Today is a no-curriculum day at the Mrs. C house. This morning, Elf and Emperor are looking at the US map and I will hand them a blank piece of paper and "test" them in a little while. We'll see how many states they can remember. I know the next unit in our Social Studies curriculum is about the 50 states, but from what it looks like, the children read five pages about the different US regions and then somehow have the states memorized for the test. (Unfortunately, most math curriculum seems to be the same way about addition/subtraction and other facts. Sure, you get a little practice in the workbook, but mostly you need to drill these things until the student knows them.)
Next up, I'm going to dig around and find a small photo album I got free from Wal-mart years ago when I had pictures developed. I'll use this to make a "social story" with Elf about how to behave in church. Do not ask why I am going to do this; just go ahead and applaud me for doing it or knock me in the comment section for not thinking of it before.
We're going to make the story short but cohesive (that's English). With pictures (that's art). We're going to read it several times (that's reading).
For maths? Ok, I guess we're sort of using curriculum on that, if you count "playing" on the computer. Vroot and Vroom are space aliens who need help making cakes. Elf and Emperor get their stuffed animals and make pies for them. One ferocious dragon is apparently quite fond of the lemon kind.
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Geography has never held much interest for me. It feels like trying to memorize all the phone numbers on your block... just because. So, I've never been good at it (this whole adoption thing has me interested in the location of Kyrgyzstan, but that's because it matters on a personal level... like knowing my own phone number [smile]). So, the majority of my geographical knowledge has come from personal interest and absorbed as we do other things.
ReplyDelete[applauding] That's for your "social story" photo book thingy. [smile]
~Luke
Sounds like a great day! Hey we're fixin to do the 50 States next week, woot! I'm deviating from our curriculum to get that in because we didn't get to it last year, oops. Actually I tried a MO study but ordered curriculum far too advanced. This time we got a MO lapbook and he's really enjoying putting it together...today should finish it up. Then....states and geography. xo
ReplyDeleteLuke, I moved to Australia after we did the unit on East Coast states. So even though I do look at my map every now and then to figure things out, it isn't in my head the same way the things I memorized as a child would be. :]
ReplyDeleteI am PROUD TO SAY that my children know the names of several states and that Mexico and Canada were not listed as states this time. They are even starting to remember a few states like "Howyyy" and "North Dikota."
Spelling the states, I guess is a later concept.
Stacey, you're getting the states done in a week?? PLEASE say you meant just "starting" next week? :o
Here's some applause for making a social story book for church! (clap, clap, clap, etc...!) I used them for my son. Here's another idea.. check out "Sensory Stories" I just discovered them a few months ago.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever learn the song "Fifty Nifty United States?" It teaches you the names of all 50 states in alphabetical order. I learned it years ago and am still waiting for it to help me win a trivia game or something.... Even though it hasn't, I think it's a cool way to memorize the names of the 50 states. Learning where they are on the map is another thing....