Tot School For an Almost 2 Year Old

I know what you're thinking - '2 is too little to be thinking about school!' and you would be correct! The toddler years are for exploring, vocabulary building, fun. So while this is true, it doesn't mean you can't have some fun, focused play time where you focus on vocabulary building, motor and practical skills. As many of you know, I am pregnant right now, and will give birth right before school starts, so let me reassure you, we will be doing simple easy-to-do activities and crafts. There may also be days (or weeks) where I simply am overwhelmed with what I need to do that I simply bring out chunky puzzles, finger paint, or building blocks. Those things, while maybe not in 'theme' will still help instill the motor skills she needs to succeed!

Just like I did for Little Man, when he started preschool, I started out by jotting down some goals for Baby Girl.

• fine and gross motor skill building
• ability to sort by like colors
• increased vocabulary
• learn skills for independence (learning to dress herself, get things for herself, etc. )

These are simple skills that can be applied to almost any theme, and that's where the fun begins! Here are my themes for the year. I am doing 2 weeks per theme, so that if something comes up, shes just not feeling the activity, or anything else that might happen, we can still have extra days for that theme. 

September

Farm Animals

Colors

October

Zoo

Pumpkins

November

Fall (leaves, harvest, Thanksgiving)

December

Christmas

January

Body Parts and Getting Dressed

Fairy tales and dress up

February

Hearts/Love

Grocery Store

March

Rainbows

Weather

April

Bugs

Gardening

May:

Ocean and beach 

Next Week I'll be sharing activities to go with each theme, and supplies that I always keep at the house, as well as things I plan to add to this year!

If you are planning out your own tot school for your toddler, remember that each kid is different and go at their own pace. I try to keep the goals as simple as possible. Learning her colors and shapes will hopefully be a result as we do these activities, but I don't want to feel defeated if she doesn't have them all down. There's plenty of time in preschool for that, or even tot school 2.0! Next year I plan to do another year of tot school, but perhaps with some more advanced goals in mind. Do you have a toddler you would like to do some 'school' with? You can follow me on Pinterest, where I'll be adding activities throughout the year!

First Grade Curriculum Overview 2020

Now that you know what worked last year, and how I want to change things this year, you may be interested to know just what I chose for this year and why! I am here to share all of Little Man's subjects with you. There are a couple I am still finalizing, but if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, I'll be sharing any updates there. Now for the run down of subjects for Little Man:

Bible:
For Bible I am using what my mom did with me when I was little, and recently shared it with me. It's old and I can't find a link to it, sorry. It is more of a 'Bible Curriculum' in that it has a Bible story, and then questions. Since my curriculum this year is more 'traditional', I want to make sure that Little Man is still getting opportunities to share what he learned during a reading, to make sure he is retaining information.

Read Alouds:
Last year we did The Playful Pioneers and loved it! Our favorite part was the rich literature we were able to read aloud together as a family (and for the past 6 weeks, even my husband got to join in!). This year isn't looking exactly the same, but I still want fun books that I can read aloud as I nurse my newborn. As you'll see in History, we will be going over American History. For read alouds I'll read some that we read as extras for The Playful Pioneers, as well as some that I've collected over the course of this past year. I am linking some of them here:




History:
My tired of school, 5th grade self said my kids would never do Abeka, but here I am using it for my 1st grader! Technically it's just a history and geography workbook, and I will be doing my very best to make it as fun as possible. I'm hoping that with the amazing read alouds we will be doing, it will make the 'boring' history facts come alive to Little Man. My mom had given me this workbook we had used, and I just can never say no to free! 

We will also be using the Culture Club at our homeschool group as geography as well. I am also adding this fun activity book to go with our United States learning. Some things are a bit above his reading level, so we will just pick and choose what to do this year.

Science: This is one I haven't quite nailed down yet. I know I will be using the Usborne Body Book (see review here) as a health and body science book. Little Man also likes Magic School Bus books, and we might use those as a jumping off point for different topics. I also want to use these beautiful Anatomy books to explore nature. There are some great, free nature study resources on Pinterest that I plan to use to journal what we are exploring outside. Oh, and the Ocean Anatomy book is on my current wish list!




Phonics :
We will continue to use what I did last year. Explode the Code, Phonics games and readers, and the vintage phonics program my mom gave me. His reading has come a long way this past year, and I am excited about how much it will grow this next year! I have some general goals with his reading, but I really want him to be able to go at his own pace.

Handwriting: I will continue with A Reason For Handwriting (review here). I will be doing Book A with Little Man, and follow their recommendation for transitioning him to cursive for 2nd grade.


