Gonna GO, gonna Go WILD KRATTS!

The newest trend in our house is Chris and Martin...also known as The Wild Kratt Brothers.  We have printed off a BILLION creature power discs, we have the vests and gloves, we have watched just about every episode on Netflix.

So when my kids LOVE something, we tie that into our learning. (Isn't that what homeschooling is ALL about!?)

This is what I came up with.

 The Wild Kratt Creature Journal

Things you will need to make your own:

Mommy's Little Learners Wild Kratt Journal Printables 

* Click here for your Cover Page

* Click here for pg 1 of Animal Recorder Sheet

* Click here for pg 2 of Animal Recorder Sheet

Wild Kratt Passport PRINT HERE

Powerdisc Printables PRINT HERE

1 Spiral notebook

2 Envelopes

glue

Stapler

The Cover page (above)

Print off the cover page (laminate if you wish) and glue it to the front of a spiral notebook.

Next, open up the notebook.  

**I found notebooks that already had a pocket page inside.***

Sorry for the side-ways picture

If you can't find these, then here's another option:

On the inside of the cardboard cover of the notebook, glue 2 letter or legal-sized envelopes.  One envelope is to house your child’s Wild Kratt passport which you can download and print here Wild Kratt Printable passport.  The 2nd envelope can house your child’s creature power discs.  Be sure and print some before hand, just for fun.  

Here’s a great link to get you started: Power Disc Printables   

Turn the page so that you have an open spread of 2 pieces of paper.  To make things different, I created the printables in landscape form, so that your child can have a top to bottom spread of information.  

Print and glue or staple the Animal Identifier Record Sheet.  With J next to me, I did some "thinking out loud" to model how I wanted this done. I wrote about the first creature which happened to be from the "frog fish" episode...my favorite!!

Then he did the next entry, a few days later, for his Writing assignment.

We used Wikipedia to help with some of the information about the Sperm Whale, which is the creature he chose to research.

We haven't used this mini-book yet, but plan to soon. It's a feature on pg 2 of the Animal Identifier Sheet.

Mini Book printable

I hope that you and your little learner enjoy making a Wild Kratt Creature Journal.

Be sure and share your ideas and pictures on our

Mommy's Little Learners Facebook Page!

or leave some comments below. That always makes my heart smile!

Happy Learning with your Little Ones!

A Peek inside our Unschooled Week

It was the end of March.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful.  And my husband and I were about to head out of the country for a special trip to Switzerland, which meant packing, preparing and really spending quality time with each of my children.

I was going to be away from my kids for 2 weeks and 2 days!!!!!!  This was a first for everyone and honestly scared the bejesus out of me. So quality time, with the 3 little ones that I love, was super important to me.  

I could have planned some structured learning.  I could have laid out books to read and planned out math lessons that needed to be taught.  But I stepped back and tried something that I will never regret…a week of unschooling.  

The term unschooling should have NEVER been created in my opinion.  Two years ago, I thought unschoolers were kids of crazy adults that had NO sense of time.  Boy, was I wrong.  Unschooling is more like "child-led learning".  

Kids play and learn naturally, you take their lead.  Am I right on this, unschooling homeschoolers out there?

During this week:

Did we stop reading…no.  

Did we stop writing…no.

Did we stop learning...NO! NO! NO!

I just stopped with my plans and had my children lead the way…child-led learning happened and I was amazed at how wonderful our week ended up being.

I simply noted (in red) all that naturally happened during this unschooling week.
By the end of the week, my planning book was COVERED in red writing.

Here is a peek inside our Unschooled Week:

These boys have Wild Kratt FEVER!!!  Lots of imaginative play in the back yard and at the park for these 2 brothers.

J wanted to print off a few power discs to play with and collect.  So this was the perfect chance for a quick intro to Google docs.  We looked up images, saved them, pasted them and printed them.  This boy EVEN learned how to laminate using my favorite tool in the house.  When you have ALL these power discs, then you better build something to put them in.  

And that led to this awesome Lego holder to house the creature power discs!

