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Ten Favorite Living Books for First Grade

October 29, 2018February 16, 2019 nourishedchildren Leave a comment

Ten Favorite Living Books for First Grade

First, we discuss the definition of living books. Then, we explore the significance of why we choose living books for educating our children. Next, read on for our favorite living books, so far, by subject. Finally, I list resources. Also, if you are interested in learning more about Charlotte Mason education in general, I list more information about her educational philosophy at the bottom.

Living books definition

In Parents and Children, Charlotte Mason says:

“They must grow up upon the best. There must never be a period in their lives when they are allowed to read or listen to twaddle or reading-made-easy. There is never a time when they are unequal to worthy thoughts, well put; inspiring tales, well told.” (Mason, Vol. 2)

Living books are becoming more of a known idea. According to Living Books Library, living books contain “literary power, ideas, virtuosity, inspiration, narrative, imagination, and span generations.”

This is a great podcast describing more about living books.
Ambleside online also describes living books in this article here.

Why choose living books?

Charlotte Mason states:

“Therefore, the selection of their first lesson-books is a matter of grave importance, because it rests with these to give children the idea that knowledge is supremely attractive and that reading is delightful.” (Mason, Vol. 1)

Our favorite living books are the kind that make my son request chapter after chapter, or section after section, after we have read our portion for school time. They are the type of books that allow him to retain the facts, details, and storyline, often many days, or even a week, after we have read it. I can ask him to tell what he heard me read, and although sometimes he doesn’t feel like giving me a narration, he often surprises me to the extent of what he remembers. A living book allows learning to take place; not just learning is happening though, a lifelong love of learning is also fostered.

NOW FOR THE RECOMMENDED BOOKS…

LIVING BOOKS

I have always had a love affair with books. Books introduced me to various lands and lives that I otherwise would have not encountered. Books offered me refuge and respite when I needed it as I was growing up. It was easy to get lost in a good story. I’m so thankful to share this love of great literature with my children too.

TEN FAVORITE LIVING BOOKS FOR FIRST GRADE

Geography

Children of Foreign Lands – This book is a collection of stories written about children living in foreign lands. There are eight different countries included, and the illustrations are amazing. Both of my children are captivated by the stories, therefore, this book comes highly recommended.

History

D’Aulaire Biography Book Set – We have read Leif the Lucky and Columbus so far. My oldest son really pays attention to these stories (even when I think he may not be listening). Beautiful Feet Books sells the biography pack, and they are a better price when they are on sale.

Natural history

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children – This may be my oldest son’s all time favorite collection of stories. If I had allowed it, I’m sure we would have read through the entire chapter book in one sitting. Each story is written about a different animal, and told from the perspective of the town veterinarian. The illustrations that go with the stories capture my son’s interest. Also, my youngest son is sure to cuddle us with us while we are reading this book.

Tommy Smith’s Animals – Another book in this series was used in Charlotte Mason’s day. After reading a bit about recommended ages, I decided to begin with Tommy Smith’s Animals. This book hit the nail on the head, and my son is captivated. The story is about a young boy who is not kind to animals. After having a meeting to discuss what should be done about Tommy Smith, the animals settle on encountering with him one by one. They teach them about themselves, and encourage Tommy to respect the animals.

Literature

Aesop’s Fables for Children – I have to really slow down reading these to my son, because he wants to read ALL of the fables! I have two versions of this book since we love it so much. We also love this one for the illustrations.

Read alouds

Heidi – First, we watched Heidi on netflix during one weekend where we had been very physically active. My son was super interested when I then told him we had the chapter book of Heidi. My husband’s mother had a collection of classic books, which my husband inherited. I’m so grateful to share these rich stories with my children in our free time.

Boxcar Children – My oldest son especially is fond of trains. From the time he was two, he was building wooden train sets and configuring them in different ways. He loves taking train rides, and hearing train stories. So, naturally, reading the Boxcar Children was a good fit for my family. I have great memories of reading the Boxcar Children series when I was growing up, and its fun to re-read them with my boys.

Billy and Blaze – I first saw these books at a Christian bookstore in Homestead Heritage Farms. After browsing through a few books, I knew my horse-loving son would love these books. So, I purchased this series, and my youngest son just loves them too!

