Baby/Toddler/Preschool Ideas: Anyone using Slow and Steady Get Me Ready?

[JenniferB]

I've had a copy of this book for YEARS! It still looks brand new, because every time I open it to the "week" of my child's age there's a really neat idea/activity, but also a new project for me to start. So, I close the book and set it aside again, until the next time I have the overwhelming feeling that I want to do some really great developmentally appropriate activity with my baby/toddler/preschooler (I've had one or a few of each for the last 5 years). Then the cycle repeats.

 

Yesterday the cycle started again. I was tossing and turning Thursday night that I must do something about my little baby who wanders around each day pulling all the toys off the shelves, dumping all the puzzles out on the floor, emptying every container of anything he can get his hands on, etc. etc. I must engage with him and do something! So, I remembered reading about a system of bins someone invented with age appropriate toys and activities, which were rotated every week. Every week there's a new batch of toys and activities for the child to choose from. Yesterday morning I woke up, got ready, and I ran out to the drug store down the street while the kids were eating breakfast, and while dh was getting ready for work, and I purchased 4 Sterilite 35 quart bins. These are the rectangular shaped bins that are wide but not too deep, so I could stack them 4 high in the cabinet in the schoolroom. I pulled out "Slow and Steady Get Me Ready" AGAIN, and I opened up to the week of my baby's age, 1 yr. 15 weeks, and I read the page. Of course, I didn't have any of the materials to start this activity, as usual, but this time I improvised. The skill set to concentrate on was "open" "close" "in" and "out", and the project was to find a refrigerator box and make a little house for my baby to play in. Every time he goes in, say "in". Every time he goes out, say "out". Things like that. Well, since I don't have a recently purchased refrigerator, and since I don't want to drive all around town looking in dumpsters, I decided to pick out some large Lego's, enough to build a house, and I put them in a zip-lock bag, and I added that to the bin for that week. I went around the school room finding other things to reinforce the ideas of open, close, in and out, and I filled up the bin. Then, I went through the next 3 weeks of his development, and I improvised, and put things in the bins that went along with the concepts for that week to teach and reinforce the main objective/s. I also labeled, with a sticky note, the bins with the objectives to concentrate on for that week, and a few notes about how to implement that objective with the things that were in the bin. Now, the toy area is consolidated into 4 bins, which are neatly put away in the school room cabinet. No more dumping out toys, and upturning all the puzzles. Now, I also have a motivation and a system to work on a particular concept with my baby each week. :lol: 4 weeks of activities was organized in 1 day. I think that was a pretty good use of my time. Next time, I think it will take less time too, because now I have the system set up.

 

Does anyone else have any ideas for implementing baby/toddler/preschool activities and/or implementing Slow and Steady Get Me Ready that you would like to share? I would love to read more ideas to keep in my database.

Edited December 14, 2008 by JenniferB

[plain jane]

I've had a copy of this book for YEARS! It still looks brand new, because every time I open it to the "week" of my child's age there's a really neat idea/activity, but also a new project for me to start. So, I close the book and set it aside again, until the next time I have the overwhelming feeling that I want to do some really great developmentally appropriate activity with my baby/toddler/preschooler (I've had one or a few of each for the last 5 years). Then the cycle repeats.

 

