Our first week of preschool

For our first week of preschool, we started mid-week, so we only got 3 days in.  I know most of the curricula follow a Monday through Friday schedule, but we’re making up our own schedule.  As such, I am also skipping some activities that I know Isa is just not ready for developmentally.  

For her first week we focused most of our time on Little Hands to Heaven and Learn and Grow, with a little time spent on Little Saints and Teach Me About God.  Her first couple weeks will be focused on the letter A, the story of creation (Genesis), the circle shape, and the color red.  So far she seems most interested in the Little Hands to Heaven and Little Saints finger plays, as well as her Learn and Grow projects.

Creating her first Learn and Grow masterpiece.

 

Bean bag toss activity

She struggled with the bean bag toss on day one.  Not because she couldn’t do it, but rather she wanted to gently place the bean bags into the box rather than throw them.  But she caught on quite quickly on day two and had a blast.
 

Little Hands to Heaven activity, walking her toy animals along the letter A.

The finger plays in Little Saints are not repeated day after day so Isa doesn’t really learn those.  However the finger plays in Little Hands to Heaven are repeated daily and she was already copying the A-A-Adam finger play on the second day.  When she saw me pull out her curriculum on day 2 she immediately started making the sound for the letter A like we do in the finger play with the corresponding hand gestures.  I was so proud of her and, I must admit, also relieved that she was actually taking it in and not just thinking her mother was a complete nut acting out the finger plays. 

Some more of her Learn and Grow activities…

Tearing up red construction paper

Working that glue stick like a pro on her very first time.

Getting down to business gluing with 1 hand & pasting with the other.

After the above activity, Isa had a blast throwing the remaining confetti all over the table, chair and floor.  Mom was less than enthusiastic about the mess, but Isa was a big help in cleaning it up afterward.

 

Back to painting (with mom's help)

 

Painting “apples” onto her tree

 

Her hand prints, part of the I Belong to God section of Little Saints.

 

Finished products of preschool day 2.

 

Working on her apple sun catcher.

Isa really enjoyed decorating her sun catcher since she was able to “free style” a bit more with this activity. 

Making a Cheerio letter ‘A’, a Little Hands to Heaven project.

Now the Cheerio ‘A’ was a challenge in that Isa was more interested in eating the Cheerios than gluing them to a sheet of paper.  Try explaining to a toddler that she's not supposed to eat the Cheerios!  But she enjoyed the activity and it just required a LOT more Cheerios than what ended up on paper!

After our first (half) week of preschool, I can already see the benefit of it in both children.  Isa is happier in that she’s more engaged, she’s learning, and she's spending more quality time with mom.  Mr X is happier in that his sister is quieter while she’s working and therefore he can squeeze in some more nap time.  Win-win!