Charlotte’s Web – Growing up, I loved the book and movie Charlotte’s Web. My son has seen the movies on netflix, and we have read the chapter book many times through together. The first time we read it aloud, he was four. I clearly remember him almost in tears when after reading one chapter, when I wanted to end the reading until the next day. He loves it so much!

Poetry

When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six – We began afternoon poetry readings before we started our official first year of school. I can remember being shocked at how both of my boys asked for more poetry after reading a couple of poems from this book. The illustrations are delightful. We have also enjoyed Winnie the Pooh together, and this collection of poems by the same author, A. A. Milne, is a great book to add to your rich read aloud collection.

Drawing

Brush Drawing Course – While this is not a living book, I wanted to include it here because my son loves art. This has been a great practice in learning basic brush drawing, or watercolor, technique. We thoroughly enjoy this time together, because we are completing the lessons side by side and are learning together.

GENERAL CHARLOTTE MASON RESOURCES

A Charlotte Mason Soiree Educator Courses (free and amazing!)
A Charlotte Mason Soiree Facebook Support/Discussion Group
Charlotte Mason’s Home Education Volume 1
Volume 2 Charlotte Mason’s Parents and Children
Charlotte Mason’s School Education Volume 3
A Delectable Education Scheduling Cards
Another Delectable Education Curriculum Templates

LIVING BOOKS RESOURCES

A nice living book sample list by Simply Charlotte Mason.
Living Books Library describes what living books are.
Five Ways to Find Living Books from Simply Charlotte Mason.
A Delectable Education podcast on Living Books.

OUR PICKS

I’m sharing these here because these are my son’s FAVORITES. He always asks for more when we pick these books up!

Also, check out these previous blog posts in the series:

Thank you so much for checking in! Finally, please stay tuned for the next ‘A Charlotte Mason Subject Lesson’ post.

Homeschool Preschool Supplies List

All of the quotes mentioned in this blog post, come from Home Education by Charlotte Mason. The Living Press published my favorite version of her books. Finally, I TRULY recommend any parent read Charlotte Mason’s books! They are truly treasured words I believe I will be reading and re-reading for many years to come.

9 Great Literature Books for Elementary Student

A Charlotte Mason Literature Lesson

June 26, 2018September 1, 2018 nourishedchildren Leave a comment

A Charlotte Mason Literature Lesson

First, I explain why I’m focusing subject by subject. Also, I include Charlotte Mason quotes because I find her original lectures on education to be SO inspiring and helpful.

Next, please keep reading to see the break down of implementing lessons, the schedule, and resources I’m using that fit our family. Finally, I share the wealth of quality Charlotte Mason resources I have found helpful, from those mothers who have gone before me.

PREPARING THE FEAST

“Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests.” (Mason, vol. 3)

There are MANY subjects included in a Charlotte Mason education because she believed in spreading a wide feast. Sometimes, it feels a bit daunting for a new homeschooling mama. Therefore, I’m attempting to learn, digest, and absorb how I’m going to be teaching each subject. I have decided to compose a blog post on each subject for Form 1B (roughly First Grade). This will help me prepare to teach my oldest son in the Fall.

“The mind feeds on ideas, and therefore children should have a generous curriculum.” (Mason, vol. 1)

A Charlotte Mason Literature Lesson

WHAT

FAIRY TALES

Albert Einstein said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read more fairy tales.”

Since I’m homeschooling my son for the first time this Fall, I focus first on a Charlotte Mason Literature Lesson for a very young Elementary student. It is recommended to cover three Fairy Tales per term. Since there are three terms per year in a Charlotte Mason education, you should cover about nine Fairy Tales per year. In addition, you should read three Fables per term. This also adds up to nine Fables per year.

“But let them have tales of the imagination, scenes laid in other lands and other times, heroic adventures, hairbreadth escapes, delicious fairy tales in which they are never roughly pulled up by the impossible–even where all is impossible, and they know it, and yet believe.” (Mason, vol. 1)

WHAT WE ARE USING

I’m choosing to use the Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. We also have Grimm’s Fairy Tales since this and Anderson’s Fairy Tales were recommended on the official schedule for a beginning student. Additionally, I’m using this BEAUTIFULLY illustrated book of Aesop’s Fables. Because I continue to hear how much young elementary students loves these two books, I’m very excited for this subject!

