Our New School Room

Our landlords, who are planning on moving back to the area and back into their home in September, have had some renovations done on the house in preparation for their return.  (We are in a “house sitting” arrangement while the homeowner’s are in Washington for a 2-year job.)  One of the things they did was finish a small unfinished porch/room into a sort of three seasons room.  It has now become our new school room for the spring summer!  This is where we spend time doing preschool and tot school:

(I’m really not sure what Caleb is doing here, but I hope it’s not what it looks like…)

New “Totally Tots” Blog

Tags

homeschooling, Parenting, preschool, toddler

Carisa, a homeschooling mom who hosts Tot School on her 1+1+1 blog, is teaming up with several other bloggers to launch a brand new blog, Totally Tots, for moms with toddlers.  The blog is designed for moms with toddlers (ages 12-47 months), who are choosing to keep their toddlers at home in possible preparation for homeschooling.  While specifically designed for those keeping their children at home, it is going to be a great resource for any mom with toddlers.

I took a look at the new blog this morning.  There are a couple of features that I am looking forward to reading the most:

• Bible Bites – teaching tots the Bible one step at a time
  Teaching a toddler about Jesus, the Bible, etc. can be challenging.  I look forward to getting some good ideas in this area.  I am trying to teach Caleb about the Lord, beyond the classic stories of the Bible and into the heart of what it really means to follow Jesus.  Sometimes (most of the time) I feel like I could be doing a better job!
• Did You Know? – health and nutrition tips for tots
  Caleb is the world’s pickiest eater!  If he could, he would live on bread alone.  I am really looking forward to getting some tips and ideas here…
• TOTally Working For Me – tips from real moms for real moms

Preschool Curriculum

Caleb is going to be three in March and that means he is going to be an official preschooler!  We won’t be sending him off to preschool, but I did discover a great curriculum that can be done at home. The website is www.abcjesuslovesme.com.  The best thing is that the whole curriculum is posted on-line for free!  The curriculum uses few resources that need to be purchased; most of the materials can be made at home or purchased at little expense.  There is also a sample routine that shows how learning can be fit into your day.

Although Caleb is only 2 1/2 right now, I am going to start implementing some of these things into our day.  My hope is that I can cover the 3-year old curriculum completely by the time he turns four.  So far I have spent a lot of time making the sandpaper letters/numbers and not much else…

My number one goal is to keep the TV off and read to him as much as he will let me.

I would love to hear any ideas you used to teach your preschool numbers, letters, colors, bible verses, etc…