Butterfly Unit Study Completed. YAY!

Wednesday 26th February 2014

When we filled out our exemption so we could home school. I asked Miss Personality about what things she would like to learn about, and she choose butterflies.

I also asked her what kinds of things she would like to learn about.

So we put together a list of things that she could learn about, to do with butterflies.

In the past when we had done unit studies, we had made posters to present what she had learned.

This time we I thought it would be better to turn it into a book. That way she can go back and read it when ever she wants, and it is easy to transport if she feels like sharing it with anyone, and the best part easy to store.

I was going to laminate it and put rings through the side, to make it into a book. But then decided buying a clear paged A4 book from the Warehouse Stationary would be a better option. They had a deal the other day, in there back to school sale, where they were selling a 20 page book for $1.47. Compared to buying laminating sheets, it worked out the best option financially.

We started off this unit study by buying 4 junior swan plants from The Warehouse for around $5 each, then re planted them into 1 large plant pot.. I bought a few, as when they get to caterpillars, they can eat all the leaves off a plant pretty quickly.

Then we put it outside and waited for the monarch butterfly to find it. Monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on swan plants. We went out daily and made observations on if there were any eggs, then if there were any caterpillars, how many caterpillars were there.

Miss Personality took photos using my iphone and made a visual recording of out findings.

We noticed that some caterpillars were disappearing, so to make sure we got to see the full transformation, I brought the plants inside to protect 3 caterpillars. Through our studies we discovered where the caterpillars had been disappearing too.

We watched them go from this.........................................

To this.......................................................

To this....................................................................

To this :)

While observing all the changes that were happening to our caterpillar, we started to research on the internet for the answers to our questions.

First we looked into the life cycle of the swan plant itself. What are the different stages of growth, how does it grow and what are the different parts of the plant called.

Miss Personality cut out and pasted these pictures that we found on google images, in the order that they happen.

Miss Personality is not a huge fan of writing, so when we did this part we used a word document to put together her questions and answers that she had researched on the internet.

Then Miss Personality drew and labeled the parts of the swan plant.

Miss Personality and I brain stormed all the words associated with swan plants, butterflies and caterpillars. Then she created this word find with some of the words.

Then we moved on to answering some questions that we had put together about what we wanted to learn about caterpillars and butterflies. Miss Personality researched the answers by reading different websites on the internet. Again this document was created using word, and she typed out both questions and answers.

Then I used a bunch of photos off google images, of every stage of the butterfly life cycle. After researching what each stage is and when it happens in the cycle. I got Miss Personality to cut out the pictures and then put them in the correct order of events.

Miss Personality likes doing art work of all different types.

I found a picture on google images, and asked her to paint a picture of it.

She did such an awesome job. I then got her to look for a labeled diagram of a monarch butterfly, so she could correctly label her painting.

Today I got Miss Personality to do a acrostic poem about the butterfly, using words that we had brain stormed about for a previous activity.

I had also asked her if she could paint a picture of a caterpillar. This time I used one of the pictures we had taken of caterpillars as they had been changing, as an example. She did a fantastic job with this painting also. I got her to look for a labeled diagram of a caterpillar, so she could label her picture as well.

As a part of the unit study, for Miss Personalities birthday,we visited a place called Butterfly Creek. One of the main attractions was their butterfly garden, where we got to see lots of different butterflies, as well as have some land on us. It is a great place to visit with children and would recommend it to others.

There is a black butterfly on top of Miss Personality's hat. Had to be careful as you left, to make sure there were non attached to you as you left the area.

Miss Personality was starting to lose interest in this unit study, so we decided to stop there. 

There was still plenty more we could have added, but I think we both learnt so much about butterflies and had lots of fun with it all too.

The Change Has Been Great!

Wednesday 26th February 2014

Miss Personality hates writing and spelling. English was never my strong point at school, so I tend to rely on the workbooks or a set online curriculum for this. But I found Miss Personality got bored with each one of these methods very quickly.

Since moving to a more montessori inspired way of doing things, Miss Personality has been enjoying her lessons. 

I have found not seeing a list of expectations has been great. Before I would write up a daily plan, but as soon as she saw what was expected she just reacted in a negative way and our fights and arguing would go on from this point on.

So I put together these folders for spelling, writing, grammar and our butterfly unit study.

It has activities in them, but she gets to chose which one she wants to do and when. She has the option to do more than one if she wants to.

I still need to do more research on the montessori way of teaching these topics, in more of a hands on way. But for now Miss Personality enjoys having a choice of when and what activity she gets to do.

This was a spelling activity. I had asked Miss Personality what words she would like to learn, and put together a list. Miss Personality chose this activity of putting them in alphabetical order.