“Fables…should form the basis of moral instruction.” (Mason, vol. 2)

POETRY

Poetry is also included in Literature. A poem, from a good anthology, should be read daily to students. We are using A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, and I’m so happy because Tasha Tudor illustrated this version! Also, since we love Winnie the Pooh, we are reading A.A. Milne’s When We Were Young and Now We Are Six for poetry options.

Ms. Mason says in Home Education, that all children’s lesson-books “should be written with literary power.”

WHEN

Charlotte Mason describes a Literature Lesson occurring twice a week, and should last about 20 minutes per lesson. I’m choosing to alternate a Fairy Tale and a Fable each week, because there are only two Literature Lessons per week.

Also, a great goal is to read poetry to your children each afternoon. I plan to implement this after Nature Study (future post coming on this subject!). Since we already typically share an afternoon snack, I plan to read aloud a poem or two during this time.

Finally, we plan to continue with our afternoon read aloud and bedtime readings, as we do now. The books for these read alouds are carefully chosen for their authors, ideas, and great stories. I look forward to diving into these with my kiddos because we have already begun a few since they just couldn’t wait!

HOW

“It is the very nature of an idea to grow: as the vegetable germ secretes that it lives by, so, fairly implant an idea in the child’s mind, and it will secrete its own food, grow, and bear fruit in the form of a succession of kindred ideas.” (Mason, vol. 1)

STEPS

First, read a Fairy Tale or Fable for about ten to fifteen minutes.
Then, ask the child to narrate back what they heard.
Most importantly, this method of narration, where the child puts what he heard into his own words, allows the child to know the material.

According to Charlotte Mason, a Literature Lesson could be: read a Fairy Tale for about ten minutes, then ask your student to narrate back what they heard for about the next ten minutes.

For the afternoon Poetry reading, you simply read aloud a poem or two to your child. You do not have to ask for a Narration at this time from your child.

Finally, for the afternoon/evening read alouds, the goal IS to ask for a narration by the student.

WHY

One of Charlotte Mason’s mentors said, “…much of the selfishness of the world is due, not to actual hard-heartedness, but to a lack of imaginative power.” (Mason, vol. 2).

It is necessary to explore Literature with our children because we are exposing them to the books and thoughts that develop character. J.H. Newman said, “literature stands related to man as science stands to nature.”

Also, in Home Education, Charlotte Mason says, “…for it is only as we have it in us to let a person or a cause fill the whole stage of the mind, to the exclusion of self-occupation, that we are capable of large-hearted action on behalf of that person or cause.” (vol. 1)

Children are deserving of the very best materials, and access to the very best thinkers, ideas, and stories through Literature. Emily Kiser, from A Delectable Education, says that literature is knowledge touched with emotion, and therefore, helps children find their place in the world.

In conclusion, Ms. Mason states, “Therefore, the selection of their first lesson-books is a matter of grave importance, because it rests with these to give children the idea that knowledge is supremely attractive and that reading is delightful.” (vol. 1)

FAVORITE RESOURCES

Finally, I have come across some outstanding resources in learning about a Charlotte Mason education. I’m so happy to share them with you! Some of these are sources I return to daily because I’m preparing to teach my children. Additionally, I list specific resources for a Charlotte Mason Literature Lesson.

GENERAL CHARLOTTE MASON RESOURCES

A Charlotte Mason Soiree Educator Courses (free and amazing!)
A Charlotte Mason Soiree Facebook Support/Discussion Group
Volume 1 Charlotte Mason’s Home Education
Volume 2 Charlotte Mason’s Parents and Children
Volume 3 Charlotte Mason’s School Education
A Delectable Education Scheduling Cards
A Delectable Education Curriculum Templates
Morning Tide to Even Tide Homeschool Planner

CHARLOTTE MASON WRITING LITERATURE RESOURCES

A Delectable Education podcast on Literature
Another A Delectable Education podcast on Poetry
Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt – Great Children’s Booklist
Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson – Another Children’s Booklist
Great link of Books about Books
Finally, one more Books Children Love by Elizabeth Laraway Wilson
Parent’s Review Article on Teaching of Poetry to Children
Volume 1 Charlotte Mason’s Home Education (pgs. 227-230)

OUR PICKS

Additionally, if you are interested in additional Charlotte Mason information, feel free to check out these previous blog posts in the series:

Thank you so much for checking in! Please stay tuned for the next ‘A Charlotte Mason Subject Lesson’ post.

