kindergarten

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FIAR Vol. 1 – Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

I went ahead and splurged on the treasury edition that has 4 of Virginia Lee Burton’s classic stories. We’ve borrowed it from the library enough that it was time to add it to our home library. The kids love this story and the personification of Mary Anne the steam shovel. They could help me finish the repetitive lines throughout by the end of the week, and my 5 year old even wanted to say the little boy’s lines when we got to them. He said them from memory and wasn’t too far off from the text.

We went on a train ride the last day of the week with my sister, to experience what a real steam engine would be like. Alas, it was pulled by a diesel, but the conductor had a side by side illustration of a diesel and a steam so we could see the differences. It was a super fun experience for the kiddos regardless, especially trying to walk around while it was moving and going between cars. We’re also blessed to live close a river and there used to be a canal running alongside the river throughout our side of the state. Sunday afternoon, we visited a museum with all sorts of artifacts of the time of the canal and the river boat culture.

Social Studies

“Superpower” has amazingly detailed pen drawings of steam trains and the various engineering aspects of it. We spent a lot of time inspecting the pictures, but the text was very much beyond our abilities. “Creekfinding” was a really great true story about a man who re-wilds a farm, describing the process of restoring a creek that ran through it, enough for trout to thrive again. I recently took an EPA class on wetlands so this really checked some boxes for me – wetlands are amazing!

Art

These books are very cool, even though my kiddos don’t have the skills to draw with this kind of detail or sight. It’s valuable to see the stages of a drawing, from simple shapes to gradual adding of details and then definition and bolder markings. I almost always learn something more about art when we do these exercises and read these books.

Science

“Engineer it!” books are awesome! They are “super simple” and, practically, would be great for older elementary. My kids just don’t have the skills yet to do this kind of stuff on their own, but my engineering-minded 5 year old was really inspired just looking at the pictures.

“Make Way for Animals!” was such a neat read! All about wildlife crossing of various kinds across the world. These kinds of books awaken your mind to problems that you would never know existed unless you were right there dealing with it. We’ve been thinking of all kinds of crossings that could be implemented when we’re out driving and what animals they would serve.

This week’s poem is a classic, The Song of the Engine:

When you travel on the railways,
And the line goes up a hill,
Just listen to the engine,
As it pulls you with a will,
Though it goes so very slowly
It sings this little song,
“I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN,”
And so it goes along.

But later on the journey,
When you’re going down a hill,
The train requires no pulling,
And the engine’s singing still,
If you listen very quietly,
You will hear this little song,
“I THOUGHT I COULD. I THOUGHT I COULD!”
And so it speeds along.

“The Song of the Engine” by Christine Weatherly

Disclaimer: This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.

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FIAR Vol. 1 – Who Owns the Sun?

This book was a little too much for my kiddos, and not for the content, but for the amount of words. I try to read our weekly book while the kids are eating breakfast. My 3 year old always speeds through her food, but even though my 5 yr old takes his time, they were both getting antsy before I finished reading. The subject matter, however, did bring a lot of discussion, as did the other books I found to enhance our week. My only complaint is that it was written by a young white girl and not in “own voice.” But, I found plenty of books to balance that so my kids could hear about this history of our country from people who had it in their own families. It is very important to me and there are so many books available out there that I have no excuse to not include them.

Social Studies

We used “The Drinking Gourd” as our first chapter read aloud, reading three chapters one night before bed and the next three the following night. My 5 year old recognizes the Big Dipper constellation already, so he was pretty interested. We skimmed through “The U.S. Civil War” book picking up highlights and details and then tied in “Before She was Harriet” to talk about life before, during, and after the war. “Show Way” was awesome! We actually saved it for our Language Arts day and it tied in with the storytelling through piece quilts that we learned while Rowing “The Rag Coat.”

Art

We skimmed through this book to see how artists will draw a picture in stages – photograph source, straight lines or circles for framing, light sketching, and then filling in more detail until complete. Lots of great pictures and things to talk about.

Science

Simple Machines are so much fun and I learned right along with the kids about some daily things we all use and what type of simple machine they are. We did a quick run-through on our favorite and least favorite things of different seasons, and our five senses. I am hoping that someday, my kids will look at the food I put on their plates and realize that each piece plays some part of building a healthy body. Until then, PBJ sandwiches it is! (actually, my kids are great with fruit, so I’m calling that a win for now)

Additional Books:

I thought I was doing a really great job at balancing stories of historic slavery and biographies of diverse people doing really awesome things and also just living lives like our family. Kids connect information in wonky ways sometimes though, and my 5 year old saw a picture of a modern Jamaican man and said, “Oh, Mommy. He has dark skin so he was enslaved.”

Yipes. So, we had to have a quick talk about how people with dark skin live and move all over the planet and that not everyone with dark skin has themselves (or in their family history) been a slave, and U.S. chattel slavery was a long time ago. I’m glad that I also borrowed these books from the library so we can see black people living their full lives, overcoming adversity of all kinds, and NOT just as enslaved people in the 1800s.

