- Class Schedule
- Weekly Job Chart (Rotation of: Calendar Helper, Weather Watcher and Song Leader)
- Letter of the Week
- Weekly Bible Verse
- Weekly Catechism Question
- Weekly Social Studies Question
- Monthly Calendar
- A Popsicle Bag (the Calendar Helper will add a popsicle every day to help us count the number of school days)
- "Today is" Sign
- "The Season is" Sign
- "The Weather is" Sign
- Weather Wheel
- List of Song Choices (for the Song Leader to choose from)
- List of "Calendar" Questions (How many days until Saturday? How many months in a year?, etc..)
- Map of all 7 continents
- U.S. Flag
- St. Lucian Flag (since Daddy is West Indian)
- Cut-outs pocket (for loose calendar numbers and descriptors)
If all goes well, this should increase their familiarity with written numbers, letters and words, as well as increase their Bible knowledge, math skills, observation skills, vocabulary and memory. Talking about concepts related to weather, continents, and citizenship should also provide a simple spring board into learning about culture, science, geography and history later down the road. Incorporated throughout are a variety of really great songs and "chants" that ought to help with rhythm, sound recognition and rhyme. Regarding the use of Social Studies questions, I plan to use this along with catechism questions to educate the children as to the reason for their existence and how they ought to relate to God and to others. Here are some of the questions I plan on using:
First Quarter:
- How can we be safe and obey the rules?
- Who should we trust and obey? (Stranger Safety)
- Where did we come from?
- Where do we live?
- What is our address?
- What is our phone number?
- What is a family?
- What is my role in my family, home, school, and community?
- Why do we have holidays, traditions, and customs?
Second Quarter:
- What kinds of things are fun to do with other people?
- How are we supposed to treat people?
- Why are there so many different kinds of people?
- Why is it good to learn about people who are different than us?
- Why is it good to learn about people from the past?
- How can the things we learn enable us to know more about God?
- How can the things we learn enable us to show love to other people?
- What should we do when we do not understand other people?
- What does God want us to do when other people are not nice to us?
When it comes to these types of questions I would imagine that they would be more of the kindgergarten level, which in some cases would involve not only Sophia, but Tia as well. (Truth be told, in many ways Tia seems ready for kindergarten even though she is only 4 1/2.) When it comes to Daniel (although he is an advanced 2 1/2 year old), the best I might hope for throughout some of these things is that he sits, listens and participates the best that he can. By limiting these questions to only one each week, my hope is that over the 3 or 4 days per week that the kids are "in class" we will be able to discuss these matters in several segments as well as give the children ample time to think through the issues raised and come to talk about these things in a Biblical fashion. My plan is to do my best to choose an applicable memory verse that helps us to understand the Biblical answer to these rather interesting questions.
As always, I am seeking to hold these things with an open hand and let the Lord direct and teach me. When I review this idea and think about what it may take to implement it, I am hoping that the effort will be worth the results...or that if it does not work out I will be able to move on toward that which is effective and helpful for my little kids!
Only one slight concern, which I am sure Jeremiah will help me with, but I have not yet found a young children's catechism that I'm completely satisfied with. I'm hoping to find one that does not require too much editing or rearranging. Some of the ones I have seen have too much of their own theological persuasion included rather than genuinely biblical questions and answers...something we're all prone to do, of course...but I really do want to weed that out if possible.
Now...a prayer that God will supply time, energy, capability, and diligence and that I will exercise patience, love and gratitude in the midst of this incredible calling!