Homeschool Preschool Supplies List

All of the quotes mentioned in this blog post, come from Home Education by Charlotte Mason. The Living Press published my favorite version of her books. Finally, I TRULY recommend any parent read Charlotte Mason’s books! Since they are truly treasured words I believe I will be reading and re-reading for many years to come.

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Winter Nature Activities for Preschoolers

April 3, 2018February 19, 2019 nourishedchildren Leave a comment

EXPLORING NATURE WITH CHILDREN

I’m so thankful I get to spend time with my children for their Preschool/Kindergarten years. These early years are so precious. First, I share examples of our nature studies with Exploring Nature Curriculum with Children. Keep reading to find out how we explore nature during the Winter! Finally, at the bottom, we list our favorite supplies for the Preschool/Kindergarten years.

Winter Nature Activities for Preschoolers

PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

SUPPORTS AMPLE NATURE TIME

Exploring Nature Curriculum with Children – This works well for my family because it is centered around being outdoors (HINT: If you click on this link, make sure you click “Preview” to check out the preschool curriculum!)

WINTER BIRDS

In December, we studied winter birds with Exploring Nature Curriculum with Children. Almost daily, we pull out our Nature Anatomy book and use it as a lovely learning resource. We also LOVE these sandpaper letters for early letter formation and writing skills! They are so affordable to beautiful in their simplicity.

I have been wanting to collect some field guides, and we finally picked up a few at Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. I choose the following guides since I felt they would get us started off on the right foot: Texas Wildflowers, Birds of Central Texas, and Owls of North America.

Finally, we read through Owl Moon. Have you read this story? If you haven’t, I highly suggest it! The last page in the book is so sweet:

“When you go owling
you don’t need words
or warm
or anything but hope.
That’s what Pa says.
The kind of hope
that flies
on silent wings
under a shining
Owl Moon.”

We also created bird’s nests from play dough and used some old string and feathers and twigs from the yard.

Also pictured are two other highly recommended books that we read regularly: Albert and A Nest is Noisy.

Albert is a sweet story about birds who build a nest in Albert’s hands and help him overcome his fears. It is beautifully illustrated by Jim LaMarche.

Now that my oldest is five, he is beginning to want to practice handwriting. I’m super gentle with their learning since I feel that is best for the littlest of children. I’m grateful for these letter worksheets from simplylearningkids.

Finally, we read through Are You My Mother? My little ones created another nest made from play dough and I loved when they added in eggs. Its such a joy to see their creativity come alive from play, good books, and nature! Here is the link to these lovely letters again! sandpaper letters

WINTER SKY

Since we don’t have much snow in Texas, the boys don’t often experience what I would consider a true Winter. My husband and I talk often about taking them to a colder place in the Winter sometime so they can experience snowflakes and nature in wintertime.

To explore the Winter sky, we used coffee filters to make snowflake shapes, and also read the Snowy Day and Nature Anatomy again to look at different snowflake shapes.

Then, we read this sweet book called Snowmen at Night. I think its perfect for preschoolers since it seems like the boys enjoy to have this book read aloud often!

WINTER MOON

Once again, we utilized the Nature Anatomy books and these sandpaper letters . Seriously, we use them almost daily!!!

First, I drew in pencil the phases of the moon and then I invited my oldest to watercolor the picture however he wanted. I love his close attention to detail.

We also added in gluten free oreos into the study of the phases of the moon! The boys LOVED this part of course!

We don’t often buy cookies so this was a treat! I may or may not have a cookie or two with them!

My sweet friend sent me these beautiful moon resources.

WINTER TREE STUDY

The Exploring Nature with Children curriculum is so lovely written. She states:

“Winter can be a very interesting time to observe trees. Their beautiful silhouettes stretch across the winter sky line, revealing their shapes more clearly in the absence of leaves.”

My littlest one (age three) painted a tree from the Perfect Christmas Tree. Oh my goodness…this is SUCH a sweet story to read at Christmas time! You know a good book when it stirs your emotions and brings you to tears! This book was recommended from the Peaceful Preschool curriculum, which we use to gently introduce letters to the boys.

We have very loosely kept a nature journal. I tried my hand at drawing an evergreen with John Muir Law’s drawing tutorials, and my son wanted to draw a tree right next to mine! So sweet. I love his creations.