Yesterday the cycle started again. I was tossing and turning Thursday night that I must do something about my little baby who wanders around each day pulling all the toys off the shelves, dumping all the puzzles out on the floor, emptying every container of anything he can get his hands on, etc. etc. I must engage with him and do something! So, I remembered reading about a system of bins someone invented with age appropriate toys and activities, which were rotated every week. Every week there's a new batch of toys and activities for the child to choose from. Yesterday morning I woke up, got ready, and I ran out to the drug store down the street while the kids were eating breakfast, and while dh was getting ready for work, and I purchased 4 Sterilite 35 quart bins. These are the rectangular shaped bins that are wide but not too deep, so I could stack them 4 high in the cabinet in the schoolroom. I pulled out "Slow and Steady Get Me Ready" AGAIN, and I opened up to the week of my baby's age, 1 yr. 15 weeks, and I read the page. Of course, I didn't have any of the materials to start this activity, as usual, but this time I improvised. The skill set to concentrate on was "open" "close" "in" and "out", and the project was to find a refrigerator box and make a little house for my baby to play in. Every time he goes in, say "in". Every time he goes out, say "out". Things like that. Well, since I don't have a recently purchased refrigerator, and since I don't want to drive all around town looking in dumpsters, I decided to pick out some large Lego's, enough to build a house, and I put them in a zip-lock back, and I added that to the bin for that week. I went around the school room finding other things to reinforce the ideas of open, close, in and out, and I filled up the bin. Then, I went through the next 3 weeks of his development, and I improvised, and put things in the bins that went along with the concepts for that week to teach and reinforce the main objective/s. I also labeled, with a sticky note, the bins with the objectives to concentrate on for that week, and a few notes about how to implement that objective with the things that were in the bin. Now, the toy area is consolidated into 4 bins, which are neatly put away in the school room cabinet. No more dumping out toys, and upturning all the puzzles. Now, I also have a motivation and a system to work on a particular concept with my baby each week. :lol: 4 weeks of activities was organized in 1 day. I think that was a pretty good use of my time. Next time, I think it will take less time too, because now I have the system set up.

 

Does anyone else have any ideas for implementing baby/toddler/preschool activities and/or implementing Slow and Steady Get Me Ready that you would like to share? I would love to read more ideas to keep in my database.

 

 

Heh heh heh. I bought the book and organized it nicely on my bookshelf. :thumbup:Does that count??:001_tt2:

 

On a more serious note: good for you! I hope you can keep up your system, it sounds like a good one. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

[cathmom]

I like your idea to take the objective but not try to follow the lesson. I, too, have a nicely organized Slow and Steady on my bookshelves. Bought it before my current 5yo was born!

[LadyAberlin]

I sold mine. I tried some of the ideas, but the things it had me make were garbage and I couldn't let the baby have them by himself. I like hands on Homeschooling and Little Hands to Heaven. But both of those start at Age 2. Have you looked at Letter of the Week. they have 1 yr old stuff?

[JenniferB]

Have you looked at Letter of the Week. they have 1 yr old stuff?

 

Checking it out now! I didn't know they have 1 yr old stuff.

[FO4UR]

I need to get better organized with my 2 and 3yo's. I too have Slow and Steady on the shelf....:tongue_smilie:

[JenniferB]

I've just spent some time on Letter of the Week - whew! So many ideas, so little time! I've decided to add a few things I can get at my library to my bins from this site. With Slow and Steady as the spine for the developmental objectives (themes), and the bins as the organizational tool, and Letter of the Week as a plethera of ideas, I think I'll have plenty of tools to help me improvise. I've decided to add a few literature books, and some classical & children's music. I think I might also just print out the lessons of Letter of the Week, and put it in a little 3 prong folder, and stick it in the first bin for next week, and I can read the Proverb and the Nursery Rhyme, *try* to play the game (Hats Galore - I have to gather a bunch of hats - not sure if that's going to happen, but maybe), and work on the vocabulary throughout the day - nothing formal, but just things to keep in mind & repeat throughout the day/week.

[gracesteacher]

Here are some of the things that I have done or currently do

 

Sensory box: have things that are all different textures I like sand paper scraps of different types of fabric leaves pine needles I would say do flannel and we would go around the house and look for things there are flannel like jammies or blankets or sheets

 

Scent boxes typically has different flavored home made playdough we make together (pumpkin spice that is orange or lavender that is purple ect

 

Color boxes: One week we put all the red things we could find around the house and we talked about them. Some weeks I would have things already in the box and we have to go and put them away and why they belong where they belong.

