Knock, knock... whose there... Orange
Knock, knock... whose there... Orange
Knock, knock... whose there... Banana
Orange you glad I didn't say Orange?
Kids love to have fun!
Here is another fun way to get kids to eat their food, learn their colors and learn the letters that make up a word. A simple paper plate becomes a platform for learning. By simply writing on the paper plate takes something ordinary to extraordinarily fun. My kids really enjoyed coming to the table to this meal... not because of the food on the plate, but rather the fun way it was on the plate. I love seeing smiles on my kids faces and this simple gesture did just that! We also had a lot of fun talking about things that are orange in the world around us. The kids enjoyed spelling out the word on their plate and for the little ones recognizing the different letters was great.
O-R-A-N-G-E! Orange you glad kids love to learn!
On May 7, 2011 at 3:02 AM our baby boy Nolan Ryan was born. He was induced four weeks before his due date due to his dropping in size. My sweet little guy went from the 35th percentile to three weeks later to the 12th percentile to another three weeks to below the 10th percentile in growth. Dropping below the 10th is dangerous and inducing was the best route to take. Upon his birth the Dr. realized the cord was wrapped around his neck twice, causing an urgency to get him out! Once he was out the Dr. then discovered he had a true knot in his cord. The Dr. made it very clear to me that if he was not taken that day, he would not have survived! What an amazingly gracious God we serve!
The day before his birth, the same day my induction began, I had an ultrasound appointment. The ultrasound was to check the baby's growth. However the tech told me it was not a measurement ultrasound but rather a Doppler to check fluid. I became very persistent that she do the measurement. After much convincing and my not backing down, the tech made an executive decision to do what I was asking. In the end she was very glad she did. In the end the persistence of a mother's instinct that something was not right, saved my baby's life. May this encourage you that God has given us instincts as parents and it is beneficial to listen to them. No matter what a Dr. or nurse or any other voice around us tells us, no one knows like a parent. I am so humbled that I did follow my instinct and now I have my baby in my arms because of it. God's grace humbles me!
Nolan spent 8 days in the NICU. He is home now and is growing strong! His lowest weight was 4LBS and today he is 4LBS 11OZ! We celebrate every ounce of our little gift! Pin It Now!
The bedroom we had our classroom in is now being transformed into just that, a bedroom. My next best location, the family room. I had my reservations with having a classroom in the main part of the house, but with a baby on the way, it seems to be the best place for it. School can keep going on even while baby has a need for me to attend to. Here is the beginning of our new classroom as we know it. I still have a few details to attend to, but for now it is working out just great.
It is so wonderful having a chalk board!
The kids love drawing on it! I love that they also use it to practice what they learned that day in school. From math problems to handwriting, a chalk board is a great tool!I placed a stool at the chalkboard for the extra "short" students in our family.
Another great tool is the framed burlap board (pictured to the right of the chalk board) to display flannel board pieces.
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Underneath my apple cabinet (pictured there next to the large computer cabinet) I have a Finished Work Box. My kids love getting to stamp their pages for a job well done before placing their completed work in the box.
Here is a look inside my classroom closet. On the wall I used picture hanging wire to display art work. The pages are hung using clothespins.
The closet not only stores all my supplies, it serves as a learning center as well.
The Dry Erase board is a tool I use. From a list of the day's plans, the weeks Bible verse, vocabulary words, to quick thoughts... I love it! Anything I write on the chalk board most likely will be colored over or erased by one of my sweet darlings. This Dry Erase board is safe from little hands!
To save on space, I store my books in plastic bins. I select books each week and place them in a separate basket for easy access for my kids.
The basket is also easy for the kids to place books back where they belong.
Another very loved tool in our classroom is our easel! I placed a child size chair in front of it and my kids love standing or sitting while they draw. Whether we are doing school or the kids are just enjoying the classroom, having a place where learning and creativity never ends is fabulous!
Family room meet classroom is working out MARVELOUS! I truly think this is our best location yet!
