IDEAS. . .

I haven't posted in a long time, I don't think I even posted the last school year at all.  It's just about finding your own groove.  The last year was good, it seemed more mellow, I wasn't trying as hard to make tons of projects.  We focused on writing and Will blogged a few of his stories and he progressed through math.  We did a lot in our area in terms of field trips to learn about our state.  This year will be far different.  Ian starts Kindergarten this year, so I will feel that pressure for him to be on target now.  I don't know why I worry he is already reading and is picking up on math super quick.  Writing (forming letters and words through print) will be a focus I want him to grow in his ability to write down things he wants to express.  Also, I am keeping Viv home this year (my 8 year old daughter that happens to have Down Syndrome) so that will be a new and um, exciting challenge (I am trying to be really positive!!!).  I just can't send her to school knowing I can give her more as well as just the fact I don't want her separate from the rest of us.  She is about on the same level as Cadence in a lot of ways right now.  She has more sight word knowledge and is a bit ahead in reading in general, but last year is when Ian took off and I imagine Cadey will be surpassing Viv quick.  It's a challenge just that I will have a variety of abilities and trying to manage that fluctuation.  Anyway, that is kind of where we are.  I have decided I am going to try to keep track of ideas and projects here.  I think it will help me dump my brain and have a place to reference if I need it.  So here that goes for the time being:
WILL (age 10):

Civil War this year!!! YAY!  I'm super excited for this!

I have several historical fiction novels at his reading level starting with a Harriet Tubman biography.
The plan is to have Will read the books and while he reads, have him keep notes tracking North and South uniforms, battles, people and events.  I have a sheet created that is a "T" chart to compare both sides.  He will also add things to a time line as he finds them in the novels.   I also want him to keep a journal as he reads reflecting on what he thinks about as he reads such as the effects of war, how he would feel, what side would he take, why wars in general are fought, could it have been different and how? 
After he reads these novels, I will give him access to three different books to do a further study of:
Excerpts from "What Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know" series.
Evan-Moore's Civil War Pocket Book
and Civil War For Kids activity book


From these I am going to let Will choose what he wants to do to create 5-10 projects that will deepen his knowledge and how he wants to direct it. Maybe he wants to learn more about uniforms or a certain battle, this will be where he can direct his interests and the above books, will hopefully be good resources that he can find projects and such to do that he will find interesting and fun.

ALL KIDS (ages 4-10):  THE 50 STATES!!!  Also very excited for this pocket of learning!

For the whole group we will learn about 2 states per week.  For each state we will color a state shape, color and locate it on a US map, identify the flag, a land mark and/or state flower.  I also got a cookbook for the states that gives a recipe or two for each state off of popular foods and abundant resources from that state.  So we will make a recipe from each state.  Finally, I have poem book that has a poem for each state as well, so we will read a state poem.    


For Will and the states:
He has to choose 5 states to learn more about.  I am giving him options such as:


Write a basic report
Create a state stamp
Create a poster
Make an advertisement for the state
Plan a trip to the state
Write a journal response (a couple days worth) as if he had been visiting that state
Write a poem about the state
Make a state float (what I did in 5th grade-New Mexico, thank you very much!!)


He can do any of these to show what he learns about the states he chooses.  He can do them all the same or do something different for each one, the point is letting him choose.

My reading approach:

1) Learn the sounds of the letters and identify the letters.  I have used part of zoophonics for this.  It's the animal flash cards, kids say sound and do an action to learn letter sounds.
We play go fish alphabet and alphabet bingo as fun things to reinforce this as well.

2) Learn sight words.  I have used Teddy Bear Press to do this.  I like the little books and kids feel like they are READING as they memorize basic sight words.

3) Hooked on phonics.  Once kids have the basic sounds down and a good amount of sight words under their belt, I start them on basic phonics.  I like hooked on phonics and Ian especially gets motivated as he gets stickers along the path and works towards his reading parties.  As we finish levels we do some kind of fun thing like bake a cake and celebrate how much he is learning!!!  Ian was my one that wouldn't even pick up a book, so it is exciting that he is loving reading now.

4) Read, read, read!!!!  The more you read the better you read.  I read to the kids, they read to me and my husband and every time there is an opportunity I have them read to friends and relatives and to each other.

Well, that's all for now.  I will continue to brain dump so to speak and hopefully I will be able to organize this info. in a better way soon.