Goals: August 2014

Every month a group of great bloggers share their goals at Mama Smiles.  Being part of the blogging community is one of the best parts of blogging.   So this month, I am joining in.  

January-July

We moved (just a few miles) in January, welcomed a new baby in February, and finished our home school year in May, ready to enroll T-Rex in public school. As you can imagine,  life has been a blurr.  But, I think we covered the needed academics and kept everyone relatively well fed and clean.

During all that craziness, I blogged as a way to relax and refocus.  This summer as things slowed down, I realized that I have probably maxed out what I can do with my free blog. I also realized that I really like blogging.  So, I am going to jump in and try to move my blogging up to a paid hobby.  Here I am --setting some goals.

August goals

Blog:  I want to transition to  a .com and finish organizing my posts by topic so they can easily be found through pages. I have set a goal  of doing a Science Along the Way Post every week, and plan to do at least three other posts this month, including one on another blog.

Curriculum:  I want to write one long math unit to sell on Teacher Pay Teacher, update the science unit I have already done, and do one short science lesson to offer for free.  

Family:  Establish some good routines to support my older children's success during the school year.

Home:  Finish putting up the decor we have on hand and sort through the last of the boxes.

Thanks for reading!  Click here to read the other bloggers' goals. 

Shadows: How a baby can learn science along the way

Little Diddle (5 months) went with me to take some excess garden produce to the neighbor.  On the way home, she noticed something interesting.  She leaned forward and made little cooing sounds to alert me to her discovery.

Can you believe it?!  The sun's rays were bouncing off the road.  However, none of the rays could travel straight through our bodies.  Only the rays that refracted (bent) around our bodies could make it to the piece of road we blocked from the sun. The result was a dark spot shaped like us that traveled just in front of us.  

In her Saturday Science post this week,  Dayna Abraham of Lemon Lime Adventures stated that science learning can start at birth.

I love that idea.  One way to do facilitate that learning is by simple time outdoors. By celebrating these simple discoveries with our kids, we encourage their science learning.  

What has a little one next to you seen recently?

The purpose of this  Science Along the Way series is to remind me, my children, and my readers to celebrate the wonder of the natural world around us.  Scientific statements on this blog are made with the intention accuracy.  If you see an error, kindly leave a correction in the comments.

The post, Shadows: How a Baby Can Learn Science first appeared on WisdomKnowledgeJoy@blogspot.com.

The Other Way to Make Balloons Float

"Hey Mom, Look!"  Have I mentioned that is my favorite phrase?  Well, at least when it means "Look what I noticed," not "Watch me break my leg."

These balloons were filled with plain old air, not helium.  However, they were floating up, and then falling down again in a kind of circular pattern.  It was really quite mesmerizing.  When I asked my children why this was happening, they quickly identified that the air particles from the vent were hitting the balloon and making it move.  This is great, because understanding that air is made of molecules that can have this impact is one way to prove that gas can have mass, and therefore really is matter.  Most people today readily believe this, but it is not actually all that intuitive, and has been highly debated in other times.

T-Rex was able to give me a clear explanation of the major forces.  Gravity pulls the balloons down, the air molecules push them up.  When the force of the air molecules is greater than gravity, the balloon moves up.  When the force of the air molecules is smaller than the force of gravity, the balloons move down.

In terms of energy, there is a transfer of kinetic (moving) energy from the air molecules to the balloon. As the balloon moves up it trades its kinetic energy for potential energy due to gravity.  When it falls toward earth again it trades the potential energy for kinetic energy once again.  

Next time you notice a moving object, stop and ask.  Why is it moving? It can be a pretty interesting question.

The purpose of this Science Along the Way series is to help me, my children, and my readers stop and notice the amazing physical world in which we live every day.  Thanks for reading!

This post "The Other Way to Make Balloons Float, by Christy McGuire, first appeared on WisdomKnowledgeJoy.

At Home Pre-School Boot Camp: Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of At Home Pre-school Boot Camp!  If you missed the beginning of the series, you may want to start from Week 1.  

