PK/K at our house will be: phonics math handwriting FIAR, which will cover literature and allow us to dip our toes into history/geography, science, and art as well

I liked the continental knit and purl tutorials on knittinghelp.com, too.

I second the suggestions of practice, using less slick needles when using slick yarn, and learning to knit continental. I was a crocheter first, too, and my knitting skills really took off when I learned to knit continental. It's more comfortable, IMO, to knit with yarn in my left hand like I do when I crochet.

I am planning to use Phonics Pathways with mine this year.

I sew, knit, and crochet. Sewing: I do mostly home dec stuff (throw pillows, curtains, etc). I recently did a hang-from-the-doorway puppet theater for my 4yo's bday. I also have sewn several mei tai baby carriers for friends lately. Knit and crochet: I do mostly baby gifts for people and knitwear for my kids. Lots and lots of hats. :tongue_smilie: Today my daughter and I are taking a pile of preemie hats to the NICU at our children's hospital. I'm working on the sweater-that-will-never-end for my mother. She might get it for her bday in November. Maybe. I have a craft blog, if you want to some of the things I work on. http://lookwhaterinmade.blogspot.com/

City Park has great playgrounds, and Storyland is cheap ($3/kid). My kids love it. I also like taking the kids to walk around the Quarter. We have never run into problems, especially on a week day morning. We park in the French Market parking lot between the French Market and the river. The zoo and the aquarium are wonderful, but pricey. My kids like to ride the Algiers ferry back and forth a few times. LOL It's free to pedestrians. You get on the ferry right by the aquarium. Riding a street car is a good idea. Inexpensive. You could park somewhere along St. Charles and ride the street car down to the playground right across from Tulane. Pretty ride, nice playground. I'll come back and edit if I come up with any more ideas.

:sad::grouphug:

You're sweet. I hope you can find that Olympics! book. I checked it out of my library and I think it's the perfect intro to the olympics book for my kids' age/stage, but apparently it's out of print. Crossing my fingers for your library to hook you up! Here's my pinterest board for the crafts I have planned: http://pinterest.com/craftyerin/olympics-unit-study/

I sew, knit, and crochet. But I don't do paper crafts of any sort. :tongue_smilie:

I'm Erin, just getting started in this homeschooling adventure. I have a just-turned-5yo son and b/g twins who just turned 4. We live in the suburbs of New Orleans. Before I got married, I spent 5 years teaching 3rd grade at a wonderful classical private school. I have always wanted that sort of education for my own children. Nothing like that school exists here, so we're DIY. I'm excited about it!

I am planning a VERY simple week-long unit study. Mine are pk/kinder, so it's storybook and craft heavy. Here's the outline (c&p): Olympics Unit Study Olympics! by B G Hennessy How to Train with a T. Rex and Win Eight Gold Medals by Michael Phelps Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull Day 1: read Olympics! Watch clips of diving, swimming, running, and gymnastics on YouTube. (pre selected) Day 2: read Olympics! Locate America and London on the map. Stamp Olympic rings. Day 3: read Olympics! Discuss opening ceremonies, make torches. Day 4: read How to Train... Discuss medals, watch a YouTube medal ceremony. Listen to the national anthem. Make medals from salt dough, stamp, bake. Day 5: read Wilma Unlimited. finish salt dough medals, paint, wear. All throughout, watch sports! Read aloud Hour of the Olympics (Magic Treehouse) at bedtime. All of my crafts are on a pinterest board, but I'll have to link that later when I'm on my laptop instead of my phone. (eta: http://pinterest.com/craftyerin/olympics-unit-study/)I'd also do a medal count and practice tally marking or something if we weren't going to be out of town for the whole 2nd week of the games. I don't want to keep up with it while traveling.

http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-12-Inch-Inflatable-Globe/dp/B0009K3116/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1340194033&sr=8-1&keywords=inflatable+globe

I'm no help. I just bought a map with plans for FIAR, but mine is 30" x 52", too.

I am doing FIAR with my Ker and two PKers next year. I own volumes 1-3, and picked and chose the books I wanted to do next year from all three. BUT, I only have 17-18 penciled in. I'm planning on doing 2 books/month, on average. We'll do other read alouds and such as well, but for FIAR, I think 18 books a year would be just fine. There are some titles in vol. 1 that are out of print, I believe, so make sure you can get as much milage as you want from that volume. You may want to consider owning more than one volume. I plan to work through vol. 1-3 over two years, and figure we'll cover most of what my library system has in the process.

I tend to buy "off season" yarn online, but my local yarn shops leave a lot to be desired, so I'm pretty limited to Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and online anyway. :glare: I'm currently working on a cotton summer sweater that won't be finished until oh, maybe, November? LOL How's that for off season?

Skip Hop Duo.

LOL, I should try!

I had to laugh at the butterfly method (which I do remember being taught), since just this past week, a pin on pinterest on how to teach it spread through my elementary school teacher and homeschooling teacher friends' boards like wildfire. I kept seeing it pop up!

tossed in a bin

I think Expedit bookshelves are the BEST. I have several, in myriad sizes, in multiple rooms. Other Ikea things we use regularly-- *Agam Junior chairs to give the 2-6yo set a boost at the table, *Dragon flatware, in their adult kitchen section, but IMO it's about 3/4 sized, making it perfect for my preschoolers, but doesn't feel babyish *the $15 easel in the kids' section

We love Letter School. Super cute letter and number handwriting app, and you can choose the font from Zaner-Bloser, HWT, and D'Nealian.

We aren't super crafty (they color and draw and playdoh, etc, but I don't initiate craft activities very often). We have loved Handwriting Without Tears Pre-K materials and All About Reading pre-level for letters and sounds. eta: We are also starting Five in a Row in the fall. Super excited about that!

There was a blog on this in my feed reader this morning! http://www.hsclassroom.net/2012/06/4th-of-july-books-craftsrecipes-and-printables-for-preschool-and-kindergarten/

We plan to read Zarafa for The Giraffe that Walked to Paris. Otherwise, I plan to skip them. We have volumes 1-3 to pick and choose between for the next couple of years, so we'll have no trouble finding enough books to row.

not here! hot and STICKY with several scattered thunderstorms off and on. heading into summer with resignation. I love the winter in New Orleans, but summer is painful!