The letter of the week is 'C'

Yesterday, at the Gilbert house, we started "school". Now, I know what you're thinking.. Canaan is only 2, why do you need to start school? Kids need to be playing, not learning.. Let me assure you, I am not an overachiever. I'm not working toward the next Einstein or whatever. I've read those stories of kids who know their ABC's and 1,2,3's before age 2 because parents constantly quiz them... that's not me.  I'm not about that life.

My purpose of "school" is 3-fold.

First, we need some routine in our day. Not only do we need routine but we need structure. Children need to know how to sit down for something and pay attention. Children in daycare and preschool learn to sit down and participate in activities, story time, meal time, etc. A few days ago, I got this horrible vision that my kids would be the ones with a terrible attention span because all we did was play all day long without them learning how to sit still and pay attention to instruction. Especially because I plan to homeschool, this aspect is super important to me. Pre-school and Kindergarten teachers spend a lot of time teaching their students systems for how to go about their day without chaos. Why not start now?

Second, toddlers have such an appetite to learn. Canaan loves school now because it is low-pressure and fun. If I can foster that attitude and keep it going, the goal is to keep building on skills he's learned and when it's time for kindergarten it will be an easy transition.

Third, it is so important to us that our kids learn about Jesus. Our church does such an awesome job of having Bible stories and lessons prepared whenever we go on the weekends, but it isn't our church's responsibility to teach our children about God. Deuteronomy says it all:

 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Now, when I say that we have "school", I obviously do not mean 8-3 with a nap in the middle. School for a 2 year old means- when Declan goes down for a nap at 10-10:30- I bring out Canaan's table and chair and we have school for an hour (maybe). The rest of the day we will re-visit different things we've learned. For instance, at dinner, we may have carrots.. Guess, what Canaan? 'C' is for Carrots! Ha!

Because we are in no hurry and because Canaan is only 2, we will stay on a certain topic for a week at a time, if not more. For instance, this week, we are covering: 

- the letter C

- the number 1

- Day 1 of Creation

- Genesis 1:1

Here is a look at this week's schedule:

Monday: 

Introduce the letter "C"

- trace the letter in flour on baking pan, color the letter 'C', Talk about things that start with the letter C.

Introduce our verse: Genesis 1:1- In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Repeat several times and break a part so Canaan can repeat easily.

- Read the children's Bible

-Introduce the number 1 

-Dance and sing song "In the Beginning"

Tuesday: 

-Review verse of the week: repeat several times

- Review the letter 'C' and spotlight "Clouds"- go outside and look at clouds

- glue cotton balls in a 'C'

- Read the story in the Kids Bible App about Creation

- Talk about the #1 and how on day 1 God created night and day. Practice light and dark by turning lights on and off several times

- Also, practice learning #1 by coloring with one crayon at a time

- Flash card for both letter 'C' and #1

-Watch a video about clouds

Dance and sing song of the week

Wednesday

- Review concepts from previous days (trace letter in flour, talk about things that start with 'C', etc)

- 'C' stands for "Car"- play with cars

- Review day 1 of creation: Read Bible story again, have Canaan tell it

- Practice Bible verse

- Color sheet (car themed)

Thursday

- Field trip to Mrs. Debbie's farm

- On the way- sing song and recite verse, also discuss what we'll see and about God's creation

-When we get home: coloring sheet ('C' is for "cows" and "chickens"- God created everything)

Friday

- Review everything from the week

- Art: God's creation of day and night

Some things will change and that's ok. Teachers adapt and adjust all the time. Structure is good but too much structure is not. Kids need to know that they are secure and their learning environment will accommodate their needs. 

So far, Canaan is loving it!! He really loves the Kids Bible App and throughout the day he will pick up the iPad and go read the story himself and play with the interactive pictures. When Levi gets home, Canaan tells him all about "school" and Levi is so good to help keep the concepts fresh throughout the afternoon and evening. It really is about finding ways to incorporate learning in every part of the day, not just a designated time. 

Also, I did not create every activity for the week or the weeks to come. My motto has always been to "work smarter, not harder"- there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Tons of people have created amazing lesson plans, color sheets, folder games, etc.. The key is to take what's already been made and change it for your needs. 

Here are some pics: