When totschool changedMay 14, 2017
Spring came, unfurling it’s opportunities to get out of the house and explore, it knocked our tot-school, upped our social life and lead letter Y and Z to spread their merge activities over more than a week each. With letter ‘Z’ now finished I thought I’d share the beautiful and unexpected continuation to our journey.
It started with a request from a friend, to take their little boy (6 months older than Adam) for the mornings. The first week was a steep learning curve, my language faltered, my children’s ministry mind wanted to plan activities, the boys were adjusting and the house suddenly felt rather small. Out came toys to be scattered, tot-school went out the window as alphabets were not shared, and my cupboard full of art materials was scoured with a shaken head more than once.
Adam is confident with his letters, numbers, shapes and colours after our first trip through the alphabet. So, with the days changing, I happily pressed the pause button on the ‘formal concept learning’ in favour of ‘skills learning’ to hone gross and fine motor skills, interactive play, turn taking, instructions, etc.
I’ve just finished week 2 of the two boys in the morning, we had a bit of a break between weeks, and this time I was prepared. I’d found loads of ideas and yet what transpired was setting up a 2 part activity morning. Free play with the addition of a play prompt followed by a table time activity and then outside time if the weather allowed, food and final bits before nap wrapped up out time together.
We’ll alternate weeks between having corporate play mornings and weeks of just our little family. I’m hoping the quieter weeks will still hold at least one play prompt of creative activity, perhaps with a concept learning slant. However, for the next fortnight we have grandparents visiting so no tot school or corporate play mornings.
I thought I’d share our weekday corporate play mornings activities in lieu of tot school for this week.
Tot-school | Week 24 | Letter YApril 9, 2017
This past week’s tot-school…
…was deliberately sparse
After a weeks pause we got back to tot-school light this week. We were childminding an extra little one every morning so rather than focus on just the letter we did morning activities and then I added in a letter Y activity if the afternoon allowed. With 2 little boys to entertain having a hands on activity most days set up was a real treat. Our walls became adorned with their artwork and I’m already stockpiling ideas for the week after next when we do it again.
Letter Y was a trial though. I found it difficult to get excited about and most of the ‘usual’ words just didn’t seem to work. While I made up the set for yogurt and yo-yo I failed to find a yo-yo for us to play with so none of that material got used. Yacht – he calls it a boat, Yellow – not an object, Yam – it’s called a sweet potato, Yarn – that’s called wool, Yak – really, he’d not have a clue! I drew a large Y n the floor on Monday and he immediately identified it correctly, I concluded sometimes we try too hard.
The pack I’ve made is available for download at the end of the post.
This weeks read more questions:
It was lovely to do so many hands on activities with another child
I’d hoped to do yogurt painting but with so many messy things each moring I couldn’t face it in the afternoons
I’ve chosen not to include pictures of the other little boy, it’s not my place to make the decision for his parents and even if it limits my pictures I’d feel unsure without express permission for each and every photo.
Tot-school | Week 23 | Letter XMarch 25, 2017
This past week’s tot-school…
…was deliberately sparse
The sun has arrived and we are taking full advantage. Every morning we go out either for a walk or just to play in the backyard space. The afternoons have been often outside too and all that wonderful fresh air and vitamin D means that tot-school was pushed to the edges. We started tot-school in September when the heat was still with us and before the cold of Autumn descended, it’s taken us though the cold and miserable months well but I’m well aware it’s success has correlated with a lack of time outdoors. Now as we near the end of the alphabet I’m deliberately easing up on the table time activities in favour of exploring dandelions and blossom, the way a torch hits a dark pavement, the swift shadows of birds overhead, and all the everyday worldly wonders.
The letter X was the perfect week for this. While Adam knew what a Xylophone was it doesn’t actually use the phonetic sound which didn’t really help. An X-ray was a foreign concept so I made a special x-ray craft slider for us to explore. Rather than choose non objects we stuck with just the four words, using fox and box for the phonetic sound.
The pack I’ve made is available for download at the end of the post.
This weeks read more questions:
I loved taking a leisurely view, X isn’t a very common letter and so I felt no guilt in doing the bare bones, if you’ll forgive the pun!
The fox craft was printed but when I looked at it I realised it really was going to be far too tough, I think that one will have a remake for our next round through the alphabet.
I’m not sure what the weeks will bring but after Z, in a couple of weeks, we’ll probably change how and possibly when we do tot-school.