This was a productive week, MashaALLAH. My son is doing well with his reading lessons so I decided to add a tiny intro to phonics. He has learned the sounds of some of the letters of the alphabet (I try to do a little bit and then get them reading whole words as soon as possible).
These are the words that he has learned so far.
Each day, I rewrite them and then cross them off as he reads them. He struggles with the letters “F” and “C” so we will have to focus on those until he knows them without hesitation, InshaALLAH.
I started an alphabet binder for him back in August with coloring pages for each letter.
Since his progress is steady and faster than I anticipated, I added a file folder for each letter by using lapbook pages from Homeschool Share and Preschool Express.
The folders have been three hole punched with the ends cut off (instructions and tips found here).
I might use the discarded portions later when he practices writing his name, InshaALLAH.
Now we can easily add them to the binder and it gives us something exciting (I hope) and different to do with each letter.
Overall, he really liked making the Letter F Painting the best. We placed masking tape on the paper in the form of the letter and then colored over it. We then removed the tape and voila!
Meanwhile, my daughter has been bugging me to finish her scarf but she doesn’t have enough control over the knitting needles just yet. I had to think fast (okay, not that fast, we started that scarf a long time ago) and AlhamduLILLAH I found a tutorial on www.YouTube.com on weaving with a cardboard loom.
It was a success, MashaALLAH and she really adored the project.
She finished it in a couple of hours and made a nice little rug for her little dollhouse cottage.
I will have to take a picture of it in the dollhouse one of these days,maybe.
It’s time to start thinking of where the mittens, scarves, boots and hats are over here in Canada. Most of the time we can’t find them or the mates that were on the floor all summer long are nowhere to be seen. This knitting pattern is called Nyah Leggins by Isela Phelps.
We have a television in our home but we don’t have cable. This pretty much means that the children don’t watch t.v. because of the poor reception, and believe me, it is poor reception – like almost total static except for the public television station and about three more. This is good because we can monitor what they do watch and there are no commercials to worry about and no, “Can we get this? Can we get that?”
Still, I like to give them a little variety now and then, so my husband went to the library and picked up a few read along books.
It started off sort of shaky because my two year old thought they were movies and she got really angry because there was only a voice and nothing to watch, lol. After she settled down things went well until my four year old wanted to be the one in charge of turning the pages. Big sis (five) thought she should be in charge because she is the only one who can read. Little brother promptly told her that he can read too (cat, sat, mat, at, etc, lol). Then, the fighting started. Overall, it was a good experience and I now know what rules to establish before we try it again.
In other news, my daughter is doing well with her multiplication and division and today I asked her to fill in as much of the multiplication table as she could (without the answer sheet) so that I could see which numbers need special attention.
It looks like it will be the 4s, 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s. Not bad and pretty much what I expected, MashaALLAH.
It seems like so much time has passed since Eid. I forgot to show you some of the birds that we saw during the bird show last week. There were hawks (which are surprisingly loud), a barn owl, and an American Eagle.
Not sure if I got a picture of the hawk….We got back into our routine but everyone was still distracted.
My husband and I humored the children a bit and took them to their favorite playground.
They would spend the whole day there if they could!
My oldest is now starting multiplication and MashaALLAH she’s doing well. InshaALLAH in the coming weeks I will have her complete copywork pages for it so that she can memorize the multiplication table.
I found a chart for multiplication at Montessori Materials. There is a control chart as well as a blank chart for her to fill in. She can use a dry erase marker and then compare her answers when she is finished. I think that I will have her complete this and then next week start timing her, InshaALLAH.
The younger two are learning shapes and colors so we used the math bears for counting and sorting and the geoboards to stretch their minds a bit, lol (I’m terrible at jokes).
Oh, and I managed to finally finish an Eid gift (from last year, SubhanALLAH) for my son.
I just kept procrastinating and the pregnancy was tough and so on. I finished the back piece (the easy part, lol) in between other projects over six months or so and the rest I did in the past eight days!
AlhamduLILLAH he likes it and it still fits.
It’s the Child’s Aran Pullover from Caron International. It’s still a bit big because it’s a size six. Now, the oldest wants one “tomorrow” lol.
InshaALLAH you all had a safe and happy Eid and were able to spend it with those whom ALLAH has given to you to love and cherish. Remember those with hardship in your du’a, and want for them what you want for yourselves.