Summer Time!

Well our first go at Tot School was an adventure. I learned a lot about what my little monkey will do and what he will not do. I have also learned going with the flow and letting the little guy take the lead is key to success in the whole adventure. I haven't posted in awhile because we have not been doing any sit down formal school. We actually got hit with some nice weather (finally Michigan!) so we have been doing a bunch or running around and getting out as much as we can. Last week I do not think we were home very much all week.

Our little Monkey has been demonstrating this past week that things do not go in one ear and out the other when I am teaching him. When spending the day with his daddy doing some running around after church, Monkey was happy to point out letters like A and B on buildings. He has also been counting a lot and if in a good mood, will volunteer to show you just how a toddler counts...1, 2, 3, 6, 9. This seems to be his favorite sequence an all though we do correct him, I am happy that he understands he has to say numbers. He has also been caught doing 8, 9, 10.

Last night at bath time he demonstrated to his daddy that he does in fact know the alphabet and did A, B, C. Just when you think nothing is getting in that little head, they pull out all the stops and show you that its not that they don't know it, its that they don't want to show you when you ask.

Monkey has also been learning his mealtime prayer. I was doing memory verses but since his vocabulary was and still somewhat is one words, I felt that this was something that should wait a bit longer. So in replacement we have been working on our prayer. We have been saying it for a very long time but recently have been making Austin repeat us after every word so that he in actuality is saying it also. Well this past week I have been saying a few words and he has been saying a few on his own which is showing he is learning to memorize. Like most toddlers and the nanosecond patience, Austin usually will and a few extra Amen's to speed along the process if eating. The amount of additional Amen's correlates to exactly how hungry he is and in extreme cases, the prayer is said with bites of food in between every word.

The last two days, Monkey has been showing us a huge vocabulary increase and to my much excitement linking two words on his own. Since his second birthday is fast approaching, I was a little concerned that he was not attempting to do this at all but my worries are gone and suspect that each day he will increase his new communication skills.

In terms of formal school, I am thinking we are done for the year. I thinking adding anything new right now would be overload on my growing tot. I think I am going to still continue through the summer but do it very informally and do more fun activities. I am going to spend lots of time reviewing and working on the skills he is the the process of learning like counting, ABC's and tracing which is his new favorite activity.

In the fall I plan to use the workbox system to some extent. I think Austin will take to it very well and will try to start incorporating it over the summer.

Our little munchkin has been on the move and is almost 9 months now. Over the summer I plan to slowly incorporate him into Tot school so that in the fall he will formally be a member.