A Look at Leaves

Okay I am going to keep this post honest (not that I am not honest in the others). Maybe a better term would be keep it real. This school week was one that was all planned out one way and really just didn't go the way I had planned. First I have an almost two year old and almost three year old. For those who have gone through the twos and threes I don't need to explain anymore. Sometimes they are super cooperative. And, well, sometime they are just not! This week...not so much. Second our youngest has a lot of medical needs. He has been with us for just two months and we have already had 35 appointments for him. This week alone we had 5. Thank goodness we home school. Otherwise Ava would be late or miss preschool all the time just trying to fit our little guys schedule around hers! We had to fit school time in at odd times this week. It started on Sunday afternoon, happened throughout the week, and we finally finished the weeks plans Friday night! So glad its a new week and we get to give it another go!

This week we took a look at leaves and explored why they change colors and fall off the trees each fall. In our math series, Ava, is continuing to practice numeral recognition and working hard on mastering writing her numbers. In reading she has really taken off. She tries to read anything and everything put in front of her! Her reading lessons are really clicking and she is currently having fun reading her way through the first Bob Book series as well as the classic Sally, Dick, and Jane books.

Here is a glimpse at our not so smooth home schooling week! 

Ava and Dominic took some time to observe the colors of fall right in our front year. They then had to paint what they saw. 

Daddy took the kids on a leaf hunt. Ava was very excited to share all the beautiful leaves she found. We examined them closely and discovered that leaves have veins and teeth (that function differently than us of course!) We read some great non-fiction books that helped to explain why the leaves change colors and fall of the tree each year.

In her journal, Ava reflected on how she used her senses as she hunted for leaves. She illustrated her thoughts and dictated what to write. 

The sensory table was filled with sticks, leaves, acorns, and buckeyes. 

One of the center activities was to count dots on a leaf and place the leaf in the correctly labeled section of the tray. Ava worked on numbers 9-13 this week. 

Dominic worked on strengthening his fine motor skills with a beading activity.

Another art activity we worked on was a hand print fall tree. I helped the kids create the trunk and branches of the tree by painting their hand and arm and pressing it on the paper. They used a sponge and brush to create the leaves. 

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Ava worked on making a collage with some of the leaves she found. 

Another center activity was working with opposite cards. 

Dominic practiced using the scissors.