I mentioned earlier this week that I was trying out Raising Itty-Bitty Bookworm’s preschool curriculum program, the Bo program specifically (for age 3 to 5). Well we just finished our first week and what a week. This week’s program evolved around the book Mrs. Wishy Washy Farm by Joy Cowly . My kids had a great time, they were excited each morning to find out what we were doing.
I love how the activities, whether reading or science or math, all revolve around the story we read that week. The kids loved working with numbers by counting animals to put in the wash tub (plastic animals in a basket) or counting bubbles in the tub (cotton balls in a bowl).
One bubble, two bubbles...
My son especially loved the task of predicting events. We took different sized or shaped cars and raced them down a ramp (we recreate fast moving cars like in the story and try to predict which car would be the fastest and why).
Hey, let's race the small car and the big truck
I also loved how the story was included every day, in different ways: reading, predicting, acting it out. My daughter really enjoyed the creative elements of the day, like painting spots on the cow or drawing lines to create animal jail, but she especially loved creating her Mrs. Wishy Washy puppet. And then we used it the following days to retell parts of the story (a big hit).
Wishy-washy, Wishy-washy
The curriculum also included suggestions for recipes like roast on toast and chicken feed, again bringing everything back to the story. We even created bubbles with soap, water and food colouring and printed the bubbles on their wash tub page.
Look how big I can make these bubbles
Everything but the books was included in the extensive curriculum package (a pdf I downloaded), including a daily lesson plan, suggestions for introducing the week’s letter and number, plus all the printouts needed for the activities.
The program seems to be designed with group instruction in mind, like an in-home daycare, but with a few small adjustments it worked great for just teaching my two kids. There are some great suggestions to set-up your space based on the week’s topic, letters that can be printed and given to parents, as well as evaluation worksheets and daily record keeping pages.
The kids are already looking forward to next weeks lesson.
If you’re interested in this program for your own kids, you can purchase either a CD or electronic version from the Itty Bitty Bookworm site. And since it’s by the month, you can purchase one month to give it a try (but I think you’ll find you’ll be back the following month. That’s the way we’re leaning and it’s only been the first week).
I’ve also heard that Carisa at Totally Tots and 1+1+1=1 is offering a giveaway of a whole year of either the Bo or Bailey curriculum (plus she has a great review of the program also). Contest closes October 18, 2009.
Until next week.
Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 7), while building my business and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier?
Another day, another thought...or two. 