I struggled finding a poem this week for us to memorize. My kiddos are little and don’t understand a lot of poetic symbolism. They also can’t memorize something too long. I decided to stick with the sun theme for this week.

Stand with your back
to the shining sun;
watch your shadow
dance and run.

Stand and face
the shining sun;
look ahead –
your shadow’s gone!

“Shadows” by Judith Nicholls

Disclaimer: This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.

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FIAR Vol. 1- The Rag Coat

I skimmed through this book the week before we were to read it. I wish I had read it thoroughly, although I don’t think that would have mattered. By the time I reached the end, I had to ask my kiddos to give me a minute to compose myself to finish reading. What a tender, tender story! I just learned that there is a named “movement” in the world called “death positivity.” I didn’t know it was a named thing, but I definitely find value in talking about the reality of death with my kiddos. I don’t sugarcoat it, but I try to explain things at an appropriate comprehension for them. Neither of them appear to be scarred by discussing the topic. All that to say that I might need to use a recorded read-aloud for the rest of the week; I can’t keep crying during storytime!

Social Studies

These Foxfire books are so neat! A collection of a periodical of the same name, there is so much in these books with information, culture, old photos – if my kiddos were a little older I think they would have spent hours poring over these pages.

We used this books as an opportunity to learn about topographical maps and marveled at how the mountains look like wrinkles on the map.

Art

This was a great little book to go along with our “facial expressions” lesson. Simple step-by-step guide to drawing facial features and a handful of emotions. I used a dry erase board and the kids marveled at how emotions could be changed just by different mouth and eyebrow placement.

We took a trip to Honeygram’s (my mother) for some quilting learning. The kids were able to pick out 4 pieces of fabric that meant something to them and then we encouraged them to think of a memory that tied back to the particular piece. That was a little challenging for a 3 and 5 year old, but we came up with some good stories to go with our mini-quilts.

Math

I initially selected “The All-Together Quilt” for Language Arts day, but as I read it, we found that it fit much better in the math section.

A group at a community center all pitch in to select fabric, cut them to size, choose pattern, and sew together a beautiful quilt to donate to the local library.

Science

We read these books and then the kiddos watched a series of YouTube videos on coal mining in old Appalachia, how the cotton gin worked, and how cotton is grown, harvested, and processed today.

Additional Books:

We got Dolly Parton’s book through her Imagination Library and it must have been a common thing to piece a quilted coat together in Appalachia. This story was easier for my 3 year old to swallow, as the father survives in her story.

“Good People Everywhere” talks about how all sorts of people in a community do all sorts of good things – some we see and some we don’t until we need their help. This was a good bedtime read aloud.

I looked for books in my master list that talked about community and gifts, and these two popped up. I love a good nature picture book and since we don’t live anywhere near a desert, “Saguaro’s Gifts” was a very good read. “Catch That Chicken!” is about a little girl who is so fast at catching chickens, but she learns a better way than being fast through the advice of her family and community members. My 5 year old especially liked this book because it is a Vox book and he can listen to it without me having to read it for him.

I borrowed these books because they were about community and clothing, however, I chose not to read them to my kiddos this time. “Ogilvy” was a little confusing as the bunny kept changing what he called his outfit based on what he would be allowed to do that day with the group. It wouldn’t have made much sense to my kids. “The Most Beautiful Village in the World” was a truly sweet book of a child and his father going to market in Afghanistan. I could have read it to the kids and skipped the last page, but I don’t like to leave things out of stories. The author wrote this story to talk about a village wiped out from war. We have talked about war before, but I decided that The Rag Coat had enough heavy, sad topics in it that we could avoid the subject of war until another time. What I find most fascinating about it is that the author/illustrator is Japanese and this was translated into English.

I found another short rhyme from my Mother Goose book to fit the topic this week:

Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye,
And a long tail which she let fly;
And every time she went through a gap,
A bit of her tail she left in a trap.

“A Needle and Thread” from Mother Goose

Disclaimer: This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.

Complete Book List:

FIAR Vol. 1 – A Pair of Red Clogs
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FIAR Vol. 1 – A Pair of Red Clogs

Our library didn’t have this book in their registry, but they ordered it for me to have on hand. What a place! I thought the text might be a little long and involved for my littles, but they have been very interested in the story. It doesn’t hurt that I have a strong connection to Japan, having lived there for a year back in 2008 to teach English with a church. I have also made it a point to take the kids to the only true Japanese restaurant that is local and familiarize them with the food, culture, and language.

Can I share something funny? You get spam calls a lot, right? I get them all the time and I got tired of answering them just to have them start rattling them off whatever pitch they have. So, about a year ago, I started answering my phone in Japanese if I didn’t recognize the number. It’s been a very fun and beautiful thing. They have no idea what to make of it. And, bonus, my kiddos often holler out, “konnichiwa!” whenever my phone rings. It has only backfired a couple times when it’s a doctor’s office or some other official call. Usually they laugh with me when I explain what is going on.

