Peanut Butter Playdough

On Monday night Click decided he wanted to make Peanut Butter Playdough. He came across the experiment in the book "365 Ways to a Smarter Preschooler".

Today, we made Peanut Butter Playdough. Click thought it was soft and mushy. He made a pizza, sombrero and a cookie. Clack, after discovering the texture, decided to put most of the mixture in her mouth. I think they had fun.

Our School Day
(Since I've just begun to journal, I'll take time and give detail about the materials & resources used.)

After being awakened much earlier than I desired, Click made up his bed, we had family prayer, and the day began. First on the agenda is abacus. We use the Japanese Soroban abacus. He worked on a few drills and we reviewed the abacus flashcards. Using the abacus builds the mental muscles. We were apart of an Abacus Club at our local library, but the facilitator has to cancel the group for personal reasons. So, that leaves me holding the bag on teaching further skills. I did find a wonderful resource on http://www.nutureminds.com/. I'm waiting for my package to arrive.

Classical Music - Each week we listen to a composer usually while I'm preparing and during breakfast. This weeks it's: Edvard Grieg

Math - Saxon Math 1. Click completed assessment 6. We also reviewed the tens & ones column using manipulatives and chalkboard. He reviewed his doubles math facts 6-9 (6+6=, 7+7=, etc.) using dominoes for the problems he got wrong.

Writing - Handwriting Without Tears. Click worked on the lowercase 'i'

Memory Work - Books of the Bible. Click has been memorizing the books of the bible. He knows the Old Testament and is up to Titus in the new. We are apart of an Orator's Club. I love it because it's a Christian Minority Homeschooling group. Lots of brown children! Click, who can rattle memory work in his sleep, became extremely bashful when he had to recite in front of a group of strangers. That was last month. This month, after much coaxing, he finally stood in front of the group. With a little more priming, he recited his books. I am looking forward to seeing his progress with each passing month.

Reading - We spend lots of time reading each day. Books on tape are wonderful. Click is reading well above his grade level. It was on a 4th grade level the last time I tested (earlier this year) however, I doubt that I will test him again. I am more concerned with developing his critical thinking skills and filling his head with nonfiction stories. I recently discovered the Easy Nonfiction area of the library. Lots of nonfiction books on his level.

We finished reading 'Go Fish' by Mary Stolz. This is a wonderful story about a 7 year old African American boy's life with his Grandfather. Albert listened to Mr. Putter & Tabby Paint the Porch.

More on reading & critical thinking. Yesterday I used a wonderful resource - Suppose the Wolf Were an Octopus. It takes several children's stories and applies Bloom's Taxonomy to each one. We read Three Billy Goats Gruff and analyzed the story. Click drew a picture of the three billy goats. (He's standing over my shoulder reading this post and wanted me to add the last fact.)

Science - Peanut Butter Playdough

Carschooling - Using every opportunity to educate, we listen to books on tape in the car. This week we're listening to The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John. Last week we enjoyed Jim Weiss in Greek Myths and Sherlock Holmes for children.

It seems like a lot, but we only spend about 1 1/2 hours on school.

Click is not allowed to watch TV Monday - Thursday. Clack is not interested in watching TV. This means that even after school, I'm very engaged in their lives.

Click's spare time - Today he wanted to paint. He used finger paint and painted 'the balgin city' He says it a special place.

Nighttime Reading - Tonight we'll finish Amistad - The Story of a Slave Ship by Patricia McKissack.

Clack's Readings - She is the total opposite of Click. During reading time she's walking around finding things to manipulate. However, she does like to read 'very loudly' in her own way. She will even grab a book and sprawl on the floor - a posture she surely learned from Click!