Math:
Here is the biggest change, I think! I am switching from Saxon to Math U See. After seeing siblings go through this curriculum, and after research, I think this will fit my son and our family a little better. I am starting with Alpha, although I think we will be speeding through the first part of the curriculum. Having a dvd teacher, and simple worksheets to work through, will make things a little easier, as we transition to having a newborn again.

I want to add that things like art, critical thinking skills, and practical skills will be a part of our year too! I like to add art projects to our science, and I will continue to include our Timberdoodle games for thinking skills.

That is it! I am hoping as the year progresses, I can update you on my opinions on each subject, what readers my son enjoys, and how the transition really is working. If you have any questions on any of this, leave a comment below, or ask me on Instagram or Facebook!
Note: All Amazon links are affiliated

Saying Goodbye to my Ideal Homeschool Year

After the stress and heartache of infertility and loss between Little Man and Baby Girl, my husband and I were DONE with having kids. God must have chuckled a little at how set I was, and 4 days after Baby Girl turned 1, I got a positive pregnancy test! Thinking about how hectic life will be with a first grader and 2 under 2, I really wanted to simplify school for this next year (you can read how I am simplifying life, here). Please don't take this as I am simplifying, or lessening his education, rather, I am waving the white flag of surrender to the ideal homeschool year I thought I wanted.

What does that mean exactly?

It means no fancy curriculum with elaborate activities.

It means finding more curriculum that can be done independently.

It means saying goodbye to activity filled, book studies.

It means there may not be trendy, Pinterest worthy bookshelves and bulletin boards. No perfect baskets organized by what we are studying that day, having planned it all in advance (and let's be honest, for me that wasn't happening anyway!)

What it doesn't mean:

It doesn't mean boring textbooks.

It doesn't mean long study hours or even slapped together lessons.

It doesn't mean we won't have a fun filled, nature rich, amazing year!

One of the beauties of homeschool, is the ability to tailor curriculum to fit your child and your year. This is what homeschool will look like for us this year. Next year might be different, but it will for sure be exactly what we need for that year. Please don't beat yourself up, or give up, if you've found that the perfect homeschool year you saw on someone's Instagram feed isn't happening for you. Know that they have their not so perfect days, and maybe even not so perfect years!

What has worked this year...and what hasn't

No one likes to admit defeat, but sometimes you have to acknowledge that things don't work, to be able to go forward. Today I'll be sharing what I have loved about this year's curriculum, and what isn't working. Next week I'll share what I am planning to change for next year!

What's working:
The Playful Pioneers: Here you can find my previous post all about this wonderful curriculum. Although I am changing things up, it DID work for this year. I loved it so much, that when it's time for Baby Girl, and Baby #3 to start school, I will be reusing it!

A Reason For Handwriting: You can click here for a more in depth review. Little Man's handwriting has come a long way from the beginning of the year, and it's mostly thanks to this curriculum. Even though we only do it once or twice a week, it has really helped Little Man. He loves the coloring sheet that comes with it, and it is probably his favorite subject of the day.

Explode the Code: It took a while for it to grow on me, but Little Man's reading has really developed using this curriculum. I still think there are a few changes I would make, and it isn't Little Man's favorite thing, but it has worked in terms of his reading level.


What isn't working:


Basically it's just one thing-Math I hate to admit defeat but here it is:

Saxon Math 1: I think I started on the wrong foot when we chose to do Math1 instead of the primer. It had worked well for my siblings, but Little Man was a bit younger than they were, since his birthday is in September. The teacher book is pretty intense with the amount that the parent is involved, and there is normally activities, drills, AND a worksheet. I have broken these up to help him not get frustrated or tired out, but it's made for slow going through the curriculum. We will finish maybe half of the course work by May. Little Man has been successful in understanding the concepts, but I just don't feel like this is the right fit for his personality, or how our life is right now (young toddler, and about to add a newborn). Stay tuned to see what I've chosen for next year!

I want to add that just because something works or doesn't work for me and one of my children, doesn't mean it will be the same for you! I just want to share my experience with you, to hopefully help you with your own curriculum choices. For my mom, and many others, Saxon 1-3 was the perfect choice, but for me I just don't feel like it's been as successful as it should be.

Gobblet Gobblers: A Strategy Game from Timberdoodle

 Gobblet Gobblers is an adorable, strategy game from the company Blue Orange. The game is designed for ages 5+. It takes tic-tac-toe to a whole new level! My son giggled at the funny faces the game pieces made, and was quick to figure out how to gobble up his opponents.  My husband also enjoyed this game. He teaches UIL chess (he is a middle school teacher), and he loves strategy games.

Little Man was excited to set up the colorful game pieces, and picked his favorite color for his team-blue. He wasn't as observant the first couple of times he played, but he quickly learned to watch what moves his daddy was making too!