Social Studies

I love seeing pictures of Japan in these books and reading familiar words – testing out my katakana (one of the syllabaries) again. [My 5 yr old pointed to a “conbini” (convenient store) sign and asked what it said. I sounded out the katakana and realized it was “ta-ba-ko” (cigarettes).] I remember very little wildlife when I was living there beyond birds and insects, except when I was out in the country or visiting Hiroshima. But the kids were delighted with the pictures of snow monkeys in the hot springs.

Art

The crafts in this book are so fun and neat! We are looking forward to trying some others throughout, but I think we will do the Japanese-style tie-dye this time around. Simple supply lists and cultural tie-ins without appropriation for the win!

Math

This book was a little over our level as we have barely handled our numbers and counting and small grouping problems. This book asked us to practice subtracting and adding double-digit numbers. I would have done it a little differently, had I taken the time to read the book ahead (mom win!).

Science

We have read “Boy, Were We Wrong About the Weather!” once before, but it’s always a good time to revisit a book. For better or for worse, the 3 year old’s takeaway was to go through the house saying, “Boy, were we wrong!” to just about everything happening. I loved learning about meteorology when I was younger and I’m still fascinated with weather. I met a local weather man celebrity when I was a kid through Girl Scouts and it made a big impression on me.

Additional Books:

“Red Sky at Night” was a very easy read, but the illustrations are beautiful and picking through the sayings made us have to take our time. This book is filled with phrases used to “predict” the weather. At the back of the book, the author lists all the phrases and shares a brief explanation and whether it’s accurate or not. I read a few phrases I had forgotten hearing from my grandparents!

These books were super sweet stories, and all over the interests. Niki Nakayama is a biography of a professional Japanese-American chef. Natsumi’s Song of Summer is about cousins sharing a love of insects. And Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin is about a little girl wanting to carry the legacy of her ojichan (grandpa), a concert violinist. Another favorite book centering Japanese culture was “Ojichan’s Gift” also by Chieri Uegaki but we didn’t reread it this time around.

Here is a fun poem I found for this week. Even more special, my mom shared that she had memorized this poem when she was in 1st grade:

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

“Who Has Seen the Wind?” Christina Rossetti

Disclaimer: This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.

Complete Book List:

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FIAR Vol. 1 – How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

This book is all sorts of silly. We decided to do this one a little out of order from the curriculum so that it would time nicely with local apple harvest. We have a local orchard that, while we can’t pick them from the trees, we can peruse several varieties and pick up honey and other yummy treats. They make a mean cider too! I am excited to try making an apple pie with the kiddos – we will be having a family reunion this weekend and it will be fun to make something to share with everyone. I also took the many travels of the girl as an opportunity to learn the names of the continents.

Social Studies

These books provide just enough information to be interesting for my 5 yr old without overwhelming him. We also enjoyed making the flags for Italy and France and marveled at how similar they were to each other! The library didn’t have the book on Sri Lanka in, so I found this book about cinnamon.

I think the kids were “geography”d out, so I stretched out this part over the whole week. We picked a new destination book for each day and that was still a little too much for the kids, but they are pretty little. I’m just real glad that I got the names of the continents in their vocabulary and hope to cement those in their minds.

Math

These books actually tied in real well with math this week. Who Knew? introduced sequencing as each wild animal group learns that Fall has come now. Bob and Pup-Pup are a good tie-in for baking practices and learning about measurements – however, there are no measurements mentioned in the book. We also found a video on YouTube of a guy showing how to bake an apple pie. My 5 year old has recently discovered baking videos, including the mini-chef videos, and was captivated.

Science

We were all set to make some apple pies today as our science lesson, but I have a sinus infection and just was not up for it. But we reviewed what foods are fruits and what are vegetables and where do they grow (under the ground, above the ground, on trees or bushes, etc). There was a fun experiment in the STEM book about growing broccoli flowers, so I think we’ll try that next week. The Fresh Produce Guide book was a gift from my mom from a nearby intl market called Jungle Jims. It’s quite the store and I highly recommend the Fairfield one if you’re ever in the Cincinnati area. This guide lists which produce is grown/available in which seasons, how to store it, prepare it, what it pairs well with, what spices to use with it, and the general nutrition facts. I use this book more than I ever thought I would.

Additional Books

These books were very helpful in establishing map intelligence and the life cycle of an apple. We did an apple study last year through Treehouse Schoolhouse but it’s always helpful to repeat lessons, especially with my little little ones. Me on the Map was fun and helped us imagine ourselves on the map. When I was in 7th grade, I told my social studies teacher that I wanted to be a cartographer when I grew up. She disdainfully told me that everything had been discovered and we wouldn’t need mapmakers anymore. I believed her. But now, I know that map skills are still immensely valuable. It means a lot to me to be able to hear the name of a place and be able to find it on a map because I have cultivated that skill. I hope my kiddos have the same knowledge as they get older.

Here is a fun poem I found for memory work this week, “If I Were an Apple”:

If I were an apple
And grew upon a tree,
I think I’d fall down
On a good boy like me.
I wouldn’t stay there
Giving nobody joy;
I’d fall down at once
And say, “Eat me, my boy.”

Anonymous

Disclaimer: This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.

Complete Book List: