Thursday, April 18, 2013

Math lesson...


Lately we've been working on place value… A concept I understand to be so simple now, yet as a kid 
I remember it being extremely abstract and complicated. I wonder if our minds get more and 
more logical as we grow...
I like these cubes that make a clear visual demonstration of how the whole ball of wax actually works...
 I'm trying to tie the gap between the hands on manipulation and the actual written numbers. 
I've noticed a couple of the kids prefer the written numbers and it's  the cubes that are harder
 for them to tackle …
I find it so interesting to see how each child has their own way of reacting to new material. 
I can't image trying to teach something like this to a huge group of children, lets say twenty 
to thirty at a time??? My hat goes off to all those underpaid, over worked teachers out their 
who are given fifty oranges to carry with just two hands.
Hope everyone is having a good week!!
  
                                                                                   ~ Marica

Saturday, March 9, 2013

March… School… Reading… and books...


Everybody has been reading... Lots and lots of reading…
The littlest ones are sounding out words and remembering 
how a long vowel sounds...
 They're patient, holding their breath when they catch the 
word before the others do...
It's careful work...
The middle crew is taking turns reading aloud in what was our back bedroom and is now 
the official "library" … Another post to come soon… I can't wait!!
And our big boys are still sitting perched… Each in the deep, thick of bound paper,
spackled with lettering, keeping them absorbed for hours...
(This picture was from a previous post, but sums it all up too well…)

Some of the books being read around here:

Frog and Toad Arnold Lobel
School House in the Woods Rebecca Caudil
Spiderweb for Two Elizabeth Enright
Rangers Apprentice John Flanagan
The Stand Stephen King

And then I myself recently finished:
Flight Behavior  Barbara Kingsolver
and just started:
The Lacuna also by Barbara Kingsolver

         Hope Everyone is having a good beginning to March!!
                                                                              
                                                                        Cheers ~ Marica


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The colors of this week...



With the calender striking mid-February….
A friend brought over pansies to plant with the kids...
 Vibrant red pansies….And fresh young strawberries...
They used old cans and wrapped up newspaper to make pots…
Today we covered empty boxes with magazine clippings...
To make them pretty…
Happy Mid-February Everyone…

                                                                   ~ Marica

Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween...


Well Halloween has come again...
 October has made its way round, and before I even fully saw its face, 
it has already made plans to be on its way...
 Pumpkins and squash have hit their peek, and now are resting until either, they will be consumed as food, carved into lanterns or perhaps just left to become compost that will help build the soil for plantings to come...
 We made pumpkin doughnuts… the recipe of which is right here
The kids spent yesterday afternoon carving scary faces on their chosen pumpkins… 
I think this might be the first year each of them could could actually carve their own pumpkin… Wow!)
 And then there are these little guys, so oblivious of the haunting and sweets 
gathering that is about to happen!!

                                                       Happy Halloween !!! ~  Marica


Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Monday, October 22, 2012

Getting Back in the Swing...


I ask myself this constantly… Where does time go???  Is it really, now, late October? The kids keep reminding me that there is just a short, short while before Halloween will be here, and hence, costumes will need to be finished. I say finished like I have already started… No no, they are still just a jumble of ideas… I think a lot of black cloth is involved though. 

But for this moment, I just want to catch up...
Our year has begun...
 The work has started...
I look out my kitchen window to see this...
I spend a short bit of time at my living-room-table over seeing these squiggly lines becoming letters...
 And notice how quickly they become so much more fluid and clear...
It's all coming together...
Our pattern is falling into place…
Or so I tell myself…

                                                                                   ~ Marica
                                       

Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Summer Art Camp


Last week…
We held an art camp..
We indulged in so many projects...
 The paper mache puppets…
And block printing were my own favorites…
I loved watching each child find so completely their own way of doing things...
What a fun, busy week it was…

                                                                               ~ Marica


Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Time has been flying…

Aprons have been officially finished…
The girls are thrilled...
 Writing...
 And reading has been in the air...
 So far, so fun...
Summer weather has been blasting spring out of the way… I'm not so sure I feel okay about that...
But this is California and I can't say I didn't know…

Happy May and all the warmth to come ~ Marica



Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com