melissel Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 My DD2 is almost 3, and she loves when we "do school" with her like I do with her sister. So far, we've been doing Brighter Vision pages, but she's getting a little bored with the stickers. What are some other (secular) sit-down school ideas that I could use with her? I seem to have forgotten everything else that we did when my DD5 was 2! TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 My DD2 is almost 3, and she loves when we "do school" with her like I do with her sister. So far, we've been doing Brighter Vision pages, but she's getting a little bored with the stickers. What are some other (secular) sit-down school ideas that I could use with her? I seem to have forgotten everything else that we did when my DD5 was 2! TIA! Have you seen the Kumon books for little ones? They were a huge hit here. http://www.kumonbooks.com/home/index.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Kumon Workbooks Before Five in a Row Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazelt"nut" Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I second or third Kumon books. My three year old boy started these a few months ago because he wanted to do school . We chose the cutting practice book and the tracing book. He likes the mazes as well. I also started him on a letter a week. Very light but he has learned his letters and almost all of his sounds. Example: Letter M: read books on monkeys, colored a letter of the week page related to M, activity: jumped on my bed together after reading you guessed it! Simple stuff like this but it made him feel special and my dd6 always wanted to sit in on his "school work". He also colored history pages along with big sis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Kumon books here too. The cutting books were a big hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 What about Evan moor's Jumbo fun with the Alphabet. I'm going to attempt it with my 2 yr old. It has ABC themed crafts and book lists. Also Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Check http://www.learningpage.com for great free printable worksheets, either seasonal or you could tie in with topics the olders are doing. She could probably do some "kindergarten" pages like "circle which box has more" and pre-writing (tracing & mazes). We love the Kumon books here too - first cutting and first tracing have been big hits with my 3yo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Does she know her letters and sounds? You could practice letter flashcards with her (both the name and the sound it makes). Both my 2yo loved to do this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I would have to second, third and fourth Kumon books. All my kids love them. Have you looked at Heart of Dakota? It has packages for little ones which are very interesting looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda S in TX Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 We use the preparatory curriculum from Brightly Beaming Resources. http://www.letteroftheweek.com/ Melinda S in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Yep . Kumon books here too , lots of coloring and drawing pictures . Leap Pad letters ( the magnetic thingy , can you tell I'm tired ? ) to listen to sounds . Leap Pad . and reading lots of books :>) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in VA Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Kumon workbooks! Also, at that age, my kids liked to re-do their older siblings workbooks. For instance, when someone was done with a Singapore math workbook, the younger ones would color the pictures, or circle all the A's or all the 2's or some such activity I would make up. Stringing beads - I found different animal shaped beads and inexpensive spools of rexlace (or you could use shoelaces); the kids would start by just stringing, but ultimately they would start to create patterns on their own. I kept all the supplies in one container, so we could get it out and put it away just during school time. Hope that helps! Shelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claussenpc Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Kumon is a favorite of ours. As littles my dc loved the cutting and tracing books. Now they have awesome alphabet ande learning to read books for littles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 My 2yob loves sticker books. DK makes the "Ultimate" series. These have all the stickers on one set of pages, then scenery with outlines on other pages. The kiddo matches the shape of the sticker to the shape of the outline. I don't know why he likes doing this so much, but it's great for those pre-reading visual discrimination skills. We just bought the Kumon workbooks, but I think he's still kind of young for most of them. I have to explain what to do, and frankly, I do not need another kid to teach! I'm not neglecting his fine motor skills though. Aside from peeling stickers himself (which he's gotten pretty good at after months of practice), I often ask him to "please help Mama recycle these papers" and use kiddie scissors on my basket of recyclable/scrap paper. My now 5yo, when he was two years old, had his own notebooks and pens for writing practice. I also have a small collection of wordless books which I "assign" for "reading practice." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LlamaMama Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Maybe include something from Handwriting Without Tears? I'll be purchasing some of their material for both my four year old and my two year old at the convention in a couple of months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osaubi Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I have a dd same age as yours. I just got her Kumon Tracing, Easy Mazes, and the Coloring at the Zoo. She usually does 2 coloring pages, and 3 of the Easy Mazes or Tracing. The only bad thing is that she gets upset when I tell her she is done for the day. She would do all of the books in one day if I let her. I she also colors the SOTW activity guide pages, or anything else her brother is coloring. When it is math time my ds uses RightStart Math so he uses tally sticks, color tiles, and other manipulatives. I usually give her a handful and let her