Thursday, September 8, 2011

Tot Learning

I have had many ask me "how do you complete a school day with Hudson?".

Well, I will admit that I thought he would be easy this year and not too interested in what we were doing, at least for the most part. Boy was I wrong! Hudson wants to DO everything we are doing. While I was interacting with Holly on lessons Hudson was right here stating "I do, I do". So, a couple days into our new school year I had to come up with a new plan for Hudson. A plan that is still in the works, but one to get us started at least.

He is only 19 months old. I didn't want to push anything on him to soon or too structured. But, he is ready to move on and learn more!

I cleared out a couple bottom shelves of the school supply area and created a learning center for him. I chose some learning toys we had on hand, broke out a couple of items I was waiting to introduce and also shopped for a few new items I had been looking at for down the road. His shelf is now filled with some various shape sorters and stackers, organizing toys, puzzles, small hands on items, music instruments, lacing cards, peg stacker game, busy bags and lacing beads. These are the items I use with him during school time how. They will be changed up and rotated a bit over time. While Holly is busy on her own I work with Hudson on these toys - talking with him as we play. We work on how to use the toys, proper play, sorting colors, tossing items, hand eye coordination, small motor skills and listening skills. I have to say within a day he started saying colors, numbers from counting and a few letters. He doesn't 'know' them but he is making the associations and trying which thrills me beyonds words!

As well, Hudson loves to COLOR! Boy does he love to color. So, he is now equipped with his own color box and a new assortment of crayons and a preschool pencil (under supervision of course). He is also exploring with pastels, colored pencils, chalks and markers. Loving them all!!! Soon we will be venturing out to watercolor painting. I know he will be in heaven over painting. Later in the season will work with some various textures experiences with artwork like shaving creams, finger painting, smelly paints, edible paints, gak and goop. Texture bags are on the horizon as well.

Other fun stuff we do is a ton of reading books, finding items in books, acting out the animals in books, creating sounds from books, music play, dancing to a few select songs to learn them, new finger play songs and ribbon dancing. Puppets are slowly working their way into our play too. Play dough is an item he adores to play with - loves to smash it with cutters and items - so soon I'll pick some letter stamps for play dough play only.

So, while my plan was not really to include any Tot School this year - that plan has changed in a big way. I will be slowly adding in more stuff and include that in our postings soon. I am excited for Hudson, he is enjoying this attention and thriving with all we have done in just the past week. I think this will be a very fun year with him!






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