The maneuvers of the game can take a few tries to perfect, but even my 5 year old learned how to set a big piece out, so he could gobble others' pieces (honestly, his favorite part!). He also learned how to move the pieces on the board. I really love how this game teaches kids to think ahead, and observe their opponent.

The one con: My husband stated that the game pieces were a bit tricky to get exactly back in the box. He felt a better alternative would be a little drawstring bag or something similar. That is the only downside, and I highly recommend this product!

On a different day, my son asked me if I would sit down and play with him. To me, that's the true test of a great game. One that gets asked to be played with over and over again are always the best ones! Momma isn't quite as strategic as Daddy, so maybe that's why he asked for me! ha!

To find out more information on this game, click this link. While I received this free in exchange for my review, my opinion is 100% mine. This is a perfect game to complete a thinking skills curriculum, or to just have around the house. I love games that feel challenging and fun for both little ones and parents alike!


I have also added in my Amazon Affiliated list, other games we love that can be played with the whole family!

Let's Play Animal Bingo: A Game from Timberdoodle

Let's Play Animal Bingo, is a game from Banana Panda, geared towards toddlers. As your child goes from toddler to preschool age, you can transition to playing the game different ways, as suggested on the back of the box. My little girl is 16 months, and needed the simplest set up to be able to figure it out. She was able to put the pieces on the boards, and more often than not, correctly!  I was given this product in exchange for my review, but I am sharing my honest opinion.

 There are 6 large cards with 4 animals printed on each (and 4 tokens to go with each card). Each card has bright colors and large enough pieces for little hands. Because Baby Girl is so young, I set the 4 pieces that went with each card nearby, so that it would be easier for her to figure out. Once your child has mastered that, you can move on to ideas like, laying out all the tokens and having your child find the correct card, or even as advanced as a memory match game!

 I love the endless ideas you can have with this. It can help teach animal names, sounds, etc. You can comment on what the animals are wearing (several have party attire on their token), habitat, and the colors of the animals. This is such an amazing vocabulary building activity, as well as a motor skill builder!

The tokens and cards are made out of thick cardboard. They seem durable, but my Baby Girl will be the true test! She has a way of figuring out just how durable a thing really is.

I do highly recommend this product for toddlers! We will begin a very simple 'tot school' and I see this fitting in very well!

To check out more about this adorable game, click the link here!

Note: Amazon links are affiliated

My Thoughts on The Playful Pioneers

As we near the end of our homeschool year, I thought I share with you what has worked, what hasn't, and what I plan to use for Little Man's 1st grade. During this series, I am even sharing what I plan to do with Baby Girl, as we delve into a bit of 'tot school'. Today I am sharing how I liked our main curriculum, The Playful Pioneers by The Peaceful Press.

The playful pioneers explores the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder and you go through most of the Little House Books, including Farmer Boy. The curriculum follows a more Charlotte Mason approach, which is something I enjoy. I love reading living books that the whole family can enjoy. With everything that's going on right now, my husband is at home and he is also enjoying our read aloud time in the morning.

 Things I like about the curriculum:
Little Man has learned so much! There is a lot of science and history covered in The Playful Pioneers. We have made earthworm habitats, studied bees, done science experiments and more! We've read books about some of our founding fathers, as well as other cultures and places. Little Man is only 5, which means he hasn't grasped it all, but that brings me to the next amazing thing about this curriculum.

He will enjoy going through it again in a few years. When Baby Girl and the other little one on the way get old enough for this curriculum, Little Man can go through it again. I can add things to make it more in depth for him, but he can still enjoy the Little House books and activities we have gotten to do.  This means that this curriculum is pretty economical!

 Some things I've tweaked or would change:

There are A LOT of activities in this book. Some involve expensive supplies, or things that are simply above his understanding. We have had to skip a few things, but I don't feel like it's lessened the impact of what was learned.

There are also A LOT of recommended books. I have found Youtube to be a great resource in finding the books read aloud, but there are some that I simply can't find. While I love collecting books, it would cost quite a bit for me to purchase each one. If you can't find the book on Youtube, or the library, then you can tweak it like I have. For example, this past week we studied Alexander Graham Bell. I didn't have the book, and I couldn't find it read aloud. What I did find was an old animated cartoon about him. I have used Magic School Bus episodes, and other resources to cover things that I didn't have the book for.


Other notes on the Curriculum:
So much watercolor! I made a school supply list at the beginning of the year, and we have used up most of the art supplies! My son loves all things painting and coloring, so this is perfect for him.

We also enjoyed the printables. Some were a bit above his level of writing and reading, but he enjoyed coloring a picture that went along with what we were reading.


Overall we have enjoyed this year. We ARE changing things, but it isn't because we haven't loved what we've done this year (I will address this in a week or two). Do you have any questions about The Playful Pioneers? Be sure and comment or if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you can ask me there!