EduKate

Monday was a snow day here on P.E.I., which meant no school. Abby and Hudson were thrilled to see the lovely fluffy flakes falling heavily in the morning and couldn’t wait to eat breakfast and head out the door. Days like this remind me of the importance of getting outside for some free playtime. As a family, we have been working on getting out of the house more and enjoying the natural beauty of P.E.I. during the colder months. To help us stay motivated, we’ve started the 1,000 hours outside challenge. We are challenging ourselves to try and get outside for at least 1,000 hours this year. I know this will not be easy, so I have already let Abby and Hudson know that not reaching our goal is okay. It is about the journey, not the number. Our measure of success will simply be to be outside more and not let the challenges of winter, like the time it takes to put our outdoor gear on, discourage us from enjoying the outdoors.

Today is Family Literacy Day here in Canada. Not only is it a fantastic way to promote literacy but a great excuse to snuggle up and share a book with your littles. I have attached a link to the ABC Life Literacy Canada page, which has some ideas and activities for celebrating literacy. Happy reading!
https://abclifeliteracy.ca/all-programs/family-literacy-day/

As you know, reading is a vital skill for children to practice and master. Literacy specialists recommend children read for at least twenty minutes a day. At our house, books are everywhere. Abby and Hudson have grown up with a love of books and stories. However, finding the time to settle ourselves down to read for the recommended amount of time each day can be difficult. To help set them up for success and give them a little encouragement, I recently set up a special reading corner for each of them. We call it their “Book Nook.” Each nook has a small basket with their choice of books and a comfortable pillow to sit on. As an incentive, we have started a project to see how many books we can read. They each have a small paper bookshelf on the wall. Once they have completed a story, they colour in a little paper book and place it on their shelf. Once their stack of books is as tall as they are, they get to choose a special treat. Both kids were thrilled with the opportunity to not only get a special treat but also see how tall they could make their shelf grow. Abby is hoping to make her shelf reach the ceiling. I’m not sure how I feel about that aesthetically, but it’s good to have goals. I have attached a link for the free blank template I found for the books and bookshelf.
Happy reading!
https://www.123homeschool4me.com/free-bookshelf-summer-reading-logs_32/

With the new year now well underway, Abby and Hudson were eager to make some resolutions for 2021. I don't usually do resolutions myself, as I find that I often struggle to keep them going past the first few weeks or months of the new year. However, in light of the challenges in 2020, we decided to set some realistic goals for 2021 and also to look back and find some of the positive moments we shared last year. Looking back turned out to be a lot of fun! We searched through old photos and had a few laughs at some of the silly moments. It was a good exercise in feeling thankful for the great times we did have. Abby and Hudson both chose a few memories that they cherish, we wrote them down and printed out some photos to help us remember. When it came to their goals, I tried to ensure that they were not only age-appropriate but also achievable. It was interesting to see what they were hoping to accomplish and what they considered important.
I have attached a copy of a new year 'highlights and goals' printable that you are free to use as a template but feel free to create your own design. After a difficult year, it is important to help children find the positive moments and to look forward to the future with optimism and goals in mind.

Welcome, 2021! A new year brings new opportunities and chances for all of us. 2020 was a challenging year for many as we all struggled to find the new normal and what that looks like for each of our families. After taking some time off with my family and to further my education, I am back and ready to continue supporting everyone with some ideas and tips for helping your little ones and yourself through these difficult times.

I hope everyone was able to enjoy their long holiday weekend. With Thanksgiving finished, we were left with some beautiful flint corn from our centrepiece. Flint corn is readily available in the garden area of most grocery stores right now. It looks like a cob of colourful dried corn. Not only is it a beautiful addition to your fall decor, but it's also a fantastic fine motor activity when you are finished with it!

Abby and Hudson were excited to have the opportunity to use tweezers to pull each corn kernel off the cob and place it into their little bowls. This activity helps to strengthen their hands and also fine-tune their hand-eye coordination. Once they removed all of the kernels, we then used them for spooning activities in their sensory bins and also made some beautiful bird feeders. If you have any fun activities that you like to do with leftover seasonal decorations, please share. Repurposing household materials is not only good for the environment, but it can also result in a fun learning opportunity for our little ones.

