Week 2 Home Learning 2021 - Wiggles Week

We have now completed the 2nd week of home learning and we are getting into a bit of a routine, although the kids are finding it hard some days to get started or complete certain tasks.

Lessons are still being sent out at 9am which is annoying because it means that I am not able to plan around the day but I am working hard to try and go with the flow.

Each morning we are starting with fine motor exercises (for Daniel to do his OT activities but also knowing that it can't hurt the other kids and their finger strengthening) and then doing a handwriting sheet. 

Fine motor activities to start the day

For Daniel it is the sheet that he gets from OT - this week is tracing over the down and bounce letters (like b, h, r, n, m). Eliza is still working through her Kindy handwriting book (the benefit of her only completing half the book - what's with that??). Alexander is working on writing his name (like he does at preschool) but we are focusing on writing his e and a properly and he is doing a really good job of it! I love seeing how proud he is of his writing but I am also loving seeing the encouragement from Eliza and Daniel to him with his writing. 

Handwriting for all

We then launch into the work for the day. 

Daniel's starts with a writing activity (which he has been doing pretty well with). The sky, grass, dirt sheets have been a really big help with his letter sizes. We have been trying to pay special attention to spaces between his letters and spaces between his words. He has been really proud of his letter formation. It is amazing to see the improvement that he has made in just a week!

Wednesday he even finished his writing task before Crunch and Sip which he was quite stoked about. On Friday he did a writing task of a poem about the Olympics. He went start to it, came up with the first few lines and then the rest flowed. I think he will be like myself where creative writing is difficult to do but writing poems is easier as ideas start to flow, words come together nicely. I was really proud of him and his writing this time.

The challenging part is that a lot of his work is reading an article, processing the information and then writing it in his own words. This takes a lot of time, plus the distraction of scrolling up and down, round and round, highlighting, making multiple text boxes to then delete them, typing the same letter over and over again. It just takes a lot longer than it would in the classroom. On Friday I told him that it's up to him how he does the work - if he chooses to get distracted with typing random letters instead of typing properly then that's his choice. But also trying to set a timer for him to complete a task in the set time.

Eliza's work has been going smoothly. She has lacked motivation at times to do the work or add detail, but then other times she will include heaps of information in her writing. She loves to include lots of detail in her pictures which is wonderful. And once her work is done she does enjoy scrolling up and down and up and down her old work or looking at google maps on her iPad. She has been working hard with her a's in her writing which I'm proud of and having her tail letters under the lines. She loved having Zoom with her class and being able to see some of her friends and her teacher.

In-between Eliza and Daniel doing some activities I have been trying to make some time for Alexander. This week was Wiggles Week.

Wiggles shirt on ready for the week

Preschool sent out some activities based around Paper Dolls so that occupied Alexander with listening to the book and then making some of his own paper dolls. The idea was to make some Wiggles but he made his friends instead (totally fine). Flynnie, Dylan and himself. He had a blast with these! He also enjoyed some zoom sessions with Sue and his classmates.

His reflection on the book The Paper Dolls

Making his own paper dolls

We then played a game of Wiggle memory (which was regularly interrupted by the big kids but Alexander did an amazing job of being patient).

We did some activities in the Wiggles sticker book that he got from Grannie Jean's birthday.

But the big activity was making the Wiggles Big Red Car. We restocked our toilet paper meaning that we had a big box ready to use. We wrapped it in paper and then Alexander got painting. He painted the wheels for the car and the steering wheel. Then he painted the outside of the car. This was great because it kept him occupied for so long! 

Eliza helped colour and paint the wheels

So much red paint!

The next day he coloured and cut out the Wiggles signs for the car. He made a number plate, an L plate and lights and put them all onto the car. We then added ribbon and he was set to go for a drive.

Eliza was excited that it could fit 2 in the car. And Daniel enjoyed driving in the car too. I do love that the older kids thought it was cool and got involved as well. 

Daniel got to watch (and the other 2 joined him) some of the Olympics as part of his school day plan. In the softball an ex-student from his school was playing so they said that the kids could watch some of that.

In the afternoon Alexander watched a video to see how to draw and write car and he did a great job.

