Spring Flowers and Geometry

We've been inspired by the beautiful daffodils blooming in our yard!  To celebrate this sign of early Spring, we sketched the daffodils for a while when the sun was out....

Daffodils have 6 petals, so we drew 6-pointed stars and hexagons to help us with the symmetry.

Our wonderful neighbor loaned us an amazing Waldorf book that is no longer in print and is all in German.  It features forms and shapes of plants, animals, minerals. 

Next, we drew triangles, squares, 5-pointed stars and 6-pointed stars.  Based on the drawings in the book, we sketched out flowers that follow these 3, 4, 5, and 6-petal/leaf patterns. 

 

Then, it was time to color the flowers.  If the flowers were blooming outside, we observed them (mostly pansies and daffodils right now!).  

Joey

We discussed the color variations of each flower as we drew. 

Ricky

We wrote the numbers in Arabic and Roman numerals and the names of the flowers in English.  Next week, we will add the names in Spanish and German. 

Wilson

Learning Spanish

After 7 years of high school and college Spanish, you'd think that Mommy could teach everyone how to speak, read and write fluently! Well, it's funny how little one retains when a language is not used regularly.

So, we are taking this step-by-step....

Learning colors as we play indoors and outdoors.

Basic conversation with Jose, the iguana puppet (Wilson loves this! The puppet makes him crack up).

Chanting months, days, letters, and numbers while throwing bean bags during circle time by 1's and 10's.


Number games with our watercolor number board and shells. (the kids like to challenge each other...cousins, too!)

Singing songs from Cante, Cante Elefante. (Hoy es lunes -- Hoy es lunes -- Como esta? -- Como esta? -- Muy Bien, Gracias -- Muy Bien, Gracias -- Y, tu? -- Como esta?)

Borrowing ideas from Senderos.

Plus, Mommy spends a little time on LiveMocha.com each week to brush up on vocabulary. The goal right now is repetition through conversation and song, then we will write words, poems and more in our main lesson books.

Anyone out there have ideas about incorporating a foreign language in the home? -- Please share!

Language Arts in the Dell

Some glimpses into our Language Arts so far this year....

Writing out our favorite recipes

Playing "I Spy" with the Waldorf Alphabet Book

Making moving picture books

Exploring two letters each week using Earthschooling curriculum and Enki fairy tales.


Writing letters in cornmeal

Raking patterns in the sandbox

Watching mommy act out a fairy tale each week (Persuasive essay follow-up to Briar Rose)

Spanish, French, Tagalog words, phrases and songs


Verses and movement to the book/cards LMNOP

Reading and writing poems, stories, verses


Memorizing tongue twisters and reciting them aloud


Greek and Latin word roots

Form drawing

Writing plays (and acting, too!)