 

Number box. We got the plastic magnet numbers and look for items around the house or around town that went with the numbers that were in the box. (looking at our mail or on the cereal boxes)

 

I have a white board hanging at her level that has the leap frog letters on it so she plays with those and every day I write a word on there and we talk about the word and we sound it out since she knows her letter sounds

 

I made out of felt a calendar and we do the calendar every morning it has the month day of the week date season and weather.

 

We watch SIgningTime and she has picked up a tremendous amount from that. With animal names sounds her numbers abc colors and more than I could have hoped for.

 

We put a food pyramid we got the dollar store and laminated it and put velco dots on and and when she has something from that food group she changes the number

 

I cut letters out of felt and made an ABC tree and she pulls a letter leaf off in the morning and a number out of the clouds and a shape off the trunk of the tree and we talk about those during the day.

 

We watch move and groove video series for her dancing and exercising. That has taught her what her locomotor skills are among other things.

 

We read and read and read. She has a dress up box that since I was pg with her we have stocked up on at Halloween clearance sales! She has a kitchen set that I have given her my old rice and pasta boxes and her snack boxes and she has mommy old towels and wash clothes and does her own dishes.

 

We have at her eye level in her play area A weather chart, president chart 1-100 ABC and colors and a weather chart. I dont use them for anything more than when we are sitting there playing she will walk over there and ask question or tell me what things are. When she is old enough for preschool I will work on these more. Most all of that was gotten at a dollar store. She also has quite a few USA maps as she is totally into maps.

 

I try to make play educational and have the tools that she needs near her. She has a very active imagination and has lots of independent time as well as structured time. I have been doing this type of stuff on and off since she was about 1 and she just turned two the end of sept.

[JenniferB]

"Scent boxes typically has different flavored home made playdough we make together (pumpkin spice that is orange or lavender that is purple ect"

 

Ooh, I like this idea! Will it get done in my house? Probably not. But, I like the idea!

[TracyR]

I have the book. Bought it before having my now 9 year old and have pulled things out every now and then but have hardly used it.

We follow Tot School instead. The link is in my signature.

[sagira]

Yikes! This makes me feel guilty for all the stuff I'm not doing with my little one (16 months on 16 LOL). She's very active, LOVES the outdoors, crayons and delights in mischief. She's a sweetie :)

 

I only have two, but I find very little time to do anything constructive with my dd. I remember ds knowing a whole bunch of things by this age. I bank on the "trickling down effect" :lol:

 

I do speak a second language to her, read her books, we sign to communicate to each other and she spends hours each week playing outside and at the sand table. She also spends lots of time playing with her older brother who teaches her things and reads to her too.

 

I do own and love Trish Kuffner's The Busy Book for Toddlers and The Busy Book for Homeschoolers. I think I'm going to have to schedule her activities as I do ds'.

 

Off to check out The Letter of the Week and Hands on Homeschooling :auto:

[Mommy22alyns]

 

Scent boxes typically has different flavored home made playdough we make together (pumpkin spice that is orange or lavender that is purple ect

 

 

 

Okay, how do you make purple lavender-scented playdough? I must know!

[TracyR]

Really you don't need anything formal for your little ones. We just utilize Tot School because it helped give me ideas on creating fun things for my toddler to do while I work with my older children. But really there is no need to schedule anything with your toddler.

If she likes to color , let her color. Read to her. Let her explore her world. A child's play is how they learn.

The nice thing about Tot School is that it happens when you want it to. Its just a natural way of learning.

You can check out our Tot Box that we made ( www.thereedfamily-blog.blogspot.com . We add things to it all of the time but this allows my daughter to learn as she plays.

 

Ohh. How do you make lavender scented playdoh?

[gracesteacher]

A drop or two of essential oil and food coloring will make purple lavender playdough

[skylark]

I sold mine as well because I don't particularly work well finding the materials to use and coordinating the activities.

I need something more set up for me.