You' will notice that these posts are not being published on an exact regular schedule.  As I  am publishing these posts, I am enjoying the last days of freedom before putting my kids in formal education.  These posts are bringing back happy memories as we enjoy the end of summer.  I hope that they will be material for some other mom making her own memories.

Things to do just once this week

If you have been following this series from the beginning, your child has been attending a structured activity that is going to help him have success in society for a few weeks.  This week, add in a social event.  This could mean hanging out at the library after reading time to play.  It could at happen while he is at day care.  It could be a planned trip to the play ground, or an old fashioned play date.

On one of your at home days, block out some time to cook together.  Cooking can provide an opportunity to read a recipe, calculate the needed ingredients, observe science in action, experience a piece of a new culture.  It is a great life skill.   As you are getting started concentrate on letting your child do the work, and making it fun.  Do simple, familiar recipes and allow quadruple the time you would normally need.

If you have more time, ask your child to choose an art activity that you have done before.

Daily habits

First of all, keep up the reading and play times you have already established!  If you are not connecting with your child in a meaningful way, all your other attempts at teaching him will fall flat.  

Start looking for areas where you could allow your child to be more self sufficient.  Could she dress herself, find her own toys, or even fix her own lunch?

Enriching your home environment

Look for some ways that you could make your home more kid friendly.   Think about adding stools and moving the items they use daily to their level.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Looking ahead

Our next big activity is Play-Doh .  Feel free to just pick some up from the store, or have some baking soda and cornstarch on hand.  Grab a box for the play dough and feel free to toss in some plastic knives, cookie cutters, and anything else that would be fun to use with play dough.

Friend to Follow

Aubrey  from Montessori Mischief has inspired me to give my children freedom in their learning and independence in their daily lives.  Montessori is a great educational philosophy, and I love how Aubrey applies it to the home environment. She also makes herself available for questions!

If you have a question about Montessori education, submit it to her tutorials page. Also, be sure to Check out her Montessori 101 Series! 

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  Click here for more information.   Thanks for your support!  The post, At Home Pre-School Boot Camp: Week 4 , by Christy McGuire originally appeared on WisdomKnowledgeJoy@blogspot.com.

Five Hacks for Promoting Your Child's Independence at Home

Children naturally want to grow up and do it themselves.  Here are five ways we encourage our children's independence in our home.  You will notice that I didn't pretty up for these photos.  This is how we live, and what independence really looks like at our home.

Kids Book Shelf.

We purchased these book shelves because the cubed sections make a smaller, more manageable space that children can use to put away books correctly.  I added a basket on top just for books that they can read themselves. By the way, the easy to read series that you see above are Phonics by the Book from This Reading Mama (Free!), Now I'm Reading! Level One Animal Pals (Affiliate) , and  Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers (Affiliate).

Kids Learning Shelf

We organized a few toys and several learning activities in containers on the shelf.  The children can remove these, play with them and return them independently.

Kids dish cupboard

The Kids Dish cupboard is one of the low cabinets. My children are responsible for putting away their own dishes from the dishwasher, and setting their own places at the table.  My daughter is usually more particular about stacking the dishes, but I think that allowing some messiness is part of the learning process.

Kids height hangers

My husband moved the hanging bars down, so that the children get to their own clothes and hang them up again when they are finished.  As a bonus, we have extra storage above.

Stools

Changing out a sink is not a quick easy project.  By adding a stool, we bring the children up to the level where they can use the sink efficiently.

Much of what you see here has been inspired by Aubrey at Montessori Mischief.  Check out her Video on organizing Winter Clothes.

Click here to return to the At Home Pre-school Boot Camp Week 4 summary.


This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  Click here for more information.   Thanks for your support!  The post, Five Ideas Promoting Your Child's Independence at Home, by Christy McGuire originally appeared on WisdomKnowledgeJoy@blogspot.com.

