Aa is for Artist

Today, we continued our review of the Letter Aa.  Evan's writing skills are improving and he is really starting to enjoy writing!  We wrote the word 'animals' on the board and then made a list of some animals that begin with the Letter Aa.  Evan circled all the Aa's.  He then did a Letter Aa worksheet that also had these animals plus a few additional Aa words. 

Evan proud of his penmenship!

Evan finding the Aa's in all the animal words.

Completing his Aa Worksheet.

Then we moved on to the Number 1.  Both the boys practiced writing the number 1.  While they wrote, I recited the One Poem several times: "Down goes your line when you make a 1.  It's easy and lots of fun.  Just be sure your line is as straight as it can be.  One's like to stand up tall like a tree!"  Then I would strike a pose and ask them if my body looked like a number 1.  They thought this was hilarious and wanted to do it too.  We made lots of different poses, but ended by standing tall like a tree - just like the Number 1!

Evan making some ones.

Alan's attempt at making ones!

Evan posing like the Number 1!

Alan trying to stand up tall like a tree!

We reviewed the numbers 1-10 with the number flashcards.  Each flashcard has animals on one side and shapes on the other that they would count for whatever number it was.  The number 10 flashcard has 10 bluejays on it.  This reminded Evan of one of his favorite stories that also has a bluejay in it - "Play With Me" by Marie Hall Ets.  So we read it and talked more about all the different animals in the story.  Then we played with the number and lowercase letter puzzles.  Making tracks with the blocks came next and the boys made a really long track to look like a big number 1.  They each made one and then took turns going down their newly made 'road'!

Putting the puzzle together while singing, "1-2-3, Jesus loves me..."

Alan continually impresses me with his letter recognition ability!

"Mommy!  Our track looks like a number 1!"

Evan - "My track is the biggest Mommy!"

Taking a stroll down their new 'road'!

The boys then did a couple worksheets over the Number 1. 

Matching worksheet.  Notice how straight Evan's lines are.  He really is getting a lot better!  Alan - well, he's just getting started!!!

Evan cut out all of the numbers and then let Alan glue them on.

Well, until he took the glue and said, "Here Alan, let me show you how!"

To go along with our review of the Letter Aa, we started to read "I Am an Artist" by Pat Lowery Collins.  This book is part of our Before Five in a Row (B4FIAR) Program.  The illustrations are just beautiful and the boys really enjoy it.  It is all about seeing art in nature and in objects all around us.  One of the lines talks about how you are an artist when you make something from the things that you collect.  The picture instantly reminded Evan of his 'nature art' that we made yesterday.  He got so excited, and said, "Mommy!  I am an artist too!"  I was SO proud of him for making this connection!  I had hoped that he would, but wasn't sure if he would or not.  We spent the rest of the day doing different things from the book, proving to him that he was in fact an artist!

The book talks about you being an artist when you find a face in a cloud.  Evan has been doing this a lot lately.  Especially while we are driving, he'll say, "Look - that cloud looks like a dog, and that one looks like an elephant!"  He's found some pretty interesting things in the clouds!

It also talks about how you are an artist when you find and/or make footprints in the sand or snow.  This went perfectly with Aa is for animals.  We talked about how each animal has a different footprint and how they each make different kinds of tracks.  I was really impressed because on the picture in the book, there is a beach scene with tracks in the sand.  I asked Evan if he knew what kind of animal made tracks like that and he knew right away that they were bird tracks!  There is not a bird anywhere on the page, he just knew it!  I was quite impressed and reminded him that he was an artist!  We got out some play-doh and some of their toys to see what kinds of tracks they could make and to see how they were all different.  They really enjoyed this!  Then I stamped each of their feet so they could see their own footprint. 

Making play-doh tracks with army men, dinosaurs, and various farm animals!

Alan making army men tracks.

Evan making horse tracks.

"Look at all the tracks I made!"

4 precious footprints!  (Evan was trying to hold up Alan's legs because he really wanted me to see the bottom of his feet!"

While Alan took a nap, I took Evan outside and we continued to talk about different animal tracks.  I had 4 different track molds - raccoon, coyote, beaver, and deer.  We wet the sand a little and Evan thought it was so cool to make the different animal tracks in the sand!  Then I stretched out a piece of paper and let him use fingerpaints to make all the different animal tracks.  He had so much fun!  Being the little artist, he couldn't wait to make his own tracks.  So he got paint all over his feet and took off!

Using the Coyote Replitracks to make tracks in the sand.

He really liked the raccoon tracks!

Fingerpaints + Animal tracks = LOTS OF FUN!

The beaver's back footprint was about as big as Evan's!  I never thought about a beaver's back foot being so big.  You can see the webbing and everything!  It was really cool!  I'm learning too!

Daddy helping Evan.  The plates were quite slippery with paint all over them!

Evan was so excited to make his own tracks!

Our front sidewalk is covered in little colored footprints!  A part of me is wishing the rain won't wash it away! 

Another part of the book talks about how you are an artist when you shoot water loops in the air with the hose.  I needed to wash Evan's feet off anyways so it was the perfect opportunity for him to express his inner artist...until the little stinker thought it would be hilarious to come after me with the hose!!!

Making water loops!

A little ornery...I think so!!!

Alan woke up, and Evan wanted to go on an animal hunt.  He insisted on wearing his raincoat and rainboots!  He also wanted to use toilet paper rolls for binoculars - only he kept calling them his 'antlers'!  We walked all around our yard and the neighbors yards in search of animals.  He walked almost the entire time holding his 'antlers' to his eyes!  He made sure that Alan had one and that I had two!  We spotted birds, a cat, a dog, horses, a squirrel, a rabbit, lots of bugs, a butterfly, and a bear in the cave (according to Evan)! 

My little animal explorers with their 'antlers'!

Evan got up in the fort and said he was going on a lion hunt!  He spotted one so he came down the slide to go after it!

Whew!  It wasn't a lion after all - only a bear in the cave, which Evan took care of with his stick!  :)

Our animal hunt wasn't complete until we went to see Rocky!

We had such a fun day!  The neighbor girls went to meet their teachers tonight and they were telling us about it when they got home.  Evan looked at them and said, "My Mommy is not going to be your teacher because she is MY teacher!"  Before going to bed, I asked Evan if he liked me being his teacher and he said, "YES!  You are the bestest teacher and I love you so much!"  Then he said, "And I am an artist and you love me so much too!"  WOW!!!  Talk about melting your heart!  What a precious way to end such a wonderful day!