Rocks, Gems, Crystals: Day 1 (Simple Preschool At Home)

So here we are guys… In the middle of this crazy, pandemic-style spring. I read recently that 43 of 50 states have officially cancelled school for the remainder of the year, which made me realize I better get my butt in gear with my pre-kindergarten kiddo. Our district has not officially cancelled the remainder of the year, but I’m worried it’s coming. And honestly, I’m very nervous about sending him off to kindergarten in the fall (assuming schools are open), after possibly being out of school for 6 months! While we try to develop a new normal for home learning, I thought I would share our journey with you here. Buckle up for a fun week learning about rocks, gems, crystals, and more in our home preschool!

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rOCKS, gEMS, cRYSTALS:  WEEK 1 dAY 1

Rocks, Gems, Crystals: Day 1 Ideas

Letter of the day:

R (and Q). I paired these simple printable pages from Living Montessori Now with some small rocks from our local Dollar Tree. My kiddo used training chopsticks to move rocks to fill each letter. (Fine motor work is a MUST for my son! Spoons or jumbo tweezers would also work.)

Word of the day: 

Instead of working on his name, my kiddo wrote ‘rock’ with 4 different writing instruments. (I grabbed that printable page from First And Kinder Blue SKies on Teachers Pay Teachers!)

Book of the day: 

I Am A Rock. Written by Jean Marzollo. Illustrated by Judith Moffatt.

Journal prompt of the day: 

The best thing I saw this weekend was…

Activities and play we enjoyed: 

I printed a free rock collection box top, and had my son color it. We cut it out and attached it to an empty egg carton with some double stick tape. He’s excited about filling his box with rocks, gems, crystals later this week!

Both my 9 year old and my 4 year old loved the opportunity to smash geodes on our driveway. We used a kit from Discover With Dr. Cool that I was lucky enough to find on sale for $4.99 at Hobby Lobby just before we went into quarantine.

YOU MAY NEED THESE TO LEARN ABOUT ROCKS, GEMS, CRYSTALS…

colored pencils / crayons / markers / transparent tape / pens / scissors / pencils / double sided tape / composition notebook / index cards / hammer / geode kit / rocks

But PLEASE Remember…

This is what is working for us during the pandemic, for the time being. It may seem overwhelming to your family to attempt anything like this. Or if you’re like me, you may welcome a little structure in your days. It’s important for you to consider the needs, emotional health, and learning styles of your entire family, and make adjustments as needed. The goal is NEVER more stress, more comparisons, or more guilt.

Keeping the above in mind, here’s a little bit more about our process…

1. We’re aiming for about an hour of ‘school-ish’ work a day. This might included coloring, painting, writing, drawing, stickers, and more. My 4 year old is used to attending UPK for two and a half hours a day, 5 days a week, so 1 hour seemed like a good starting point at home.
2. I build a ton of breaks and flexibility into our days and weeks. I plan 5 days of ‘school’ each week, and we generally accomplish all the activities by stretching them out over 7 total days. Some Wednesdays, we just can’t do school. So we’ll make it up later, if we can. Again, the goal isn’t stress or pressure, so flexibility is key.
3. Variety is helpful for my kiddo. His attention span is short, so most of what I plan is quick. We change styles of learning often. You know what will work best for your own families.
4. Our journal is simply a basic notebook. Every day, I provide a prompt, and my child draws a picture on a blank index card. I tape that into the notebook, and write most of the prompt. At least one or two words are written larger, in dots, so my son can trace them.
5. I have a pretty well stocked supply of craft and learning materials already, and know that may not be the case for you. Be creative, be flexible, and be open to compromise! We also have a large home library for the kids, which is very helpful right now!

Are you trying to homeschool in quarantine? What do your days at home look like?