I love a bargain! I also love thinking of things on the fly! Yesterday evening we took a trip to Target to get a few needed items for our house. As always, I had to check out the $ bin! I was excited to see some more materials perfect for Lovely and Val to use in our classroom (man, $1 bins can get ADDICTIVE. I'd better pace myself!).
Maybe your Target has these too, but they had GREAT magnetic numbers with signs too for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
I noticed a few aisles away there was a $5 magnetic white board with marker. I was wanting to get a little white board to write things on as needed for Lovely (or let her draw on) and my wheels started clicking - instead of plain white board, why not pay a few dollars more for a magnetic board and then get the numbers/signs to put on the board too? Lovely could do all sorts of problems hands on. I got 2 sets of numbers so we could do double digits too:
 |
| We won't put so many problems on there, this was just to show the pieces. I think the subtraction sign doubles as a fraction bar - it is so long - or visa versa. |
With the white board - we can draw the additional signs (or Lovely can) as needed (like I did above). Hopefully this can make math more fun, or just be good practice. It's portable too!
I saw the $1 bin also had magnetic letters. It dawned on me - there was one thing missing from the toddler kit I wanted for Val - letters. I wanted to find something she could use for exposure if Lovely and I were busy that had her playing with letters. Why not get a new set (I have some on my fridge, but many are missing) for $1 and keep them in her kit and let her use them on the magnetic board too during school time?
I'm totally making all this up - I have no idea how successful these ideas will play out - but it seemed like something could work? At any rate, we can also make simple words on the board (or write them too) with Lovely and Val.
I spent the rest of my evening organizing my The Well Trained Mind (link on sidebar) to help me find needed tips fast as well as the state requirement packet I have simply to keep a running tab as I make records for the state. I feel more relaxed now about starting Monday. My plans are coming together. I have so many living books, games, activities, and 'out and about' learning ideas I can't wait to do, with some book based literature to help me stay on track, thanks to the tips and lists in the pic below. I'm getting really excited!!!
I'll try to post later today or this weekend our tentative schedule - which things we'll do every day, or twice a week, etc. Then....bring on Monday!! 1st day!!!!!
$ for your thoughts? :)
.jpg)
.JPG)
what great ideas!! We love the $ spot! Great place to get a I did well shopping reward, buy grandparents a little something from the kids (my kids love buying stuff for their grandparents because their grandparents always spoil them).
ReplyDeleteGood luck on Monday!
I love the dollar bins, too. Do be very careful with giving Val the letters and numbers. Years ago I got a set of magnets like that for Madeline at a yard sale and later that night she had entire letter (I think it was a capital D or R) stuck in her mouth. She was about 2 years old at the time. After that incident we got the Leap Frog Fridge Phonics magnets and never had an incident with them. I'd keep those letters and numbers under lock and key when you aren't doing lessons simply because you have two little ones in the house.
ReplyDeleteKaren - that is a GREAT idea and point! Val has never been an oral exploring kid (none of my girls have been...it has been ODD) so I sometimes don't think that way for the girls. But, with our son - we could be in big trouble - I hear they are much more into things. It should be kept high and dry when he's around. I'll make sure to do that!
ReplyDeleteyou sure you don't wanna homeschool this year? :)
I still think homeschooling would be right for us this year but Madeline wants to finish out the elementary school (it's K-4 there) and I'm already $450 into Ellie's tuition. I could have brought the core curriculum from CHC for both girls and had money left over for a fraction of what I'm paying to send Ellie to school this year. Actually, her tuition could cover both kids doing Seton's program for about three and a half years. I'm going to take this year to do some serious research and hopefully make a few local homeschooling contacts. I currently know one family in our parish that homeschool.
ReplyDeleteOn the letter magnets. Madeline was never a kid to put stuff in her mouth and then out of nowhere she shoved a letter in her mouth. I'm always on the look out for choking hazards.
Karen, let me know what your research finds. Oh - what do you think of CHC? Do you like the whole bundle, all subjects? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for choking...you are right. I don't want to "eat my words" (aside from the pun, it is NO laughing matter) and have to live with that...so I really appreciate it!!!