June's Holidays and Celebrations

WOW there are a lot of holidays in June! I have trimmed the list down to the following holidays:

* Potty Training Awareness Month (too funny that we are potty training our little Boo)

June 1st

* Donut Day

June 3rd

* Egg Day

June 4th

* Aesop's Birthday

* Cheese Day

June 6th

* National Yo-Yo Day

June 12th

* The Baseball was Invented
In 1839.

* Magic Day

June 13th

* Weed Your Garden Day

June 14th

* Flag Day

* "Pop Goes the Weasel" Day

June 15th

* Fly A Kite Day

June 16th

* National Fudge Day

June 17th

* Eat Your Vegetables Day

June 18th

* International Picnic Day

June 19th

* Juneteenth

June 20th

* Ice Cream Soda Day

June 21st

* Father's Day

* First Day of Summer

June 23rd

* National Pink Day

June 24th

* U.F.O. Day

June 25th

* Eric Carle's Birthday

June 26th

* National Chocolate Pudding Day

* Toothbrush Invented in 1498.

June 29th

* Camera Day

Maybe you will be seeing some of these crazy holidays as blog posts in the upcoming month!

Last Minute Rush

So it's the last day of May... can you believe it? I had so many blog posts planned for this month that just didn't get accomplished. And rather than try and cram them in last minute, I am saying goodbye to them on my checklist and letting a new month bring me some new posting possibilities. I try and bite off more than I can chew and then I spread myself way to thin. So these are the posts that will get removed from my checklist (who knows- maybe one day in the future I will have the time to type them up... when I am not chasing a ball of fire around!!)

• transparency layers in the GIMP- google search it- you will find some great tutorials
• color quiet kit- i will probably be posting about this later on 'cuz I have collected most everything for this- however, I am finding that the less stimuli I have at church, the better she behaves (I HOPE this is normal!!)
• pink day- check out ABC and 123's post on pink day activities- we pretty much did what we have done on every other color day- wear the color and paint!
• I was going to do 2 more Montessori posts on science and culture... there are many great resources available, and perhaps this fall we will get on a more structured "school day" where I can implement these 2 subjects. I love reading about different ways to implement the Montessori method in teaching our tots and look forward to using her techniques more with my Boo.
  

Two post topics that I will be making some time for are ABC Learning and the Itty Bitty Curriculum (printed the pages tonight and we start tomorrow! I am excited about that!) Hope you all had a great last day of May!

Our BROWN Day

Brown day is here! My daughter knew the color brown first (thanks to Dr Seuss's character Mr. Brown- making appearances in Mr. Brown Can Moo and Hop on Pop) But as mentioned in an earlier post- I am ready to move on to something else (one more color day!!!) We are going to do the color pink tomorrow, and then there are 3 extra pages in her book we will most likely use for some color mixing lessons (when she's a bit older)

Brown Day ideas:

Wear Brown! My husband and I and little Boo are planning on participating in these color days by wearing the colors!

Work on color book- gluing pictures of brown things into pages of a blank book. I printed 10 pictures of brown things such as a piano, wallet (loves Daddy's), bear, etc. I am going to have my little one help me glue/place these items on 2 pages of a 20 page book. I had my daughter watercolor paint before we glued down the collage.

Books-
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle
Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You by Dr Seuss

Snack- chocolate! (that is mommy's brown day treat!) wheat bread, chocolate milk, beef, crackers

Worksheets- check out enchanted learning for some cute worksheets on the color brown

Other Brown ideas- check out Preschool Express or Step by Step for some cute books, crafts, and other ideas using the color brown

ABC and 123 Summer Prize Picnic Begins!!

Welcome to our first post centered around ABC & 123's Prize Picnic! This is going to be a weekly blogging event that will be full of prizes and learning ideas so definitely check out this site. I have been reading this blog for just a few months and fell in love with it immediately- I love the wide variety of learning activities- I used to teach second grade before making becoming a stay at home mommy and so I eat up anything educational!
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

me and my Boo eating our first picnic of the summer

Since today is the first week, we are introducing ourselves to fellow bloggers! My name is Keri and I am married to the most wonderful, supportive guy. We have one sweet little BUSY tot we call "Boo". She is a joy to be with and I love teaching her new things every day!
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR BLOG
I have been blogging about our adventures since March (our family blog just wasn't the right platform for all my learning techniques and tricks). Since I love to teach and I stay at home, The Home Teacher just seemed like a simple and easy to remember name for this blog!
My passion for good books started me into making my daughter "mommy made" baby books about a year ago. I make at least one a month for her (and find myself making them for friends and family for great personalized gifts as well). This is just something I love to do and I feel that I am able to teach her new concepts with her own personalized book. It also helps that she LOVES books!
My Six Favorite Posts (in no particular order):