For writing she chose this acrostic poem on butterflies. We talked a bit about how to do this activity, just to get the ideas flowing. This will be put in to her book we are making for her butterfly unit study.

Miss Personality chose this multiplication chart to do help her answer her equations. She can chose how many she wants to do, before she moves on to next activity. 

We stopped at the library on the weekend, to get a new stash of books. Between her library card and my own, we managed to get close to 70 books. I have found since then, that Miss Personality stops quiet often to read a book to herself. This is great as she hasn't done this for ages. 

Miss Personality then chose out of the Grammar folder, this activity of finding Adverbs for eating.

Miss Personality then chose this addition cup game. She used strips that had addition equations already written on them, then used the cup game to help her answer them. Again she can chose how many of these she would like to do, before she is ready to move on.

This is the subtraction finger board game.

Use strips with single digit equations written on them and then use finger board to help her answer them.

Butterfly Unit Study - Science.
We have been doing activities based around Miss Personalities interest in the monarch butterfly.
These two pictures she had painted a while ago. So I got her to use the internet to look for a labeled diagram of a butterfly and caterpillar. Then she used this information to label her pictures.

These were all the expected activities done for the day, all by 2pm. 

So I asked Miss Personality if she would like to do some baking.

Miss Personality is pretty confident in the kitchen, but still likes me to stand and observe and help if needed. Other wise she can do most of it by herself.

She followed the recipe and got out all ingredients and tools needed to make the biscuits.

Then followed instructions to combine ingredients.

Rolled the mixture into balls, then flattened them with a fork dipped in flour so it doesn't stick to mixture.

Put the timer on while they were cooking, and then waited for them to come out.

Of course then Miss Personality needed to put them to the taste test. YUM!

Daddy you have the all clear to sample some when you come home from work :)

Went to a local second hand shop earlier today, and found this awesome 25 piece magic kit for $3. Miss Personality had a look through it and then decided to have a play with it another day.

We also spotted this Tap Tap Art kit for $7. A great way to experiment with shapes (geometry & maths), using a little hammer, nails, and shapes to make pictures and patterns.

A lovely productive day.

Awesome effort Miss Personality :)

Montessori Inspired Day.

Monday 24th February 2014

MONTESSORI INSPIRED DAY.

Well I am enjoying my evolving into a more peaceful parent (well on some days, old habits die hard).

Miss Personality was not sure about all my new games I have been making up over the last couple of days.

I think she just presumed it would be more stuff mummy was going to make her do.

I don't think she thought she would actually enjoy it.

Miss Personality started off her day choosing the bath mat game :)

It is actually inspired by the montessori multiplication board.

I didn't want to have to go and buy one, and I had seen on a website the suggestion of a bath mat turned over. The little sucker things on the bottom are great for placing each individual bead.

First she chooses a multiplication equation -  say 6 x 4. She then places beads in 4 rows of 6, then counts up the total of all beads. Then she writes down the equation with the answer.

She got bored with this activity after about 3 equations. I don't think she enjoyed the repetition.

Miss Personality then asked to do the grid game.

You just use a piece of grid paper and 2 dice. Roll the dice and say you got a 2 and a 5. This becomes 2 x 5. Then the child uses a ruler to rule a line across 2 squares then down 5. So you have got a rectangular shape of 5 rows of 2 squares. Add up all the squares and then write down the equation on a piece of paper.. I then modified this to use a pack of cards, till we get around to buying a 12 sided dice.

She got to do as many of these multiplication equations as she wanted to, till she was ready to move on.

Then she asked to be shown how to play this game. It is a great way to practice addition and subtraction. But she wanted to do addition, so subtraction will be another day.

She chooses a equation, places it down in front of her -  4 + 5. She would then count and place 4 pebbles in the first container, then 5 pebbles in the second container. Then she would pour contents of both containers into last container and then add them altogether. Then she will write down the equation with the answer on a piece of paper. Again she could chose how many equations she wanted to do until she was finished.

Miss Personality then asked to use the strings of beads we had cut up the other day.

First she picked a multiplication equation out of the container - say 4 x 7. She then would find the strings of 4 beads, then pick out 7 of them. Then she would add up the total of all beads, then write down the equation with the answer on a piece of paper. She could chose to do as many of these as she liked before moving on. I then got her to use the multiplication board to double check her answers and tick them off.

She enjoyed doing all these activities because she had choice and could check her answers for herself.

I look forward to doing more of this work with her tomorrow.

Just need to figure out a way to get her this inspired about spelling and writing?

What montessori or hands on learning tools do you use for spelling and writing?

Would love to hear of any suggestions :)

That Voice Inside Our Heads.

Monday 24th February 2014

Come on, I know I am not the only one who has one of these.

