing I did. I think that helps them to remember how to do it.
Gage and X completing the worksheets by themselves.
Helping A write his.
When we have coloring worksheets to do K gets to join in the fun. I set him up with his own tub of crayons and let him go to town coloring like the bigger kids.
Before they start with the worksheet we go over what things start with the letter A and what sound the letter A makes. Since Gage and X like to think they are know it all's sometimes I have to make sure they give the younger boys a chance to answer first. Sometimes it works and sometimes they still feel like they have to blurt out the answer first. X always asks me if it's a race!
As a rule the boys all have to complete their sheets before we get to play again after a few minutes of groaning and complaining from the older boys they get over it and usually sit still. All four boys are in it for the rewards though I am sure of it. Once everyone is finished with their sheets they bring them up to me and then they get to pick a sticker from my vast sticker collection. After each boy chooses his sticker and puts it on his worksheet they leave there papers on the table and then are allowed to play what we have started calling Shadows. I let them play with the their shadows on the projector and it will literally entertain them for close to an hour. Who knew?
Our 'A' activity for day 2 was a scavenger hunt. I found all of the A's in the main room and wrote them down. The boys then had to find them. Gage and X were the only ones who participated in it the first time. Both boys were only able to find about half of the A's that I did but that is alright because some of them are very small. I only included the smaller ones so that I could see how perceptive they were.
Day 3
We did our A is for Airplane worksheet. Gage was able to write his A all by himself with no tracing guide or me helping him. I was so proud of him! After I showed X how to do it once he was able to write one as well.
A and R still needed me to help guide them a bit which was fine. After writing the A's everyone got to color their airplane.
Once we had finished with our first worksheet and shadow play we pulled out some books. In one of the books X found a sea shell and asked me what it was. I just so happen to have a bag of big decorative shells that I use for sensory bins. I pulled them out and they matched up exactly with the shells in the book. The boys took turns holding the shells up next to the pictures in the book and finding the matches.
After they matched them I held the shells up to their ears and told them to tell me what they heard. R told me he heard water! So I asked if they could hear the ocean. Each boy took his turn with each shell listening to how different in sounded in a big shell from a little shell.
We played with the shells for a good forty five minutes. I love their curiosity.
I decided on a fun lunch for the boys, one that they would all get to help me with. We dyed noodles and had spaghetti. They each got a bag with a color and went to town shaking them up. We had a few messes but that was to be expected.
They were very excited by the result of what they had done.
Our second worksheet of the day was our A monsters! Once they had colored them and I cut them out to put on the board we walked around making monster sounds for a bit. It got quite loud here that is for sure!
They boys' finished products. They definitely enjoy having their art displayed around the room!
Until next time!
