Turtle Week in Kindergarten

We completed our Turtle lessons in Kindergarten this week.  I am so grateful for this curriculum and how much the girls and I enjoy it.

I've been trying different methods to introduce the lessons and this week I tried using the pictorial input chart.  I just lightly drew the picture ahead of time so that as I taught the lesson I could draw over my pencil lines.  My girls were impressed with my drawing skills until they noticed I had already prepared it and was tracing.  I didn't go over the whole chart of facts in one sitting; maybe 10 minutes at a time.   We later highlighted key words as we reviewed it and added some additional facts off to the side.  They also had some fun coloring the turtle.

Caroline was eager to read the turtle poem this morning.  Calista was jumping for joy in the background with each word Caroline read without help.  She read most of it and was all smiles.  :)

The girls had a great time playing turtle and learning how turtles protect themselves from predators.  Claire was the raccoon.

Caroline is copying and illustrating her 'words to remember' each week.  I thought we could bind her pages into a book at the end of the year.  I'm not really sure but I would like to do something with them.

Both Courtney and Claire decided they could cut out their own picture cards from now on.  They actually cut most of their school type papers up this week.  :)  New skills are exciting!

She loves her little necklaces and wears them faithfully.

On Fridays we attend a Christian homeschool co-op.  Caroline learned about sea turtles in her class and made this cute turtle craft.  It worked out well since I realized by the end of the week that I hadn't prepared many crafts besides some of her lapbook elements.

We read some great books about turtles and perseverance.  I get most of my ideas for books from Erna at Maple Tree Academy and from the MFW message boards.

The Name of The Tree retold by Celia Barker Lottridge (we loved this one!)

The Hare and the Tortoise by Brian Wildsmith

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
Box Turtle at Long Pond - William T. George
Splash by Ann Jonas
Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayne
Hi Harry by Martin Waddle
Turtle Splash! Countdown at the Pond by Cathryn Falwell
The Turtle by Cynthia Rylant
The Turtle and the Dove by Don Freedman

It was another fun week with My Father's World.  Next week will be light for us since we'll be focusing on Thanksgiving and the activities in the Adventures curriculum for only 2-3 days.  They will have some free time and I'll catch up on household tasks (and hopefully a little scrapbooking).

Happy Thanksgiving :)

For more Weekly Highlights go on over to Mishmash Maggie.