The letter "E" "F" and "G"

I realized today that I haven't done a Letter Project post in a while. So, in the interest of keeping those who want to know up to speed on Colin's progress during learning time....here you go.

The Letter "E"

Colin found:

1. Someone eating
2. the letter "E" from a scrabble piece
3. someone exercising
4. Elmo
5. the earth {That one required a little help from me, simply because the beginning sound of the word is not at all consistent with the phonics of "E". I never realized until I started teaching the phonics of the English language how many words actually do not follow the 'rules' of phonics! For example: of ("Where's the "V" Mommy?"); to ("But there's not two "O"s, Mommy!"), all ("No, Mommy, it doesn't have an "O" in front of it. "A" says "aaaaa." It's "Al"."). I could go on and on....)
6. an egg
7. and an envelope

Up to this point, I was still printing all of the objects' names on the paper when Colin was done gluing.

That, however, changed with our last two projects, as Colin has been beginning to read and spell on his own. This, don'tchaknow, has been very, very exciting for me.

The "F" project:

Colin found the following items:

1. a flag
2. a couple different pictures of fish--goldfish, but still fish nonetheless
3. a flower
4. a couple of frogs
5. a football
6. feet
7. fingers
8. a fork

You can see on both of the pictures that he wrote the words all by himself. (At least, I hope you don't think that is my handwriting....) Colin sounded out as many as he could, and I spelled the rest for him and he wrote them down.

The "G" project:
Colin found:

1. two guitars
2. a gorilla
3. a gift
4. Grover
5. a glove
6. a pair of glasses
   

It truly is very exciting to watch him learn. He has come so far in just a few months! This (teaching him) is difficult for a variety of reasons--mainly, Thing 1 and Thing 2 who are constantly at my feet *giggle*--but it really is so rewarding to sit down with Colin and hear him read a book out loud to me. I feel so privileged that, even if I am not able to 'school' Colin forever, I got to do some of this fundamental early learning with him. We have great memories, that's for sure!

*Yay* for Colin!

What has two thumbs and knows all of his letters/numbers/phonics

and is now READING three and four-letter words?!?

THIS guy!

Colin--I'm so proud of you buddy!

(***and if you don't get why I phrased that the way I did....click the link!***)

On opposites

During reading time today, after reading a book on opposites:

Me: "Colin, can you tell me what the opposite of big is?"

Colin: "Small."

Me: "Great! Can you name something that is big, and something that is small?"

Colin: "A monkey is big...and a bird is small."

Me: "Great! And, what is the opposite of the same?"

Colin: "Different."

Me: "That's right! Can you tell me two things that are different?"

Colin: "Yep...you and I are different."

Me: "That's right. You and I are very different. We are different in many ways. Can you tell me one reason why we are different?"

(And so my thought process begins for him: you are a girl and I am a boy....you are big and I am little....you are tall and I am short...)

Colin: "We are different because....{thinking}

....because we have two different heads."

From an Indian to a Pilgrim in 24 hours

Please, don't look too closely, and don't judge me on the quality of this craft...I'm flyin' by the seat of my pants here, with minimal craft supplies--construction paper, staples, scissors, and crayons--and this was the best I could come up with!

*I know, I know...that's the biggest buckle I've ever seen, too....I overestimated on size*

Colin didn't seem to mind his hat's 'generic-ness'.

He's been wearing that thing since 10:30 this morning! *giggle*

One little, two little, three little Indians

A sneak peek at our craft session yesterday! We got our Thanksgiving groove on, and decided to make some Indian headdresses to wear to our church Thanksgiving Dinner last night.

Coloring "feathers"
"I like this, Mommy!"

In the midst of all the 'crafting time', I caught a little 'brotherly love time' on the camera

"What do you think, Mom? Am I handsome or Am. I. Handsome?"

Sweet Cameron did so well....he colored all his feathers, by himself, and even used the 'I-only-cut-paper-kind' of scissors to cut them out!

Colin, my main crafter...this kid would sit at a table all day and do crafts if I let him! Wait, what am I talking about....not 'if I let him', rather 'if I could come up with them'.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah,

Oh, oh, oh, oh!!"

Time for some hootin' and hollerin', Indian-style

Those be some da cutest Injuns I ever did see!

Next up on the docket....Pilgrim Hats!