Then, we collected twigs and branches from outside in the yard and read this LOVELY book of nature winter poems.

We also read Winter Trees and painted using our tree branches.

Again, we used our Nature Anatomy book again to identify different kinds of bark. We also wound twine around some branches. The boys had fun figuring out how to wind the string around the tree!

Little Tree is another sweet story that shows the seasons nicely. Its a sweet story of a little tree who is afraid of change. Also, I love the illustrations by Loren Long.

CANDLEMAS WEEK

This beeswax candle making kit is so affordable, simple, and my boys LOVE to make candles. The boys also played with the letters beads and used their fine motor skills to string them on pipe cleaner.

EARTHWORM STUDY

Next, we read about earthworms and they colored in a picture of an earthworm that I drew. We briefly discussed the anatomy of an earthworm. I don’t focus on much detail at this point…I just let them observe as much as they can on their own.

Then, my boys had fun using play dough to form earth worms. We enjoy this natural play dough for playing, and forming letters.

I was completely shocked to see my oldest want to copy this poem that comes in the curriculum. Once he was finished, I didn’t pressure him to keep going. This is considered copywork and its AMAZING handwriting/language arts practice!

Exploring Nature with Children also has a Guided Journal and its so lovely! We have used it many times, though I can easily seeing using it weekly as the boys grow! The copywork pictured below came from the Guided Journal!

WINTER FIELD TRIP

We also took a hike to Pedernales Falls State Park. My hubby loved it so much that he purchased a state pass for the whole family.

Our boys and dogs loved it!

We have been a handful of times, so we can’t wait to return.

Finally, I hope this helps inspire you with some Winter Preschool/Kindergarten activities! I sure love this precious time spent at home with my kiddos. Finally, here is our curated Preschool supplies list!

If you are interested in Exploring Nature with Children, I encourage to check it out! Its super affordable and I intend to keep up this curriculum every year for many years to come! Make sure you click “Preview” so you view a sample of the rich curriculum!

SUPPLIES

Nature Anatomy Series
Owl Moon
Watercolors
Nature Journal
Paint brushes
Sandpaper Letters
Winter Trees
A Nest is Noisy

OUR PICKS

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Letter L Preschool Unit

February 28, 2018March 20, 2018 nourishedchildren Leave a comment

I’m so thankful I get to spend time with my children for their preschool years. First, I share our curriculum choices and why we use them. Keep reading to find out how we explored the Letter L. Finally, at the bottom, we list our favorite supplies for the preschool years.

PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

SUPPORTS AMPLE NATURE TIME

The Peaceful Preschool – The schedule is amazing because it sets aside one day per week for field trips
Exploring Nature with Children – This works well for my family because it is centered around being outdoors (HINT: If you click this link, make sure you click “Preview” at the top right corner!)
The Abundant Gardener – We are learning more about gardening together so this will naturally provide chances to visit gardens, plant stores, and be outside on our land

THE PEACEFUL PRESCHOOL

We currently follow the Peaceful Preschool curriculum by Jennifer Pepito and we love it! The content is full of rich literature, therefore it is a perfect fit for my book-loving family. We read through many rich, classic stories. We also complete playful projects to go with the literature theme or letter. Download Unit A for free to try it out with your littles to see if you like it.

The community she has created is such a beautiful resource and I’m grateful to be a part of it. Jennifer has included a wonderful preschool e-book which helps you prepare to guide your child in early learning. We have found her curriculum perfect for our homeschool preschool. The curriculum is comprised of Read Aloud, Phonics, Counting Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Large Motor Skills, Practical Life Skills, and Art Skills. Also, here is how we enjoyed the letter A unit. Feel free to explore all of our letter units!

LETTER L REVIEW

The focus books for letter L are The Grouchy Ladybug and the Corinthians Love Chapter from the Bible. Our favorite children’s Bible is the Jesus Storybook Bible. I also added Ten Little Ladybugs since my youngest really loves this story and its great for counting. Then, we read the Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, which is a beautiful, imaginative picture book and a great fable. Finally, we read through Locomotive, by Brian Floca and The Little Tree.

First, we created glitter glue letters. The Peaceful Preschool recommends glitter glue in order to create the finishing touches on sensory, alphabet flashcards. We have used them with all of the letters so far. My children are always excited to make a new glitter glue letter.