1. GIMPing up your Blog (creating links in blog headers)
2. Learning about.... Circles (I like this so much I need to do the other shapes as well)
3. Montessori Color Tablets I spent a lot of time researching Montessori methods and learned a lot along the way!
4. Muffin Tin Monday (Dancing with the Stars theme)
   
5. Our Yellow Day (the first of many fun color days in our home!)
6. The Nutritional Needs of a Toddler
   

Check out ABC & 123's site for more information on the Summer Prize Picnic! Have a wonderful summer of fun! :) And may the learning never end!

Our WHITE Day

We are winding down on our color days. I will be honest- I am ready for a curriculum change! So these last poor colors are just not getting the prep that yellow, red, and blue received! We may not have done much, but I will post several ideas we haven't tried.

Here are some ideas for celebrating this day with your tot:

Wear White! My husband and I and little Boo are planning on participating in these color days by wearing the colors! (I wore blue today...OOPS :) )

Work on color book- gluing pictures of white things into pages of a blank book. I printed 10 pictures of white things like a microwave, polar bear, duck, etc. I am going to have my little one help me glue/place these items on 2 pages of a 20 page book. I had my daughter paint before we glued down the collage. I wasn't going to since the pages are already white- but painting is a good fine motor activity that she enjoys.

Snack- marshmallows, milk, white bread, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, coconut

Worksheets- check out enchanted learning for some cute worksheets on the color white

Other White ideas- check out this site for some cute books, crafts, object hunt, and other ideas (this is a must-see site if you plan on teaching colors- there is a page for each color with several wonderful ideas)

Our Black Day

It has been awhile since we worked on colors. It is AMAZING to me how much language development has taken place since the last time we had a color day (about a month ago). She picked up on the name of the color easily (although can't pronounce the "bl" blend) and got really excited whenever I pointed out things around the house that were black. She called her black painting "petty" (can't do the "pr" blend) and told me that she was going to paint her "bee-kee" (binky- she has a major addiction to that thing).

Wear Black! My husband and I and little Boo are planning on participating in these color days by wearing the colors!

Work on color book- gluing pictures of black things into pages of a blank book. I printed 10 pictures of black things such as a TV, black leopard, street, etc. I am going to have my little one help me glue/place these items on 2 pages of a 20 page book. I had my daughter paint before we glued down the collage.

Nursery Rhymes and Songs-

TWO LITTLE BLACK BIRDS
Two little black birds,
Sitting on a hill.	(Hold up two hands, fingers spread)
One named Jack,	(Flap fingers on one hand)
One named Jill.	(Flap fingers on other hand)
Fly away Jack.	(Flap fingers on first hand and bring behind back)
Fly away Jill.	(Flap fingers on other hand and bring behind back.)
Come back Jack.	(Jack flies back out,)
Come back Jill.	(Jill flies out)
Two little black birds,	(Hold hands out fingers spread)
Back on the hill.
Happy together.
Together still.

WE KNOW THE COLOR BLACK
Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”

We know the color black.
We know the color black.
Tires and crows and licorice, too.
We know the color black.
Elizabeth Scofield

BAA, BAA BLACK SHEEP

Baa, baa black sheep.
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.

One for the Master.
One for the Dane.
One for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
(check out this site for some activities with Baa Baa Black Sheep)

Snack- Black Olives, raisins

Worksheets- check out enchanted learning for some cute worksheets on the color black

Other Black ideas- check out this site for some cute books, crafts, and other ideas

May's Mommy Made Book- COLORS at the ZOO

I have been working with my little one on her colors recently and thought that I would incorporate her love of animals with reviewing this concept! We went to the ZOO not too long ago and I was hoping that I could use my own photographs for this book but it didn't work out as planned so THANK goodness for google! I was able to find animals for 10 colors and I am thrilled with how the book turned out!

Here is a blank pdf of Colors at the Zoo for you to download. Just print and add the name of an animal for each color. You can then add photographs or have your little one draw the illustrations!

Happy PENNY Day!!!

