What We Studied

This post actually documents one break week and one regular week. As we get to May, we find ourselves doing less book work and more outside excursions and field trips. This month has followed that tradition to a tee. To be fair, Arthur has finished his history and science curriculum for the year. We are concentrating on reading everyday, some math review, and various random nature-related activities and craft projects. Quentin has his own stuff, but it’s still fairly limited.

Literature and Poetry

We finished the next-to-last Chronicles of Narnia book. Definitely not my favorite at all. Instead of moving right onto the last book, we have taken a bit of a detour with a fun adventure book featuring a library lock-in.

• The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

• Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

• Too Many Carrots by Katy Hudson

Math

Another week of math games, puzzles, and review. Arthur also did a few projects from the Math and Art book we have.

• Logic Countdown

• The School of Numbers

• Math Art + Drawing Games

Social Studies

We finished our curriculum a few weeks back, but we did work on a map work workbook. We fly through the Grade 2 book.

Arthur Independent Time

To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.

Science and STEAM Coop

For coop, we covered a week of rainbows and prisms and a week of coding.

Art/Music

We did a few free drawing projects based on the Eric Carle books.

• Eric Carle and Friends: What's Your Favorite Color?

Quentin

I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included.

ELA

• Biscuit's Snow Day Race by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit and Friends Visit the Community Garden by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Biscuit and the Big Parade by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Bitsy Bee Goes to School by David A. Carter (q reads)

• Little Cloud by Eric Carle

• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

• The Nonsense Show by Eric Carle

• Eric Carle's Animals Animals

• The Lamb and the Butterfly by Arnold Sundgaard Illustrated by Eric Carle

• Friends by Eric Carle

• Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle (Q Reads)

• Walter the Baker by Eric Carle

• 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle (Q Fave; Arthur Fave)

• 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle (Q Fave)

• Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle

• Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle

• The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle

• Can a Cat Do That? by Eric Carle (Q reads)

• The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle

• Eric Carle and Friends: What's Your Favorite Food?

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Garden Picnic

• Can You Guess Animals with the Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Can You Guess Food with the Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Sleep Tight with The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Can You Guess Animal Sounds with The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Breakfast

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Lunch

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Snowy Hide and Seek

• A Day on the Farm with the Very Hungry Caterpillar

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar's First Winter

• How Does an Egg Hatch? Life Cycles with the Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Happy Birthday from The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Calm with the Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Caterpillar Days of the Week Reader

• LOVE with The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Thanks from The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle

• The Foolish Tortoise by Eric Carle

• Rooster is Off to See the World by Eric Carle

• Hello, Red Fox by Eric Carle

• High Five August 2020

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

• Tinkeractive PreK Math

Other

• Tinkeractive PreK Science

• Busy Day Sticker Book

Field Trip

We got to see a glass blowing demonstration at the local artist collective. The kids were really into watching the demo and they even got a scrap piece of glass to take home. Afterward we toured the rest of the building and looked at the art on display.

On Wednesday, we explored the Wildlife Safari. We haven’t been in two years and last time we went, we couldn’t get out of the car. This time we visited the Wildlife Education Center and even got to spy the wolves in their habitat. We will definitely have to go back soon.

On Friday, we traveled to Lincoln for a full adventure day. We started at the Nebraska History Museum (never been there before) and saw the Bison exhibit before it closed. After a quick lunch, we headed over to the Lincoln Zoo for a fun afternoon. Thankfully the field trip kids were leaving right as we arrived and the crowds became very sparse.

On Monday, we went to the zoo on probably the worst day of the season. It was incredibly hot and the kids complained the entire time. At least we got to see some animals.

On Friday, we hit the park for some free playground time. A friend joined us for a few hours. At least the temperatures had gone back down.

Documentary Selection

We finished Terry Jones’s Medieval Lives series

Misc. Picture Books Read

• If You Ever Want to Bring a Pirate to Meet Santa, DON'T by Elise Parsley

• Odd Dog Out by Rob Biddulph

• Inky's Great Escape by Casey Lyall

• How Do Dinosaurs Stay Friends? by Jane Yolen

• Worm Weather by Jean Taft

• Spring Parade by Camelia Kay

• The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

• Rabbit's Spring Gift by Anita Loughrey

• Animals in Spring by Jenny Fretland VanVoorst

• Party Pigs by Eric Seltzer

• Abracadabra It's Spring! by Anne Sibley O'Brien

• Westward Ho, Charlie Brown! by Charles M. Schulz

• Pterosaur by Jennifer Zeiger

• The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague

High

• I loved our trip to Hot Shops to see the glass blowing demonstration. I might have had more fun than the kids but it was a good day. And we definitely need to check out some of the other events at the collective.

Low

• The heat this week has really gotten to us.

Next Week

We are only around for Monday and Tuesday before heading south for our mini family road trip. Once we get back, we will have another normal week.

Next up on the TBR pile: