A special thank you

Well today is little man's first birthday. He decided to get up early but that gave me some time to fix muffins before dad left for work. The muffins that had chocolate chips in them and he wasn't quite what to think of them at first.

We were taking the slow approach to opening presents and we opened the last of the ones that we have this morning before daddy left for work. I would like to extend a special thank you to regular reader RMH who has graced our home with noise . . . um music. Just kidding - he loves banging on the drum and the other musical instruments that came with the set. I am sure that this will entertain him for quite a while and it's not that loud.

I'd also like to thank my parents for the puzzles. My hubbie and I were on-line about to order a bunch of puzzles on Saturday- then the sale ended and it wasn't quite as good a deal. The ones you got are two of the one's we had chosen. Actually just before we opened the presents my husband was hoping aloud for puzzles.

I was hoping we'd get to go out some today - but it's been raining pretty hard all day today. If I remember correctly it also rained last year on his birthday. So I guess we'll just stay inside and play with our new toys! :)

Another Quick resource

I have been looking through Charlotte Mason and other lists of "books you should read" to your little ones. On this list was a series of books that had fairytales from around the world. Well as I researched it further I found a website that has all of the fairytales on it! So, if you are looking for fairytales or stories from other cultures this is a great resource. I think I already posted a site that had many of Aesops' fables on it.

My women's group has started reading Safe People by Cloud and Townsend (our favorite writers). Today we talked about character discernment. One of the reasons people often recommend reading fairy tales and the fables are because they help kids learn more about good and evil if the adults with them can break it down to a level they can understand. Obviously the traits are a little overstated in these stories - but they can help children begin to grasp the concepts. Of course, you really can't beat the Bible for great stories of messed up relationships!

In case you wanted to know . . .

I am continually amazed at the range of articles that the Reading Rockets people put together regularly. They are truly excellent at condensing articles about preparing kids to read and encouraging them to read. This week they have a review of some of the most popular reading programs used in preschools and elementary school. I am happy to report that Reading Recovery (a very popular program) overall got great marks. So if you are thinking about homeschooling, concerned about the approach your preschool or elementary school is taking - this might be worth reading. They also reviewed early childhood programs in six domains related to reading and math. These are just a few of the areas it appears they review curriculum. I can't comment on their educational bent or politics - but it seems that they take their assessments from studies that meet certain requirements.
Additionally, Reading Rockets links to a website that provides a checklist for parents as they consider their child's preschool options. Overall this checklist looks good - although a Montessori school might not meet some of the standards because of their different approach to teaching. But if you are looking at a Montessori school I hope that you realize the reasons for the differences between this school and the typical preschool. These are pretty stringent guidelines - but you do want the best for your child!

Christmas in September!

Last week my friend and I decided to take the plunge and buy a whole boat load of Montessori materials for the co-op. Today the materials arrived in three huge boxes - all of her children were very excited about the boxes. After they were all in bed we began to open and open and open the boxes. I didn't realize just how much stuff we would have. It is all well made (it seems) and I know what to do with most of the materials - so that's good. Now we just have to figure out how to hide . . . ummm. . . store everything for the kids.

Co-op plans are coming along. We decided to do a "trial run" this fall for about 6 or 7 weeks to work on the kinks and to allow people to go through the holidays without extra stress. After this time we will evaluate how it's going and see what we might want to change. Our target first day is October 2nd - so it is coming up pretty soon.

I am now trying to decide if I should participate in an on-line very loose Montessori "training course" starting in October. I think it would probably be worth it. I am also taking the gifted and talented program development course this fall from UNT. I am not sure what to do for my major project because I don't work at a school - I think that will be next week's challenge (oh
plus the fundraiser I am pulling together).

Receiving all of that cool stuff was like Christmas in Spetember. I am really excited about actually using it. I think our kid will love it!