**Monday, September 10, 2012: Waco Landmark Field Trip—Meet us for Lunch in the Pecan Bottoms of Cameron Park at 12:00 pm
Spelling/Grammar/Literature: In spelling, we will be discussing letter names and sounds. We will be focusing on the sounds of n, s, a, i, and z. In literature, we will be discussing and identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds, and we will talk about rhyming words. We will be learning how to hold a book correctly, and to identify the title, author, and illustrator. This week we will discuss setting, characters, event, and precise language.
(Connor's school implements the curriculum from Neuhaus called scientific spelling...which, as best I understand it, is an approach that teaches the students the sounds, patterns and rules, and phonology so that they don't have to memorize so much--sounds good to me).
Unit Study: This week in Unit Study, we will conclude our study of Waco landmarks by taking a field trip around our city. We will then move from a study of Waco to Texas. We will locate Texas on a map of the United States of America. We will identify the capital city of Austin, the panhandle, Red River, Rio Grande, and the Gulf of Mexico. We will learn about the symbols of Texas, including the bluebonnet, the pecan tree, the mocking bird, the lone star flag, and the armadillo.
(Connor is so excited already! And, I have to laugh in anticipation of the chance that he may be corrected whenever he says the word pecan--he takes after his Southern Mama and says 'pee-can'. Dear school, please don't take the Southern accent out of my boy!)
Math: In math, we will begin Chapter 5: Size and Position. In this chapter, children will learn to recognize big and small things and to use prepositions to describe position. This week we will focus on big and small things, and understanding the concept of same-sized objects. We will also explore the idea that only a few big objects fit into small spaces and many small objects fit into big spaces. We will also begin to discuss positions, and identifying positions of objects in space. (I also learned this week that the LOCS curriculum for math is Singapore Math. Here's a link to an article about the success of the Singapore curriculum: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/education/01math.html
The more I learn about Live Oak's approach and methods, I am more and more blown away and so happy with our decision to put him there.
Side-bar: I spent a lot of time worrying about this school or that...got a LOT of welcome (and unwelcome) comments. Public vs. private vs. charter. I think that every parent wants (and SHOULD) think that where their child is in school is the best place for him or her; and, throughout this experience surrounded by other families sending their children to kindergarten, I've encountered some parents who, in an attempt to defend their decisions, are really judgemental about other options. I'm just so thankful that we have options! What a wonderful situation we have here in Waco!...I hope that I never make another mother feel conflicted about what they've chosen as best for their family. Come on! We are all out to give our children the best opportunities to grow their minds, hearts, spirits, and give them the tools they need to make their own dreams come true and make their own difference in this world.
Side-bar: I spent a lot of time worrying about this school or that...got a LOT of welcome (and unwelcome) comments. Public vs. private vs. charter. I think that every parent wants (and SHOULD) think that where their child is in school is the best place for him or her; and, throughout this experience surrounded by other families sending their children to kindergarten, I've encountered some parents who, in an attempt to defend their decisions, are really judgemental about other options. I'm just so thankful that we have options! What a wonderful situation we have here in Waco!...I hope that I never make another mother feel conflicted about what they've chosen as best for their family. Come on! We are all out to give our children the best opportunities to grow their minds, hearts, spirits, and give them the tools they need to make their own dreams come true and make their own difference in this world.
Nature Study: This week, we will continue our discussion on fish. We will review the characteristics of fish (1-Cold-blooded, 2-Vertebrate, 3-Have scales, 4-Breathe through gills, 5-Most have fins, 6-Hatch from eggs), and the hand motions to help us remember the characteristics of fish. We will be observing goldfish (live and in photographs), and we will be drawing pictures of goldfish in our nature notebooks. (Connor asked me the other day,"Mama, did you really come out of grandma's tummy? And, did Aunt Gretta too?")
Bible: This week, we will be reading the stories of“Abram’s Journey” and “Abram, Sarai, and Hagar.” Please feel free to read and discuss these stories at home with your child.
Show and Tell: For Show and Tell this week, please have your child illustrate their favorite part of our Waco landmark field trip. We will be sharing our drawings and our favorite parts of the trip.
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