We start each day with group time which includes our calendar activities. Several of the printouts you see here are part of my Letter of the Week curriculum. Here is what our “calendar area” looks like and some of our activities:
(Calendar and numbers are from Lakeshore Learning, I can’t find it on their site, but found it at Teacher Storehouse)
Pledge of Allegiance
Memory Verse Review: Click here for my A-Z memory verses
ABC Song
Days of the Week song: (To the tune of Adam’s Family”)
- Days of the week (clap clap)
- Days of the week (clap clap)
- Days of the week (clap clap)
- Days of the week, Days of the week, Days of the week
- There’s Sunday and there’s Monday,
- there’s Tuesday & there’s Wednesday,
- there’s Thursday & there’s Friday
- and then there’s Saturday!
- Days of the week (clap, clap)
Month’s of the Year song: (To the Macarena)
- January (Right hand out)
- February (Left hand out)
- March (Right hand palm up)
- And April (Left hand palm up)
- May (Right hand on left shoulder)
- June (Left hand on right shoulder)
- July (Right hand on right ear)
- And August (Left hand on left ear)
- September (Right hand on left hip)
- October (Left hand on right hip)
- November (Right hand on right hip)
- December (Left hand on left hip)
- 12 months in a year! (Hop in circle as singing)
Count our calendar:
Put up today’s number on calendar along with appropriate colored chain link to continue our pattern for the month and count from 1 up to today’s date (1-11 in the below picture), then say the date: “Today is Thursday, March 11, 2010”
Today/Yesterday/Tomorrow: We discuss what today is, what yesterday was, and what tomorrow will be and update our chart:
Chart the Weather: Each day we chart the weather and discuss appropriate clothing, whether it is cold or hot outside. Then fill in a square on our Weather Graph. At the end of the month we discuss which type of weather we had the most of, least of etc.
Seasons Chart: We don’t do this daily, but we do discuss the name of the season when we chart our weather and appropriate clothing. We talk about what kind of activities we do during each season as well.
Address: We review our Address and Phone Numbers:
For song & movement time we use one of these fun ideas:
- Hide ‘Em In Your Heart Vol 1 by Steve Green
- Hide ‘Em In Your Heart Vol 2 by Steve Green
- Songs for Saplings by Dana Dirksen
- Kid’s In Motion by Greg & Steve
- Kids In Action by Greg & Steve
You are wonderful! Recently discovered your blog through my sister-in-law (go figure, she’s not homeschooling, but I am!) This is such a selfless thing for you to do for so many people, by providing so many free resources, and I want you to know I feel truly blessed that you have provided me with so much to help in my children’s learning. Thanks again!!
OMG!! I love your site and energy! I am a public school teacher, working in the special education department. Thanks for sharing all of your resources!!
Hello Erica,
what a great site you have – I am so very grateful for all the suggestions and downloads. I really love the way you did the calendar, but I could not find the accessories anywhere! Did you create the month tags, numbers, day of the week, etc. yourself?? Could you please let me know where you got them from as I am not that creative to make them myself! Thanks so much for your help.
Tina
Hi! I just got this calendar from Amazon. I was wondering, did you laminate it (or at least the numbers)? Thank you SO much for sharing your ideas. I just got your homeschooling book and sent it to the printer so I can use it this summer to plan our homeschool year! 🙂
Any idea what the number set is called that you use with your calendar. I have found the calendar but not the number set. Do you know the name, brand, or even better…have a link?
Hi Erica,
A great friend recommended your blog, I’m no so excited about al of this, have ordered my 3K/4K combo pack and am organizing into binders, cutting, and laminating. Can you quickly just tell me about how long calendar time takes you to get through once your kid knows the routine of it?
Thanks!
I am wondering what the measurements are on the calender and the bulletin board are? I am trying to get a good set up going for lotw and am shopping on amazon but need the size to accomodate everything the way you have yours set up. Thanks!
I have a fifth grader, a second grader, and a first grader.
I am having a difficult time finding activities that fit all those ages and doing it one on one.
Any ideas?
General comment:
I just want to thank you for doing all of this work and organizing it for me!! I am homeschooling my 3 year old twins for pre-k. I’ve just recently dove into this curriculum and am loving it! I sincerely thank you again…your amazing inspiring work has not gone unnoticed!!!
Thanks for the link for the website to order the calendar 🙂 Only problem is, I can’t seem to find the numbers, months and year on the site 🙁 Do you by chance remember what the item is called? Thanks in advance!
Hi Wendy,
If you’re referring to the calendar month and number cards, I purchased them from a local teacher store. You can also find them online, and I have some downloadable ones here: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2011/10/gingham-calendar-day-month-printables.html