L IS FOR LADYBUG

We read The Grouchy Ladybug many times. It is a beautiful book which is part of the Peaceful Preschool curriculum. We used this small wooden clock to introduce the principles of telling time since the book highlights the different times of the day as the grouchy ladybug moves from one animal to the next. This book was a regular during our introduction of Letter L.

Then, we revisited Ten Little Ladybugs. There are 3D ladybugs which the boys love to run their fingers over as I’m reading the pages. The beautiful rhyming words are simple. The boys loved foreshadowing the next number. In the story, the ladybugs are counted down from ten to none (and are returned to home).

We used Simply Learning Kids resources for Letter L and found the letters with a cute ladybug free printable.

L IS FOR LOVE

We were lucky that our Letter L unit fell around the same time as Valentine’s Day for us. We made some simple homemade cards for the boy’s Daddy and traced the word “Love” with our sandpaper letters.

Since it was Valentine’s Day, my older son signed Valentine’s cards and we made homemade chocolate candies to share with our friends.

Finally, we read 1 Corinthians 13 which is the Love Chapter from the Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible.

L IS FOR LEMON

I asked my children to make their glitter glue Letter L’s and we looked up a recipe for homemade limonada in Nature Anatomy. I just love these Montessori moveable letters too! We bring them out for every letter unit.

We squeezed fresh lemon juice, honey, water, ice and fresh mint for a refreshing drink.

We also made these lemon pomanders, which is just pressing whole cloves into lemons. My boys were having a difficult time so we ended up using toothpicks to make the holes first, and then sticking the cloves inside the fruit. We also really love these sandpaper letters and they are very affordable!

ABC BOOK

This sweet ABC book, Adventures with Barefoot Creatures, also introduces the concept of the seasons and a calendar. I just love the whimsical illustrations too!

L IS FOR LIBRARY

We normally visit our local small town library, but we decided to venture to the big city to visit the newest library. It was absolutely beautiful, filled with natural light, and we curled up to a couple of good books, and of course played with some toys as well!

ALPHABAET HANDWRITING PRACTICE

We practiced tracing the letters in the word “love” on our handwriting board.

I love this alphabet board since it has both upper and lower case letters.

L IS FOR LION

The Lion and the Mouse is a great version of one of Aesop’s most beloved fables. I love how it teaches children about kindness and the value of helping one another.

L IS FOR LITTLE BEAR

I had this childhood book saved so we read Little Bear for Letter L! My boys love this story since its made up of several stories that build on one another.

L IS FOR LITTLE TREE

Finally, we read Little Tree by Loren Long. I just love her illustrations and the story is very sweet. We have read this many times through over the past year because its such a lovely book.

SUPPLIES

Locomotive
Little Tree
The Grouchy Ladybug
Sandpaper Letters
Montessori Moveable Alphabet
Glitter Glue

OUR PICKS

Here is how we enjoyed the letter A unit. We had so much fun with letter A and can’t wait to share the next letter with you!

Letter I Preschool Unit

December 21, 2017March 20, 2018 nourishedchildren Leave a comment

I’m so thankful I get to spend time with my children for their preschool years. First, I share our curriculum choices and why we use them. Keep reading to find out how we explored the Letter I. Finally, at the bottom, we list our favorite supplies for the preschool years.

PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

SUPPORTS AMPLE NATURE TIME

The Peaceful Preschool – The schedule is amazing because it sets aside one day per week for field trips
Exploring Nature with Children – This works well for my family because it is centered around being outdoors
The Abundant Gardener – We are learning more about gardening together so this will naturally provide chances to visit gardens, plant stores, and be outside on our land

THE PEACEFUL PRESCHOOL

LETTER I REVIEW

We began the letter I unit and had so much fun with it! The focus books for letter I are Ice Cream Summer, Inch by Inch, and a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible. Also, we read The Little Island, and listened to the audio version of this one before we purchased it.

Then, we created glitter glue letters. The Peaceful Preschool recommends glitter glue in order to create the finishing touches on sensory, alphabet flashcards. We have used them with all of the letters so far. It is really one of my children’s favorite parts.

We used some spare loose parts to create ice cream cones and also read through Ice Cream Summer.

I IS FOR ICE CREAM

I love gaining inspiration for our homeschool on Pinterest. This simple idea came from Pinterest to cut out ice cream templates using colorful construction paper we already had on hand. The boys took turn adding scoops to correspond with the number on the ice cream cone.

