Acquara Independent School

Math Playground notes for the last two weeks:

Two weeks ago we explored probability and estimating by:
– Reading Probably Pistachio by Stuart Murphy
– Taking turns using the “shake and peek” box to sample whether we found red or yellow blocks, then, based on the class samples, guessing whether there were more red or yellow blocks in the box
– Tossing a penny and recording heads and tails
– Bouncing a ping-pong ball into colored lids to measure how often it landed in each color
– Comparing quantities and determining which container had more and which had less

Last week we explored tally marks and counting by 5s and 10s by:
– Reading the Shel Silverstein poem “Band-Aids” and tallying how many band-aids the author had
– Adding 2-digit numbers using 10s and 1s (beads and bead strings)
– Putting “tally mark toothpicks” in order from 1 to 10
– Playing a variety of games to practice memory, visual processing, strategic thinking and quickly assessing “more” or “less”

This week we’ll celebrate Valentines Day by exploring geometry.

I saw the last few minutes of Bookworms, where it seemed they were doing something about castles and knights and jesters, and royalty, etc. They made a book about the different roles of people in the castle, and septors.

Spent a bit of time in Legos with Aaron. Then went to science with Naim where it was about the heart and circulation. They made this “heart” that was made of a tortilla, red jelly and licorice for the oxygenated blood and blue jelly and blueberries for the unoxygenated blood. It was kind of cool. They ran back and forth carrying water between two bowls to emulate circulation.

I let them get Valentines treats from a bake sale and they also got lots of valentines from people, although officially their “party” isn’t until thurs. in Discoverers.

I went to check out 24 hour fitness as a place for Avery and I to go since I have to take him with me now. They have a good daycare deal. $10 for unlimited visits per month. And Coscto has a good membership deal for $13 a month. So it is a bit sad, but I think it will be goodbye HFAC that I’m paying an arm and a leg for plus childcare. And at 24 hour fitness, I can go to multiple locations, so even Nik can go downtown after work. I don’t know that this means we are staying, but even if we leave, we will have this paid off in six months (as compared to HFAC) so it is really a no lose situation. 24 hour is not as nice as HFAC, but I think my little bike riding/yoga taking/lap swimming butt can manage to exercise with the plebes without too much sacrifice. I just have to remember to bring my own shampoo and towel. Hopefully, Avery will like the childcare. It looks pretty nice. Lots of things to climb on.

Avery went to Head Start with Nik today. Probably one of the last times he gets to take him. They did Dental check up again and he did well and likes the place and knows the routine. I haven’t said anything to Nik about the supervisor there. I think she is JUST AWFUL and condescending. I wanted to see what he thought of her without my influence. He met her today and had the exact same reaction. I guess she came over and just gushed over him. Funny. But the regular two teachers are nice there and not condescending at all. So it is more funny than anything else. He took some stealth pictures. I will not put up any pics of other children or their mothers, but lets see if there are a few of just Avery…

He always looks so somber in pictures. He actually laughs all the time...at home anyway.

A bit of a stealth scene of the room with no kids.

To be fair, head start is what forced us to get Avery off the sippy cup. He does well with it.

Another view of the room. Those chairs are TINY and we eat lunch while hugging our knees.

Avery very much enjoys his lunch and is learning to put his own dishes away, with varying amounts of success.

More views of the room with no kids. There is an outside area, too. But they didn't go outside today because of the dentist stuff.

Filed under: Art, Early Intervention, Health and Medical, Industrial and Technical, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Skills | Tagged: Bookworms, Gooey Science, Head Start, Legos, Math Playground |