Summer plans!?

We finished Emergency Homeschool at the Lovely Day Academy Friday, May 22. It was a great day. Their school is going to do some virtual activities next week that we will log on, but I’m ready for independent learning. Usually, during the summer, the kids have some camps to attend. That is not the case this year. So...... what are we gonna do!? I still have to work, I am a 12 month educator. Usually, they can go to camps near my place of employment. I did learn that a few activities will be virtual. That’s awesome! Maybe pools will open back up?

This summer, I decided that we will do 2 miles of activity together each day. Skating, biking, walking, or running. It reminded me of a summer when we did the “summer of 100 miles.” An activity I found on Pinterest.

Whatever we do, you can guarantee that Kiwi Co is gonna be right by our side. That is a Christmas gift that keeps on giving. And of course, reading and memorizing math facts will be in full effect. The rest, I’ve gotta plan. I’ll keep you posted on Lovely Day Camp.

Integrating reading: Use your local library

We love our local library. We take advantage of  the activities, free books, and goals they set for summer reading. We are excited for the summer reading program!! Track our reading, bring in our weekly goal sheet for a prize. Sounds good to us. And they are buckets for digging, bugs, and yummy treats. The best part about this trip was that it was Duchess' first trip to the library. She loved it.

Integrating Reading: Fun reads ages 8-12

No matter how old you get, there is nothing better than a good picture book. Here are a few more authors you will fall in love with.

In 1932, James Banning was the first African American to complete a 21 day transcontinental flight.


This book of poems blows my mind. I love them and you will see this again during poetry month. The poems read both up and down, with a different meaning each direction.


Twelve-year old "brother" helps his grandparents keep the family ranch in Oregon when his brothers are away and his father is deployed to Iraq. Such an honest book.


Can chicken pox burst the ninth-grade football team's dream of winning the state championship?

Integrating Phonics: Now I know my ABC's

In just a few weeks, school will begin. Some children are beginning school for the first time. One thing that teachers love for Kindergarten students to understand is the alphabet. Even though children need to recognize the letters of the alphabet for first and second grade reading achievement, children do not need to know all of the letters in any particular order before they begin learning to read or write.
Dorothy Strickland in "Teaching Phonics Today: Word Study Strategies Through the Grades," states, “The best practice is to help children identify letters and numbers in an enjoyable way as they acquire the broader concepts about print and books they will need as a foundation for literacy:
-Focus on letters that have special meaning for children, such as the letters in their own names.
-Teach the alphabet song
-Read alphabet books on a regular basis and make them available for children to look at on their own.
-Make simple picture dictionaries available.
-Help children make an individual alphabet book.

For older children struggling readers, the same general phonics principals apply for teaching older grades. Application is key. You have to model and do things that are age appropriate. When students learn bad reading habits by the 4th grade, modeling is important to reteach.

Of course, if you google ABC books, you get 9,000,000, but here are a few of my favorite.
This is a wonderful transfer to begin to look for letters in the world around you.
What kindergartener, first, or second grader doesn't know the song that goes with this story? I am sure that your child has or will come home with a tree and the letters of his/her name on the side.
Another great transfer to find items that begin with a certain letter each day.
As you focus on a letter of the day, why not eat a fruit or vegetable that begins with that letter?
She has become one of my favorite baby authors. (From The Going to bed board book).


Many of these authors are getting smart and making them into board books as well as regular books. My 2 1/2 year old reads from both. I teach her early on how to handle and treat books. Don't be afraid to start buying paper back books for your toddlers. Read those to them and put them in a magazine holder up high and keep the board books for their "reading time" alone.

Reference: IRA-www.reading.org