You know that voice inside your head that rambles on about anything and everything, usually at a hundred miles and hour. But it's ok because the voice inside your head doesn't have to breathe :)

It's especially annoying when you are trying to go to sleep, and all of a sudden that voice inside your head starts rambling on at you. If only I knew where the off button is :)

My daughter is a talker. You know that saying that says that women/ girls have so many words to use in a day, well she is definitely one of those kind of people. Some days when her dad comes home from work, he looks at me, like I haven't spoken to her all day.

Any way I was listening to my daughter chatter enthusiastically on the weekend and had my light bulb moment. Her voice in her head is also the voice that comes out of her mouth. No holds barred!

She will chat about anything and everything. Every thought, feeling, observation, memory you could possibly imagine, and god forbid you interrupt her.

Some days it is so bad, that I have to ask her to stop going on.

I just can't think, as my own thoughts (the ones inside my head), don't get a chance to get a word in edge ways. 

Now my memory is bad on a good day (blame the preggy brain that stole it and never returned it), but when I have a little person who follows me around, with that internal monologue set free into the outside world, I am lucky if I remember to brush my teeth in the morning, amongst other things.

I know this is all cute, and I am sure if my mum were in my house right now, she would just smile at the karma of it all. But it still doesn't make if fun, and by the time bedtime comes along, I look forward to the peacefulness of night time. When the voice in my head gets a chance to natter to me and I actually get to hear it.

But then when it is time for me to sleep, my internal monologue won't shut up!

I don't know which situation is worse.

But then again, as crazy as my lovely little girl is with her endless natter.

I would rather have it around than not, just maybe if it came with volume control it would help :)

Montessori Inspired Maths Resources.

Saturday 22nd February 2014

Well I went off hunting for my bits and pieces today.

I was a bit deflated when I went off to buy beads and found out how hard it is to get them in a certain size and colour.

In the past I have just bought them for my girls and size and colour really didn't matter as long as they were girly.

When I explained to Miss Personality what I was looking for, she made a suggestion, that I didn't think too much about, until I realised how hard it was to find a certain kind of bead.

We found strings of beads that are permanently attached to each other by string. Then you can cut them into the groups that you want to, perfect for skip counting/ multiplication. Got them in different colours and just cut to the size we needed. Doing it like this worked out very affordable from the budget variety stores, like the $2 shop.

Found this cute little container to put them in too. Miss Personality helped count and cut them into there groups that I needed them to be.

This is an addition finger board, with addition equations.

Once Miss Personality feels confident in her addition of single digits, she can revise by having the answers and matching it with the right equation.

This is a multiplication finger board, with the times tables written on strips that she has to find the answers too and write down. We will practice her times tables with this and a few other methods, including the coloured beads. When she feels that she has mastered this, then she can revise with the answers. I will make up another board like this, but blank, and she will have to place the answers on the board that match the right equation.

This is a hundreds chart. It is great for practicing double digit addition and subtraction. I am going to make a giant one of this for on the floor. Made with 100 sheets of computer paper. I thought it would be a great way to get Miss Personality physically into doing her maths, by standing on it and either counting forward for addition or backwards for subtraction. I guess doing it this way would be good for a child who can't sit still or gets bored easily with sitting still for too long.

This is the addition strip board. I haven't got the strips in this photo, so will take a photo when Miss Personality is using it. You can do both addition and subtraction with this.

This is the subtraction finger board. Again Miss Personality with have subtraction equation written on strips with no answers. She will then have to find the answer using this board and record the answer in her maths workbook.  I have another board exactly like this but with out the answers on it. When she has mastered her single digit subtraction, she can revise by using the answers and matching them with the right equation on the board.

We will practice subtraction using this and other math resources.

All these boards have been made with coloured card and paper. I would laminate them, but we are on a bit of a tight budget, so I am going to cover them in coverseal/ duraseal, to help them last longer.

These are montessori inspired stamps, that are used to help with addition, subtraction and division equations.

And this is what it is all set up on at the moment. So it is easily accessible to Miss Personality. Once she is shown how to use these new games. She can use them when ever she feels like using them.

This just what I have put together so far. I am going to take Miss Personality back to single digit addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. When she is ready we will move on to double, triple and quadruple digits.

I really like the fact that montessori resources are aimed at child lead interest. They get to correct their own work instead of having mum correct their work for them.

I have noticed Miss Personality really doesn't like being corrected and tends to not want to do her work if she feels like she has failed. I feel that her correcting her own work and seeing that she has got things right, by herself, will give her a great boost in her self confidence.

After I have created and got her using these resources, I will go and resource reading, writing and spelling resources. As I feel that Miss Personality needs help with these in a independent learning capacity.