If you don't know it yet, I LOVE to celebrate holidays including the weird and mostly unknown ones! And if I can tie in some teaching for my little Boo, all the better! :) May 23 is National Penny Day. Here are some ideas that you can use to celebrate this "cent"sational day! (SO cheezy I just had to throw it in!)

1. make golden penny pancakes for breakfast (yummy!)
2. visit a candy store and indulge in your favorite penny candy
3. for your scientific child try some penny science experiments: how many drops of water fit on a penny, will it float or sink?, and magnetic pennies.
4. toss a penny in a wishing well or fountain while making a wish
5. count them
6. read books such as Henny Penny, Angelina's Lucky Penny, or my favorite- Penny: the Forgotten Coin.
   
7. see how many you can stack in a penny tower
8. learn some penny verses such as :
   Penny, penny,
   Easily spent.
   Copper brown
   and worth one cent
9. give someone a penny for their thoughts
10. take the pennies from your change jar, count them, roll them, and go do something fun with the money.
11. practice fine motor skills by putting pennies in various slots/ containers such as piggie banks, shoe boxes with cut out slits, and toilet paper rolls.
    
12. purposely place "heads up" pennies in various locations for strangers to find so that others can have good luck!
13. make a penny necklace
    
14. do crayon rubbings of both sides of the penny
15. talk about the importance and the historical significance of the penny
16. penny worksheets from homeschooling.about.com
    
    
17. put pennies in empty plastic easter eggs and shake 'em while you dance!
18. visit the HIP Pocket Change Website (History In your Pocket) Its a great resource from the US mint- with the history of the penny, to how coins are made, a scout corner with ideas to earn merit badges with coins, as well as some cartoons and games... A few of my favorite are the Coin Memory Game, an online wishing well, and a lot of different downloads of coins to print and color!

Another reason you should celebrate this holiday that I just learned while typing this post- This year is not only the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, but the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln cent that first appeared in 1909!!! So celebrate Penny Day and part of US history!

Happy Teaching and may the learning and FUN never end!!!


Many thanks to eHOW, Saving Advice.com, PBS Kids, LessonPlansPage.com, All Recipes.com, HIP Pocket Change and Science Museum.org for their great ideas.

Upcoming Posts....

Life has been different over at our house the past 2 weeks- with my neck injury (it is seriously the most embarrassing swing set accident of my life to date!) but I promise I have not left the teaching behind.
Here are the posts I hope to have up in a relatively soon....

• Penny Day (this upcoming Saturday)
• Colors Quiet Kit
• Colors at the Zoo Mommy Made Book
• Black Day, White Day, Pink Day, Brown Day
• Starting the ABC journey with my tot
• New Toddler Curriculum Begins in June: Itty Bitty Bookworm
• GIMPing Up Your Blog- adding transparency
  
• Thursday Picnics with ABC and 123
  
• and anything else I can think of!
  

GIMPing Up Your Blog with Animated Signatures

For those that know me at all, I LOVE working with technology. And I love the Gimp- if you don't know what that is check out my first post on Gimping Up Your Blog. I thought I would show you how to create your very own animated signature!

1. Open up a new file in the GIMP by going to FILE, NEW, IMAGE. A Box will appear- select TRANSPARENCY and then click on OK.
   
2. Using the paint brush tool, make the first line in your name. (I am breaking up the "K" into 3 sections)
3. An animated gif is basically a format that plays through all the layers of your image file. So we are going to be creating a NEW LAYER for every single line! It's not difficult.... Go to LAYER, NEW LAYER, a box will come up- make sure that TRANSPARENCY is again selected and click on OK.
4. Then go ahead and make the next line in your name. Once you are done with that line, make sure you add a NEW LAYER.
5. Once your image is created (don't worry about saving yet) you might notice that you didn't use all of the canvas in your signature. Thats OK- we can chop it down to the correct size by simply using the square tool to SELECT your entire signature and then go to IMAGE, CROP TO SELECTION.
6. To view your animation, go to FILTERS, ANIMATION, PLAYBACK. A small screen will appear with a PLAY button- click on play to view your animated signature!
7. Now we SAVE... this is a very important step because it will determine the outlook of your image. Click on FILE, SAVE AS, and then type in a name for your image FOLLOWED by .gif -it needs to be a GIF file!!! Then click on SAVE...An "Export File" screen will come come up- click on SAVE AS ANIMATION and then EXPORT. One more box will come up with some GIF options- here you will have the opportunity to select LOOP FOREVER- this means that your animation will play , well, forever! Unselecting this will just play your animation once. A downside to this is if your animation is at the end of a post, viewers might not see it (by the time they scroll down, it will be done playing.
   First example-LOOP FOREVER
   Second example- one time animation (you might need to refresh the page to view)
8. In order for your file to PLAY if you are using BLOGGER- upload your file to your photobucket account and then adding your image using the DIRECT LINK (in the picture menu you'll be adding an image from the web). Other blogging formats such as wordpress will play the animated GIF directly- just upload it and insert into your post!
   

