Tot School - Letter A

Over the last 6 months or more, I have come across different blogs from moms who either home school or do "lessons" at home with their young kids.  One of them calls her toddler lessons "Tot School" -http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/  On there she shares all the different activities she is doing, or has done with her kids going from babies up through primary.  You can download her worksheets for free, or she has other teaching supplies you can buy as well.  Another blog that I love to go to for ideas is - http://www.icanteachmychild.com/  Then of course I have been finding lots of great ideas on Pinterest! :)  If you haven't joined Pinterest I suggest you check it out!  It's a place you can search for all sorts of things and organize different things you find online with "pins".  Your pin consists of a picture that will link you to that website.  You can follow other people who have joined and see what great ideas they are "pinning" as well.  My two addictions for pinning on Pinterest are when it comes to activities and crafts to do with the kids as well as recipes!  It is probably my saving grace when it comes to menu planning for the week which helps me to actually cook... which I don't enjoy doing so much!  Anyway.... off my Pinterest soapbox! 

While writing the A we made the /a/ sound... a video is to come if i can get it off my phone! :)

Back to Tot School.  So I have been doing educational type things with Grayson unintentionally ever since he was born since it comes natural to me with an Early Elementary background.  However, I wanted to provide more intentional teaching, but always procrastinated on the planning and executing of it.  Now that I've met some other stay at home moms, I rounded up a couple friends to join us in Tot School.  :)  This past week was our first week and we focused on the Letter A.  I am finding a book to go with each letter as well so this week we read "Ten Apples Up On Top" by Dr. Seuss.  We did math activities that included apples, as well as crafts.  I am planning on doing Tot School 4 days a week and have activities that will last anywhere from 30 min to an hour.  It all depends on how intrigued the kids are that day!  Grayson seems to LOVE everything I pull out!  His two little friends, Grace and Addison, seem to pick and choose when they want to do things. :)  The two little girls aren't even two yet, so I'm not surprised.  Grayson also has always had a great attention span for sitting down and doing things... which is quite opposite of most boys!  Here are some pictures from our Letter A activities this week.  

Our scrapbook art for letter a.  We'll do one for each letter until the alphabet is done and then I'll put all his letters together to make his own ABC book.

Grayson and Addison hard at work the first day :)

Grayson's work

Recess time! :)

Grace: Got a quick picture before she ran away from the table again :)

I made felt characters and apples to go with the story in hopes of getting the girls to sit better for it.  Didn't work... but Grayson LOVED it! :)