Daniel learnt about the history of the Olympics so enjoyed finding different places where the Olympics have been held on his world globe.

The kids also enjoyed watching Scripture this week which Daniel was keen to do so that kids wouldn't miss out on Scripture. This only lasted one week but it was nice doing it with him.

Thursday I was inspired by Blue Wiggle. 

Alexander enjoyed using the peg board from Nana and Poppy for his fine motor activity.

I loved his joy on his face as he wrote his name and got the letters correct that we had been working on.

We read 'The most amazing Fruit Salad'. Alexander needed to draw as many fruits as he could think of after writing his name. He then did a chart for Healthy Food and Sometimes Foods using catalogues to cut out different types of food. He did an awesome job at recognising which is which.

Next up he made us a yummy yummy fruit salad. We loved eating it. I was really proud of how sensible he was with the knife cutting it carefully and properly. So much yummy goodness (we also got to enjoy it after dinner).

Eliza loved having her weekly zoom catch up with her teacher and classmates.

Alexander joined in with Eliza's PE lessons.

And Daniel did a News Report about Mountain Biking in the Olympics. He sure loves mountain biking!

Alexander's fruit salad was enjoyed for afternoon tea. There was enough that we could again enjoy it for dessert with the bonus of ice cream!

Friday I was inspired by Emma Wiggle.

We started the day singing and dancing to Hot Potato to get the clue of what the day would hold. We did some potato stamping (he chose flower, square, rectangle, triangle, Easter egg and tree) and then played a game of hot potato with a ball.

Alexander only did one painting but fortunately Eliza was keen to do some at recess time too so it wasn't a complete waste of resources.

We then made spaghetti and when it became Cold Spaghetti we added some colour to it and he had a blast playing with the coloured cold spaghetti. He cut it (using play dough scissors), organised the colours into bowls, used the tongs to pull it out, and of course enjoyed eating it. I honestly didn't think this would occupy him but he played with it for over an hour!

Making the spaghetti change colour

cutting

And eating

Sharing the eating

Using tongs

And fingers

The last activity that we did was Mashed Banana. Alexander helped make banana and coconut muffins (from Donna Hay's zoom session). They were very yummy! He did a pretty good job of making a lot of it on his own. He didn't believe me that it's easier to mash banana when you sing the song. Gave us both many giggles.

To celebrate the end of Week 2 home learning we enjoyed Donna Hay's raspberry and white chocolate muffins. So very tasty (just like she said!).

I got a special treat in the letter box too! Amelia and the kids got back from New Zealand and I asked her if she could get me some of my favourite chocolate - coconut rough. She kindly got me 2 blocks. Yum! Now to make it last.

Well done kiddies on another big effort this week. I enjoyed doing the Wiggles theme with Alexander. I enjoyed hearing the kids' positivity each night at dinner as they shared something that they were proud of for the week. I loved seeing Daniel's progress with his handwriting. I loved Eliza's giggles as she saw her friends on zoom. The other positive thing from this week was that both teachers gave Daniel and Eliza a phone call to see how they were going, how home learning is for me, and also encourage them and tell them that they are doing an amazing job. These teachers are so different to last year. They are so encouraging, supportive and give feedback to the work they are doing. It is a struggle but I am seeing positives in the day. Just keep swimming. 

Over the weekend we did some more art for the Art Gallery. The kids watched a video to learn about Ken Done and look at some of his artworks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oqGHcdZOZ78

We then headed into the backroom to make our own artworks using oil pastel, and paint and even used a bit of material if the kids wanted to.

I made a beach scene too

We also made an exercise loop around our street for the community to use and enjoy. It has been great to see many people coming and using it - young and old. 

The kids also learnt about Henri Matisse and about his artworks made from cut out paper. So cool and creative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=hy4DUpsC22c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=s37OoBXkYAc

The kids then made their own Henri Matisse inspired artworks by cutting out paper. I especially loved Eliza's artwork of a lounge room and the light hanging down from the roof. Very creative idea. 

At bedtime Daniel also decided to make a couple of artworks for the art gallery. One was this music stand. Very creative and well made from recycled materials.

The next art gallery is almost ready!