More Curriculum Preparation

I have to admit that I'm feeling better about teaching my youngest for Kindergarten. The past couple of days I've been feverishly trying to get everything ready for the start of homeschool next week. Teaching three kids at three different grade levels is certainly daunting but the older two are very independent and I think I've worked out a good schedule to give everyone the time that they need.

Let me tell you about my new addiction. It's file folders. I found this awesome site called http://www.filefolderfun.com/ that lets you print out everything you need to create awesome file folder learning tools. I joined the site last week but they are taking a very long time in approving my membership and I'm a tad bit annoyed. I want to get moving! I have a Kindergardener to teach!

This is Cupcake Count. I bought a huge box of 50 file folders (cheap) to create these.

Tae is able to count the cherries on the cupcakes.

Then match them the numbers up with the cherry count. Tae knows how to do most of this but I wanted something fun for him to get used to these. Our first letter of the week is Cc, so the cupcakes go right along with the letter lesson also.

This is the file folder for hot and cold.

It has two pockets and Tae can sort them into the correct category. The word cold goes along with our first letter Cc also.

I also picked up two math books for him. He really loves workbooks and I've been eyeing the Kumon approach for a few weeks now. We have a Kumon instructor at our church and he gave me a few brochures to look through. I really like their approach but this is the first time I've used it so we shall see how it goes.

I took a trip to Lakeshore Learning again today. Gosh, I could spend hours in that store. They had some great sales with 20% off and with my teacher's discount I got another 15% off non-sale items. I wanted to buy some lined cards for Tae's word wall. I bought some of those as well as some colored lined word wall cards, a journal type book for him that we will place each letter of the alphabet in, some smaller accent cards that we will write numbers on and post on the wall and I got another plan book (as a freebie) that I will either keep for next year or donate.

I have been wanting to make something with pockets to keep his wall words in but this beauty was marked down to $11.00 from $16.00. I don't think I could have made it cheaper so I went ahead and bought it.

I added a Title board and then used the lined cards for his words of the week. The words are from the stories we are reading for the first week as well as beginning with the letter Cc. I don't expect him to know how to spell each of these words but with repetition he will come to recognize many of these. I also left a spot at the end of each word for him to write the word too. Mostly, he'll get the beginning sounds and will recognize a few of the words. He was thrilled to death with this and can't wait to start.

I think Tae is all set to begin his first year. Now to just get going on the fifth and eighth grader before next week. Sigh.