 When MiniM had some out-of-this-world fun!   

 And when you construction trucks are dirty...you better get out some soap and water to wash them clean, right?

And just when I thought it could get any better - THIS HAPPENED!

An amazing morning, hiking and learning about nature with our amazing friends.

This day clearly provided that "a classroom doesn't always have to have 4 walls".

We learned about bird migration and bees.  We hiked to a beautiful stream.  

Kids were being kids and the moms were soaking it all up.

Because of this one “unschooling” week, I have decided to claim a few unschooling weeks, just like this one, throughout our school year.  Honestly, we never stop learning at our home.  That's the atmosphere that my husband and I have created.  

But I guess claiming a week or two for just "unschooling" made me feel a freedom within our homeschool.  I felt a freshness about learning.  And if I felt this, then I know my children felt it too.

31 Reasons We Love Homeschooling

I could not sleep one night while we were vacationing in Switzerland (ugh! It's 2:30 am here). So I jumped onto Facebook and found a message from my sweet friend and fellow homeschool blogger, Ana Willis over at theycallmeblessed.org. She was planning and hosting a HUGE blog party and has asked 31 homeschooling moms to write the reasons they love homeschooling. How could I say no to this opportunity! (and I have some extra time to blog between train rides around this beautiful country) I love encouraging others homeschoolers and try my best to inspire families that might be a little unsure about how it works. 

So here's your chance to see amazing 31 difference perspectives over 31 days from 31 real homeschooling moms. 

Let the party begin! And here's how it works.

Each day, I will add a new reason from a different blogger on my blog.  Just click, read and comment and share on social media!

31 Reasons We Love Homeschooling

Reason 1 – They Call Me Blessed – The Unrushed Homeschooling Life That Creates Memories.

Reason 2 – Kingdom First Homeschool – Leading My Kids Down God’s Perfect Path

Reason 3 – Thriving As A Fulltime Parent  – FREEDOM!!!

Reason 4 – Coffee Mugs and Little Thugs – I Get the Best of My Kids and They Get the Best of Me!

Reason 5 – Thrive Homeschooling - Amy Michaels - Custom Made Kids

Reason 6 - Melinda Johnson - Spending Quality Time with Older Generations

Reason 7 - RaisingDaVinci.com - Amanda - Educating the Tortoise and the Hare

Reading Strategies chart - FREE Printable!

I sure have enjoyed sharing a few tips with my periscope followers over the past months.  I truly hope that this series has equipped you and inspired you to start using these strategies with your little learners.  I know that they've made a huge difference in all of my readers.

Many of you have asked about the chart that I've referred to in all of my scopes.  And I'd love to share this with you all!

click HERE to print

Happy Learning and Reading with your Little Ones!  

I planned for this...and they take it to that!

This afternoon, I had a yummy snack planned for the boys.  It's Dr. Seuss' birthday, so why shouldn't we celebrate.  I had bought these multi-flavored marshmallows about 1 month ago.  And was just waiting for the right time to use them.

I knew I could:
Sort by color with the 2 year old
Sort by color and add/subtract with the 5 year old
Sort by color and set up multiplication problems with the 7 year old.

And with it being Dr. Seuss Day, we could turn those marshmallows into Truffula Trees using tooth picks.  Right? 

And we did just as I had planned...

Color sorting with the Toddler

Addition rods with the 5 year old

Multiplication with the 7 year old.

And Truffula Trees were made, along with our orange Lorax.

But what made this lesson amazing...was what happened afterwards.  Unprompted, unplanned learning...

J decided to open up a "sample store" - Menu and all.  There was even a "Free Marshmallow Minute" when J handed out FREE samples, but only during that minute.  So we pulled out our spare change and went marshmallow buying.

And after N seeing and experiencing J's store, he felt the need to open up his own.  He pulled out ALL his space toys, price labeled them (all by himself) and opened his store.  His prices were much more than pennies and nickels.  So we decided to print off personal checks to pay for his products.  