I hope that you have fun with this latest installment of GIMPING up your Blog!!
Happy Teaching and may the Learning never end!!! :)

Tot Sites on WIKI

I have been working a bit on our WIKI (online collaborate websites). This has been a great space for me to upload my pdfs as well as create learning pages for my toddler. The latest and greatest new page on our WIKI is called Tot Sites. This was inspired by wanting ALL the sites my toddler visits in one easy to use location (not having to mess with bookmarks, remembering URLs, the ability to link images for sight recognition (she can't read YET!!), as well as the ability to easily update/delete sites. And the marvelous thing about this WIKI- you can go in and delete everything and with the click of a button I can put it all right back on the page. So there is no possible way that it could be ruined. And bonus for the WIKI- if YOU (yes, I am talking to YOU) had a wonderful site you wanted to add, you could! Very easily- I am about to take you through some pretty simple steps!

1. go to the WIKI and click on TOT SITES
2. click on EDIT THIS PAGE
3. upload your image by clicking on the picture icon OR type the title of the site (Sesame Street, Starfall, etc.)
4. add your link by copying and pasting the URL (web address) using the chain link icon
5. SAVE your changes!

Feel free to use this site as a resource for your toddler! And I have to give some props to Totally Tots for their great site ideas. The web has so many toddler websites- it makes sense to put 'em all in one location!

Happy Teaching and welcome to the wonderful world of WIKIs!

Happy CHOCOLATE CHIP day!!!

Yesterday was the yummy holiday in which we celebrate the delicious chocolate chip. And the teacher in me got to thinking... there is a lot of educational things that you could do to celebrate!

Learning with Chocolate Chips:

1. count them
2. buy the colored chocolate chips and sort them by color
3. blind fold child and have them guess the flavor (peanut butter, white chocolate,etc.)
4. make patterns with different kinds of chips
5. read about the history of the chocolate chip
6. bake with them- in pancakes, muffins, breads, and cookies of course!
7. read story Chocolate Chip Ghost
8. with adult supervision, show how chocolate chips turn from a solid to a liquid
9. try and balance a chocolate chip on a spoon while walking/running (think of the egg in a spoon relays)
10. for a life skill lesson, talk about how each chocolate chip in a cookie is like a talent/gift that your child has and how it all adds up to one special kiddo!
11. pretend that a chocolate chip cookie is a rock and excavate the minerals (chocolate chips) using tools like a toothpick. (point out the minerals that are visible in rocks as a geology lesson as well)
12. put them in empty plastic easter eggs and shake 'em while you dance! this is the activity we tried with our boo and she ended up opening the container and eating them! :)

So I know its a day late- Chocolate Chip day has past.... but use these ideas next year or turn a boring Saturday afternoon into your own Chocolate Chip day!

GIMPing Up Your Blog

There are many ways to photo edit customized headers and images for your blog. Photo Shop, Photo Suite, Photo Explosion... heck even Paint will work! (although not my recommendation) But there is a fabulous and FREE software available!! It is known as the GIMP.

Why I Gimp:

1. Gimp is available for Windows and Macs alike
2. You can save your images as jpg, gif, png, and many more formats
3. It has the capability to create animated gifs
4. There are tons of online tutorials available
5. Did I mention the Gimp is free?

I was recently asked by K over at Orange Juice about how I made my header links. And so I thought I would love to show all you techy moms out there a great feature of the Gimp!

