The Homeschool Mother's Journal #5

• IN OUR HOMESCHOOL THIS WEEK... We were on vacation! We explored the Natchez Trace, played at new-to-us local parks, the boys went up to the Car Museum in Tupelo and we enjoyed feeding, petting and looking at the animals at the state fair. We had a blast! The only "school" we did this week was handwriting practice. Adelle needs all the practice she can get. 
• MY FAVORITE THING THIS WEEK WAS... Having my husband home with us! 
• I'M COOKING... We tried homemade pumpkin pancakes made with REAL pumpkin.  They were delicious!... So wonderful that we had them for breakfast twice this week!  {smile}
• I AM INSPIRED BY... My husband. He is so gentle and patient with our children... a character quality that I strive to attain. 
• I'M GRATEFUL FOR... This chance to be able to homeschool my children; to love and play with them. 
• SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK... "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, and love and discipline."  2 Timothy 1:7

Jonathan is Pre-writing

I watch my children develop and grow with complete fascination and in awe of God's creation of the mind and body. It never fails to amaze me when both of my children reach developmental milestones and/or master different skills. 

Last year, Jonathan was all about scribble, scribble, scribble. Of course, this time last year he was still 2 years old. I tried to get him to start tracing his name with dry erase markers. He just scribbled, scribbled, scribbled all over the sheet protector. I didn't mind that. {smile} 

We are 2 months into the 2012-2013 school year. I just began prewriting exercises with him 2 weeks ago and Jonathan is showing more control of his crayons and markers.  I am currently using My First Book of Tracing by Kumon.  In these pages, Jonathan is supposed to draw a line from one little picture to the other matching picture. He traces straight and curvy lines up and down, right and left, diagonal both ways and even loops. Excellent cursive writing prep! 

He traces one page, front and back, per day. I didn't have the next page in his tracing book with me one day last week (we are currently homeschooling at a friend's house). I had to think quick {gotta stay on target}. I have a cookie sheet from Dollar Tree that you can write on and wipe off with a dry erase marker {an accidental discovery}. I had my pom-pom magnets with me too.  IDEA emerges! I set up a prewriting activity by placing 3 or 4 different colors magnets at the top of the cookie sheet and then placing matching pom-poms at the bottom. I had him draw different lines as said in previous paragraph from one pom-pom to the matching pom-pom. 

Then I placed pom-pom magnets in the middle of the cookie sheet and showed him how to draw loops around them.  He thoroughly enjoyed this activity and he was VERY independent about it too.  {SMILE}

I am thoroughly enjoying homeschooling my children!