  

Check writing is something they will probably NEVER do, but it sure made for some fun learning today.

So today taught me ... that somedays I will have the lesson plan.  And somedays they will!  I just have to let go and love the memories, the learning and the love for learning that is happen...naturally!

And remember always...there's LOTS to learn when you are little!

Going Beyond "Sound It OUT!" - Reading Strategies #2 & #3

The month of February has been all about sharing some Reading Strategies for you to try with your little readers.  I've done a series of scopes on this topic...so be sure and catch up on those, if you missed them.

My Periscope reply collection

Now for a recap - just in case you need a refresher!

READING STRATEGY #1 - LOOK AT THE PICTURES

If your young reader gets stuck on a tricky word, the first strategy you should suggest is "look at the pictures".  If they read "bug" but the word is "beetle" in the text, then allow them to study the pictures and use their background knowledge on what they already know about beetles.  If looking at the pictures just doesn't work, then try...

READING STRATEGY #2 - Get your Mouth Ready

...which might not work well if the tricky word is "beetle" and your reader reads "bug".  When you ask your reader to use the "get your mouth ready" strategy, you want them to say the beginning sound of that tricky word.

For example, if the text says, "She skipped down the sidewalk" and your reader says "She ran down the sidewalk"."

You might simply point to the word "skipped" and say "can you get your mouth ready and let's also look at the picture."  Fingers crossed that using just these 2 strategies, your little reader will be able to decode the word, "skipped", and move on.

Make sense?

READING STRATEGY #3 - Does that Make Sense?

This is a powerful strategy!  And if your little readers can start using this during their decoding struggles, they are well on their way to becoming star readers.  

It's simple - if the word they read simply doesn't make sense...ask them!  "Did that word make sense?" Sometimes I even repeat what they read so they can hear it again!

For example, if the text says "The rocket boosters are carrying the shuttle into space."  and your reader says, "The rocket boosters are crying the shuttle into space." - STOP, check the pictures (no rocket boosters crying in this picture), and ask them..."did that make sense?"

Once this strategy becomes automatic, you'll start seeing some amazing things happen in your child's reading ability.  

Making meaning or "sense" of the text is the ultimate goal for any reader.  Now do you see the power behind Reading Strategy #3!?

Practice really does make perfect in the world of reading!  Having your child read out loud to you while you coach them on these first 3 strategies can really make a big difference.  Once you've noticed they are comfortable and automatically use Reading Strategy #1, then introduce Reading Strategy #2 to them.

Keep in mind that your job is to be their "Reading Coach"!  Use positive words, cheer them on and don't drag out reading instruction until it becomes frustrating and unenjoyable for you and your little reader!  If they are struggling with word after word, that book is TOO HARD!  Put it away, take a break and pick a different book that is "just right" for your little reader.

Hope this inspires and helps YOU gain some confidence to teach your child to read!

BONUS: Here's the last scope, that goes more in depth with this strategy!

JOIN ME ON PERISCOPE EVERY TUESDAY FOR LIVE BROADCASTS OF THIS READING STRATEGY SERIES!  

Sharing the Lego Love - how it all got started!

Wednesday morning of this week, we loaded up Legos, Day & Nana and drove off to experience the most amazing day yet!  Our month Lego Club was meeting at an assistant living home.  And boy were we ALL in for a treat!  And I really never new about the impact it would have on my family.

This sweet lady was blind in one eye and couldn't see the smaller Legos...so we found her the sweetest 2 year old with those BIG legos!  They build refrigerator and pretended to add all kinds of food.. 

N put on a show for this table!  They just watched and smiled as he built a rocket, some satellites and stuff from the future.

And then there was this guy!  He stood up and explain, suggested and taught this table.
These residence were so proud of their creations that J let them take them "home".

After posting these pictures on our FB Page, I received emails and messages from moms about how they could get their own club started.  BLOG POST MUST!!!  So I thought I would share how our club started and how we do it!  It was all kid-inspired and purposefully driven.

