Preschool Week of January 7, 2011

This was our first full week of school for 2011. It went very well, and Crumpet was very focused and interested, which meant that we completed all of our work in about half an hour a day. Some days, the same amount of work can take 3 hours. The break was a good thing!
It was pretty much the same ole same ole stuff this week.
Phonics: Reading is going well. I have decided not to ask Crumpet to memorize the McRuffy spelling words for now. They are getting difficult, and I think he's too young. We do the games with the words - making up rhymes, changing a letter here and there, etc., but I think we'll use a real spelling program in a year or two.
Science: This week's McRuffy science unit was about the seasons. There wasn't a lot of detail, so we had a thorough discussion about seasons while we were driving somewhere, and called it good!
Math: Much of math was review this week. It was interesting to see which things Crumpet knew well, and which things he needed help with. It was the absolute opposite of what I would have expected. Good thing I didn't skip any units as I had planned to! We did get to do a lesson on weight, which Crumpet was excited about. I bought a scale for school when it was on sale, and Crumpet has been desperate to use it. We spent quite a bit of time weighing Star Wars figures and comparing heavy vs. light objects... (yes, it was early and he looks like he needs coffee in this picture!)
We also spent some time working on puzzles this week. Crumpet still has no idea of how to go about putting a puzzle together. I do it very logically, so the fact that he doesn't even look at the piece before he starts trying to squash it into place drives me crazy. The idea of 'edge piece' seems to be completely beyond him. So... I think we'll be doing more puzzles in the weeks to come. :)

We visited the zoo and the beach this week. But the big news is that there has been a magical transformation in Crumpet this week. Playing with other kids has always been difficult for him. Most play dates end in tears or angry words. This week, though, he has spent many hours on the playground, playing with big gangs of boys, and there has been no trouble. He has spent many hours at the neighbor's house, and my neighbor swears he has behaved well, and there have been no arguments. I have no idea how long this will last, and I spend all of my time wondering what to do with myself while he is at his friend's house, but for now it is wonderful...

Have a great week! For more preschool posts, visit Homeschool Creations!