SENSORY WRITING PRACTICE

Next, we added old sprinkles to a tray so the boys could practice writing the letter I.

I love providing these tactile, sensory experiences for them. Of course, the boys take the opportunity to sneak a few sprinkles into their mouths!

ICE CREAM PLAY

The boys worked together to “earn” this special Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Shop about six months ago. We brought it out to go along with our ice cream theme since it worked perfectly!

We also played with these felt ice cream shapes and glitter. I wouldn’t recommend it however, because it was time consuming for Mama to make and one of those activities that the boys were not engaged in for very long.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

Last summer, we purchased our first homemade ice cream maker and made our own strawberry mint sorbet. I counted this as “ice cream.” The boys loved helping me make this recipe and it was super simple. Feel free to read the post which includes this recipe here.

ICE CREAM – LICK HONEST ICE CREAM VISIT

Finally, we visited our favorite ice cream spot: Lick Honest Ice Cream. I love going here for an occasional treat because they offer delicious vegan ice cream made with coconut milk.

Then, for their dairy versions, they source milk from local dairy farms who feed their cows primarily grass. We try for whole milk, grass fed dairy options we can! Another sneaky trick about this place is they offer a hot pink ice cream which my boys love and the flavor is Beet Mint! I love how adventurous my little eaters are.

COUNTING PRACTICE

We reviewed our numbers with these beautiful wooden trays from Jennifer. One side is a great fine motor and counting activity using these little wooden beads.

And the other side has numbers for tracing and writing practice.

We reviewed numbers 0-10 with these fun tactile sandpaper numbers that come with a really nice storage box.

Finally, we created more glitter glue numbers and reviewed them. These are such sweet cards that come with the curriculum.

BALANCE BEAM – LARGE MOTOR SKILLS

Then, we found an old board lying around and some left over brick when our house was built. The boys helped me create a balance beam and then took turns using it!

We took out our measuring tape to measure how long and wide the board was.

I IS FOR INCH WORM

Have you read Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni before? It is a quick read and I love the illustrations and focus on nature. It is a sweet story of a clever inch worm who is requested to measure different birds. After reading the story, we collected some of the boys toys and measured how long they were.

ALPHABET PRACTICE

I love these beautiful sandpaper alphabet cards and they are pretty inexpensive. Its really nice to have the boys trace these with their fingers to practice pre writing skills. My youngest especially loves to practice writing this way! We also used play dough to form letters. I think my oldest made A, B, and C before moving onto another activity.

I IS FOR ICING

Finally, during this time of letter I study, we celebrated my oldest’s fifth birthday. I made homemade sweets for his little party. We made a healthy cocoa sweet potato icing since it was delicious, nutritious and easy! If you are interested in learning more about clean eating, check out my wellness mamas post here.

SUPPLIES

Montessori Moveable Alphabet
Sandpaper Alphabet Cards
Ice Cream Summer
Inch by Inch
Jesus Storybook Bible
Construction Paper
Sprinkles
Cusinart Ice Cream Maker
Montessori Sandpaper Numbers
Glitter Glue
Natural Play Dough
Melissa and Doug Wooden Ice Cream Shop

OUR PICKS

Finally, here is how we enjoyed the letter A unit. We had so much fun with letter A and can’t wait to share the next letter with you!

Ten Favorite Living Books for First Grade

Living books definition

Why choose living books?

NOW FOR THE RECOMMENDED BOOKS…

LIVING BOOKS

TEN FAVORITE LIVING BOOKS FOR FIRST GRADE

Geography

History

Natural history

Literature

Read alouds

Poetry

Drawing

GENERAL CHARLOTTE MASON RESOURCES

LIVING BOOKS RESOURCES

OUR PICKS

Also, check out these previous blog posts in the series:

A Charlotte Mason Literature Lesson

PREPARING THE FEAST

A Charlotte Mason Literature Lesson

WHAT

FAIRY TALES

WHAT WE ARE USING

POETRY

WHEN

SUGGESTED GREAT READ ALOUDS

HOW

STEPS

WHY

FAVORITE RESOURCES

GENERAL CHARLOTTE MASON RESOURCES

CHARLOTTE MASON WRITING LITERATURE RESOURCES

OUR PICKS

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