Reading Through the Alphabet: F

 

This week we read books that begin with letter F! Our first book is "Frog in the Bog" by Karma Wilson and Joan Rankin. This is a really cute rhyming and counting book about a frog in a bog and the insects he eats. At the end, though, does he get eaten himself?

 

The second book we read is "Frog and Toad are Friends". We love Frog and Toad here. They are really great book for beginning readers. Frog and Toad are hilarious friends! This book has five stories that can stand alone or can be read as chapters. These are very well known books and favorites in our house.

 

 

 

And lastly, the book we read is "The Firekeeper's Son" by Linda Sue Park. I bought this book when we were studying South Korea in geography. This story takes place in the 1800s in Korea. Fires were set on mountaintops in chain by different villages. If the king could not see a fire lit, he would know there was trouble and send out his army. One night, Sang-hee, the son of the village's firekeeper, had to take his father's place because his father hurt his ankle and could not walk up the mountain. Sang-hee debates whether or not to light the fire because he really wants to see soldiers. In the end, he sets the fire and is glad he did. It's a really great story with beautiful illustrations.

 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing which books you read! Link up any posts, old or new, and please visit everyone's links!

 



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Reading Through the Alphabet: E

This week we are reading the letter E!

The first book we read this week was "Elephant Families". This is in the Read-and-Find-Out Science book series that we love! This living book talks about how elephants work as a family unit. It is written in an easy-to-read format that keeps your child's attention. The illustrations are beautiful and there is a ton of information about elephants in this book written like a story! Definitely one you would want to read if you're learning about elephants, and even if you're not.

"Eating the Alphabet" by Lois Ehlert is the next book that we read. I purchased this book when my now 7 year old was doing My Father's World Kindergarten, I think for the "V is for Vegetables" unit. It's so pretty and lists different fruits and vegetables that begin with the letters of the alphabet! There are some unusual ones in here, like the jicama and the ugli fruit as well as some of our favorites like the yam and banana. This is a really colorful and fun book!

Of course, we have to include the hilarious "Elephant and Piggie" books by Mo Williams! We read "There is a Bird on Your Head!", but we have around 10 of these books. They are like graphic novels or comic books for your beginning readers! There is minimal text on each page, simple drawings, and a funny storyline.

I'm excited to see what books you read that start with E! Link up any posts, old or new! Please visit and comment on the other link-ups. Thank you for participating!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Reading Through the Alphabet: D

I have been posting about picture books, but I couldn't resist adding one of Zeke's favorite board books this week - "Doggies: a counting and barking book" by Sandra Boynton! He loves this book and brings it to me all the time to read to him. It's a really simple and fun read. You get to "bark" in several different ways throughout the book - "yip, yip", "bow wow wow", "arf arf", and "ar-rolf!" just to name a few. Zeke likes to point to the dogs while I count and loves when I "bark" enthusiastically! I highly recommend this book to any toddler. It would make a great gift.

The next book we read was "Daniel's Duck" by Clyde Robert Bulla. This is "An I Can Read Book", level 3. It's a great story of a boy named Daniel who carved a duck for the county fair. He carved his duck with his head looking back, and everyone who saw it laughed. He thought they were laughing at his duck, but they laughed because they liked the duck. We "rowed" this book when we were doing Five in a Row.

The last book is an oldie but goodie - "Danny and the Dinosaur" by Syd Hoff. This book has a copyright of 1958. I found this original copyright, hardcover book in great condition at a thrift store for less than a dollar. It's been read many times! The illustrations are simple and colored in with crayon or colored pencil. It's also "An I Can Read Book" and my kids have lovingly read it over and over.

Link up your posts - old or new - and let me see what books you're reading with the letter "D"! Please visit some other links and leave a comment or two.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Homeschool Highlights: 2/2/20-2/7/20

This week, Mercie turned 12! She celebrated her birthday by going out to lunch with Nana and Papa (my parents). Then she came back home for caramel cake and ice-cream and presents!

She loves stuffed animals, especially big ones, so I bought her this huge octopus!

She also received some clothes and the Crocs she was asking for.

This week, we "traveled" to Brazil in geography. Here is a bit of what we did:

 

We also began learning about invertebrates starting with insects. We made these model insects. Here is some of our science this week.

Rod and I went to dinner with friends and came back to the house and played Rummikub. It was our first time playing and we loved it so much, I'm ordering it from Amazon!

Zeke went to the doctor and had two ear infections and a sinus infection. He weighed 26 pounds!  He did his school work this week, but I didn't get many pictures. He played with the Magformers almost daily!

We spent a lot of time outside this week because we had some unseasonably warm weather. Zeke loved getting in the mud and water! We have had tons of rain the past few weeks, so everything is quite muddy around our house.

What we're reading:
Mercie is reading Holes, Silas finished Because of Winn-Dixie and Titus read Nate the Great and  Nate the Great Goes Undercover.

 

Linking up with:

What We're Reading This Week (week 1)

I would love to start posting the library books my older 3 kids check out from the library each week. Their choices are usually very different from each other, and I always like wondering why they choose certain books. I always enjoy seeing what other kids with ages similar to my own are reading, so maybe you will enjoy this!

The only requirement my kids had this week was to choose one book that was on the presidents, American history, or government. I'm appalled at how little most kids know on this subject, and even how little I myself know! I told the kids they must choose one book on this subject each week for the rest of the year. They have to read the book, and then at the end of the week give an oral report to the family. That way, we can all learn something!

Mikaela - 14

• "Whose Haunting the White House? The President's Mansion and The Ghosts Who Live There" by Jeff Belanger
• "The Journal of Patrick Seamus Flaherty, United States Marine Corpss, Khe Sanh, Vietnam, 1968" by Ellen Emerson White
• "A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Sniket

Eli - 11

• "The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence" by Dennis Brindell Fradin
• "Football Trivia" by Tyler Mason
• "The Lego Play Book: Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Lift" by Daniel Lipkowitz
• "Really Horrible Science Facts" by Jay Wakins

Mercie - almost 9

• "Who Was Betsy Ross?" by James Buckley Jr.
• "The Critter Club: All About Ellie" by Callie Barkley
• "Junie B. Jones Has A Monster Under Her Bed" by Barbara Park
• "Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626" by Gary Bowen

What are your kids reading this week?