Monday Morning Material: Painting with Corn Syrup and Other Fun Mediums

Good Monday! This week we will continue our learning with some fun paint mediums.

Corn Syrup painting is pretty easy, you just add a bit of food color to a few http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftablespoons of corn syrup and paint on paper. I recommend velum or something like it for painting. Max paper might also work. The paint if dry with a shiny surface.

Natural Dye Painting-
The kids will experiment with natural dyes like beets, blueberry and either fruits/vegetables to make a base dye for painting. We will crush the fruit/herb/veggies and then add a little bit if water and cornstarch to make a finger paint.

Milk Paint

Glitter Paint- Mix glitter into paint and brush onto surface

Try something new with the kids and see how it works, all kids love to paint, so give it a try.

Exchange Everday Article

Every few days I take a moment to read through my Exchange Everyday email articles, and this one arrived today.

Your Image of the Child
July 21, 2011

Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth.
-Shirley Chisholm
Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach, focused attention on the images teachers have of the children in their care. In his Exchange article, "Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching Begins," which is included in the new digital Exchange Essential, "Inspiring Practices - Part 1," he observed...

"There are hundreds of different images of the child. Each one of you has inside yourself an image of the child that directs you as you begin to relate to a child. This theory within you pushes you to behave in certain ways; it orients you as you talk to the child, listen to the child, observe the child. It is very difficult for you to act contrary to this internal image. For example, if your image is that boys and girls are very different from one anot her, you will behave differently in your interactions with each of them.

"The environment you construct around you and the children also reflects this image you have about the child. There's a difference between the environment that you are able to build based on a preconceived image of the child and the environment that you can build that is based on the child you see in front of you — the relationship you build with the child, the games you play. An environment that grows out of your relationship with the child is unique and fluid."

Electric Company

Hey Guys and Gals you might want to check out the new Electric Company if you are reviewing reading skills, my kids have really enjoyed the show. We also printed out the teacher manual, and worksheets for further review, it is a nice way to stay cool on this hot day.

If you have netflix instant it is available. You can also watch the show on pbs, if you get pbs.

Electric Company Episode Descriptions

If you google Electric Company PBS you will find the parent and teacher guides.

Montessori Ideas: Stamping Spelling

So, to get out of the house for a bit and also search for a few new books, I decided to take a trip to our local Salvation Army. I picked up books as usual, a basket for those books and after eye balling a box of alphabet stamps, I purchased them.
I can see the kids, who already love stamping, creating words with the stamps.

One of the activities we try and cover 2-3 days a week is spelling. We don't do the write it ten times way of spelling, mainly we practice spelling outloud, writing on a chalkboard and working through words they want to spell. Our new stamps will also allow us to create captions for comics, birthday and holidays cards, not to mention spelling fun.

I also found book ends with a cork board end- these will be used for our push pin spiral cards. These cards are like walking the spiral or a hand labrynth, the kids will push the pins into the cork, moving around the sprial. An added bonus- if they are stuck on learning a new word, have them repeat the word as they walk, or move around the spiral. You gotta love the brain-body connection.

Tuesday Food Day- Homemade Bread, Raspberries

We are getting back into the swing of things, and today, after lessons were done we made bread. It is baking as I type, and I can't wait to slice into it. Two loaves of white. Yummy!

In the next few weeks, we will learn about the science of food. It should be a tasty exploration.

Currently in our garden we are enjoying raspberries.

This is why I love homeschooling year round, we get to learn within the growing season. The girls have watched as the raspberries ripened, what "everbearing" fruit is, and why ants can be helpful to the berries.

What are learning about?

UU Parenting Resources

I came across some great resources at our church, one of which, was a list of suggested resources for families. I haven't personally read these, so please be aware that while these look promising, you may want to see if you can borrow any of these from your church or local library.

UU resource suggestions for families
The Intentional Family: How to Build Family Ties in Our Modern World
Doherty, Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The War Against Parents
Hewlett, Sylvia Ann and Cornel West

Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting
Kabat-Zinn, Myla and Jon

Small Wonder
Fitzpatrick, Jean Grasso

**The Parent Trilogy:Three Programs for UU Parents and Other Adults
Morriss, Makanah and David MacPherson, Roberta and Chris Nelson**
This may be very useful, and I plan to either borrow this or purchase it.