It’s no secret that I LOVE my 3 children. Yes, they are the source of pure craziness, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I adore these crazy little munchkins! I got a new necklace which honors them, can you see it in this new family photo {which was snapped quickly on our way into a restaurant the other night}?Want to see it closer up? Take a peek in my review/giveaway post and enter to win your very own!!!!! I LOVE my new necklace…and my KIDDOS {my husband rocks too}!
There’s also a snazzy discount code just for my readers over there too…go peek!
Shape Tracers, Shape Memory, Shape File Folder Game, Shape Flashcards…whatever you want them to be! I plan to use them for all of the above. I tried to make a set of printables that could be used over and over again but in many different ways. You'll be able to see how we use these in my weekly Preschool Corner posts, I hope you can find a use for them too!
They are printed on white cardstock, and laminated {the laminator rebate deal expires 7/31/10}.
I have been asked so many times by so many wonderful readers if I would begin to blog more about my experiences with Pac Man. I have been reluctant to do this because it is SO far out of my comfort zone and I feel I have nothing to offer. A kind reader commented on last week’s Pac Man post that it would be helpful for me to actually share what is like to be “Out of My Comfort Zone” which has inspired me to create a new feature on my blog {hopefully weekly} to share something regarding Pac Man and his schooling. 3rd grade and beyond is not comfortable for an early childhood educator ;-), so everything I will share about him officially falls into being out of my comfort zone! I am excited about learning along with him and growing as a teacher and mom through our experiences over the years. When out of my zone, I tend to learn the most!
For the past several weeks I have been labeling Pac Man’s posts “Pac Man Loves” but soon realized that he may not love everything I share about!!! ;-) I will now be calling these posts…
For my first Out of the Zone post I thought I would share my initial thoughts about our big ol’ stack of Calvert supplies now that I have planned out our first 40 lessons. We have bumped our start date back a week due to major construction going on to renovate the new schoolroom, so I have a bit more planning time built in now!
Here are the subjects that are not published by Calvert, but are used within the Calvert program {I linked if I could find it online}. You can see the inside of any of the books on the Calvert website itself using their awesome interactive features.
Calvert has it’s own math program, which we like a lot-it works really well for Pac Man and he LOVES math. Calvert also publishes a few of their own resources; one I really love this year is called A Child’s Study of Famous Americans.
I have planned out the first 40 lessons of 3rd grade and I am excited! It is a FULL schedule and will about double the workload Pac is used to. Next week I plan to share my planning forms and how I have our days planned {I will provide downloads in case anyone else is using Calvert 3rd grade {my forms are specific to this program}.
As we move along I will try to share what is/isn’t working for us and what I think of different parts of the program. After browsing through the books, I am really excited and pleased. I really like the changes and think this will be a great fit for Pac Man!
Daddy read the kids the story of Ruth from the Bible this past week. I wrapped up the story of Ruth by using a few paper dolls I made from www.MakingFriends.com. I made a doll for Naomi, Ruth and Boaz…to illustrate the story as I read it to the boys from our Anytime Bible.
After listening to me, we watched the story of Ruth on our Bible DVD. After the short DVD story, we discussed the details that the DVD left out {which were way over K’s head but Pac man totally got}. We mainly discussed how the DVD said that Boaz simply asked Ruth to marry him, but the Bible shares TONS more details of what led up to their marriage. This is one reason I love reading from the real Bible and also children's Bibles.
I wasn’t able to get any photos during our lesson this week ;-)
Visit theRaising Rock Stars Webpage to download your own notebook pages and to see links to previous Rock Stars posts! Please read there or here before you add your link.
I often reflect privately on where God has taken this blog, as it honestly amazes me. I thought it would be something worthy of sharing as I know many of you are either new bloggers or contemplating starting a blog of your own. I share not only for others, but also for myself, as I remind myself of God’s mighty hand. HE has been at work through this blog for years now and I still stand in awe at what He has done and has yet to do. I always pray that I am used by Him online.
This is my story,
how 1+1+1=1 came to be,
how the twists and turns led this blog to where it is today…
I began as a blog reader. I was a reluctant homeschooler, and desperately desiring to feel connected to someone in the same position. I began Googling like crazy trying to find homeschooling blogs. Little by little, I stumbled upon great blogs and began to just soak in the information I found.
Awhile after being a blog reader {and never a commenter…I was most definitely a blog lurker}, I found Valerie. I can’t even remember how, but I found her. Back then she had a different blog, “Little Blots of Faith” and she was starting a new meme called Little Laplinks. This is the main reason I set up a blog. It occurred to me that I was taking so much from the blogosphere, that it would be nice to give back in some way. So, I set up this blog as a way to share our lapbooks. That was the ONLY intent I ever had with this blog. I joined in with Little Laplinks here with my first post in October 2007. I began to share whatever I thought might possibly help someone else. I met a few friends online, most of whom I am still “friends” with today. Most of my very first blogging buddies were Little Laplinks participants. Little Laplinks went on for awhile and then fizzled out {although I fizzled out before it did if I remember correctly!}.
I soon began sharing a few lapbook templates on a website I created quickly as a stem off of the website I ran for our church. I already knew how to build a website, and already knew Photoshop {I was a photographer} so creating was something I could do, and already having access to a website meant I could share easily. The name of my site was simply “Lapbooks by Carisa.” As I said, I never had any other intentions with this blog or the site! Needless to say, God had MUCH bigger ideas than I did!!!
Side note ~ the name of the blog was NOT a long thought-out process. It was a quick thought, which must have been totally from the Lord. I remember thinking, I wanted something that could make people think and wonder and then possibly lead them to inquire and possibly learn more about the Lord! At first I thought the name was silly {and I know some still do}, but I just went with it. I certainly never thought the blog would grow as it has, so the name didn’t really matter too much ;-). In hindsight, I am so glad I went with it, as I love the name and the symbolism of it. If you’ve never read what the meaning is, you can see that here. I also selected 3 colors I liked and made those my blog’s colors. I never have changed those, and probably never will-they are a part of who I am online ;-).
We had a more laid back week since we took the week off of preschool. I sent most of my time planning Pac’s 3rd grade but managed to squeeze in some Tot School time with my little bug too!
Pom Poms and a can with an opening cut in the top {to stuff the pom poms into}
Empty parmesan cheese container and colored zip ties
An egg carton, small pitcher, and beads {she barely touched this, other than to put the beads into something else. I think the egg carton freaked her out a bit!}
Her favorite activity was by far the can and the pom poms. She played with these SO much!
She also really liked putting the skinny zip ties { I got the colored ones at the Dollar Tree} into the container. {you can see she also added pom poms to the container!!!}
Watching her get things out was the best part of this activity!!!
Here’s a shot of her playing with her trays and toys while I was trying to get some 3rd grade planning done! She was in “take it all out” mode ;-).
In addition to Ladybug’s 3 trays right now, I am keeping some toys on the floor in the schoolroom for her to play with. I am also changing these out weekly. She LOVES our Gears toy and played with it everyday!!!
Our bristle blocks sit on a shelf {they are always visible}, she can now reach them and get them down herself! She does this almost everyday now!
We play in our living room a lot too ;-). She loves digging in her walker toy {it hold blocks} and finding the ones that make noise! Here shaking one that she found!!
This is one of our toy corners, where K and L’s toy baskets are {the ones filled with random little toys}. She loves to sit in this corner and take everything out.
Our felt food is still in rotation because it is still being enjoyed by all! I showed L-bug how to stir the food…
I often bring out one toy into the living room for all of us to play with. One day last week it was our Zoobs. The 3 kids all played near each other, but mostly each doing their own thing. L-bug’s thing is to put the Zoobs into something. Her blender was near, so it got filled up!
I also went and got her little can and showed her how to stick the Zoobs in the hole…
The living room is also where we watch DVDs. These two were watching a little Praise Baby together ;-).
I was working in Daddy’s office one day and she was with me. I grabbed a puzzle and put it on the bench for her, she loved this!!!!!
She’s learning to dance ;-) with Daddy…
A little spin on the dolly {in the new schoolroom that is under major renovation right now}
Seriously, this girls LOVES her books.
Are you wondering where to start with Tot School? Read here!
READ THIS for more details about linking up to Tot School. If your blog is not linked back here to Tot School, and your post is not specifically a Tot School post, your link will be deleted to help Tot School surfing moms.
Please put your tot's age (in months) after it, like this: 1+1+1=1 (41 mos)
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I hate stopping in the middle of the school day to make lunch. Even more than that, I hate to clean up after lunch. When I stumbled upon EasyLunchboxes, I was HOOKED even before they arrived.
This is the main section of our preschool posts-focusing on what we do for our Raising Rock Stars Preschool Curriculum.I am not sharing photos of each part every week, just what I happen to catch! We do the entire unit even if I don’t show it here in the photos!
Our letter this week ~ Xx, our verse: EXcept you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
A view from the floor. I was sitting on the floor working with Krash and looked up and snapped a shot, for those of you who like a peek ;-). We added in BODY books this week to go with X is for X-ray. We also used books focused on Jesus and children.
Krash colors his verse…
He still loves cutting, and was in love with the box and fox cards…first time he really acknowledged rhyming words on his own!!!
He was blown away to find himself in the easy reader ;-)
A little cutting, gluing, and matching for the craft of the week… He was oh-so-thrilled to have this shot taken ;-)
This week Pac helped him tape his verse together…
He did really well this week reading and tracking along with the easy reader on the PowerPoint.
The Power Point lessons are located in the Members Only section. You can see a video here showing a PowerPoint lesson. You can learn more about the Members Only section here. The entire printable unit {everything else you see pictured above} is available for FREE on the main RRSP page…
{A few things that were in his preschool workboxes for the week, not all activities are pictured}
He did one drawing from his Kumon Drawing book this week. This is definitely not his favorite thing, so I don’t push him to do more than one a week for now ;-).
He did #1-7 of our Pom Pom Numbers. He wanted the colors to match {his idea} so we worked together to get them sorted and then figured out which color went on which card {they are self-correcting, as each # is a different color}
We did a few fun letter of the week activities. Here he is doing his very first color-by-number! I was amazed with how well he did and how much he enjoyed this!!!
He did these 3 Letter puzzles and after he finished them we flipped them over and worked on letter sounds together. He still doesn’t grasp the blending part, but he’ll get it soon, no rush!
This is where I share the 3 special open-ended toys that were in our Star Boxes for the week.
Our 3 STAR boxes for the week: Foam ABCs, Wedgits, Lacing Beads {which he literally did not touch all week long}. The letters were the favorite item of the week. He had the brilliant idea to connect them all to make a road for his cars… We did this on more than one day…
Krash likes our Wedgits, but not nearly as much as Ladybug and Pac Man do ;-)
Our game this week was Chutes n Ladders. I must be honest and say this is probably my LEAST favorite children’s game, ever. But, I was a good Mommy and we played every.single.day. I dislike this game because it can go on and on and on and on. 1 chute and you’re history. The boys, however, LOVE this silly game!
This is where I share games, toys, and life experiences that occur outside of our planned preschool time.
Although K hasn’t begun to read on his own yet, he is VERY interested in learning to read. He has all of the readiness signs, and we’re just continuing to work with him. By “we” I mean Pac Man also! P loves to teach and thankfully K loves to be taught sometimes! Here Pac was teaching him in great detail using a book he loves.
Krash loves to explore Ladybug’s Tot Trays ;-p, brings back good memories for him I suppose! I try to challenge him a bit with her trays when he shows interest in them. Here I had him trying to drop the stick in while holding them higher .
$5 for a water hopscotch=two VERY happy boys. Krash loved learning to play hopscotch ;-P {it was from Target}
Be sure to visit Preschool Cornerto see all of the other amazing home-preschool moms!
PS-we are taking this week and next off of preschool so I can get a grip on planning Pac’s 3rd grade lessons, AND we are in major renovation for the new school room mode!! We’ll have a new Raising Rock Stars Preschool lesson released in 2-3 weeks. If you can’t wait…Vv and Yy are already available in the Members Only section {with Nn coming soon}! I plan to share some new Preschool Printables in the next few weeks in place of our weekly RRSP posts ;-).
Do you have a blog post featuring this unit-RRSP Letter Xx? Link your exact post below, choose a thumbnail showing the program in action for your link!
Want to see it closer up? Take a peek in my review/giveaway post and enter to win your very own!!!!! I LOVE my new necklace…and my KIDDOS {my husband rocks too}!
In addition to Ladybug’s 3 trays right now, I am keeping some toys on the floor in the schoolroom for her to play with. I am also changing these out weekly. She LOVES our 
It was impossible to choose just one this week, so here's a few more favorites…