play with those for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 My DD2 is almost 3, and she loves when we "do school" with her like I do with her sister. So far, we've been doing Brighter Vision pages, but she's getting a little bored with the stickers. What are some other (secular) sit-down school ideas that I could use with her? I seem to have forgotten everything else that we did when my DD5 was 2! TIA! Haven't read other suggestions, but the first things that come to mind are: Before Five in a Row: It was a great hit here. It's such a nice gentle introduction to "school." Also, you could try finding colouring pages that would go along with your older children's work. That would be really fun, and make your little feel included in the lessons at the same time. Here is a link to a site that has cool stuff for little ones. Everything is free and can be printed out easily. For the most part, it is organized by themes. I really had to go digging through my links for this one, and boy have they really improved the site since my ds was little! I guess it's been a while for me. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 We used Montessori materials/methods with our little ones. Here are some books I remember finding useful at times. Teaching Montessori in the Home Montessori at Home Montessori Play and Learn Montessori from the start Teach Me to Do It Myself Basic Montessori Montessori Read and Write We've gotten discarded materials from schools, a few things from Nienhuis (most of their things are *outrageously* expensive), some from ebay, other from Montessori n Such, Montessori Services, and (our favorite) Michael Olaf Montessori. My toddlers have enjoyed listening to our history and literature read alouds, helping with experiments, coloring maps, memorizing poems, doing very simple dot-to-dots (homemade), using pattern blocks and linking cubes and geoboards, doing finger plays and action rhymes with me, and being read to. If they want me to, I make them a check list similar to their older siblings', but with activities they can benefit from. My kids tend to be quite accelerated, but I am opposed to encouraging them to use worksheets at a young age...I have occasionally humored a child who desperately wanted some, but, in general, I think it is a mistake. Kids this age are learning so much, but they, imho, learn better if they are learning things more naturally, more holistically. ymmv :) ETA: Montessori-like cutting patterns were an enormous hit with many of my kids and the art book Let out the Sunshine was another favorite... but the most loved activity was Aline Wolf's art postcard folders . Ooo! I totally forgot about all the Waldorf & Montessori stuff we did! If you're interested in the Waldorf angle, Waldorf Curriculum.com offers curriculum. The Old Preschool Program is still free to download. (Click on each topic's link and download the pdf file). You have to gather the books yourself, of course, but you can still see the ideas laid out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TengoFive Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 My 2, almost 3 year old, is the same way. She loves, loves, loves school. We do Earlybird Math, Get Ready for the Code, and Get Set For School. She wants more than I let her do every day. We like Kumon here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H0MEFree Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Get: playdo, crayons, coloring books, pipe cleaners, large beads, plastic animals, wooden puzzles, Melissa & Doug stuff, Duplo legos, stickers, lots of paper, lacing cards & laces, blocks and so on. Do a search on Preschool Zip Lock Activity Bags. There is a great website out there with tons of cheap and easy ideas for the young ones. (I'd tell you the link myself but I am on my husband's computer right now and do not have acess to my favorites) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in VA Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Oh, play-doh, huge hit here! Even my 13yo and 11yo will play with the play-doh when I get it out for the 2yo and 6yo! We do this outside when the weather allows it, so that I'm not cleaning up little bits of it forever afterwards, but I do occasionally allow it inside. They kids love to use cookie cutters, plastic knives, rolling pins, and items that leave impressions in the dough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhondabee Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 If you'll scroll down, you'll find a thread about the ziploc bags on Paula's website. http://wtmboards.com/K8currMay292007/messages/2472.html Sorry I can't find my direct link to Paula's, but maybe it's in that thread... (:tongue_smilie: time to actually start wading through all my links - and I just added a few more after reading this thread :tongue_smilie:) Thanks to everyone for such great ideas! Rhonda Get:playdo, crayons, coloring books, pipe cleaners, large beads, plastic animals, wooden puzzles, Melissa & Doug stuff, Duplo legos, stickers, lots of paper, lacing cards & laces, blocks and so on. Do a search on Preschool Zip Lock Activity Bags. There is a great website out there with tons of cheap and easy ideas for the young ones. (I'd tell you the link myself but I am on my husband's computer right now and do not have acess to my favorites) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H0MEFree Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Ok. I am on my own computer now... :) PRESCHOOL ZIP LOCK ACTIVITIES BAGS http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/preschool_activities.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Wow, thank you all! I got so many great new ideas, and you also reminded of many old ones. We're in such a hard spot right now because her fine motor skills are definitely those of a two-year-old, but her thinking and her own perceptions of what she can do (which would be anything and everything!) are far ahead of where she is. She's itchy and antsy and wants hands-on things instead of sitting and reading. I do have the Kumon cutting book. Maybe now's a good time to break that out! Thank you everyone. I think it's time to work Toddles into our lesson plans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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