I hope you are having a fantastic Thanksgiving! 🍁

It has been a few weeks since I last posted (sorry), but getting our kids' new schedules under control and finding a rhythm with our new routine has kept our family very busy. Now that things are beginning to settle down, I thought I would share some tips on how to successfully approach reading with the young reader(s) in your home.

Reading can be a challenging and sometimes frustrating experience for many children (and parents). While it may be easier to read to your child, reading with them is far more beneficial. I always start by finding a quiet and comfortable place without distraction. In Montessori, children learn to read by studying the alphabet phonetically, recognizing the sound each letter makes rather than its name. This way, children can pick up the skills to read simple words and sentences more efficiently and with less struggle. Allow your child the opportunity to sound out each letter on their own. Many children pick up the concept of sounding out each letter with little difficulty after some practice. Stringing these sounds together into words is a bit more challenging. Patience is key; allow your child the time and opportunity to attempt the word independently first. If they are still having difficulty, try saying the sound of each letter out loud, giving them the chance to hear each sound from someone else. This extra step is often the only push they need to complete the word and read it on their own.

Finally, please remember to keep your expectations age-appropriate while reading and don't ask them to do too much all at once. Multiple short reading sessions can be far more effective and less frustrating for both your child and you. Above all else, enjoy these moments with your little one(s). Nurturing their love of reading is not only rewarding, but it can also be a lot of fun.

I have attached a copy of a list of what the phonetic alphabet sounds like for your reference.

Getting back into the swing of school can be tricky for families. Waking up early, getting out the door or logging in to an online classroom can add stress to both children and guardians. Our family is no exception. Mornings can be hectic here with what seems to be a constant flow of assignments and guidance from Jay and me to keep everyone on task. To help our kids better understand what jobs they need to do, and in what order, I found illustrated task cards, printed them out and placed them throughout the house. Abby and Hudson each have a personalized chart in their room, showing what they need to complete before they can leave for school. They also have their own chore charts with jobs they have chosen to do throughout the week. These cards can also be used for children to organize their school workday if they are learning from home. By using visual aids, young children can follow directions with little to no assistance from an adult, giving them a sense of pride and independence. There are many different versions of these cards available online. I have attached a link to the set I purchased. I really liked these ones as they can be personalized, so you can use language your child is familiar with. If your budget is tight, there are many great options for free online, or you can always make your own. If you give "task cards" a try, please share your experience in the comments below. Hopefully, this idea makes your busy mornings a little less stressful.

Welcome back, everyone! With school officially underway here on Prince Edward Island, EduKate is back up and running as well. This year might look very different for you and your child with school. Whether it is wearing masks in class, learning online or learning from home, the 2020 school year will certainly keep us on our toes. As everyone begins to navigate our new school year, EduKate will continue posting lesson ideas and activities to help support learning in any environment. Let the learning begin!

Today is the last day of school here on Prince Edward Island and the last day of the Scotland homeschool adventure! This doesn’t mean that the learning will stop for the summer months, although our daily work cycle will be shortened to allow more time for play. I will also continue to post ideas and activities to this page over the summer, but my posts will likely be a bit more sporadic than they already are. Summers here on the Island are full of distraction, but I will update this page from time to time. Thanks again for all of your support and congratulations on getting through such a challenging school year. Now it’s time to celebrate the last day of school! How do you mark the last day? For us...it’s ice cream! 🍨

Over the last two weeks, Abby and Hudson have been working on a unit study of North America. Inside each of the 'continent boxes' (seen in the pictures) are reading sentences, vocabulary cards, small animals, plant/animal sorting cards, artwork and other small items related to that box's continent. After a considerable amount of hard work, our study of North America has come to an end. To celebrate its completion, I put together a fun, open-ended activity for them to explore. Open-ended activities are an excellent tool for inspiring a child's imagination. They are made up of carefully chosen materials that a child can use to create whatever they envision. There is no right or wrong, only imaginative play and exploration. I began by incorporated a few items from their continent box, a few small animals and their corresponding label cards. Next, I found some natural materials, like wood, felt and glass, from around the house that Abby and Hudson could use to create their own habitat for the animals. I added some felting wool, that could represent a water source and even a few Scrabble tiles for them to practice their writing skills and voila! I am really pleased with how this turned out, and I am already collecting items for the next one. I will introduce this activity to them this weekend, so stay tuned for their reactions!