1. Upload your header image to a photo storage site (photobucket seems to be the most popular). Keep the tab open so we can grab your URL for the image later on.
2. Download the Gimp! If you are a windows user, download here. If you are a mac user, download here. I will be honest and tell you that it has been awhile since I have downloaded it, I hope it is self explanatory enough! If you are having troubles with the download, google installing Gimp and several beneficial websites will come up.
3. Once you have Gimp installed and ready to go, open it up. It should be pretty similar to the screenshots below (although Windows and Mac are a bit different, and there have been recent updates since my last download)
4. Go ahead and open up the same header image file that you uploaded to photobucket. (you CAN use the gimp to create a header file, but for time's sake let's use one that is already created)
5. On the top of the screen, go to FILTER, WEB, IMAGE MAP. This will bring up a new screen.
6. Use the square, circle, or polygon tools to define where on the image that you want your link. (you are basically hyperlinking your image). Once you have a region selected, a pop up menu will ask what URL (or link) you want the selection to follow. I just copy and paste these URLs from my browser so I know there isn't any spelling errors.
7. Once you are finished defining your areas, double check on the right hand side that all your links are showing.You can delete unwanted links by selecting the link and clicking on the minus sign that is directly left of the selection list.
8. Go to VIEW, SOURCE. You will see several lines of code. We will be copying this directly and pasting it in your blog as html. Of course, since this is the header, make sure your widget is located at the top of your site.
9. One more step- we have to change the image location on what you just pasted.... instead of "banner3.jpg" (or whatever the name of your pic is), you need to add the URL for the image from photobucket (it will be something like this "http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq119/jsmith/header.jpg")
10. Try it out! If it works, HOORAY for you! If not, well.... I am no expert. Search for more tutorials 'cuz there are plenty out there. And the most important thing about GIMPing- and anything really- the best way to learn is to dive in with both eyes open. Good luck, and please let me know if you have more questions or if it worked for you!!!

Good Luck!! Happy GIMPing!

Swingset Accident (or why you shouldn't let go of the chains in mid air)

There is nothing like swinging high in the sky on a clear, summer evening with the wind playing in your hair. It is one of those experiences that bring back care free childhood memories.

Of course the swinging experience isn't the same without jumping off. This proved to be a HUGE mistake for me last night.

Are you familiar with the poem The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson? Let me refresh your memory:

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

As I geared up to jump off, my pants stuck a little bit to the swing and it made me too nervous to jump. So I thought I would just stand up when the swing went back. But the swing was too fast, and with my arms not holding on to the chain, I fell off the swing and face planted into "the garden green". Except it was a bed of pinecones and dirt.

Needless to say, my face has several gashes and I have a fat lip.
And pretty severe neck pain.

Thankfully I was with my family who were able to console me and get me to the nearest urgent care facility and at the same time whisk away my baby and make sure she was alright.

Prognosis? The muscle tension should be healed by the end of the week.
Until then, I will be taking it easy.
And NOT trying to jump off the swing.

Itty Bitty Bookworm Winner, Our Site Wiki, and a New Look

Itty Bitty Curriculum = Large, Gigantic Squeals

OK, so I am so excited to say that I won the Itty Bitty Bookworm curriculum give away over at ABC and 123!!! :) I was totally not expecting to win since I knew that many, many people had entered. The teacher in me is just so giddy to get all the lesson materials ready and create a portfolio of accomplished work. This will also be such a HUGE relief as far as planning my own curriculum... my hubby and I are completing paperwork for our second adoption and any time saver will help. I will keep you updated on how these activities are working for my little Boo. :) All I can say is YAY!! And did I mention that I am SO SO excited??

Home Teacher Wiki

The purpose of this wiki is to be a digital filing cabinet for all pdfs and documents used on this blog. (with the benefit that YOU can add stuff, too!)

What is a wiki (some of you may be asking?) A wiki is software that allows us to create, view, and edit information easily on the internet and these pages are often associated with collaborative learning. I used wikis as a second grade teacher and grew to appreciate this easy to use technology.
While working with wikis, I learned about their capability to upload PDFs (a feature missing on blogger). So if you have ever wondered how I upload my PDFs to this blog, it is through our wiki. I will warn you now.. it isn't pretty. It is in the VERY basic stages of creation. But it is up and hosting all the pdfs that are available on thehometeacher.blogspot.com.
The wonderful thing about a wiki is the capability of several people to add and edit information. It is like a shared filing cabinet that can continually gain new files. So feel free to add links, images, new categories, whatever! And don't worry if you delete the WHOLE entire page 'cuz wikis are magic and you can undo any accidental (or purposeful, for that matter) changes. I may be posting more about wikis if there is an interest....

Our Blog looks Different!

Well, you probably can see that the Home Teacher has had a makeover! I figured our blog needed a little spring cleaning to get things better organized and freshen the site. I love the stars... check out the Sweet Shoppe Designs for more adorable blog themes and digital scrapbook pages/accessories!

