Month: December 2016

Tot School: Pinecones, Pine Trees, and Lumberjacks: OH MY!

leslie December 29, 2016 0 Comments
The Pineywoods of East Texas.That's what we call home.Monday was the day after Christmas and it was a beautiful warm morning.  Time to get out and go exploring! We have some gorgeous trails and gardens not far from home called the Mize Azalea Gardens which we have yet to explore!  It was the perfect place to talk about the the tall pines that tower over all the rest of the trees,...

Tot School: Snow Day in Texas

leslie December 21, 2016 0 Comments
I live in the Pineywoods of East Texas. It doesn't snow here.  In fact, I believe the last time we had snow (which was absolutely beautiful) it was 2009... let me see if I can find a picture....Here we go.  These are colored pictures that are completely unfiltered.  That snow was like God had placed a beautiful fluffy blanket completely untouched across our town.  It was...

Tot School: S.T.E.A.M. Stations and Hedgehogs

leslie December 18, 2016 0 Comments
You may have heard of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) stations. This was a huge idea in the public education field in which I worked for 8 years.  One of the top questions for educators was: "How is what I am teaching incorporating a STEM concept? Can I use STEM in my lesson"  STEAM is the same thing, but now ART  (letter A) is incorporated.  Mother...

Crafting with Kids: Baking Soda Clay Ornaments

leslie December 10, 2016 0 Comments
Every year I choose a special ornament that goes with something special that happened that year to add to our Christmas tree.  My mother-in-law did this and wrote the dates on all my husband's ornaments from his childhood and when he and I got married, I wanted to carry on the tradition.This year has been an especially hard year for us and trying to find an ornament has proven quite...

Tot School: Teaching One-to-One Correspondence

leslie December 8, 2016 0 Comments
Reciting numbers and memorizing their names is one thing....Understanding that those numbers mean a certain amount is a whole nother ball game.One-to-one correspondence is the ability to match one object to one corresponding number or object.Each month Mother Goose Time sends some kind of math manipulative and some new number cards.This month, as we study Winter in the Woods, Sweet Pea received...