October 2007
02-10-2007 (Tuesday): cut out numbers and paste in order puzzle did 1-5. We did this with the help of "miffy's counting book" but you could use any number book. We used the book to match the numbers and then we counted the little birds inside the numbers to double check. Taught denali to write a zero. Read "1 is one" by Tasha Tudor; "Just Enough" by Teri Daniels; "Cookies: Bite-size Life Lessons" by A.K. Rosenthal. Tried the number 2 print out again. Found the names for the various stages of a butterfly life cycle in sinhala. Biththaraya (egg), dalambuva (caterpillar), koshaya (pupa or cocoon), samanalaya (butterfly) (or salabaya for moth).
04-10-2007 (Thursday): Story time at the library.
06-10-2007 (Saturday): Field trip! Matt Davis trail from Pantol to Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpais State Park, CA. 4.2 miles. Denali walked the whole distance (down hill trail). Observed lichen, resin dripping out of a tree trunk, california poppy (CA state flower), felt various types of moss, found lots of acorns, some weird berries, and feathers.
09-10-2007 (Tuesday): Breathing excersises, corpse pose, downward facing dog. Read "Dogger" by Shirley Hughes. Pracitsed writing "2" on the dot paper using our new coloured markers. Wrote "2" free hand. Sorted the fall shapes by living things and non-living things and then by things we eat and those we don't. Cut out the second sheet of cut out numbers and paste in order puzzle (started cutting with one hand). Coloured the cocoon from caterpillar life cycle coloring book. Denali now tries to stay within the lines. Free colouring (for the first time her people have dots for eyes instead of saucers. Noticed hair, shoes and noses)
[Note on the above day denali picked the book to be read. The first 4 activites where teacher led all the others where activities chosen because of dena's requests]
10-10-2007 (Wednesday): Breathing excersises, downward facing dog, cat and cow pose, virasana, supta virasana (this she did on her own!). Read a book. Started the first lesson in Smart Start Science 1 (see above). Named the parts of the face and body in Sinhala and English. Learnt about seeing. Denali was unable to use her eyes to pick out similar objects from a set of 4. She also does not know her shapes.
12-10-2007 (Friday): Cut this stencil out in 7 colours of construction paper shapes4sorting.doc . Had denali play with them and then sort them in different ways. Showed her a set of 4 to 5 and asked her to pick out same shape, same colour, same size. Proved to be rather difficult.
14-10-2007 (Sunday): Field trip to the exploratorium. Mainly visited exhibits about sound. At home read "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" by Kevin Henkes; wrote the number "3" (dot paper) and then the numbers "1, 2, 3"; wrote "2" free hand; completed the science lesson on sound; worked with the sorting shapes shapes4sorting.doc (she is getting better); played ring around the rosies and did some jumps off the box seat; wrote the letter "va"; did some free drawing and some bead work.
16-10-2007 (Tuesday): Coloured the rabbit with flute http://www.first-school.ws/t/coloring-pages/music/flute-rabbit.htm. Listened to some flute music http://www.kokopelliflutes.com/ancient4000yearoldflute.mp3 http://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/free-online-music-radio/free_flute_music. Did the Japanese "friend" http://www.makingfriends.com/friends/f+japan.htm and the candy cup origami http://www.makingfriends.com/origami_treat_cup.htm.
18-10-2007 (Thursday): Watched dora the explorer - Pablo's flute episode. Did some colouring. Denali cut out and coloured the japanese flag which was printed from http://www.lil-fingers.com/coloring/images/flag-japan.gif and scaled to 50%. We left 2cm on left hand side of the flag then bent this piece over and glued it down with a toothpick in between. Using a piece of blue tack we placed the flag on our world map. We then read "I live in Tokyo" by Mari Takabayashi. This is a great picture book for kids about japan. Then we watched "Big Bird in Japan" on dvd. Long movie but very appropriate. Went to Laila's and listened to her playing the silver flute.
NOTES: The lesson's on the flute and japan are going very well. I think it's because there are so many different activities and we can make connections between them. I believe that the hands on activities of dressing the dolls in kimono's; cutting, colouring and sticking the flag on japan; comparing the map on the wall with the one in the book; noting that the treat cup she made was an example of origami when we found it in the book all help to make the excersise educational and at the same time fun for her.
19-10-2007 (friday): Made a 'va' sheet. Coloured a monkey.
23-10-2007 (Tuesday): Coloured our new colouring page "va". Practised writing "va" and 1's, 2's, 3's, and zero's.
24-10-2007 (Wednesday): Breathing excersises, downward facing dog, virasana. Read "1 is one". Took a heap of sorting shapes, put them on the table and asked denali to pick out "the red circle", "the green rectangle", "the brown triangle" (in sinhala of course). After this we did the first page of the shape sorting puzzle which denali seemed to think was lame although it was her first attempt at cutting out a circle and she did pretty well. We then wrote more "va" by joining the dots. We then started on tasting in our sciene book at which point deruni woke up and school was adjourned.
25-10-2007 (Thursday): Coloured "cha" colouring page. Practised writing "cha" in our sinhala book. Cut out the second page of the shape sorting puzzle . Finished the lesson on tasting. Denali had to taste some soy sauce to check if it was salty! Started on the nose and smells.
break due to illness