Thanks for the love!

Thanks for the blog award K! These thoughtful recognitions mean so much to me- I am so glad that other "home teachers" find my blog useful 'cuz I always feel like I am the one that is learning through reading and searching the blogosphere!
You need to check out K's new blog Orange Juice- she is a fabulous writer (her blog posts are an easy read) with great ideas and words of wisdom for us all!




And thank you, thank you to The Adventures of Bear for the “Premio Dardos” award for "bloggers who distinguish themselves for showing cultural values, ethics, great and fun writing skills, as well as individual values, through their creative writing."

Gee, thanks! I love reading this blog as well- so many cute ideas with the alphabet, fine motor skill activities, and an I SPY board that I need to make.
And I am supposed to pass this award on to 15 bloggers... Little Boo is waking up from her nap- so if I forget to let you know on your blog that you have an award here then its a SUPRISE!

1. The Fifth Street Palace
2. Homeschool Creations
3. ABC and 123
4. The Crafty Crow
5. No time for flash cards
6. THE BOOKWORM'S BOOKLIST
7. Chasing Cheerios
8. Preschool Playbook
9. The Artful Parent: The Intersection of Art and Parenting
10. Taking a break
11. Orange Juice
12. The Wonder Years
13. handmade beginnings
14. Making of a Montessori Mum
15. Literacy Launchpad

• 
  

Happy Adoption Day!

Adoption is such a miraculous process to be a part of. Finishing all the initial paperwork is a miracle in itself! And when we first met our daughter's birthmom, my husband and I thought it was a miracle that anyone would choose US to be parents! What a blessing- and very humbling experience. Then when we met our Boo for the first time, we thought it was a miracle that anyone could be so beautiful. She was so tiny and delicate as a newborn! And now, as we celebrate the anniversary of her adoption day, that having our daughter in our family is the biggest miracle of all. So HOORAY for our adoption day!!
These are some of the things that we did to celebrate this special event:

• we bought our daughter a new car (you might say that she is too young to drive, but she does pretty well in her little tikes cozy coupe!)
• family dinner at the Olive Garden. This is the restaurant that we went to after we got the phone call that our daughter was born, and we went back there on her birthday, .. so that place has meaning and an added perk is their yummy salad!
• we did get some games- Candyland and a Ducky Shape Pond- since this is a celebration of coming together as a family, I thought that a good tradition would be to get a new family game every year that we can enjoy together.
• we are putting together a little gift for our birthmom- just something homemade and from the heart to let her know how much she means to us!
  
• we spent some time together at the park swinging high and going down a big twisty slide.
• I did make her a special adoption day video. The lyrics to the song Something Perfect are exactly how I felt about her adoption.
  

So Happy Adoption Day little Boo! Your mommy and daddy love you tons!

CIRCLES~ Monday's Muffin Tin Munchies

We are learning about CIRCLES this week in our home so of course I had to center my Muffin Tin meal around this wonderful shape!

banana slices, cheerios, yogurt bits, blueberries,
and a big rice cake in the middle

Learning About....CIRCLES

I am SO excited to teach my brainy little Boo about shapes this month! I have compiled a huge list of resources here that you can download (click on the round sun):
In addition to this fabulous list generated from hours of Google searching, I will be using my Complete Resource Book for Toddlers and Twos to supplement my lesson plans. This is a wonderful book with lots of ideas from a variety of learning styles. Some suggestions from this book include:

Literature:

• I See Circles by Mike Artell
• So Many Circles, So Many Squares by Tana Hoban
• What is Round? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Language Enrichment:

• show how a round object can roll
• use the word circle in a sentence
• flannel board story about a round cookie (included in the book)
• teach the child the ASL sign for the word circle

Physical Development:

• play ring around the rosies

Cognitive Development:

• cut sponges into circles and make sponge prints on a piece of paper. Ask the child if the circular designs look like anything.
• have children put scrunchies and an empty paper towel tube while you discuss the circular shape of the scrunchies.
• make a paper chain by gluing paper strips into circles
• play with buttons and discuss their shape
• cut out 4 different sizes of circles and have the child put them in order from largest to smallest

With so many fun activities centered just around CIRCLES, I am glad that I have planned a week on this shape. I will post throughout the upcoming week about some of our activities! And if my daughter picks it up day one- well, we will still have a lot of fun exploring with circles!