100th Post! First Day Back to School

It was really nice taking a Christmas break, but I was pretty ready to get back to the routine of school. My kids definitely need structured stuff to do each day. When they're left to their own devices they're more likely to argue with each other and generally run around crazy. So, back to school!

I don't actually do official "school" with Joe. I just have different fun activities for him to do that help him learn a skill, too. He has a baggie with pony beads and pipe cleaners to help him learn colors and patterns, as well as helping with fine motor skills. He also has a bag with colored glass pebbles that he uses to sort and count and make patterns. In the pictures here, he has out his scissors and paper to cut. I drew lines -- squiggly, straight, curved, jagged -- on half sheets of paper and he uses those to practice cutting. He starts at one end, and cuts toward the shape (flower, heart, cloud, star, etc.) at the other end.






Katie is doing her handwriting -- she starts cursive soon! And in the other picture she's finishing up reading Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride. She's also reading Aesop's Fables today, and learning a bit about Australia.