Four Secrets for planning Successful Playdates

"Let's get together!"  As a new mom in the area, I am always excited when another mom says those words, and even more excited when it happens.  Play dates are great opportunities for my children to learn social skills.  More importantly, play dates have allowed my children and I to form permanent friendships all over the country and the world.   Here are some play date secrets I have learned from moms around the country and around the world.

Communicate Clearly

We all approach the world with our own bias.  That is why it is critical to communicate clearly with the other mom(s) involved before and during the play date.  Be clear about when and where the play date is taking place, whether or not food will be involved, and what kind of play is expected.  Once the children are together, do not hesitate to ask the other mom if she is comfortable with the type of play that is going on.  If you are the parent who has a concern, speak up.  Be kind, and tell the other parent specifically what you would like to see change.

Make it about the kids

As an extrovert, I can get desperate for adult conversation.  However, if the play date is going to be a success, the other mom and I need to be thinking about the kids, and that may mean that we cannot enjoy as much as conversation as we would like. We may have to make it up on the phone or via text later.

Making the play date about the kids can also means keeping them in sight.   All kids will do things when they think the adults are not looking that they would never try in front of you. You can not help your child develop social skills if you do not know what happened.  

The great thing about making it about the kids is that you can ditch some of the adult conventions.  When we were living in a small town in the southwest play dates we lived pretty far away from our friends, and play dates that did not include a meal were almost impossible.  My friend graciously pulled out the night before's left overs, and it worked perfectly.

Know your limits

Whenever we host a play date, the bedrooms are off limits.  Before our guests come, I instruct my children to move all toys that they wish to share to the living area, and all toys they do not wish to share to their bedrooms.  Keeping guests out of the bedrooms helps keep the kids in sight.  If one of my children needs down time before our guests leave, they have a safe place to go.  Sorting the toys ahead of time helps my children focus on sharing, and be secure that their most special things are safe.

Playing with other children can be surprisingly exhausting.  If your kids are showing signs of being done before the end of the play date, do not be afraid to say, "I think we need to get home for some early naps."  Sometimes this means leaving toys on the floor.  While it is generally good manners to help clean up your mess, it is sometimes in every one's best interest to just get the extra kids out of the situation.  

Go the Extra mile 

Sometimes you can not follow all the best advice.  I just said that it is important to leave when the kids are done.  However, I was in a situation a few years ago where the taxi would not show up, and I was stuck at a friend's house after her kids and mine were well over each other.  My friend graciously made us comfortable, and made it clear that we were welcome time and time again.  

 One of my friends has some children who literally need to snack all the time.  I would be overwhelmed if I had to "be a good hostess" and keep up with their demands for food and drink for the hours they spend at my house. Her children show up with lunchboxes, and we always have a great time together.  These friends willingness to go the extra mile made our play dates a success, because they made the play date happen.  Play dates that happen and that you all want to repeat are always a success.

Have you found some secrets that make play dates successful?  I would love to read them!



Click here to return to the At Home Pre-school Boot Camp Week 4 summary.

If you found this post helpful, you might also like:

 How Parents of Pre-schoolers get the most from their Free Public Libraries

How to Plan a Road trip your Kids will Love: Tip 1








This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  Click here for more information.   Thanks for your support!  The post, Four Secrets for planning Successful Playdates, by Christy McGuire originally appeared on WisdomKnowledgeJoy@blogspot.com.

Pivot Points and Spinning Spoons

Children are hard wired to do science.  T-Rex (5) and Pony Artist (4) demonstrated this the other day at breakfast.   I do not know who started it, but they took turns spinning this spoon.

They discovered that the spoon spins best when just one point touches the table.

  They tried placing the spoon with both ends touching the table. It did not spin well, and tended to flip over.  

It was a perfect experiment with just one variable: which way the spoon was facing. I pointed out to them what they had done, but they were more excited about the spinning spoon itself.

You see, they had just figured out an important physical principle.  Solid objects naturaly spin around a single point.  They might not put it into words just yet, but they definitely learned it. 

What have you and yours learned from play this week?