Shapes: Crescent

Shape Themes

Xander is 19.5 Months

Theme:  Space

Shape: Crescent


 We are currently working on shapes, devoting one week to each while also reviewing those already learned.   The themes just add a fun element to the shapes lessons, plus some extra vocabulary. I added a page to gather all of the Shape Posts and Printables to make them easier to find.  For our overall Tot School goals for our shape units, see my Goals post.

Continuing with our space theme, last week's shape was crescent (moon).  This is the week's shelf set up.  I love having this little table above his desk to put his books on.  The glow in the dark planets and stars are above.

 We used our shape cards.  We also used some pocket chart phrases from our Crescent Printables.

As usual, I made a tracing page (Crescent Printables) and put it in his Dry Erase Activity Center.  Once again, he didn't want my help this week.  Since he can't actually trace on his own yet, this is what he got.

Working on his coloring page.  He has learned to take the tops off himself and we have a couple of incidents with biting the tips of the markers... Xander may have lost his marker privileges for a while.

Playing with the Highway Shape card from Making Learning Fun.

We used some of the figures from his Space Toob to make impressions in the play dough.  We also used the shapes from his shape sorter as cookie cutters.

He still loved his Space Printables this week.  I made some 3 Part Cards, and actually used them more like true 3 part cards this week.  I know he can read at least half of the words, and he can sometimes match up the words and pictures, but usually piles all the words on top of the space shuttle.  I am not sure I understand why, but who knows what goes on in a 19 month old's head.

I found this big floor puzzle at a garage sale and put it together for Xander.  He loved it and wanted me to ask him to point to the sun, earth, or moon.  Then he would tear it all apart and want me to put it back together.  I only put it together for him three times before I called it quits.

We also did a space themed craft.  I had him use a silver stamp pad to make finger print stars on a piece of blue card stock.  Then we glued on some planets we had colored form Sprout Online.

 

Reading   

We are still using Little Reader to work on reading skills (and to make flashcards).  We used his space lesson every day this week.  We also did his Service Vehicle lesson everyday too.  In addition to using the regular Little Reader lessons, I have also started using the program for fast flashing (right brain).  I turn off the pronunciations, videos, and pointer, and click through the categories saying them as fast as I can.  He LOVES it.  In fact, we will do 20-30 sessions that way (some category repeats in there), and he still cries when we stop.

We also did a lot of space themed work box activities.  I will post those on Wednesday under the new tag of  Brain Building Boxes!  I also started a linky for tot trays, boxes, busy bags, etc. that I am hoping to do every Wednesday so please link up!.

Real Life Learning:

We were reading books outside and after we read a book about saws, Grandpa let him cut a piece of scrap wood.

So proud of himself!

Making vanilla ice cream in the garage.

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BBB - Star Week

Brain Building Boxes

 Xander is 19.5 Months

 These are the boxes from last week, so they happened during our Star Week and our Space Theme.  I try to have the activities link in when I can, but don't feel constrained by making them fit.  I don't intend all of the activities to be done independently.  Most requiring scaffolding from me.

Star Cookie Cutters (Nesting/Sizing)
This box had five different star cookie cutters.  Xander loves his nesting blocks so much and stars are his favorite shapes, I thought he might enjoy nesting the stars.  He really liked these, but nesting them was much harder than expected.  We also did some size sorting.  He understand the concept of biggest and smallest, but had trouble with three in between.

Solar System Planet Match
I got this solar system matching activity from 2 Teaching Mommies.  Xander liked talking about the planets and watching me match them up, but didn't feel like doing it himself.

Space Toob Matching
During our Bee Theme, we used Xander's toob to match insects.  He LOVED it, so I thought we would try again with space.  This box had some cards I made to go with his Space Toob (in my Space Printables).  He did enjoy it, and I would love to say that we used it all week long.  However, Xander is in a throwing phase and tended to throw the figures, leading me to put them away.  So we got it out a lot, and enjoyed it up until it got taken away.

Spooning Pom Poms

This box had a star ice cub tray, some pom poms, and a spoon.  He had a bit of trouble scooping the pom poms (so did I) because they tended to stick together.  He was very good at getting them into the stars though!

Pattern Blocks

This box had the rocket template to go with his magnetic pattern blocks.  This week he was more into playing with the shapes than actually matching them up.  I was happy to just let him play while we talked about the shapes and colors.  Tot school is supposed to be fun!

Cutting Food
He loved his cutting food so much last week, I went ahead and left it out another week.  Just one of the benefits of having more space for tray/box activities!

Puzzle of the Week

No idea where this week's puzzle was from.  I just chose it because it had a starfish and we read a couple of books on starfish to go with the shape of the week.

One of the shelves also had this great star maze (I couldn't find a link for the star, but here is a butterfly with a similar concept).  There are little magnetic balls inside and a magnetic stylus to move them.  He enjoys playing with it, but sometimes get frustrated if he drops the balls.