My kids love Legos and in the summer of 2013, we need to connect with others that loved Legos just as much.  We had met some great friends in our new town and we were hoping this club would help us meet more!

My teacher instincts jumped in when I started planning the way our club would be ran.  I knew there needed to be a focus/theme and that we needed a fun way to stimulate those lil builder brains.  So I decided on launching each meeting with literacy (book) and/or a brainstorming activity.

Each kid "BYOLegos" and something to build on like a cookie sheet or a blanket.  This has helped define each builders space so that legos don't get lost.

I also encourage for them to borrow from others, if they need a specific brick, as long as they promise to give it back (and say "thank you") once Lego Club is over.

 

After building, we all come back together for group share.  One kid shares, everyone listens then we applaud and give out compliments.  I love seeing kids that are quiet and shy, come to life and discuss their creations!  Great way to prepare them for public speaking.

These days, a few years later...we have packed houses full of laughter and Lego love!

And we've taken that Lego love to the road!

We built with the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House.  And the kids donated Lego Kits!

We've built at the mall, outside the Lego Store.

We've gone to Fire Stations and built with the fire fighters. (one of my favorites)

So if you have Lego Lovers within your own home!  It's easy to get started.  Find some friends, bring some Legos, come up with a theme and get together (we meet once a month).

Here's a list of our past themes that might help you get started:

*transportation

*now and then (at the nursing home)

*Fire Heroes (at the fire station)

*All Things Space

*Lego Movie Maker app

*Build a Shopping Mall

*Boats and things that float

*Nature

*Houses

*Splash Parks and Swimming Pools

Happy Learning and Lego Building with your little ones!

Going Beyond "Sound It OUT!" - 2 simple strategies to start using NOW!

As a First Grade teacher and a Reading Coach, I learned more teaching my students to read than I could have EVER imagined!  They taught me that reading is very strategic, like a game of chess!  You might try this one, seeing if it worked and it it doesn't you have to try another.  And this is all to gain meaning of the text!  That's a lot to ask a young reader.

 Well now, my own homeschooled kiddos are showing me that they learn to read just like my students.  Early Reading takes practice, strategy and commitment!  And reading goes beyond that one strategy parents always fall back on...

"Just Sound It Out!"

If you caught my "Tips from a Teacher" Tuesday Periscope, last week I introduced the first Reading Strategy to start with your little reader.  Maybe you missed it?  Here's the link to get you caught up: 

Take a Picture Walk!

This is one of the BEST ways to warm up your reader's brain!  And it's just like I had mention in the scope, "walk your reader through the pictures in the book" will allow YOU to add a small amount of pre-reading support.  Ask open-ended questions about the pictures.  Point out "tricky words" that YOU see in the text and show your reading in the pictures. This short introduction gives your reader a chance to preview the book and predict (based on pictures) what they are about to read.  Remember to keep your picture walk short and sweet!  Don't wear them out before they start reading!!!

Don't you do the same when you are browsing books at the library?  You don't just start reading the book or magazine, do you?  You pick up your selections, flip through the pages, preview the pictures (if there are any) and/or read the blurb on the back.

We need to give our young readers the chance to do and practice these same reading behaviors.

Reading Strategy #1 - Look at the pictures

If your young reader gets stuck on a tricky word, the first strategy they should suggests is "look at the pictures". 

For example:

"That tricky word starts with a /m/ sound.  Do you see anything in the pictures that has that sound?"

or

"You said ____.  That doesn't match what I see in the picture.  Do you see anything that might make sense in this sentence?"

Young readers NEED good books that provide lots of picture support for this reason!  So make sure that your instructional books have just that, so that they will become confident using this simple strategy.  

To help you along, use this FREE Printable!  Post it in your school area or next to your cozy reading spot as a reminder of what a good reader does!

Look at the Picture Reading Strategy Printable

Join me on Periscope every Tuesday for LIVE broadcasts of this Reading Strategy Series!  And if you miss it - no worries - I will have a new blog post with the replay and another printable,  just for you and your little learners.

Happy Learning (and Reading) with your Little Ones!